Category: English

I was feeding 7-year-old Lily some pumpkin porridge when Nathan stumbled drunkenly through our front door. His collar was askew, and there were obvious red marks on his neck. “Olivia, someone spiked the drinks at the fundraising gala,” he slurred. “But don’t worry, I’ve already had the lawyers take care of it.” I nodded silently. We’d been married for years, and he only had eyes for me and our daughter. He’d never strayed before. Eight months later, Nathan was away on a business trip when news broke of a devastating fire on a cruise ship. I rushed to the hospital with a crying Lily, only to find Nathan covered in bandages waiting outside the delivery room. “Wendy is pregnant,” he choked out. “From that night at the gala… I never thought it would happen on the first try…” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “When the fire spread, she put the life jacket on me. But she got caught in the smoke…” A baby’s cry pierced the air as Wendy was wheeled out of surgery. She grabbed my sleeve desperately. “Please, Mrs. Shen. A child needs a father…” Nathan turned to me, his eyes full of torment. “Lily needs her mother. But this baby…” I clutched our trembling daughter close and cut him off with a cold laugh. “Nathan, either make them disappear completely, or I’m taking Lily and leaving!” He pressed me against the wall, eyes red. “I can’t lose either of you!” On the day of the twins’ 100-day celebration, the Lu family home was decked out in festive decorations. Lily hid behind me, staring timidly at her new siblings. I took off my wedding ring and pressed it into her little palm. “Sweetheart, let’s go meet your new daddy.” As I dialed the number, a deep voice came through the line: “Olivia, you’ve finally decided to look my way.” “Congratulations! The Lu family finally has an heir – twins no less!” The Lu family mansion was filled with a joyous atmosphere as guests laughed and toasted. Nathan was beaming as he held the two babies, handing out red envelopes to well-wishers. Wendy leaned against him demurely, accepting congratulations as the new “Mrs. Lu.” I stood at the entrance holding Lily’s hand. My daughter cowered behind me, staring wide-eyed at the lively scene. Her simple clothes stood out starkly against the lavish surroundings. Wendy’s eyes flickered to us, a hint of triumph in her gaze. “Nathan, your sister and Lily are here.” The room fell silent for a moment as all eyes turned our way. Nathan’s smile faltered. He quickly handed the baby boy to a nanny and strode over. “Olivia, why didn’t you tell me you were coming back? I would have sent someone to pick you and Lily up…” I let out a scornful laugh. Was he really concerned about us, or just worried we’d disrupt his happy new family? Whispers rippled through the crowd. “So that’s the original Mrs. Lu who couldn’t produce a son for 10 years? I heard she became infertile after her first pregnancy. If it weren’t for Young Master Lu protecting her, she’d have been divorced long ago!” “Yet she had the nerve to run away with her daughter for three whole months, just because Mr. Lu took in his mistress and children!” “How ungrateful. Old Mr. Lu’s dying wish was to hold a grandson. Mark my words, that Wendy girl will be the new Mrs. Lu before long…” A flash of satisfaction crossed Wendy’s face as she slowly approached with the babies. “Sister, from now on Lily will have two little brothers. Let’s introduce them properly…” Lily shrank back in fear. Before I could stop her, piercing wails erupted from the infants. “Lily Lu!” Nathan roared, roughly shoving her aside. Lily fell to the ground, scraping her knee. She burst into tears. “Nathan, have you lost your mind?!” I crouched down to comfort Lily, glaring daggers at him. But Nathan ignored me completely, frantically trying to soothe the crying boys. Wendy dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. “Sister, I know you don’t like me. But how could you teach Lily to hurt these innocent babies?” “If Nathan hadn’t reacted so quickly, she might have poked their eyes out…” The guests immediately turned on us in righteous anger. “Such a vicious child at such a young age! What kind of mother raised her?!” “The Lu family can’t keep a girl like that around!” I held my trembling daughter close and shouted, “Wendy, you’re twisting the truth! How dare you slander us in front of all these people. Aren’t you afraid of karma?!” Wendy turned to Nathan with pleading eyes. “Nathan, your sister can’t accept me. Maybe I should take the children and leave the Lu family…” Nathan’s face darkened. When he looked at me, there was disappointment in his eyes. “Olivia, I’ve been too lenient with you two. Since you can’t discipline your daughter properly, I’ll have to do it as her father.” As soon as he finished speaking, two security guards moved to take Lily away. I clutched her tightly. “Nathan, if you dare touch her, I’ll divorce you!” Nathan hesitated for a moment. Suddenly Wendy cried out tearfully: “Nathan, I think the babies are having trouble breathing. We need to get them to the hospital right away!” Nathan’s expression changed instantly. He roughly pushed me aside and rushed to Wendy and the infants. I quickly shielded Lily behind me, watching his panicked retreat. An icy realization settled in my heart. It was clear now that these twin boys meant far more to him than we ever had. “I’m taking Wendy and the babies to the hospital first,” he called over his shoulder. “As for the divorce – don’t even think about it!” “As long as you accept Wendy and the children, you’ll still be the only Mrs. Lu! Olivia, my patience is wearing thin. Don’t push me any further!” After they left, the guests’ gossip washed over us like a tidal wave. “Tsk tsk, the drama in this household is better than any TV show. The proper wife can’t compete with the mistress, and even the child suffers for it.” “Indeed. From the looks of it, Olivia has completely lost her standing. Once a man has a new love and sons, who cares about the old one!” Lily looked up at me, confusion and fear in her eyes. “Mommy, does Daddy not want us anymore? It’s all Lily’s fault for making Daddy angry. Please don’t fight with Daddy because of me. If you get divorced, I won’t have a daddy anymore…” I choked back tears as I hugged my daughter, desperately trying to reassure her. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’ll have a new daddy someday.” But memories of the past kept surfacing unbidden in my mind. Nathan and I had dated for 3 years and been married for 8. He had always treated me like a precious treasure. When I became infertile after Lily’s difficult birth, his grandfather tried to force us to divorce. But Nathan endured 99 lashes from the family disciplinary whip to keep our marriage intact. The night of that fateful fundraiser, Nathan had sworn to me: “It was all an accident. I’ve already had the lawyers take care of everything.” But a month later, he came back from a business trip missing a shirt button. He claimed it had come off during a meeting. Soon after, I discovered an ultrasound photo on his phone, dated exactly one month after the gala. When I confronted him, Nathan’s eyes darted away guiltily. “It’s a business partner’s baby. I’m just keeping it safe for them.” From then on, Nathan started taking frequent business trips. He even missed our daughter’s birthday. Until his latest trip, where he just happened to be on the same ill-fated cruise as Wendy… “Mommy, it hurts.” Lily’s tearful voice snapped me back to reality. Looking at the blood beading on her scraped knee, remembering Nathan’s furious eyes as he shoved her aside – I suddenly felt like our 8 years of marriage had been nothing but an absurd dream. Nathan had long since betrayed his vows to me. When I had a huge fight with him over Wendy and took Lily away for 3 months, he never once tried to find us. I comforted my daughter and opened my phone to send Nathan the divorce papers I’d prepared long ago: “Sign them. I don’t want anything except Lily.” Then I dialed a number I’d blocked years ago. A deep voice answered: “Olivia, you’ve finally decided to look my way.” “Wait for me to return.” I hung up the phone and picked up Lily, heading for the exit. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lu ordered that you can’t take the young miss away.” The security guards blocked our path. I steeled myself and opened my phone. But what I saw was a new social media post from Wendy, showing a photo of Nathan: “Thank goodness Nathan rushed us to the hospital in time! On behalf of our boys, I want to thank their daddy!” My breath caught painfully. I felt like I was about to cough up blood. “Mommy! What’s wrong?!” Lily cried out in panic, seeing my pallor. “Quick! Mrs. Shen is coughing up blood. Get her to the hospital!” In the chaos, I was rushed to the emergency room. I remained unconscious for three whole days. When I finally came to, Lily was nowhere to be seen. “Lily!” I called out frantically. “A man came earlier saying he was the little girl’s father. He took her away,” a nurse informed me. My heart sank as a terrible premonition gripped me. I called Nathan’s number three times before he finally picked up. “Nathan, what have you done with Lily?! What are you planning?!” Nathan let out a cold laugh. “What am I planning? I should be asking you that! You sent Lily to harm my children with Wendy. Did you think I was blind?” “That’s impossible! Lily would never do such a thing. This is all Wendy’s scheme!” I struggled to get out of bed, but the IV lines held me back painfully. “A scheme?” Nathan’s voice was ice cold. “The security footage clearly clearly shows Lily approaching the cribs with scissors, saying she wanted revenge for you. What a fine daughter you’ve raised, Olivia!” I felt like I’d been plunged into an icy lake. It couldn’t be true. Lily had even told me not to blame Nathan earlier… There was a loud crash through the phone, followed by Lily’s tearful pleas: “Daddy, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt the babies…” My hands shook uncontrollably as I gripped the phone. Tears streamed down my face. “Lily! Nathan, don’t hurt her, she’s only seven years old! If you want to take your anger out on someone, come find me! I’m begging you…” But Nathan didn’t even let me finish. “Olivia, from now on Lily is under my care. If you dare interfere again, don’t blame me for disregarding our marriage!” The line went dead. I yanked out my IV, ignoring the nurses’ protests as I stumbled towards the exit. No matter what, I had to save my daughter! But as soon as I made it outside, I was surrounded by a sea of flashing cameras. Reporters swarmed around me, thrusting microphones in my face. “Ms. Shen, is it true that you incited your daughter to harm the twins out of jealousy over Wendy giving birth to sons?” “Online rumors say you can no longer bear children, so you wanted to eliminate the Lu family heirs. Can you comment on this?” “Mr. Lu has released a statement saying he will hold you legally responsible. What is your response?” I was jostled so badly I could barely stand. My phone buzzed incessantly as trending topics popped up one after another: #LuFamilyWifePoisons Illegitimate Children# #OliviaMadWithJealousy#

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In the operating room, my surgeon husband and his mistress nurse abandoned a patient for forty minutes, leading to the patient’s death. Afterward, my husband demanded I sign a medical malpractice waiver. That’s when I realized he thought my own mother was on the operating table. I silently pushed the waiver back to him. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to sign this. The deceased’s son should sign it.” “Sign this.” Dr. Victor Thorne slammed the document onto my desk. His face showed no remorse, only impatience. I glanced at the paper. “Medical Malpractice Waiver” read the title. I was confused. Then Tiffany Davis, standing next to Victor, spoke up, her voice dripping with sickly sweetness. “Dr. Hayes, my condolences. Victor did his best, but your mother just didn’t make it…” She pretended to look sad, lowering her head, but her hand clutched Victor’s arm tightly. I froze, instinctively looking at Victor. “What happened? It was just a thyroidectomy, right?” Victor scoffed. Tiffany immediately chimed in, her tone falsely understanding. “Dr. Hayes, you’re a doctor too. How can you say something so unprofessional? There are always complications during surgery. Your mother was old, in poor health… You can’t blame Victor. He’s probably more heartbroken than you are.” He’s more heartbroken than *me*? I frowned, staring at Victor. —And why wouldn’t he be? My gaze seemed to offend him. Victor roughly shoved the waiver back in front of me. “Cut the crap, Amelia! Sign this now and hand it to Director Miller yourself! Also, tomorrow morning at eight, the moment our cooling-off period is over, we’re going straight to the courthouse to get divorced!” He paused, then pulled Tiffany closer, flaunting her. “And, Tiffany and I are getting married tomorrow. Your mom’s funeral is just too much of a downer, so I won’t be going.” With that, Victor didn’t even spare me another glance. He walked away, arm around a smug-looking Tiffany. My mom’s funeral? My eyes fell back to the “Medical Malpractice Waiver.” The patient’s name seemed to be a printer error, with some ink bleed, making it barely legible. I could just make out “M. Thorne.” “Due to insufficient care by the family, the patient died from postoperative complications. The hospital and lead surgeon, Dr. Victor Thorne, bear no responsibility…” I read each line, feeling nothing but a sickening sense of absurdity. Victor only had one surgery scheduled today. The patient was his own mother, Martha Thorne.

