Category: English

Wedding anniversary, my husband gave me a necklace he designed himself, saying it represents a unique love. But on the chain, there was an obvious curly hair. He pretended to be angry: “The store clerk who packed it was too careless and left their hair.” However, he didn’t know that I had already seen this necklace in his assistant’s Facebook two days earlier. [Worn it for two days, already bored. But since he put thought into it, I’ll post a photo to praise him.] She thoughtfully set it to be visible only to me. I pushed away his hand trying to put it on me and casually tossed the necklace into the trash. Nolan’s face changed dramatically. “You don’t cherish the gifts I give you at all. I guess I don’t need to give you any in the future.” That’s fine. I’ll buy my own gifts from now on. But a man who betrays me, I will never want again. 0 After confirming tomorrow’s abortion procedure with the nurse over the phone, I turned and walked into the restaurant. “The hospital just notified me to go for a check-up,” I explained casually to Nolan, “What were we just talking about?” He stared at me coldly. “Adeline, are you sure you want to ruin our five-year wedding anniversary over a hair?” The necklace he picked back up had a diamond-encrusted butterfly reflecting the restaurant lights, just the right angle to sting my eyes. “Nolan, don’t you remember I hate butterflies?” His anger was replaced by confusion, followed by awkward embarrassment. Everyone who knows me knows I hate butterflies. Years ago, my dad, who was my only family, fell off a cliff and died instantly trying to take a picture of a rare butterfly for me. Since then, I couldn’t stand anything related to butterflies. Nolan used to be more mindful of this than anyone. Even when we went shopping, he would scout ahead to avoid sections selling butterfly-themed items. I can’t believe he forgot about this. He awkwardly touched his nose: “I just thought the design suited you and forgot about your taboo for a moment.” “Adeline, holding onto the past, you’re being too sensitive.” I laughed at myself, indeed being too sensitive. I almost forgot this necklace wasn’t originally meant for me. It was only after Fiona got bored with it that I had the chance to receive this secondhand item. What right do I have to be picky? I replied off-topic: “You’re right, it’s time to let go.” Seeing my sarcastic expression, a strange look flashed across his face, but before he could think more, his phone alerted him to a new message. Judging by his nervousness, it was undoubtedly from Fiona. He replied instantly: “Got it, I’m on my way.” I looked up at his anxious face and spoke calmly before he could: “Is it urgent work requiring overtime? You should go.” He immediately put on his coat, kissed my forehead before leaving. “Sorry, the company’s situation is urgent. I’ll make it up to you with a more romantic celebration on your birthday.” “Thank you, honey, you’re so understanding. I love you.” I silently watched his hurried departing figure. The man who accused me of ruining our anniversary couldn’t even wait for the dishes to arrive before leaving. He was in such a rush he left his phone on the table. I lit up the screen to see Fiona’s message: “Wine and steak are on the table, I’m in bed, waiting for you.” It’s obvious Fiona did it on purpose. As Nolan’s assistant, she must know tonight is our anniversary. Such blatant provocation would have previously made me cry, afraid of losing Nolan. But now, I’m indifferent. Whoever wants such trash of a man can have him. I had the waiter dispose of all the dishes, and as I left, I gave the necklace to a beggar woman on the street. She smiled gratefully. Back home, I called Wesley: “Senior, about the screenwriting position you mentioned last time, I’ve decided to join.” “That’s great, Adeline! Professor used to say you were the most talented filmmaker, but it was a shame Nolan ‘privatized’ you. When you decided to be a housewife, Professor even cried.” “Please tell Professor, Adeline took a detour, but she’s coming back.” 0

Nolan returned home to retrieve his phone, telling me the project required an all-nighter to revise the plan and advising me to sleep without waiting for him. I pretended not to notice the red mark on his neck, casually nodded, and returned to editing the screenplay soon to be filmed. He leaned over for a quick glance and clicked his tongue, full of disdain. “You’ve been out of the movie industry for so long, looking at these scripts is just pretending to love them.” Without a word, I rolled my eyes. Since becoming a housewife, Nolan’s appreciation for my artistic pursuits turned into sarcasm. Seeing my displeasure, he softened his tone. “It’s my fault for not spending enough time with you, leaving you bored to dig through these old things.” He suddenly draped his arm over my shoulder, his hand reaching for my blouse buttons. “Adeline, let’s have a baby. Having a child with you would be better than doing nothing all day.” He leaned against me, his breath heavy. I smelled Fiona’s perfume on him, the incense too strong, making me nauseous. I didn’t want any physical contact with him. He just got out of her bed and now wants intimacy with me. Doesn’t he find it disgusting? I excused myself to the bathroom, pushing his hand away and locking the door behind me. Waves of disgust surged within me. I used to desperately want children, clinging to him every night for one. He said he didn’t like kids and refused. The child in my womb now was conceived after I lied about taking birth control. I planned to reveal it after three months, betting he’d soften and keep the baby. But when I went for a solo check-up, I saw him accompanying Fiona for hers. She was three weeks ahead of me in pregnancy. Seeing how carefully he protected Fiona, I realized he didn’t dislike kids, just the ones I bore. My heart turned cold at that moment, and I immediately changed my registration to schedule an abortion. Now Nolan wants to have a baby with me only because he feels guilty for betraying me, thinking a child could compensate. I wonder if Nolan will be crushed when he finds out I’d rather abort than bear his child. When I emerged from the bathroom, he’d already taken a call and left quickly. I enjoyed the peace, closed the door, and had a good night’s sleep. The next day, I reported to the hospital early. As the cold anesthetic entered my body, I couldn’t help but shed tears. I’m sorry, baby, I once longed for you, but now I have to let you go. But I know you’d support my decision. The procedure was done quickly. When I opened my eyes again, the nurse informed me I could go home. “Ma’am, are you alone? Do you need to call your husband to pick you up?” I shook my head, leaning against the wall as I slowly left. I could still faintly hear the nurses chatting behind me. “So pitiful, her man didn’t show up at all.” “Hopelessly lovesick, even the hospital can’t cure that.” I laughed at myself. They were right; I loved Nolan so much it clouded my judgment. Now, this is the price I pay. At the hospital entrance, I bumped into a couple. As I struggled to stand, the three of us locked eyes. Across from me, Nolan was holding Fiona, looking at me in panic. 0