The unsettling feeling inside me grew stronger. I went straight to the monitoring room to review the surveillance footage of that surgery. The recording showed Victor and Tiffany arriving late. The patient was already anesthetized, her face covered with a sterile drape, when they strolled into the operating room as if nothing were wrong, taking their sweet time. Victor was the lead surgeon, and Tiffany was the instrument nurse. But those two had no focus on the surgery at all. Their flirtatious glances never stopped. Nurse Jenkins cleared her throat, beginning to verify the patient’s information. “October 17th, OR 1, first surgery, patient verification. Patient Martha—” “Alright, alright, don’t waste time. What does the patient’s name have to do with the surgery? It’s just one thyroidectomy today, can’t get it wrong.” Victor cut Nurse Jenkins off and immediately started the surgery. Tiffany gave Nurse Jenkins a slight, smug bump, signaling her to move away from Victor’s side. Nurse Jenkins, already annoyed with Victor, just stepped aside. Soon after the surgery began, Tiffany absentmindedly handed over the wrong size clamp when passing a vascular forceps. Nurse Jenkins immediately spoke up. “Tiffany, that’s the wrong one.” But instead of admitting her mistake, Tiffany rolled her eyes at the experienced nurse. “Oh, who cares if it’s wrong? Why are you so loud? You startled me!” “This is an operating room! It’s a matter of life and death! You’re wrong, and you’re still arguing?” Tiffany was so flustered, her eyes welled up. Victor instantly bristled. He slammed his scalpel down into the tray with a loud *clank*, pointing at Nurse Jenkins’s nose and yelling, “I’m the surgeon, and I didn’t say anything! Who are you to boss anyone around here?!” After yelling, Victor grabbed Tiffany’s arm. The two of them stomped out of the operating room, leaving the patient mid-surgery, abandoned on the operating table! Chaos erupted in the operating room. A young nurse quickly ran after them. Nurse Jenkins, meanwhile, directed the others to continue the surgery while making a call to report the situation to a superior. I fast-forwarded the recording. It took a full forty minutes for Victor and Tiffany, the two culprits, to reappear on screen. Their faces showed no urgency at all. Instead, they had an arrogant, exasperated expression, as if we had to beg them to return. It was at that moment that the heart monitor’s waveform grew weaker and weaker, finally emitting a piercing “beep—” and flattening into a straight line. The shrill alarm echoed throughout the operating room. Victor shuffled over to the operating table, pretending to press the patient’s chest a few times, just going through the motions. “Alright, can’t save her.” From start to finish, he didn’t even bother to lift the drape covering the patient’s face to take a look! There wasn’t a single shred of guilt in his eyes! Even if he didn’t know it was his own mother lying there, such disregard for life and utter irresponsibility made my blood boil, and my stomach churned with disgust! As I unlocked the monitoring room door and stepped out, I bumped into Sarah Olsen, a new nurse from our department, in the hallway. The moment she saw me, she rushed over, her face a mix of cautiousness and eagerness to show concern. “Dr… Dr. Hayes… about your aunt… my condolences…” “It was my mother-in-law who passed away,” I calmly corrected her. “Not my mom. But thank you anyway.” “Oh?!” Sarah’s eyes widened, her face flushing with embarrassment. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Dr. Hayes! I misunderstood. When your aunt came to see you that day, she said she was your mother, so I just assumed…” Of course, I knew my mother-in-law, Martha Thorne, had made a scene when she came to the hospital last time. I wasn’t surprised she’d become gossip fodder for the younger nurses. I shook my head, indicating I didn’t mind. Sarah still looked regretful. “Yesterday, when I was scheduling surgeries, I even specifically told Dr. Thorne that today’s patient was Dr. Hayes’s mom. He heard me and agreed readily… Sigh, how could an accident happen?” “What did you say?!” I cut her off. “You told Victor that my mom was on the operating table?!” Sarah jumped, stammering, “Y-yes…” Sarah was new and had no idea Victor and I were married, nor did she know that my mother-in-law was Victor’s actual mother. She looked at me with confusion. I took a deep breath, utterly flabbergasted. No wonder! No wonder that scum, Victor, was forcing me to sign a waiver for *his own mother*! No wonder he could cruelly say my mom’s funeral was “a downer”! Because he always thought it was my mom lying on that operating table! Suddenly, my heart lurched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Victor, before entering the operating room, already “knew” my mom was inside! So, those forty minutes he and Tiffany were gone… was it truly a spur of the moment fit of pique, or was it deliberate? Medical accident, and intentional killing, are two entirely different things.

The next morning, I went to the courthouse and finalized my divorce with Victor. Victor clung to Tiffany the whole time, openly affectionate. As soon as the divorce certificate was issued, he loudly declared they were going to get their marriage license. I didn’t waste another word on him. I drove straight back to the hospital; patients were waiting. After two surgeries, I stepped out of the operating room, only to be cornered by Victor. “Amelia! What the hell do you want?! Why didn’t you sign that damn waiver?! You got me reamed out by Director Miller! All my bonuses are gone! Are you happy now?!” “Victor,” I said, looking at his pathetic display, my heart calm. “It wasn’t appropriate for me to sign that waiver.” “Not appropriate for you?! I think you did it on purpose! You just want to screw me over! Surgery always has risks! If you’re so filial, why didn’t you operate on your own mom yourself?!” “Surgical risks?” I scoffed. “Was it a surgical risk, or was it the lead surgeon leaving with his little nurse for a full forty minutes in the middle of the surgery? Victor, should I pull up the surveillance footage and post it online, so everyone can learn about your ‘surgical risks’?” “You—you really did it on purpose!” He jumped. “Just because your mom died on my operating table, you had to get revenge! You just want to ruin me!” “I’m telling you, Amelia! You owe me this month’s bonus! And that waiver! You need to go right now! Immediately! Sign it for me! Do you hear me?! Director Miller is waiting!” “First, Victor, we’re divorced. You have no right to lay your hands on me. Second, only the deceased’s direct next of kin can sign a waiver like that. We’re divorced, so I can’t sign it.” “Are you out of your mind, Amelia?!” He couldn’t believe his ears. “What does our divorce have to do with your mom?” “You’re the one who’s out of their mind.” I stared into his stupid, angry eyes, pushing the waiver back to him. “We’re divorced, so your mother has absolutely nothing to do with me. That waiver? The deceased’s son should sign it.” I paused, looking at his bewildered face, enunciating each word with a touch of malicious satisfaction: “Victor, do you still not know the name of the patient who died on your operating table yesterday?” “Her name was Martha Thorne.” “Your own mother.”

Victor froze for a moment, then, like a lit firecracker, his voice suddenly shot up in volume. “Amelia! You actually dare to curse my mom to death?!” Victor, this man, was vain, arrogant, disloyal, and unfaithful—his flaws were countless. His only redeeming quality was his filial piety towards his mother. He was genuinely filial. Out of his twelve thousand dollar monthly salary, he’d send eleven thousand to his mom, give me one thousand, then eat and live off me, claiming he was supporting me. Then, as if to prove his accusation, he shoved his phone in front of my face. “See for yourself! This is the death registry list!” he roared. “Open your damn eyes and see who’s on it!” On that list, a name was crudely circled in red marker, standing out like a sore thumb—Eleanor Hayes. Eleanor Hayes… that was my mother’s name. Even the ID number after it was indeed my mother’s information. How was that possible? This morning, just a few hours ago, when I left for work, my mom had just made me my favorite pan-fried buns. They were hot, with thin skin, generous filling, and delicious soup. She even watched me eat, congratulating me on finally escaping the hellhole that was Victor. She was so happy she wanted to go downstairs and light some fireworks to celebrate my new beginning. I knew my face must have turned incredibly pale and stiff right then. Victor clearly noticed my distraught appearance and misinterpreted my reaction. “Nothing to say now, huh?! Amelia, to spite me, you’re actually neglecting your own mother’s funeral arrangements? The person is dead, and you’re still calmly working here? Do you have no conscience?! If your patients knew, who would dare to put their lives in the hands of someone as cold-blooded as you?!” Even though I knew there was a high chance of a mistake, I nervously pulled out my phone and dialed my mom’s number. The phone rang with a “Doo—doo—” but there was no answer for a long time. Victor stood across from me, a smirk on his face, enjoying the show. “Still putting on an act?” he said coldly, his voice full of schadenfreude. “Hurry up and sign that waiver, then go to the morgue to find your mom’s body, hahahaha!” Victor laughed and walked away. I ignored him, continuing to dial my mom’s number over and over. Just as I was about to give up and rush out of my office to drive home and check, the call finally connected. “Hello?” A voice I knew better than my own filled my ear. It was my mom’s voice! It really was my mom! In that instant, my nerves, stretched to their breaking point, suddenly relaxed. I almost cried out, “Mom! Why did it take you so long to answer?! You scared me half to death, do you know that?! I called so many times! Where were you?!” “I was looking for my insurance card!” my mom complained on the other end. “I was rummaging through everything. My phone was charging in the living room, so I didn’t hear it. I remember having it when I went to your hospital last time, how could it just disappear? It’s so strange…” I let out a long sigh of relief, leaning back in my chair, feeling all the strength drain from my body. Listening to my mom’s rambling, I suddenly remembered the scene half a month ago when my mother-in-law, Martha Thorne, came to see me. Half a month ago, I’d been working non-stop at the hospital for over a week. Going home was out of the question; even getting a decent sleep in the on-call room felt like a luxury.

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In the third year of my marriage to Sarah Montgomery, I overheard her friends asking her: “Sarah, if we pretend to be you and take turns holding hands and kissing your husband, he really won’t notice?” Sarah carelessly smoothed a stray strand of hair from her temple, utterly unbothered. “He has face blindness, he won’t notice.” “But just so we’re clear, have your fun, but don’t sleep with him. I don’t want seconds; that’s just dirty.” For the past three years, the person I’d been dating, holding hands with, and kissing, was never Sarah Montgomery. Of course, I knew. I also knew that for the past three years, the one I’d been holding close in bed every night, wasn’t Sarah either. The phone rang just as I carried Chloe Miller out of the bathroom. Chloe was a clingy little siren. Taking advantage of a brief pause, I nudged her waist. “Phone.” She finally glanced at her phone, pouting, a hint of annoyance in her expression. She quickly flipped it over, then playfully leaned in to kiss my earlobe. “Hubby, I’m gonna take this call.” Chloe said, then disappeared into the balcony. I silently put on my pajamas and went downstairs, opening the car door and slipping inside. From the car’s Bluetooth, which was connected to Sarah Montgomery’s phone, came her cool voice: “Tomorrow, you switch with me.” Chloe chuckled softly. “What, only three years and you’re already having withdrawals?” Sarah paused, likely having a drink, her voice a little hoarse. “Not really. Grandpa’s birthday is tomorrow, so I need to bring him. Oh, and a reminder, it’s Ashley’s turn on Friday.” As soon as she finished, a chorus of laughter erupted. “No way, Sarah, you’re seriously that generous? You just got married and you’re already lending your husband out for us to ‘play’ with?” Sarah’s nonchalant voice came through. “It’s a blind box game. You play, you lose, you pay up. It’s just Liam Henderson; I can afford to lose him.” “But just so we’re clear, have your fun, but don’t sleep with him. I don’t want seconds; that’s just dirty.” Someone “tsk”-ed. “What are you scared of? Who would ever actually *want* him?” “Still, Liam Henderson has a great body. Sarah posted a picture of him right after he showered in the group chat, those abs, *tsk-tsk-tsk*. None of you five felt a thing?” “I kinda did.” Chloe’s sweet, flirty voice suddenly broke the silence. Sarah’s end went quiet. The silence that followed was so thick, it sent a chill down my spine. “Just for fun, I’m not a home-wrecker.” Chloe said leisurely, “But wouldn’t sleeping with him be perfect? His birthday’s in a few days, aren’t you planning to announce this whole thing then?” The raucous music on Sarah’s end drowned out Chloe’s voice. But I could still hear Jake Peterson laughing in her ear. Jake was Sarah Montgomery’s first love. I grew up alongside Sarah, watching her and Jake go from strangers to lovers. But Mr. Montgomery didn’t like him. He’d threatened that if Jake didn’t leave Sarah, the Petersons would be forced out of this state. For Jake, Sarah had no choice but to agree to an arranged marriage with me. Eighteen years of secret love, and my dream finally came true. Only now, I realized it was nothing more than a game among these rich kids from the elite circles. Jake laughed, echoing. “Right, Sarah, his birthday’s in a few days. Why don’t you give him a big present and tell him the truth?” “From the moment you two got married, you’ve been taking turns with him… When you think about it, Liam Henderson is like a shared toy, everyone gets a turn.” “Shut up.” Sarah and Chloe’s angry voices came out at the same time, and the phone line fell silent again.

Chloe spoke lazily. “After all, he’s Sarah’s husband. Provoking him like that isn’t good.” “We won’t touch him, that’s not happening.” I couldn’t make out what Sarah said, the other end was a chaotic mess, drowning out her voice. The call lasted fifteen minutes. I turned off the Bluetooth and got out of the car. That wrenching pain had long passed, now hidden beneath a calm exterior. But it was still there, tiny and persistent, like a swarm of ants gnawing away at my insides. As I walked upstairs, I ran into Chloe, who was about to leave. She seemed to be in a hurry, her buttons were misaligned, and the exposed skin of her collarbone was covered in suggestive red marks. Seeing me, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, diving into my arms and wrapping her hands around my waist. “Where did you go, hubby? I thought I lost you.” “Just went downstairs to take out the trash.” I lowered my head, my palm stroking her cheek, my fingertip tracing the mole near her eye. Sarah Montgomery also had that mole near her eye. Chloe’s amber eyes deepened as my finger slid down. The moment my fingertip touched her lip, she opened her mouth, catching it and gently biting down. Chloe had a habit, like a biting cat, determined to leave all her marks on me. Even if this territory wasn’t hers. Chloe’s breathing grew heavier, her eyes burning with unresolvable desire. She pulled me upstairs, her small body tackling me onto the bed. I suddenly pressed her hands down. “Sarah Montgomery, stop using birth control. Give me a child.” Chloe’s pupils flickered. She stared at me, a fierce glint in her eyes. That night, Chloe transformed from a docile house cat into a fierce, untamed wildcat. She was exceptionally wild. … I found out Sarah Montgomery was deceiving me a few days before our wedding, when I received an anonymous video. The video was taken in a private room at a bar, with Sarah sitting beside Jake Peterson. She proposed a blind box dating game, and a group of them drew lots, and I was the one chosen. Besides Sarah Montgomery, there were four other “players.” Chloe Miller was also chosen. “Boring.” She impatiently flipped the table, then abruptly stood up and left the private room. “You guys play if you want.” Jake Peterson laughed, smoothing things over. “It’s fine, four people can still play, but you guys need to watch your limits. For Sarah’s sake, don’t take it too far.” That’s when I realized the wedding I had anticipated for eighteen years was just the starting signal for a game. My heart clenched so tightly, I couldn’t breathe. The anonymous sender messaged me: *[It’s not too late to cancel the wedding now.]* I ignored it, sitting numbly, staring at the video all night. It was a commercial marriage alliance; our family was climbing the social ladder by marrying into the Montgomery family. I had no right to cancel the wedding. The wedding proceeded as planned the next day. But before the ceremony ended, Sarah Montgomery took a call, changed out of her wedding dress, and left. That night, it was Chloe Miller who came home. I had face blindness, but I wasn’t stupid. After secretly loving Sarah Montgomery for eighteen years, how could I not recognize her? In my world, people were only divided into three types. Men, women, and Sarah Montgomery. That night, Chloe stood with her arms crossed, looking at me with a mocking, playful smirk. I remember she seemed to want to say something that day, but before she could open her mouth, I walked over and kissed her. “Sarah Montgomery, I knew it, you’d come back.” Everything that followed seemed to fall into place naturally. Four people took turns pretending to be Sarah Montgomery. Every year for my birthday and anniversaries, I received five gifts. We were like any normal couple. Dating, holding hands, hugging, shopping, kissing. But the one who came home at night was always either Sarah Montgomery or Chloe Miller. It was too easy to tell Sarah Montgomery and Chloe Miller apart. Sarah recoiled from my touch, her eyes holding an unmistakable loathing with just a glance. Chloe, however, was always delighted. She had many tricks up her sleeve and was incredibly clingy. She’d join me for a long hike, walking twenty miles, and still have the energy to keep me up until dawn. She loved all forms of physical contact, clinging to me and calling me “hubby,” then getting so breathless from my kisses she couldn’t speak. “Baby, I really, really like you.” That word, “like,” she’d whisper it into my ear a million times a night, then playfully demand that I reciprocate. Eventually, it turned into resentment. Sometimes I’d drift off to sleep, hazy with exhaustion. In my dreams, someone would trace my features, murmuring to themselves: “Why did you marry her, even knowing she was deceiving you?” “Why don’t you divorce her? Do you love her that much?” I wanted to ask her too. Why did she go back on her word and join this game? I treated her as Sarah Montgomery’s substitute. What did she see me as? I never asked, and Chloe never answered. In my vague world, another type of person emerged: Chloe Miller.

Chloe left early the next morning. The mess in the house had been meticulously cleaned up. Sarah Montgomery called me, telling me to come downstairs. When I opened the car door, Jake Peterson was sitting next to Sarah. He gave me a provocative smile. “Excuse me, Liam Henderson, I’m also going to see Elder Montgomery. You don’t mind, do you?” Before I could reply, Sarah impatiently spoke. “Liam Henderson, get in the car.” I closed my eyes for a moment, ignoring Jake’s taunt. After getting in the car, I asked Sarah, “Didn’t you buy me breakfast?” Sarah froze for a moment. I deliberately smiled. “You forgot, when I woke up this morning, you said you were going to buy me breakfast.” I didn’t know when Chloe had left. But Sarah’s face went from pale to dark after hearing me, and Jake gasped. “You two… slept together?” His tone held an ill-concealed triumph. I didn’t answer. Instead, I feigned surprise and looked at Sarah. Sarah “hmm”-ed, her face turning even worse. She picked up a bubble tea from beside her, preparing to drink it. I added fuel to the fire, continuing: “Didn’t you say last night you were going to quit bubble tea? High sugar isn’t good for the baby, we’re supposed to be preparing for pregnancy.” *Clatter.* The bubble tea fell to the ground. Sarah’s dark eyes swirled with a chilling coldness, as if threatening to swallow me whole. Jake Peterson, however, smiled meaningfully. “Is that so? Well, I’m really looking forward to your baby.” I smiled gently, looking at Sarah. “I’m looking forward to it too. For us to have a complete family.” Sarah’s irritation was visible to the naked eye. This irritation reached its peak when Chloe Miller appeared. Chloe carried her bag, wearing an expression that seemed to relish in the unfolding drama. She was with a few other people I couldn’t distinguish. But judging by Chloe’s demeanor, they were likely the other three who’d impersonated Sarah. “Sarah Montgomery, aren’t you going to introduce us?” I intertwined my fingers with hers. “Are they your friends too?” “Chloe Miller.” Before Sarah could speak, Chloe extended her hand to me. “Nice to meet you, brother-in-law.” The words “brother-in-law” were deliberately emphasized. In bed, Chloe sometimes played games and would purposely call me “brother-in-law.” Hearing it from her now, in this setting, it carried an inexplicable intimacy. Sarah slapped my hand away, pulling Chloe outside. Jake Peterson’s triumph in his eyes became even more obvious. He smiled, looking at me. “Liam Henderson, is Sarah’s temper really bad? Only I’m close enough to her that she treats me well.” “Not that bad.” I smiled, going along with his words. “She’s been quite well-behaved lately.” Jake chuckled. The others burst into laughter too. I felt incredibly uncomfortable among this group. Just then, I received another anonymous message: *[Come to the backyard.]* I went out, half-believing, half-doubting. I hadn’t walked two steps when I heard Sarah Montgomery’s voice from behind the rockery: “He touched you? Why did he say he wanted to prepare for pregnancy?” Chloe Miller stood with her hands in her pockets, leaning lazily against a tree. “What, you’re having second thoughts?” “He’s my husband!” Sarah frustratedly grabbed her collar. “He didn’t touch me.” Chloe impatiently waved her hand away. “But what if he did? He wouldn’t even notice anyway. And even if he did, at most it’d lead to divorce, and wouldn’t that be perfect for you to be with Jake Peterson?” Sarah hesitated, then irritably picked up the bubble tea beside her. But then she seemed to think of something and tossed it into the trash. “You’re not planning to divorce her?” Chloe narrowed her eyes, her voice turning cold. “Aren’t you afraid Liam Henderson will get angry if he finds out?” “He won’t,” Sarah said with certainty. “He loves me very much, he won’t get angry. Once his birthday is over in a few days, and the game ends, I’ll properly settle down and live with him.” “In any case, you need to rein it in. Liam Henderson wants a child, and I’ll give him one, it’ll be compensation for deceiving him these past three years.” “What about Jake Peterson then?” Sarah said nothing. I lowered my gaze to my phone, where the divorce papers from my lawyer were in my inbox. Before the wedding, I had genuinely intended to live a proper life with her. I didn’t even ask for her love; simply living as respectful partners would have been enough. From the moment I learned the truth until the wedding day, I gave her countless opportunities, waiting for her to confess to me. But she never did. Three years. Whether it was with Sarah Montgomery or Chloe Miller. I was tired of this game. After dinner, Sarah Montgomery and I went home together. As I leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, my phone lit up. Sarah merely glanced at it, then pushed me away and got out of the car to answer the call.

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I had been married to Charles Foster for ten years, believing we were a loving couple. But I accidentally witnessed him in our bedroom with Rebecca, his childhood sweetheart, boasting about my suffering. “Her parents should have died long ago. I arranged that car accident to make sure they died without any pain. Wasn’t that considerate of me?” Charles sneered. “That bitch giving birth to my child? In the past ten years, she’s been pregnant eight times, and I made her miscarry eight times. Each time she felt so guilty, thinking it was her fault for not taking good care of herself. You should have seen her face,” he laughed cruelly. “She deserves all of this! Ten years ago, she embarrassed you in front of everyone by correcting your table manners. For these ten years, I’ve made her our slave, to pay for her sins!” My world spun as I burst in to confront them. But they pushed me into a fire, burning me alive. When I opened my eyes again, I was back ten years ago, on the day my parents asked me to choose who to marry. In my previous life, I had stubbornly chosen Charles Foster, the illegitimate son no one liked, against my parents’ wishes. This time… 0

“Lily, have you really made up your mind? You’re choosing… Charles Foster?” My father asked, his brow furrowed with concern. I looked at my parents’ young faces, their eyes filled with worry and care for me. It felt like a lifetime ago. In my previous life, I had stood right here, ignoring their objections and stubbornly choosing Charles. Then, my parents died in a car crash on their way to the hospital when I was pregnant for the first time. The truck that hit them seemed to have lost control. Unable to bear the shock, I miscarried. Charles held me as I lay weak and vulnerable, tenderly vowing to take care of me for life. Then he smoothly took over the Davis family business. Over the next ten years, I miscarried eight times. Until I caught him with Rebecca Lee in our bedroom, gleefully savoring my pain. Only then did I learn that my parents’ car accident was arranged by him, and he was behind my eight miscarriages. They even had a ten-year-old son together. He had married me only for revenge. Revenge for my one comment years ago, when I corrected Rebecca’s table manners, embarrassing her in front of others. I confronted them, but he and the woman I hated most pushed me into a raging fire. The agony of being burned alive – I would never forget it. “I won’t choose him,” I heard myself say, my voice unnaturally calm. My parents were stunned, their faces full of disbelief. After all, everyone in high society knew that I, Lily Davis, loved Charles Foster to the point of being pathetic. Some even said I was like a dog he kept. I met their gaze and enunciated each word clearly: “The person I want to marry is Charles’s uncle, Alexander Foster.” Alexander Foster was five years older than Charles but was the true power holder in the Foster family. In my previous life, by the time I died, he had become a legendary figure in the financial news, leading the Foster family to unprecedented heights. My parents’ surprise quickly turned to joy. “Good, good! Alexander is steady and capable, so much better than that illegitimate son Charles!” “An older man is better, he’ll know how to treat you well.” They happily went off to contact the Foster family about changing the marriage arrangement. I walked out of the mansion alone, wanting some fresh air. At the door, I ran into the last couple I wanted to see. Charles, and Rebecca Lee by his side. The moment he saw me, his eyes flashed with intense disgust. He walked straight towards me. A loud slap landed on my face. “Lily Davis, you’ve got some nerve, making me wait outside for so long!” Charles snarled. I held my stinging cheek, the pain sharp and hot. At this point in my previous life, Charles was just an illegitimate son relying on my family’s influence. He wouldn’t have dared to even raise his voice at me, only sweet-talking me in a low voice. He definitely wouldn’t have dared to hit me. I raised my head and looked into his cold, hateful eyes. In an instant, I realized – he had been reborn too. 0

Charles probably thought I would cry and beg him not to hate me, like I did in my previous life. Unfortunately for him, I wouldn’t do that anymore. I raised my hand and, using all my strength, slapped him back hard. “Smack!” The sound was louder and crisper than when he had hit me. Charles was stunned by the blow, five finger marks quickly appearing on his handsome face. Rebecca Lee beside him hadn’t even had time to hide her smug smile before it froze on her face. I didn’t give her time to react, immediately following up with another slap to her face. Then I shook my stinging hand, looking at them like they were two filthy cockroaches. I coldly ordered the butler: “Take these two out and slap their mouths eighty times each.” The butler was stunned for a moment but quickly bowed and complied. “Lily Davis! Have you gone mad? How dare you treat me like this?” Charles struggled, his face contorted as he howled. “Don’t you believe I’ll call off the engagement right now? When the Davis family becomes a laughingstock, let’s see if you’ll kneel and beg me!” I laughed. I didn’t even have the interest to look at him again. Two security guards dragged him away, and the crisp sound of slaps soon echoed outside the mansion. Hearing those punishing sounds, the resentment I had harbored for ten years finally began to dissipate a little. He still thought he was the powerful Mr. Foster who could do whatever he wanted, forgetting that now he was just an illegitimate son who could barely survive without the Foster family and us Davises. Without me, Lily Davis, Charles Foster was nothing. Thank God for giving me a chance to start over. This time, I would protect my family and make this pair of scumbags pay dearly. The next day, as I was pruning roses in the garden, Rebecca Lee showed up at our door. Her cheeks were swollen high, thick makeup unable to hide the marks. Her eyes were full of venom as she looked at me. “Lily Davis, you’ve got some nerve. You were pushed into a fire and burned to a crisp, yet somehow you managed to be reborn,” she spat. I paused in cutting a rose in full bloom. So, she had been reborn too. “What does it matter if you’re reborn?” She proudly patted her belly. “I’m already carrying Charles’s child. He loves me. You, you bitch, are only fit to be my servant!” In my previous life, hearing these words would have made me feel like I couldn’t breathe from the pain. But now, I just found it laughable. Had she forgotten that she was now just a poor girl working a minimum wage job, with less than $500 to her name? I couldn’t be bothered to waste words on her. I dropped the pruning shears and pushed past her to leave. She screamed dramatically as if hit by a train, falling backwards. The next second, Charles’s figure rushed out from around the corner with a roar: “Lily Davis!” He tenderly helped Rebecca up, holding her in his arms, then warned me with an icy glare. “I’m warning you, if you dare touch a hair on Rebecca’s head again, our engagement is off!” I really wanted to laugh out loud. How blind was I in my previous life to fall for such an idiot? “Charles, don’t you know yet?” I said coldly. “The Davis family’s marriage partner this time isn’t you, the illegitimate son.” “It’s your uncle, Alexander Foster.” The anger and tenderness on his face instantly froze, turning to extreme shock. “…What did you say? Lily Davis, what new trick are you playing!” 0

I couldn’t be bothered to say another word to him. The news about the change in marriage partner would soon reach him from the Foster family. Unable to marry into the Davis family, his already precarious position as an ignored illegitimate son would likely become even more difficult. Over the next few days, my phone was nearly blown up by calls from Charles. From initial questioning to later fury, and finally to cursing. I didn’t answer a single call or reply to any message. Finally annoyed, I simply blocked him. I never imagined he would dare to kidnap me. That day, as I was leaving the mall after shopping, I took a shortcut and was ambushed by Charles at the entrance of an alley. The two bodyguards with me, assigned by my family, stood motionless on Charles’s side. Charles sneered at them contemptuously, making grand promises. “I’ll be the master of the Davis family in the future. If you know what’s good for you, don’t get in my way. Otherwise, when I control the Davis family, you’ll suffer the consequences.” They believed him so easily. After all, in my previous life, my love for Charles was well-known. They probably thought I was just throwing a tantrum. I was roughly shoved into a car by Charles’s men and taken to a place I would never forget for the rest of my life. That abandoned factory, where I had been pushed into the fire in my previous life. The air seemed to still be filled with the smell of burning flesh, a nightmare etched deep into my soul. My whole body went cold, trembling uncontrollably. Charles dragged me out of the car, looking down at me with a pitying expression. “Lily, stop pretending. I know you’re just playing hard to get.” “Now, kowtow to me three times, then announce our engagement to the world, and I’ll forgive your willfulness this time.” Looking at his smug face, I felt utterly disgusted. “Who do you think you are?” Enraged by my words, he slapped me hard across the face. “Lily Davis, don’t push your luck!” He lost patience, his face showing the viciousness I was most familiar with from my previous life. “I’ve already told your parents about your disappearance. They’re on their way here now.” “I’ll arrange another car accident, just like last time, to make them die the same way again.” My mind went blank with a roar. The scene of my parents’ tragic death from my previous life replayed in my mind. I could no longer stand, collapsing to the ground, shaking violently. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Charles stood there, savoring my desperate and painful expression with satisfaction. Just then, several blinding headlights suddenly illuminated the entire alley. Alexander Foster got out of a car with his men. With just one look from him, the men behind him quickly subdued Charles and his accomplices, forcefully pushing them into the cars. I was still in shock, clutching Alexander’s sleeve tightly. “My parents? What happened to my parents?” He took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders, looking at me with those deep eyes, his voice steady and reassuring. “Don’t be afraid. I arranged protection in advance. Your parents are safe.” My nerves, stretched to the limit, finally snapped at hearing these words. My vision went black, and I knew no more.

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The woman told me to run away quickly, or I’d be the next one locked up in here. But when she saw my boyfriend, she threw herself at him. Not in hysterical anger, nor in timid pleading. Instead, she kissed him. So passionately, so tenderly. It made my skin crawl and my breath stop. 0A skeletal woman was chained up in the basement. Her cheeks were sunken, her body covered in bruises. An iron chain around her neck kept her tethered like a dog in the dark, sunless space. I stood on the stairs, our eyes meeting. My breathing quickened for no apparent reason. She seemed surprised to see me there. I told her my boyfriend had brought me to his hometown to meet his parents. Just as I was about to ask who she was, she suddenly became hysterical upon hearing this. She shouted at me: “Run! Get out of here now!” Her sudden outburst startled me. With a trembling voice, I asked her why. But her next words sent chills down my spine. “Because if you don’t leave, you’ll be the next one locked up in here!” 0

I had been dating Lucas for six months and we were planning to get married. He invited me to his hometown to meet his parents. Lucas was considered a good man by everyone, and his parents had always been very caring towards me. Today, because I wasn’t feeling well, I stayed alone at his house. Her words made me uneasy, so I left the basement as quickly as I could. When I came up, I found Lucas had already returned. He handed me a bag of sweet apricots, but I could barely taste them. I tentatively asked, “Have you ever brought other women back here before?” Lucas’s fingers paused for a moment, then he wiped the juice from the corner of my mouth and smiled, “I’ve already told you, I’ve only had two exes.” Lucas had always kept his social circle simple, coming home on time every night. Even when he occasionally went out drinking with friends, they were all people I knew. I knew I shouldn’t doubt my boyfriend. But who was that girl in the basement? I nodded thoughtfully, suddenly remembering something. I probed further, “Was one of your ex-girlfriends… the one with a birthmark on her wrist?” His face instantly darkened, and I felt inexplicably nervous. Lucas demanded to know how I knew about the birthmark. I suppressed the fear in my heart and tried to act calm, telling him he had mentioned it once before and I had remembered. I’ve always been attentive to details, so this explanation should be believable. Lucas stared intently at my expression. I unconsciously swallowed, cold sweat breaking out all over my body. Suddenly, Lucas smiled. He went into the inner room and took out a photo from the drawer, handing it to me. The woman in the photo was clearly the woman in the basement. Next to her stood Lucas and his parents, all smiling at the camera, clearly a family portrait. Lucas pointed to the family photo and explained that the one with the birthmark was actually his sister. His sister had an accident some years ago and became mentally unstable, often running away on the streets. She almost got hit by cars several times, so they had no choice but to keep her locked up at home. I suddenly understood and felt relieved. But then I thought, even if she was his own sister, she shouldn’t be locked in the basement. However, this was their family matter, and I didn’t feel it was my place to ask more questions. As I glanced at the photo again, I couldn’t help but feel that their smiles seemed somewhat forced. 0

In the middle of the night, I was awakened by a nightmare. I looked to the side and found no one there. Feeling uneasy, I decided to go out and take a look. As I passed through the living room, I heard voices. It was Lucas’s voice. What was he doing up at this hour? I quietly hid behind a pillar and saw candles burning in the room, casting Lucas’s shadow on the window. I saw him holding a knife, stabbing downwards quickly. I heard a muffled thud, followed by a splash of blood on the window. A patch of crimson, with a faint smell of blood in the air. In that instant, fear swept over me. The scene from earlier flashed in my mind – Lucas was killing someone! I suppressed the terror in my heart, hiding there not daring to make a sound. Then I saw Lucas hack down again, and another splash of blood spurted out. My heart was pounding violently. I wanted to call the police with my phone, but then remembered I had left it in the bedroom. I was about to sneak back to the room when I turned around and saw his mother standing expressionless behind me, who knows how long she had been watching. “Where are you going, Mia?” 0

I was terrified, my whole body trembling. I managed to force a stiff smile. “Oh, I was just going to the bathroom.” As I said this, I instinctively looked back and saw Lucas’s hawk-like eyes staring at me unblinkingly. I looked at the knife in his hand, my back already damp with cold sweat. I was debating whether to cry for help when Lucas suddenly frowned, quickly walked over and felt my forehead. “You look so pale, are you running a fever?” I swallowed hard, looking at his concerned expression, unable to reconcile it with his actions of killing someone. After hesitating, I finally spoke up. “What were you… doing just now?” Lucas seemed confused for a moment, then took my hand and led me into the room. As soon as we entered, I saw a dead pig tied to a bench, several knife wounds on its body, the air thick with the smell of blood. Even so, I breathed a sigh of relief. I scratched my head awkwardly and asked sheepishly, “Why are you butchering a pig in the middle of the night?” His mother smiled kindly, taking out a piece of pig liver from a basin and handing it to me. “It’s because we saw you weren’t feeling well and thought you needed some nourishment.” I looked at her gnarled hands stained red with blood, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. I realized it was all a misunderstanding. I smiled awkwardly and left, my heart filled with gratitude. I didn’t see the smiles on Lucas and his mother’s faces turn cold the moment I turned my back. 0

Back in the room, I still couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Lucas’s cold expression as he held the knife. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. People usually kill pigs with one cut to the throat, but Lucas was torturing it cruelly. After much hesitation, I went back to the basement. His sister seemed to have anticipated my return, sitting on the ground waiting for me even in the middle of the night. I looked at her with pity, but when our eyes met, hers held only coldness. “You don’t believe me.” I smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, she stood up, making the small space feel even more cramped. I looked at her suddenly fierce face in the candlelight, feeling a hint of fear, and unconsciously took a step back. There was a “crack” sound, like I had stepped on something. I looked down and almost screamed – it was a human bone! My breathing instantly became rapid, and my forehead was covered in sweat. When I looked back at his sister, I saw her playing with a leg bone in her hand. I was so scared I nearly fainted, and turned to leave, but she stopped me. She shoved the leg bone into my hands, and I quickly let go as if it were scalding hot. In the darkness, his sister’s smile seemed even more terrifying. She leaned in and whispered, “Well, do you believe me now?” My thoughts were in turmoil. The evidence was right in front of me, no matter how much I wanted to defend Lucas. His sister told me that just because she had witnessed her brother killing someone years ago, he locked her up here and buried that person’s bones in this basement. I listened, horrified, and immediately said I would call the police. His sister quickly tried to stop me when she heard I wanted to call the police. I reassured her, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll make sure justice is served.” But his sister still shook her head in fear. “It’s useless, they all say I’m crazy, no one will believe me… If you want to leave, go find Mrs. Johnson at the edge of town, she can help you.” I looked at this poor woman, touched that she was still trying to help me even in her condition. Early the next morning, I made an excuse to go out for a walk. Lucas insisted on coming along, saying he was worried I might get lost in an unfamiliar place. It was a small town with only about a hundred households, and we soon reached the edge. There was an old house there, its door slightly ajar. While Lucas was smoking, I quietly pushed open the door, but was immediately hit by a terrible stench that made me cough repeatedly. It was very dark inside. After my eyes adjusted, I could make out the scene. On an old bed in front of me was a woman who looked like death, tied up. Around her stood at least four or five half-dressed men. They had eerie smiles on their faces, looking at me with interest like predators eyeing their prey. Goosebumps instantly covered my body. I instinctively took a few steps back, only to bump into something. I turned around to find Lucas blocking the doorway, who knows how long he had been there. His eyes were examining me coldly, sending chills down my spine. “This is the town’s brothel. What are you doing in here?”

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My Wife Gifted My Estate To Her Secretary. She Paid The Price. My wife actually gifted my private estate to her male secretary. The garden swing was burnt, and my mother’s cherished flowerbeds were ruined. I confronted my wife in a fury, but she just casually replied, “What’s the big deal? You’re a grown man, why are you so hung up on this?” I roared, “Get everyone out by ten, and restore everything to how it was. Or else…” Just like before, my wife blocked me again. So, I immediately called the police, citing illegal trespassing on private property and malicious destruction of private assets. Then, I turned around and donated all her beloved jewelry and designer bags. Since some people don’t listen, I don’t mind teaching them a lesson in ‘boundaries’! I had just picked up my teacup when my phone suddenly rang. It was Seraphina Hayes, the woman who’d just blocked me. “Liam Sullivan, what the hell are you doing? Why did Julian get arrested?!” she demanded, her voice thick with anger. My tone was flat, completely devoid of emotion. “That estate is my private property. I suspected illegal activities were going on, so I had the police confirm.” After a few seconds of silence, Seraphina’s voice softened. “Liam, have you been listening to rumors? Julian is just my secretary. There’s absolutely nothing going on between us.” “And don’t you think you acted too impulsively this time?” I glanced at our wedding photo and let out a laugh. “Seraphina, you drove him home on Wednesday, then gifted him a limited-edition watch on Friday. Don’t you know where to draw the line yourself? And now you’re lecturing me?” She ignored my question and changed the subject. “You have so many properties sitting empty. I was just reasonably utilizing one for a team retreat. Are you seriously going to quibble over that?” “Besides, Julian and I are completely innocent.” Before I could reply, she impatiently cut in again, “Liam Sullivan, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.” I took a sip from my teacup, a cold sneer twisting my lips. “If Ms. Seraphina is *so* generous, she shouldn’t mind donating some jewelry, right?” With that, I sent her the photos from the auction. The camera showed Seraphina’s treasured jewelry and designer bags being happily taken away by their new owners after being sold. I heard her heavy breathing, then a voice, three words gritted out through clenched teeth: “Li-am.” I knew that tone all too well. Whenever she was furious, she used my full name. I slowly spun the wedding ring on my ring finger. “Next time I see you getting involved with another man, you’ll lose more than just a few pieces of jewelry and some bags.” Without waiting for Seraphina’s response, I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the sofa. Five years of marriage, and I rarely had such explosive arguments with her. But that didn’t mean I’d put up with everything just to maintain a facade of peace. If you give an inch in a marriage, they’ll take a mile. Especially when this marriage was a business arrangement from the very beginning. Back then, the Hayes family wanted to break into the city’s leading families, so they set their sights on my family, the Sullivan’s. That’s how this arranged marriage came about. I remember our first meeting. She wore a white dress, looking gentle and sophisticated. I thought then, marrying someone like her would at least spare me petty arguments and insignificant troubles, so I agreed to the marriage. After we married, we did spend a happy time together, making me believe, for a while, that I’d found love. Later, the spark faded, and life settled into a routine, but that was normal. I never imagined, though, that a third party would intrude. I’ve always had a rule since I was a child: I don’t want anything someone else has touched. If an object has been used by someone else, it goes straight into the trash. And if a person gets involved in something shady, they should naturally be discarded like trash too.

For several days, Seraphina didn’t come home. She always avoided confrontation and gave me the silent treatment whenever her wrongdoings were exposed. That night, my good friend Leo Davis sent me a SnapChat message. “Liam, I called your name a few times, why didn’t you answer?” “But you and your wife are really going all out, coming to the bar together.” I paused, frowning as I typed back, “I’m working late at the office. You must have the wrong person.” “No way! I saw you wearing the suit you had custom-made last week and that prized watch. Seraphina was even holding your arm! Unless…” “Hold on, bro, I’ll snap a front-facing pic for you!” Soon, I received a slightly blurry photo. Seraphina, in a sexy slip dress, was intimately holding the arm of Julian Thorne, who was wearing *my* suit and watch. My face darkened as I stared at the image. Suddenly, another message popped up on my phone from Sarah Miller, my assistant. “Boss, the custom suit you ordered last week was spotted on Mrs. Hayes’s secretary.” Then Sarah sent several screenshots of Julian’s Ins posts. “Just said I wanted to check out the Royal Bar, and Ms. Hayes brought me here! Ms. Hayes is so good to me.” In the photos, he deliberately showcased the custom-made suit and watch, along with a smiling Seraphina. I suddenly remembered: Seraphina never went to bars. Once, a partner insisted on meeting at a bar, and she refused the collaboration rather than go. I guess I’ve been too lenient. She not only brought her male secretary to a bar she’d never been to, but she also let him wear my suit and watch, and even post about it on Ins. My face was grim as I forwarded the photos to her, my voice cold as I demanded, “Seraphina Hayes, can you explain this properly now?” To my disbelief, she blocked me again! Ten minutes later, I took a picture and sent it to Sarah, instructing her to forward it to Seraphina. Soon, Leo’s message popped up: “What happened? Why did Seraphina just storm out of the bar looking furious? What did you do?” I didn’t reply to Leo, because Seraphina’s FaceTime call was already coming in. Her voice trembled, laced with panic and fury. “Liam, put the wallet back. We can talk this out.” I smiled, looking at the wallet in my hand. Inside, neatly arranged, were perfectly preserved items. A few photos, a lock of short hair, a watch. The young man in the photos smiled with a wild abandon. This was Seraphina’s foster brother, Caleb, the man she loved but could never be with, who had died young from an illness. I’d accidentally seen her pouring out her affections for him in her journal. I instantly understood all her recent erratic behavior. It was because Julian had a striking resemblance to Caleb, especially in his eyes. “Liam, don’t touch that wallet!” Seraphina pleaded. “Seraphina, you know I don’t allow anyone to lay a hand on my things.” “Now, tell Julian to take off my clothes and watch.” Silence stretched for a few seconds before she spoke, gritting her teeth. “Liam, you have so many suits you’ve never worn. What’s the harm in him wearing a few?” I scoffed coldly. “Even if I throw my things away, no one else has the right to touch them.” “I’ll give you two choices. Either he changes immediately, or…” I held the wallet over a flickering flame. Then, I ended the FaceTime call.

Leo’s SnapChat messages kept coming. “Liam! What did you do to Seraphina?!” “She just rushed into the bar, face as white as a sheet, and dragged Julian out.” “Wait, they’re back!” “Whoa! Why is Julian wearing a male model’s outfit?!” I curled my lips into a slight smile. “Send me some photos.” Leo instantly replied with a nine-grid collage. Seraphina sat at a booth, her face ashen. Julian was huddled in a corner, his deep-V top exposing his entire chest, hair disheveled, the watch and suit crumpled in a ball in his arms. “The Royal Bar’s policy was no leaving during peak hours. He has to stay in that outfit for two hours.” Leo’s message carried the thrill of gossip. “In just a short while, several groups have already come to harass Julian.” “Seraphina’s face is practically black.” “Julian truly doesn’t know his place, daring to provoke you. He won’t even know what hit him.” When the peak hours ended, Leo sent the last photo. The custom-made suit and watch were lying in the trash can by the entrance. I forwarded the photo to my Ins story with a single caption: “If it’s tainted, it belongs in the trash.” The likes quickly soared past a hundred. Everyone knew that the suit and watch were the very ones Julian had flaunted on his Ins. The message was crystal clear. “Liam, Seraphina must be fuming today. Will she cause a scene when she gets home?” I replied calmly, “No, she won’t. She’s in the wrong, so she won’t dare.” When Seraphina came home late that night, her face was filled with anger. “Liam Sullivan, where’s my wallet?” she asked, her voice hoarse. I leaned back on the sofa, flipping through a financial magazine, without looking up. Seraphina struggled to suppress her churning emotions. “Liam, I admit I was wrong today.” “But I’ve already done what you asked. Can you please give me back my things?” I closed the magazine. “Explain.” She stopped in front of the rug, her knuckles white from clenching. “Julian and I are just superior and subordinate. I brought him to the bar because he closed a big deal, it was a special reward.” I scoffed coldly, put down my documents, and stood up. “Seraphina Hayes, there are a thousand ways to reward someone. Why did you insist on making him wear my personal items?” “You knew that suit was custom-made just last week.” She stammered, “You never wore it. I thought you didn’t like it…” “You’d rather give up a collaboration than go to a bar, yet you went just because he said a word?” As I spoke, I stepped closer. “I heard Julian messed up three collaborations last month. Does that kind of ‘skill’ deserve your special reward?” Seraphina gripped the sofa arm, her knuckles white. After a long silence, she squeezed out through clenched teeth, “He smiles… a little like Caleb.” Caleb, her foster brother’s name. I pulled a leather wallet from the drawer and pushed it toward her, speaking softly. “Seraphina, I know you’re sentimental, but a stand-in will never truly be that person.” “I hope you understand that projecting your regret for a deceased person onto someone else both demeans their memory and betrays me.” Her fingers trembled as she took the wallet. Then, she suddenly lunged into my arms. “Liam, I’m so sorry. I truly made a mistake.” “There’s really nothing inappropriate between Julian and me. I promise I’ll keep my distance from him from now on.” “Nothing like this will ever happen again. Please don’t be angry anymore, okay? Husband!” Her voice softened, laced with a playful plea, as she leaned into my embrace. I sighed helplessly, ultimately choosing to concede. “This is a warning. Remember it well. There won’t be a next time.” She didn’t pull away, but instead held me tighter, her voice muffled against my shoulder. “There won’t be a next time.” I scooped her up by the waist and carried her straight to the bedroom.

After a night of passionate abandon, a large part of the anger in my heart dissipated. The next day, the Royal Bar incident and my insinuation-filled Ins post made Julian the target of widespread ridicule. And Seraphina’s deliberate distancing from him further cemented everyone’s attitude. There’s no shortage of opportunists in the workplace. Colleagues who had been fawning over him just the day before would now be considered merciful if they didn’t kick him while he was down. Someone even anonymously posted photos of Julian in the male model outfit in the company’s main WhatsApp group. In the pictures, he looked disheveled and miserable. Everyone openly pointed and whispered about him: “Look, that’s the one who wore the CEO’s clothes. He probably wants to become the CEO’s male mistress.” Julian’s situation at the company became increasingly awkward. In the break room, someone would “accidentally” spill coffee on him. When he went to the warehouse to retrieve department supplies, the door would suddenly be locked, trapping him inside for an entire afternoon. The most ironic part was that everyone turned a blind eye to his plight. He sent messages to Seraphina for help, only to see a red exclamation mark. When Sarah reported these incidents to me, I shook my head. “Sarah, don’t overestimate my patience, and don’t underestimate his ambition. If he chose the path of climbing the social ladder, he’ll have to endure the pain of falling.” A week later, Sarah informed me that Julian had been absent for three consecutive days. I thought he had finally given up and resigned, but I still underestimated his schemes. That day, Seraphina had a multi-million dollar international collaboration negotiation. Ten minutes into the meeting, her personal phone vibrated insistently. It was a call from Julian. She hung up expressionlessly, but immediately received a message: “Ms. Hayes, I’ve been kidnapped! They want to make me disappear forever. Save me!” Seraphina’s face instantly turned pale. She frantically called back, but there was no answer. She quickly instructed the tech department to pinpoint his location. Then, without a word, she blurted out ‘negotiations postponed’ and rushed out of the conference room. When she arrived at the abandoned factory where the kidnappers were supposedly holding him, she witnessed Julian being pushed from the third floor. Seeing Julian clinging to life, barely conscious, Seraphina felt a sudden rush of dread, as if she were back on the day Caleb died. Seraphina nearly broke down on the spot and rushed him to the hospital for emergency treatment. Fortunately, he was rushed to the hospital in time, and Julian ultimately pulled through. Seraphina’s fury surged when she learned he had been tormented at the company recently. Meanwhile, I was completely unaware of this, clutching my medical report, preparing to leave the hospital. Just as I turned, I bumped into Seraphina hurrying towards me. I instinctively offered a smile, but then a sharp sting erupted on my cheek – she’d slapped me, hard. My smile instantly froze. I stood there, stunned. In all our years of marriage, before Julian appeared, Seraphina had always been gentle and considerate. She had never even said a harsh word, let alone laid a hand on me. But now… “Liam Sullivan, how could you be so vicious!” Her eyes were filled with fury and disgust. “I already cut ties with Julian as you demanded, yet you still arranged for him to be kidnapped and planned to make him disappear permanently.” “He’s lying in the ICU right now, fighting for his life. Are you satisfied?” “The biggest regret of my life was marrying a scumbag like you.” I tried to explain, but she cut me off. She didn’t even spare me a glance, turning and walking away. It wasn’t until Sarah called that I pieced together the ‘truth’ from her furious accusations. Julian had been kidnapped, and Seraphina was convinced I was behind it. “Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Hayes just fired me for abuse of power, and she’s appointed Julian as my successor.” “It’s not just me; every employee who ever had a conflict with Julian has been fired.” Seraphina had made her stance clear in the most absolute way possible: she chose the ‘substitute,’ the man who looked so much like her deceased brother. My nails dug deep into my palm, blood beads trickling onto the floor. I suppressed the rage boiling in my chest, forcing myself to calm down, yet a cold sneer twisted my lips. Seraphina Hayes, since you’ve burned all your bridges, don’t blame me for abandoning all sentiment. The cost of crossing me has never been something you can easily bear. I instructed Mr. Henderson, my butler, to pack my things, and I returned to the Sullivan family estate that very night.

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When I was 20, Caleb’s first love, Seraphina, was gravely ill. He begged me to donate a kidney. To finally marry him, I made a deal. “I’ll donate my kidney. In return, you give me the rest of your life!” He agreed. I got what I wanted and walked down the aisle with him. After we married, I helped him build an empire from scratch, turning him into a rising star in the business world. On our wedding anniversary, Seraphina tossed the five million dollars Caleb and I had earned right in my face. “Caleb gave me five million. I’m buying you out of this marriage.” It was then I finally understood. Caleb had agreed to marry me, but he’d never really cut ties with her. I took the card, my eyes burning. “Give me a hundred million, and I’ll leave Caleb willingly in seven days.” A delighted smile spread across her face. “Deal!” But she had no idea. Without me, Caleb wouldn’t be where he was today! I grabbed my phone and made a call. “Pull all investments from Caleb’s company. Now!” … After Seraphina showed her true colors, she stopped pretending. She moved right into my home. She clung to Caleb, looking frail and delicate, utterly unlike the woman who’d arrogantly thrown money at me just days before. “Maya, I’m so sorry to intrude on you two…” Before she could even finish, Caleb wrapped his arms protectively around her, his voice chilling. “Seraphina had to leave the city because of you, and she didn’t get top-tier medical care. Now, her condition risks a relapse. To be safe, she needs to come back to the city for treatment.” “I know you’ve always had an issue with her, but this time, I hope you won’t make a scene!” I slowly looked up at him, a wave of bitter sadness washing over me. I hadn’t said a single word, yet he’d already judged me. “She has no friends in the city, so she can only stay here for now. Don’t make things difficult for her during this time. Once the hospital confirms her condition is stable, I’ll personally send her away.” He’d said the exact same thing when he knelt before me, begging me to donate a kidney to save her. But he’d secretly kept in touch with Seraphina for four long years, hiding it all from me. I pressed my lips together, my voice catching. “So, was the million dollars last night to buy the right to use a room?” Last night, Caleb had been unusually gentle with me. He’d even, for once, prepared a Valentine’s Day gift for me. Even though it was just a bank card that required no thought, it had kept me awake with joy all night. But the moment I saw Seraphina, that bank card felt tainted. Now, it sat quietly in my bag, yet it seemed to burn my palm, making me tremble uncontrollably. He frowned, his face tight with displeasure as he retorted, “What kind of talk is that?!” “You’ve been a wealthy wife for so many years, yet all you talk about is money? Are you some insatiable pet I picked up?” I froze, unable to move. Caleb’s gaze on me was filled with utter disgust, as if he were looking at some ugly beggar. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I’d thought that four years of living together, experiencing ups and downs side-by-side, would have gradually warmed his feelings for me. But now, I finally understood. No matter what I did, I could never melt his heart, a heart that would never love me. Seeing my silence, he sneered. “Don’t worry. What happened between Seraphina and me is in the past. I can assure you, for now, no one can threaten your position!” “So, be a good girl. Go prepare a bedroom for Seraphina. She’ll need someone by her side once she moves in, and you’re idle all day, so you can take good care of her.” And in that instant, a flicker of triumph gleamed in Seraphina’s eyes, stinging mine. I bit down hard, slowly speaking. “What if I say no?” He hadn’t expected me to refuse. Caleb’s face turned as dark as thunder. “You’d rather do this the hard way, wouldn’t you?” “Since you’re so ungrateful, why should I show you any more mercy!” He barked an order. “Brenda, pack up all of Mrs. Maya’s things and move them to the storage room. Clear out the master bedroom for Miss Seraphina!” Seraphina’s appearance crushed my dignity instantly. I curled up on the small bed in the cramped storage room, tears streaming down my face. Remembering Caleb’s kindness during this time, I realized it was all just to pave the way for Seraphina. Suddenly, my phone rang. My brother, Jax’s, furious voice came through. “I heard the mistress has moved in, and you’re still not divorcing him? We let you indulge that jerk and his little company for years, but not to see you suffer like this!” “Seven days from now, if I don’t see you home, I swear I won’t let Caleb off the hook!” Jax always knew Caleb was my weakness, but soon, we’d have no connection at all.

Just as dawn broke, frantic knocks pounded on the storage room door. My eyes were swollen and red, but I painfully got up and opened the door to see Seraphina’s irritating face. She tilted her head slightly, glaring at me, her eyes full of displeasure. “Caleb’s already gone to the office. You’re still asleep? Are you really treating him like a complete fool, just keeping you around?” “Get up! I’m hungry. I want breakfast!” The storage room was too small. I hadn’t slept well at all, so I had no energy to deal with her. I frowned, raising my eyes sharply. “We have a housekeeper.” With that, I tried to close the door to shut out her incessant chatter. But she blocked the door with her foot. “Caleb told you to take care of me. If you don’t listen, I’ll tell him right away and have him come back and teach you a lesson, you little bitch!” Yesterday, Seraphina had been so timid and demure. Today, she was a total witch, like she’d had a double shot of espresso and a side of rage. Her nagging had completely ruined my sleep. I didn’t want to argue with her, so I started walking towards the kitchen. As I moved, she flashed a triumphant smirk. “First, pour me a glass of warm water. I’m thirsty!” I turned back, expressionless, poured the water, and handed it to her. “Here.” She took the glass and, without a moment’s hesitation, dumped the warm water all over my head. The warm liquid streamed down my face and dripped onto the floor. I gasped for air, my muddled brain suddenly crystal clear. She hooked a finger under my chin, forcing me to look at her. “You’ve occupied Mrs. Caleb’s position for so many years. I’m a little annoyed, so this is just a tiny punishment for you.” She chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll gather the hundred million within seven days. I promise you’ll leave smoothly!” “But you need to remember this: because of you, I was robbed of my right to be by Caleb’s side. So now, even if I want you dead, you’ll have to accept it!” I slapped her hand away without mercy, sighing at her stupidity. “You’re pathetically foolish. If I’d known you were this stupid, even if Caleb had died right in front of me back then, I wouldn’t have uselessly given up my kidney to save you!” Even now, she still believed everything Caleb had was solely due to his own efforts. But how could she know that without me, his biggest shareholder, backing him from behind, he would never have become a rising star in business! The next second, a stinging slap landed unexpectedly on my face. Caleb’s disgusted voice pierced the air. “Maya, how can you be such a malicious person!” I was stunned, my head ringing. In four years of marriage, Caleb’s concern for me had been rare, but he had never laid a hand on me. “Caleb, Maya didn’t mean it.” “She’s just upset that I’m in her master bedroom, that’s why she said those things. It’s okay…” Seraphina’s cloying voice drifted over, her eyes red as she feigned trying to stop Caleb. I instinctively spoke, my eyes blurred. “That’s not how it was…” Before I could finish, Caleb’s cold voice cut me off. “I heard it with my own ears! What more do you have to say? I can’t believe you’re so wicked you wished Seraphina dead!” “If I hadn’t come back in time, would you have put a knife to her throat?!” In Caleb’s eyes, Seraphina was always good and kind, and I was always malicious. He never listened to my explanations. Every word I spoke seemed to disgust him. I stood rooted to the spot, touching my burning cheek, silent. As long as Seraphina was around, he would never see my disheveled state, my humiliation. Perhaps realizing his attitude toward me was too extreme, he actually softened his expression and explained. “I already told you Seraphina wouldn’t threaten your position. Why do you still make things so difficult for her?” “When did you become so unreasonable?” Suddenly, he chuckled, meeting my eyes with a scornful look. “Oh, I forgot. You’ve always been like this.” With that, Caleb picked up Seraphina and turned, leaving me alone, bewildered. It was only then that I understood. For him, this marriage was just a transaction, a means to keep Seraphina alive. If there had been no Seraphina, if a kidney match hadn’t been found… Would I not have become a sacrifice between them?

Exhausted, I returned to the small storage room and saw the photo I’d worked so hard to get. My eyes blurred. In the picture, I smiled brightly. Caleb, though expressionless, still went through all the motions with me. It was one of the rare times he’d shown me a shred of patience. It was then I remembered the text message I’d seen on his phone that day: “I had the most amazing takeout today! Come home quickly, let’s try it together!” A simple takeout meal had brightened his mood. Yet, the meals I painstakingly cooked, even burning my fingers for, were met with his sneers. A thousand tiny ants seemed to gnaw at my chest, a searing, throbbing pain ripped through me. No matter how much effort I put in, I could never truly enter Caleb’s heart. I wearily looked around, realizing how few things I had that were truly mine. Everything in the villa had been arranged according to Caleb’s preferences. Now, it felt utterly ironic. My phone chimed. A text from Jax: “Don’t make me fly back and find you.” Just a few simple words, but they filled me with an inexplicable sense of security. I wiped away my tears, gathered my things, and left. Now, to leave, the only thing I needed was a visa to Country A. After my interview, I only had to wait five more days before I could leave this place. I could leave Caleb forever. On the way back, I saw a jewelry store and decided to pawn all the gold jewelry Caleb had given me. Each piece was laid out on the counter. I remembered the exact moment Caleb had given me every single one. Every piece, I had treasured like precious gems. I carefully ran my fingers over each engraving, my eyes welling up. Under the staff’s urging, I reluctantly let go. But the next moment, the staff member frowned, and his words plunged me into an abyss. “These are all fake. Only this necklace can be bought back.” How was that possible? I picked up the jewelry, disbelief written all over my face, inspecting them repeatedly. Still not convinced, I handed him the ring on my finger. “What about this one?” He took it, burned it with a flame, and after a moment, glanced at me sideways, sighing and shaking his head. The staff next to him looked surprised. Seeing my distraught expression, he tried to comfort me. “Perhaps your husband accidentally bought fakes. It’s common these days for people to be scammed into buying fake gold. It’s understandable.” “Please don’t overthink it…” By the end, he seemed to lose conviction in his own words, his voice trailing off. But even the ring we used for our wedding was fake. What, then, could possibly be real? Four years of genuine devotion, and I had been completely oblivious. I took the only genuine gold necklace, a bitter ache in my heart. I never would have thought that the only real gold among them was something I had practically begged Caleb for! “I’ll sell this one.” “You can dispose of the rest for me.” After the payment went through, I left the jewelry store, my expression numb. I looked up and saw Caleb and Seraphina walking into another jewelry store together. They were holding hands, smiling, looking so intimate, as if *they* were the real couple. I lowered my eyes and quickly walked away, my heart sinking as if a stone had been tied to it.

For the next four days, Caleb and Seraphina were nowhere to be seen. Perfect. It made it easier for me to bring people to view the villa. I was leaving anyway; there was nothing left to keep. When we first bought it, I had insisted on adding Caleb’s name to the deed. But Caleb, his face filled with disgust, pushed me away. “Your name doesn’t deserve to be written next to mine!” Thankfully, he refused. At the time, I hadn’t thought much of it. I even naively believed I could slowly melt his heart. Now, I saw it was just my wishful thinking. While showing the house to a client, my phone pinged. A text message. I clicked on it, my brows furrowing in surprise. Caleb had fired me from the company. The next moment, my phone rang. Caleb’s icy voice cut through the air. “Maya, you’ve been absent from work for five days without authorization. Starting today, you are officially terminated from the company.” “And, I’ll be reclaiming all the shares I gifted you.” I hadn’t even opened my mouth before the call abruptly ended, leaving me stunned. “Ms. Maya, I’m very satisfied with this house. When can we finalize everything?” “Don’t worry, the full payment will be deposited into your account one week after the process is complete.” The client’s voice pulled me back to reality. I forced a bitter smile. “I’ll arrange for an expedited process. Everything will be completed within 15 days.” I paused, looked around, and spoke again. “Do you need me to handle the interior renovations beforehand?” This villa was the first house Caleb and I bought since starting our business, so I treasured it immensely. Even during the renovation, to make Caleb happy, I had volunteered to oversee the project, waking early and sleeping late every day, putting my heart and soul into the design. But all I got in return was his sarcasm: “Is this the result of all your painstaking efforts?” My memories abruptly stopped. I suddenly realized that for four years, I had constantly chased after Caleb, almost losing myself in the process. The client, seeing my willingness to help with the demolition, looked delighted. “Of course! If you’re willing to help, Ms. Maya, I’ll gladly add an extra one hundred thousand dollars to the original price!” I waved a hand. “I’ve disliked these renovations for a long time, so I’ll handle them for free.” Soon, I arranged for a demolition team, and by that afternoon, all the interior renovations in the villa were completely stripped away. I gazed at the ruins before me, tears involuntarily streaming down my face. It was all over. Caleb, this is truly goodbye. [PayPal: One hundred million dollars received.] The next second, my phone rang abruptly. Seraphina’s haughty voice came through. “Maya, the hundred million you asked for has been transferred to your account. I hope you’ll keep your promise. Caleb and I don’t want to see any trace of you when we return tomorrow!” I spoke coldly. “Don’t you worry.” The villa was sold, the renovations were stripped, and Seraphina had transferred the hundred million she promised. Now, all Caleb owed me was this company. But soon, he would have nothing at all. How could he know that even if he reclaimed the few shares he gifted me, I was still the company’s largest investor? The moment I left, news of my withdrawal of funds would spread throughout the entire company. Pushing my suitcase, I stood at the villa’s entrance one last time. I wasn’t waiting for Caleb, but for a delivery guy. “Please deliver this document to XX Company.” Inside were divorce papers and a lawyer’s letter. Watching the delivery guy’s retreating back, I let out a quiet sigh. Caleb, goodbye forever.

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Three Years After My Boyfriend’s Death I picked up a man from the black market who looked exactly like him. Day after day, I carefully trained him. Hoping he could become a perfect substitute. To replace the deceased Jack. To become my lover. “Don’t eat tomatoes anymore. He didn’t like them,” I instructed. “Don’t call me ‘bro’. He never called me that,” I corrected. “Be good, okay? You look so much like him… I won’t abandon you,” I promised. I always treated him as just a suitable replacement. Until one night. In the hazy darkness. The person who should have been sleeping beside me suddenly reached out and forcefully gripped my neck. “You liar,” he growled. “Didn’t you say you’d only love me for life?” “Yet I’ve barely been dead three years and you’re already looking for a substitute.” “No matter how similar someone else is, they’re not me…” “Liar!!” In the seventh year of my relationship with Jack. He suddenly died. There was no body, not even ashes. Just his subordinate stopping his car in front of me. With a solemn expression, handing me a pocket watch Jack had left behind. Along with the words: “Mr. Shen, please accept our condolences.” I took the watch with an expressionless face. Suddenly remembering the day Jack left. He had already walked to the entryway. Then abruptly turned back. Cupping my face in his hands, he gently kissed my forehead. “I’m really leaving,” he said, his dark pupils reflecting a glint of light. He slowly stroked my hair: “Will you miss me?” I’ve always been difficult with expressing emotions. Except for those uncontrollable moments at night in bed, I could rarely say words like “love”, “like”, or “miss”. So I turned my face away. Coldly telling him: “I won’t.” “What’s there to miss about you?” It was just a business trip, he’d be back in a few days. We’re adults, there’s no need to be so clingy. “…So heartless.” Jack smiled and sighed, his eyes showing a mix of real and feigned disappointment. “Alright, it’s okay.” He didn’t press further, leaning in to brush his soft, cool lips very lightly against the corner of my mouth. “It’s fine if you don’t miss me.” “I’ll miss you.” “Be good and wait for me at home. I’ll be back soon.”

“I’ll be back soon.” But he never came back. I stared at the watch lying silently in my palm. It was the birthday gift I had given Jack last year. He seemed very happy when he received it that day. He hugged me from behind with one arm around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder, using his free hand to play with the pocket watch. After a while, he suddenly bit my neck like a puppy and said to me: “It’s beautiful.” “I love it.” “And I love you. You’re even more beautiful.” I didn’t turn around. His hand moved up, skillfully and swiftly starting to unbutton my shirt collar. … Who would have thought, less than a year later. This pocket watch would return to my hands in this way. As Jack’s posthumous belonging. My heart felt like it was being pricked by countless needles, a dense pain spreading. I unconsciously bit my lower lip hard, tasting blood. A moment later, I suddenly looked up and smiled at Jack’s subordinate. “Condolences? What do I have to grieve about?” “He’s dead, so he’s dead,” I paused, as if genuinely puzzled. “Is that something worth being sad over?” Probably no one expected my words could be so harsh. No one managed to see anything resembling sadness on my face after Jack’s death. I had long been accustomed to disguising myself. Those few subordinates seemed slightly taken aback. But in the end, they said nothing, bowed to me, and drove away.

After that, I sealed away the pocket watch and never looked at it again. Three more hazy years passed. In between, when gathering or socializing with those fair-weather friends and business partners, people would repeatedly bring up Jack while raising their glasses in front of me: “I have to say, Mr. Shen, you really are cold-hearted.” “Although I don’t quite understand that kind of relationship between two men. But you and Jack were together for what, seven years?” “He died just like that in a car accident, and you don’t seem the least bit upset these past few years.” What nonsense. How could I not be upset? Every time I opened and closed my eyes I could see Jack. Even in my dreams, it was still him. But on the surface, I remained unmoved. I took a sip from the glass in front of me and casually said, “What do I have to be upset about?” “Jack and I… were only together for business reasons.” “It’s good that he’s dead… clean,” I said. As soon as the words left my mouth, several people around seemed stunned. I smiled carelessly, clinked my glass with the person opposite me. Then threw back the last bit of liquor left in the glass. “Think about it, with no one to control me anymore, how free am I now, right?” “No more of this clingy guy by my side every day getting jealous over nothing, upset for hours if I so much as glanced at another handsome man. The way I am now, how carefree, don’t you think?” I lowered my head and smiled: “Besides, he left behind quite a large inheritance.” “If I just focused on grieving, it would be quite a waste of all that money. Don’t you agree?” The air grew increasingly tense. I looked around. Guessing that though these people were silent now, as soon as they left they would surely spread rumors. Saying I had long grown tired of Jack, that I had only been with him those years for his money and power. Now that he died unexpectedly, it suited me perfectly. They didn’t know how happy I must be inside. It seemed like a very long time passed. Finally someone slapped their thigh, breaking the awkward atmosphere: “Right, exactly! Whether it was true love or not, the person’s already gone, it’s all in the past, why keep bringing it up?” “If you ask me,” the person turned back to look at me, “Mr. Shen. I happen to be going to the C3 district tomorrow, there are quite a few handsome young men there. Why don’t you come along and take a look, if you fancy anyone, just bring one back?” I glanced at him, not taking the bait. I picked up another glass of alcohol from the table in front of me.

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On our fifth wedding anniversary, my normally aloof professor husband, Alistair, actually cooked for me for the first time. He pulled me close, his eyes full of tenderness. “I’ve neglected you before, Sera. I promise to make it up to you, tenfold.” For the next week, he showered me with daily homemade desserts and candlelight dinners. I genuinely believed my efforts had finally paid off, that I’d melted this ice-cold heartthrob. Even if I was stuffed to the gills every day, I refused to waste a single gesture of his affection. Just as I was lost in this blissful fantasy, a mocking pop-up notification flashed before my eyes: “Professor Alistair Finch is secretly signing his wife up for a life-or-death gamble so he can be with his thirty-years-older ‘true love’!” “He’s even sneaking fattening agents into Sera Thorne’s food, just to be safe. What a devoted man!” That’s when it hit me. My husband was utterly obsessed with Anya, the campus facility manager, who was in her fifties! The “life-swap system” would steal my vitality and restore her youth if I weighed more than Anya in a month. Then, Alistair could finally be with her, just as he wished! I stared at my husband, who was now holding out another pitcher of milk tea to me. Without a second thought, I ordered five pounds of specialized livestock growth enhancer, ready to give him a taste of his own medicine. A month later, seeing Anya’s weight double, Alistair’s eyes blazed with fury. … “Darling, this is the first pitcher of milk tea I’ve made just for you this summer.” Alistair placed the huge pitcher of milk tea in front of me. “Drink it while it’s warm, quickly. It won’t taste as good when it’s cold.” Recalling the pop-up notification, a flicker of suspicion crossed my eyes. I tentatively raised a hand to stop him. “Honey, I don’t really want to drink it.” “I stepped on the scale today and found I’d gained thirty pounds! If I keep drinking like this, I’m afraid I’ll be a two-hundred-pound胖 blob in less than a month…” I hadn’t even finished speaking when Alistair blurted out, “That’s fantastic!” Seeing the genuine delight in his eyes, I finally knew the notification hadn’t lied. My husband was deliberately trying to fatten me up, all to make me lose the life-or-death gamble next month, to hand over my youth and vitality to Anya! I was furious at his heartless betrayal, and a wave of raw disgust surged through me. I’d met Anya. She was the campus facility manager at the university where Alistair taught. She was over fifty, and easily weighed over two hundred pounds! And she wasn’t just heavy; she was short, so her weight seemed to pile up horizontally. At first glance, she looked like a moving mountain of flesh! And *she* was the object of my husband’s obsession? To be with her, he was willing to sacrifice my life without a second thought! “Sera, I didn’t mean it’s good that you’re gaining weight.” Alistair realized his blunder and quickly tried to compensate, adopting a tender expression. “I meant, even if you gained two hundred pounds, you’d still be my precious wife. I’d never dislike you!” But as soon as he finished his sweet talk, he impatiently put a straw into the milk tea pitcher and held it to my lips. “So, let’s drink this, okay? Come on, darling, open wide…” He still hadn’t given up, but I absolutely refused to drink this deadly tea. So, I just raised my hand and knocked it over. Alistair was caught off guard, splashed with milk tea. His usually cold face contorted with anger. “Sera Thorne, what the hell is wrong with you?” “I went to all that trouble to cook for you, and this is how you treat my thoughtfulness?” Hearing his accusation, a storm of hurt churned inside me. My eyes immediately welled up. “Alistair Finch, so you *do* realize it was a ‘trouble’ to treat me well for once?” Alistair and I met in college. He was known as the ice-cold heartthrob, with his brilliant academic record and aloof demeanor. I came from a privileged family and was the beautiful campus queen, yet I willingly sacrificed all my pride, obsessively pursued him for four years, just to finally make him acknowledge my existence. Even after five years of marriage, he rarely touched me. Even our occasional moments of intimacy were brief and unsatisfying. I just assumed he was naturally cold and not into that sort of thing. I even convinced myself that as long as I was with him, enduring a life devoid of passion and excitement was fine. So, a week ago, on our wedding anniversary, when he personally cooked a candlelight dinner and remorsefully told me he’d love me forever, I was overjoyed. I thought he’d finally seen my devotion, that I’d melted this iceberg. I never imagined it was all just an act of deep affection, a scheme to take my life for another woman! I stared fixedly at Alistair, hoping to see guilt or remorse on his face. But there was nothing. Alistair looked as if I’d hit a raw nerve, and he threatened angrily, “If you don’t eat it, don’t even think about getting another one of my homemade lunches!” 2 Not only had he not abandoned his malicious plan to take my life, but he hadn’t hesitated for a second. My seven years of devotion had been all for nothing! My heart completely died for him. I swore I would never let his scheme succeed. To avoid tipping him off, I deliberately lowered my gaze, feigning disappointment. “Honey, I was wrong.” “You’re so busy, yet you worked so hard to cook for me and improve our meals. I shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum and spilled your sweet milk tea…” My feigned submission made Alistair sigh in relief. He, too, put on a loving facade, embracing me reassuringly. “It’s okay. It’s normal for girls to have weight anxiety. I don’t blame you.” “Oh, by the way, darling, haven’t you always loved soufflés? I’ll make you one tomorrow. This time, you *must* eat it all, don’t waste a single bite.” He sounded so patient. Who wouldn’t praise him as a perfect husband? However, the moment I pretended to go shower and left the living room, he immediately revealed his malicious true colors. “Alistair, she didn’t drink the milk tea. Do you think she figured out you were doing it on purpose…?” The person on his video call had a face so wide it practically filled the entire screen, and even a ten-level beauty filter couldn’t hide her age spots and wrinkles. Yet, my husband seemed utterly blind to them, his eyes filled with adoration as he called her “honey” over and over! “So what if she found out? Sera Thorne has been obsessively pursuing me for years. Do you really think she’d be willing to refuse anything good from me?” “Anya, I thought we were destined to be apart because of our thirty-year age difference, but then you suddenly got bound to a life-gambling system that can steal vitality and youth!” “This must be the heavens moved by our true love, granting us a chance to grow old together! I won’t let us miss this opportunity for anything!” Alistair Finch, a mathematics professor, was a staunch materialist, yet he was now devoutly thanking heaven just to be with Anya… Even though I saw his malicious true colors, my heart still ached. But Alistair seemed determined to hurt me more, to make sure I couldn’t soften. He twisted the knife deeper into my heart. He spoke my name with utter disdain: “If it weren’t for needing a good background and connections for my tenure review, and Sera Thorne coming from a prominent family with a CEO for a father, I would never have married her.” “I suppose I fulfilled Sera Thorne’s delusional fantasy, so it’s only right that her vitality should be transferred to you.” “Not to mention, I didn’t directly inject her with fattening agents. I even pretended to be deeply in love, cooked her one lavish meal after another, letting her presumptuously enjoy the kind of treatment that should rightfully belong only to you, Anya.” He comforted Anya. “So even if Sera Thorne finds out the truth, she should die without regrets. Don’t feel any pressure about it.” Alistair Finch’s shamelessness utterly shattered my worldview! Die without regrets? How thick could his skin be to say something like that with a clear conscience?! After enjoying my devotion during our marriage, then shamelessly demanding my father’s help to become the youngest university professor, not only did he show no gratitude, but he wanted to steal my life and drain my last bit of value! How could such a good thing exist in this world?! At that moment, Alistair’s instructions to Anya reached my ears: “However, to be safe, Anya, I’ll make you slimming salads during this period…” Originally, I’d planned to expose his attempt to drug me with fattening agents and cut ties with him then and there. But now, I changed my mind. Simply letting him suffer the consequences wasn’t enough. I needed to give him a taste of his own medicine! I wouldn’t be satisfied until his reputation was utterly ruined! 3 I called my dad’s company: “Didn’t you develop a specialized growth enhancer for livestock a while ago? How does its effect compare to the regular one?” Alistair only knew my family owned a big company but had no idea our main business was animal feed. Giving me fattening agents – he was practically begging for death! The R&D lead respectfully replied, “It’s night and day, Ms. Thorne!” “Just ten milliliters injected into livestock can make them gain ten pounds rapidly in a short amount of time!” Hearing that, I was instantly satisfied. “Prepare three large barrels and send them over.” Alistair loves to mess with food, does he? I’d love to see who fattens whom into a pig first! Early the next morning, I saw Alistair carrying cooked dishes out of the kitchen. “Sera, you’re awake! Perfect, wash up and let’s eat.” Usually, at this hour, he’d still be asleep. It seemed my refusal of the milk tea yesterday had given him a sense of urgency. To quickly get me to two hundred pounds and ensure his ‘true love’ would win, he wasn’t even sparing breakfast! How diligent of him! My counter-attack plan was already in motion. Since he was actively walking into it, I wouldn’t hold back. I feigned delight, grabbed my forks, and immediately sat down. “Honey, you’re so sweet! But why are there vegetables today? I remember you usually only make meat dishes.” Alistair smiled and explained, “A balance of meat and vegetables is healthier.” “Oh, I see. You’re so thoughtful, honey.” I pretended not to notice his faint guilt, complimented him, and then picked up a forkful and put it in my mouth. “Delicious.” Alistair watched me clean my entire bowl, then smiled with relief. He then casually prompted me to step on the scale to check my weight. “Huh? How did I gain another five pounds? I barely ate anything!” Hearing my exclamation, my husband quickly came forward to comfort me. “Maybe the scale is broken? How could you gain five pounds from one meal, right, Sera?” I nodded, playing along with his words. “Then, honey, remember to buy a new one!” “Of course.” I changed my clothes, ready to go out, and glanced into the kitchen. Alistair was busy again, but this time, he was making a vegetable salad. Noticing my gaze on the lunchbox, a flicker of guilt crossed Alistair’s eyes, and he over-explained, “Darling, I’m taking lunch to school.” But that very afternoon, I scrolled through my TikTok feed and saw an identical lunchbox and salad. The caption read: *He said this was just a small token of his affection, with an even bigger surprise waiting for me…* How incredibly lucky, to meet someone much younger who truly loves me. That lunchbox, that caption… could the person who posted this video be Anya? My interest was instantly piqued. I clicked on her profile and found that every post flaunted various expensive gifts. I was all too familiar with those designs. I’d seen them all in Alistair’s Amazon shopping cart. Since they were women’s styles, I naturally assumed they were for me. Every time I saw them, I’d get excited for ages, looking forward to receiving his surprise one day, only to be disappointed every time. It wasn’t that the timing wasn’t right; it was that the recipient was wrong. I clicked on Anya’s videos and noticed she never showed her face. Every caption boasted about the affectionate “toy boy” who gifted her these things. She’d amassed a large following of middle-aged women in their thirties and forties. Every time Anya posted, they’d flock to the comments, praising her luck for finding such a loving toy boy. Little did they know, this wasn’t their “sister” she was talking about—it was her daughter! I found it absolutely sickening. Just as I was about to close the comments, I sharply noticed a very familiar ID. *FinchV*: Something beautiful is about to happen. 4 In the blink of an eye, Anya replied below: *I can’t wait! ❤️* They weren’t even trying to hide it anymore! I gripped my phone, forcing myself to calm down. There was only one week left until the life-gambling game’s weigh-in. I wondered if Alistair would still be smiling then! But what I hadn’t expected was that, despite my efforts to keep a low profile, Alistair had other plans. That very evening, he actually brought Anya home with him. Alistair seemed oblivious to my tightly furrowed brows, enthusiastically introducing her to me: “Sera, this is a highly respected senior colleague from my university. She’s been a great help to me in my work, and I truly admire her.” A campus facility manager with “great prestige”? You’re just blind for falling for this ugly thing and trying to boost her status. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and gestured for Alistair to continue. “Well, she’s thinking of changing jobs, and I remember you once mentioned the company needed a VP. So, I thought she could take the position.” At that, I couldn’t hold back. “Alistair Finch, have you lost your mind?” “Otherwise, why would you even suggest something so ridiculous? Can any random person off the street become a company VP?” “Oh, wait, no. Given this ‘senior colleague’s’ size, she’s more like a pig!” Both their faces instantly changed. Alistair, especially, roared at me, “Sera Thorne, how can you insult a senior colleague like that! She takes such good care of me!” “How did your parents raise you? Where’s your upbringing! Apologize to her, now!” Taking care of him in bed, perhaps? I suppressed the urge to completely lose it and retorted angrily, “Saying no to idiots—that’s exactly what my parents taught me!” Alistair was about to speak again, but Anya pulled his hand, consoling him. “Alistair, you’re just trying to help me out of kindness. If it’s not possible, then let it be.” “You two shouldn’t argue because of me.” Her understanding demeanor moved Alistair deeply. His usual aloofness was forgotten. After shooting me a harsh glare, he doted on Anya, asking about her comfort as he saw her out. He didn’t return until the next day, but he was back to being his ‘good husband’ self, apologizing and sweet-talking me. However, the double-dosed meals the next day told me he wanted to tear me limb from limb. And wasn’t that exactly what I wanted to do to him? We continued our charade, sleeping in the same bed yet worlds apart, for several more days. Then, on the evening of the seventh day, as I feigned sleep, I heard a voice in my mind say, “Life-gambling game weigh-in, officially starting!” I opened my eyes again to find myself standing on a massive circular platform. A sinister voice came from behind me. “Sera Thorne, confused, aren’t you?” I turned at the sound and saw another platform not far away, with Anya standing on it, hands on her hips, laughing wildly. “This is the Scales of Fate! Whoever weighs more will surrender their life force to the other!” “You didn’t know, did you? All these days, Alistair Finch has been secretly giving you fattening agents, all to make you heavier than me, so he can swap your youth for mine!” The life-swap system, with its twisted sense of humor, split a screen to Alistair. He looked at me and said, “Sera Thorne, if you had just been obedient and given Anya that VP position, I would have considered giving you a dignified end!” “But you’re ungrateful and asked for trouble, so I won’t hold back!” “Anya, once you win, just suck her dry!” “Sera Thorne, you’re finished!” Seeing them so sure of their victory, I sneered, “Oh really? I don’t think so!” “Weigh-in complete! I announce that the winner of this competition is—” Anya strode forward, chest puffed out, ready to claim her prize, when the System’s voice echoed eerily, “Sera Thorne!”

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When I was eight months pregnant, my husband, Liam, completely ignored my protests. He was dead set on having a baby with his childhood friend, Scarlett, who was supposedly terminally ill. He said it was to fulfill her dying wish to be a mother. I was so furious that my water broke. There was blood. I called Liam eighteen times, but he didn’t answer a single one. By the time I was rushed to the hospital, it was too late. I’d lost the baby. Then I scrolled through SnapChat and saw Scarlett’s pregnancy results plastered all over her story. Later, Liam said coldly, “It just wasn’t meant to be for that baby, Stella. Why are you taking it out on Scarlett? She’s sick. Once her baby is born, we can just have another one.” Everyone thought I was madly in love with my husband, certain I’d swallow my hurt as always. But this time, I signed the divorce papers without hesitation, bought a plane ticket, and left the country. I saw my ex-husband again two years later at a class reunion. The moment I walked into the private room, he shoved a two-year-old boy into my arms, a smug look on his face. “Stella, you’ve thrown a tantrum for two years now. Isn’t it time to cool off? Just apologize to me publicly, and I might even let Leo call you ‘Mom’!” Everyone around us snickered, whispering that I’d gotten a fantastic deal, becoming a mother without any of the pain. But I simply held up my left hand, flashing the wedding ring on my finger. “I already have a husband and a child of my own. I don’t need to be anyone’s second-hand mother!”

The room fell silent the instant I finished speaking. Everyone stared at me in shock, then burst out laughing. “Oh, come on, Stella. Everyone knows you were obsessed with Liam! When he had kidney failure, you gave him one of your own kidneys. Do you really think someone like you would just marry someone else?” “Seriously, can’t you at least draft your angry words before blurting them out?” A cold laugh bubbled up inside me as I listened to their gossip. I couldn’t blame them for being shocked. The old me truly did love Liam with all my heart. When he was diagnosed with kidney failure, I didn’t hesitate to donate a kidney to him. Even now, on rainy days, my left kidney still aches. I always gave him the sweetest part of the watermelon and, knowing he didn’t like the seeds in dragon fruit, I’d pick each tiny seed out with a toothpick. Because I loved him, I even tolerated him going on dates with Scarlett again and again. I tolerated him styling Scarlett’s hair and gently wiping her mouth right in front of me. As long as he came home and remembered he had a wife, I thought it was enough. Everyone knew I was a total simp for him, and they all instinctively assumed I was just lashing out. Coming back to my senses, Scarlett picked up a bottle of wine from the table and walked towards me, saying casually, “Stella, I know you’re still upset about what happened two years ago.” “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been diagnosed with a terminal illness, Liam wouldn’t have tried to have a baby with me to fulfill my last wish. If not for that, you wouldn’t have been so upset that you hemorrhaged and lost your baby.” “Since everyone’s here today, I’ll punish myself with a bottle. Consider this my public apology!” She grabbed the bottle and gulped it down. The harsh liquor made her choke and cough violently. Liam couldn’t sit still. He handed Leo to a colleague, rushed forward, snatched the bottle, and said, his voice a mix of anger and concern, “Scarlett, are you crazy? How could you drink so much? Even if your condition has been stable these past few years, you’re still a patient!” After comforting Scarlett, Liam shot me a haughty glance, his voice cold. “Stella, you’ve been throwing a tantrum for two years. That’s enough!” “Scarlett and I only did IVF; we didn’t even *act* like a couple. Are you really going to be this petty about such a small thing for two whole years?” The others chimed in. “Stella is just too stubborn. She got to be a mom without any of the pain, what a steal!” “Liam has been looking for her all these years. She left for two years, and he looked for two years. It’s time to move on from the past.” So, abandoning me at eight months pregnant to go have a baby with Scarlett was just a “small thing” in Liam’s eyes? What surprised me, though, was that Liam had actually been looking for me? What for? Lost in thought, I heard Liam continue, talking to himself, “Alright, Stella. Leo needs someone to take care of him. Since you’re back, you can take care of him from now on. Even though Leo isn’t your biological child, you’re his nominal mother, you should be responsible for him.” I actually laughed. Liam wanted me to be his baby nurse? But I wasn’t the Stella he could manipulate so easily two years ago. The moment he abandoned me and our baby to go have a child with Scarlett, my heart turned cold. I left the country without a second thought. And I wasn’t just talking out of anger earlier; I really was married with a child. After leaving the country, I found a new job, and before long, I met my husband, Julian. He helped me through that dark period, and soon, we were married and had an adorable son. Thinking about Julian and Finn filled my heart with warmth. Coming back to reality, I refused him coldly. “No, thanks. I have my own child to take care of. As for your Leo, perhaps his biological mother should take care of him.” Hearing this, Scarlett’s eyes immediately welled up. “Stella, I know you resent me for causing you to lose your baby, so you don’t want to take care of my child.” “I want to raise Leo myself, but my body just won’t allow it… I trusted you, which is why I entrusted him to your care. Leo is such a good boy, he doesn’t cry or fuss, he won’t be much trouble. Please, I’m begging you, take pity on a mother like me and help me take care of Leo…” Scarlett made a show of trying to kneel. Liam quickly helped her up and comforted her. Then he turned, giving me a cold glance. “It’s an honor to take care of Leo. Don’t be ungrateful!” His gaze fell on my clothes, and Liam scoffed. “Stella, I guess you didn’t have it easy overseas these past two years, did you? You couldn’t even bother to wear something decent to a class reunion.” “If you take good care of Leo, I can give you ten thousand a month for pocket money. That’s way more than you’d earn from any job.” Scarlett, playing the hostess, chimed in, “That’s right. You take good care of Leo, and Liam and I won’t shortchange you. At least you won’t have to wear off-brand clothes if you stick with us.” That’s when everyone noticed my casual outfit. Immediately, sneers erupted. “How did Stella fall so low? She can’t even afford proper clothes!” “If she knew this would happen, why did she act so stubborn back then? I heard Liam’s company really took off after she left. If she hadn’t stormed off abroad, she’d be set for life now.” I just curled my lips into a cold smile. They had no idea. The clothes I was wearing weren’t off-brand at all. They were custom-made by a master designer, pure silk, each piece worth hundreds of thousands. Seeing me smile, Liam mistakenly thought I had agreed to take care of Leo. He pulled out his phone, ready to transfer the money. “Here’s ten thousand. Go buy some decent clothes later, so Leo doesn’t catch your poor vibe.” But as soon as he sent the message, a bright red exclamation mark popped up!

Liam’s brows furrowed, his face darkening. “Stella, you blocked me?!” I found it amusing. I’d blacklisted and deleted him two years ago. Was he only just realizing it now? Liam felt his face burning. He demanded I add him back immediately. But I said coldly, “He’s just an ex-husband. Why would I add him? Besides, my husband doesn’t let me add other men. He gets jealous.” Seeing me repeatedly refuse to give him face, Liam finally lost his temper . “Stella, have you had enough of this act? I’ve given you an out. If you insist on making a scene, then we’re divorcing!” In the past, Liam would often threaten me with divorce whenever he was displeased, forcing me to back down. He thought he could still control me as easily this time. But I just gave a cold laugh. “Liam, did you forget? We divorced two years ago.” The whole room went silent. Liam froze for a moment. “What are you talking about?” Then, as if a thought struck him, he sneered, “I know! This is your game of push and pull, isn’t it? Two years apart, and you’ve certainly gotten a lot more cunning!” I rolled my eyes, speechless. “Liam, didn’t you see the letter I left you two years ago?” Liam looked confused. “What letter?” Before I left the country, I’d left a letter for Liam. Inside the envelope weren’t just my wedding ring, but also a signed divorce agreement. That divorce agreement was one I’d made him sign the day he ignored my pleas and insisted on having a child with Scarlett. He’d always been dismissive of me, signing it without even looking. He probably hadn’t bothered to properly check the contents of the envelope two years ago. That’s why he didn’t know we were already divorced, thinking I was just throwing a tantrum. Thinking about it, I sneered, then pulled out the duplicate copy of the divorce agreement from that year and shoved it in Liam’s face. “Liam, the letter I wrote you back then contained the signed divorce agreement. I had two copies, and this is the other one. Take a good look. We’re already divorced.” Liam’s face grew even darker. He was about to say the divorce agreement was fake, but when he saw his own signature clearly on it, he froze. “How can this be? I clearly never signed—” “No, you did sign it. Remember the papers I handed you the day you moved out?” At my reminder, Liam finally realized, belatedly, that what I’d made him sign that day was the divorce agreement. His face turned ashen. Everyone else was surprised too. “Stella actually filed for divorce? Did her love-addicted brain finally wake up?” “If they’re divorced, why is she back? I bet she still can’t let Liam go.” Hearing this, Liam raised his chin, confidently believing I still had feelings for him. Little did he know, my return to the country was primarily to accompany my husband and son. Julian happened to be coming back for a business gala, and Finn wanted to take advantage of the spring break to visit a water park here Right after arriving, I received the reunion invitation and just decided to drop by. I was about to shatter Liam’s fantasy when his phone rang. It was his assistant. “Mr. Hayes, we just got word that Mr. Thorne from Thorne Industries is bringing his wife and child back to the country. They’ll also be attending tonight’s business gala. The Chairman wants us to add an extra seat and treat them exceptionally well.” “The Chairman specifically told us to treat Mr. Thorne’s wife especially well. After all, Mr. Thorne is known for doting on his wife. As long as we keep her happy, we won’t have to worry about future collaborations.” Only then did I realize Liam’s company was hosting this business gala. After Liam hung up, everyone rushed to flatter him. “Liam, Thorne Industries is a giant in the industry! Your company can actually collaborate with Thorne Industries? Your future is limitless!” “I heard all the big shots in the business world will be at this gala. Can you help us old classmates make some connections?” Liam shot me a triumphant glance, speaking condescendingly. “Stella, do you regret stubbornly divorcing me now?” “If you agree to take care of Leo, I might consider remarrying you…” I scoffed internally. Thorne Industries was my husband’s company, and I was the very wife they wanted to impress. Before Liam could finish, I cut him off coldly, “Thorne Industries wouldn’t even *look* at your company.” Beside him, Scarlett, who had been silent for a while, shot me a disdainful look. “How would *you* know?” I enunciated each word clearly: “Because, I *am* Mr. Thorne’s wife.” As soon as I said that, everyone thought I’d gone mad. They looked at me like I was an idiot. Scarlett even let out a scoffing laugh. “If you’re Mr. Thorne’s wife, then I’m Mr. Thorne’s mother!” “Everyone knows Mr. Thorne dotes on his wife. He once spent hundreds of millions on a pink diamond bracelet that lit up the headlines for her! Mr. Thorne’s wife is incredibly precious, worth hundreds of millions. How could a nobody like you impersonate her?” “Look at yourself, what about you even remotely resembles Mr. Thorne’s wife?” But I slowly rolled up my sleeve, revealing the pink diamond bracelet on my wrist. “Are you talking about *this* bracelet?”

Everyone was stunned. “The news about Mr. Thorne lighting up the sky for that bracelet was everywhere! That bracelet looks just like the one Stella is wearing!” “So… Stella really is Mr. Thorne’s wife?” Scarlett froze when she saw the bracelet on my wrist. A flicker of jealousy and malice flashed in her eyes. The next second, she unexpectedly snatched my watch, saying in a snide, passive-aggressive tone, “Stella, how dare you try to fool people with a fake watch! How could you impersonate Mr. Thorne’s wife?” “Don’t get me wrong, this fake is pretty good, but a fake is still a fake, it can never be real.” “Liam is about to collaborate with Mr. Thorne. Are you trying to ruin Liam by impersonating Mr. Thorne’s wife at a time like this?” I glared at her coldly. “Who told you this watch is fake? This watch is genuine, now give it back!” But Scarlett refused to return it, even deliberately tucking the watch into her clothes. I stepped forward, trying to snatch it back, but she stumbled backward, collapsing to the ground, her eyes red as she looked at me. “Stella, I can’t believe you hate me so much. Not only did you deliberately push me, but to target me, you’re dragging Liam down with you. Fine, I’ll take Leo and leave, so I don’t bother you anymore…” Scarlett cried and made a scene, threatening to leave. Two years, and she was still pulling the same tricks. And Liam, as always, fell for it. This time too, he protected her, yelling at me. “That’s enough, Stella! Scarlett is a patient, are you trying to kill her?! You’re the one who was in the wrong first, impersonating Mr. Thorne’s wife! Are you trying to ruin our company’s collaboration? Two years apart, and you’ve become so malicious!” Meeting Scarlett’s defiant gaze, I scoffed inwardly. She wasn’t sick at all. Her terminal illness was fake, and her medical records were forged. I had told Liam this before, but he didn’t believe me, accusing me of making baseless accusations instead. Even now, he still didn’t believe me. I was too lazy to argue, assuming Liam would continue to harass me as he had in the past. But he sighed helplessly instead. “Fine, I see Scarlett likes this watch. Just give it to her as an apology. Let’s drop this, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything that just happened.” That watch was a special gift from Julian. Was he seriously expecting me to just give it away? No way. I snatched the watch back, saying coldly, “This is a gift from my husband. You have no right to touch it!” The sharp diamond edge cut Liam’s finger. Seeing me refuse to back down, he pursed his lips tightly. “Stella, it’s just a cheap bracelet. If I wasn’t trying to give you an out, do you really think we’d even care?” “Scarlett, it’s just a watch, right? I’ll buy you an even more expensive and better one. Let *some people* regret it!” I couldn’t be bothered to argue further and turned to leave the room. Afterward, I went back to the hotel where I was staying to rest. In the evening, I quickly got ready and headed to the business gala. Before I left, Julian sent me a message, telling me that the water park show had just ended, and he was bringing Finn over. He told me to go in first and wait for them. Knowing my husband and son loved cake, I took a plate with a small slice of cake, planning to find a seat and wait for them. The moment I turned, I ran into Liam and Scarlett, both dressed to the nines. Seeing it was me, Liam’s eyes flashed with disdain. “What are *you* doing here? What, did you come here specifically to get back together with me?” “You were so tough earlier, but now you look pathetic!” Seeing the cake in my hand, Scarlett scoffed mockingly, “Stella, could you be a server here? I heard the servers here only make four thousand. That’s not even as fast as taking care of our Leo!” Liam’s face was full of arrogance. “Stella, if you beg me, I might, for old times’ sake, make an exception and let you take care of Leo.” I replied calmly, “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not a server. I’m here waiting for my husband and child.” Scarlett, however, looked like she’d heard the funniest joke. “Stella, Mr. Thorne is the only one bringing his child to this gala today. You’re not still going to claim you’re Mr. Thorne’s wife, are you?” “I am, actually.” Hearing me say this, Scarlett crossed her arms and sneered. “Stella, you’re addicted to lying! How dare you talk nonsense and claim such connections at such an important event, and still wear that fake watch!” “If Mr. Thorne and his wife found out, we’d all be in deep trouble!” Before I could react, Scarlett rushed forward, snatched the bracelet from my wrist, and smashed it fiercely onto the ground. The sharp diamond cut a gash on my wrist, drawing crimson blood. Before I could even cry out in pain, Scarlett shoved me to the ground, then grabbed a nearby cake plate and threw it at my face, snarling, “I’ll teach you a lesson for trying to impersonate Mr. Thorne’s wife!” Cake smeared all over my face. The sticky cream clogged my nostrils, nearly suffocating me. I reached up to wipe the cream away, but Scarlett pressed her sharp stiletto heel down hard on my hand, grinding it repeatedly. Excruciating pain shot through my entire body; I could almost hear my bones cracking. When the people in the hall realized I was an imposter, they all laughed at my misfortune. Liam simply watched, his expression cold. Just then, someone in the crowd shouted, “Mr. Thorne is here!” Everyone immediately looked towards the entrance. I waved my arms wildly, trying to get Julian’s attention. But Liam grabbed my hand, whispering, “Stella, behave! I know you came here specifically because you’re jealous.” “As long as you don’t make a scene, I can consider remarrying you after the gala, and we can even have another child…” He tried to pull me up, but I snatched my hand back in disgust. Julian had noticed me. He walked towards me, holding Finn, his voice dangerously cold. “What’s going on?” Scarlett’s face was full of flattery. “Mr. Thorne, this woman is an imposter trying to pretend to be your wife! I’ve already taught her a good lesson for you!” Liam chimed in, “That’s right, Mr. Thorne, you don’t need to bother with someone like her.” The next second, Finn let go of Julian’s hand and ran towards me, tears streaming down his face. “Mommy, why is your face covered in cream, and your hand, it’s bleeding…” Suddenly, everyone present was stunned. “What? Did I hear that right? Mr. Thorne’s son just called that imposter ‘Mommy’?” “So… that means the person on the ground isn’t an imposter, but the real deal?”

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