“Honey, what are you doing in gynecology?” I cleared my throat, brushing it off: “Just picking up a check-up report.” “What about you two?” My gaze fell on Fiona’s slightly swollen belly, waiting for their explanation with interest. “Fiona’s boyfriend is on a business trip and asked me to accompany her for a check-up.” Nolan answered first, while Fiona gave him a resentful look. I didn’t expose them, just responded indifferently. Suddenly, a pregnant woman started screaming, charging through the crowd like a madwoman. “Compensate me! This unscrupulous hospital owes me my child!” “It’s a disturbance, clear the crowd!” a man shouted. But the hospital was crowded, and she was strong. We couldn’t dodge in time. As she was about to knock me and Fiona over, Nolan clung tightly to Fiona, shielding her in his embrace. I was too weak, and her impact threw me hard onto the ground. “It hurts…” I clutched my stomach, pain surging from my abdomen, and bright red blood flowed down my legs. The surrounding people gasped: “Someone’s bleeding! Get a doctor!” Nolan let go of Fiona and rushed over. Seeing my blood, a panic flashed in his eyes: “Honey, does it hurt? I’ll take you to the emergency room now.” I was in too much pain to speak, reaching out to him, hoping he’d carry me. “Oh my God, Fiona, it hurts so much, honey, where are you?” Hearing Fiona’s cries, his attention immediately shifted to her. Without explaining her calling him “honey,” he instinctively let go of my hand and ran to her. Fiona had scraped her hand on a nearby stone, a small wound bleeding slightly. “It hurts, I’m dying, Nolan, I’m so scared.” She whimpered in his arms, her pitiful demeanor making him feel distressed, gently patting her back to comfort her. “Don’t worry, I’m here. I’ll take you to the emergency room now.” He gritted his teeth, picked her up, and headed straight for the emergency room. Only then did he remember I was still sitting there, looking guilty as he said, “Fiona is pampered, a small scratch makes her cry all day. Being a pregnant woman, she’s more urgent. I’ll take care of her first.” “The emergency room is just a few steps away. Walk slowly yourself, hold on.” “After I take her to the maternity ward, I’ll come back to the emergency room for you.” She lay on Nolan, softly sobbing. Seeing her like this tugged at his heart, and he gently patted her back to comfort her. “Don’t worry, I’m here. I’ll take you to the emergency room right away.” He steeled himself, lifted her in his arms, and hurried to the emergency room. As he was leaving, he remembered I was still sitting there and looked at me with guilt. “Fiona is coddled. Even a small scratch makes her cry all day. Plus, she’s pregnant, so it’s more urgent. I’ll take care of her first.” “The emergency room is just a few steps away. You can walk slowly and hang in there.” “I’ll come back to the emergency room to find you after I take her to the maternity ward.” I closed my eyes tightly in pain, unable to move my legs. My lower abdomen felt unbearably heavy. Luckily, the incident happened at the hospital entrance, and two medical staff carried a stretcher to take me into the emergency room immediately. Because I had just undergone surgery and then fell, the doctor suggested I stay in the hospital for two days to recuperate. As the nurse transferred me to the ward, I overheard nurses discussing in the hallway. “That pregnant woman earlier just had a small scratch, and her husband ran into the emergency room carrying her, shouting and begging the doctor like a scene from a drama!” “This is love, you know. A good man like that is hard to find.” I smiled, feeling incredibly ironic. A man who ignores his seriously injured wife and kneels to the doctor for a mistress with a scratch is indeed hard to find. Nolan and Fiona disgust me more every day. I have never felt so desperate to leave.

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On New Year’s Eve, my girlfriend, Chloe, wanted me to go ice fishing on the lake, just because her childhood friend, Jake, said he wanted fresh fish soup. I accidentally fell into the icy lake. As I struggled, dying, I called her countless times. She finally picked up when I was about to drown. My heart was filled with hopeful anticipation, but then Jake’s voice came through: “Chloe said if you don’t catch any fish, don’t even bother coming back, you pathetic loser.” Amidst Jake’s mocking laughter, my phone sank to the bottom of the lake. The freezing water filled my nostrils. The moment my body was engulfed by the icy embrace, my heart seemed to stop. My hope died right then. Luckily, fate intervened, and a passing fisherman pulled me out. The first thing I did when I woke up was to make a call. “Mr. Sterling,” I asked, “is that remote development project still looking for people?” I was barely clinging to life when the kind fisherman rescued me. My body had already lost all sensation. The icy snow water clung to me, freezing instantly, making me shiver uncontrollably as if I were in an ice cellar. The good Samaritan called 911 and had me rushed to the hospital. My emergency contact on my phone was Chloe. The doctor called her, and her voice came through, dripping with indifference: “He’s a grown man, how could he fall into the lake fishing? It’s New Year’s Eve, I’m busy celebrating. I’ll see him in a couple of days. What a hassle.” After she hung up, the nurse looked at me with profound sympathy. Outside, families were celebrating together. The TV in the lounge was playing holiday specials, and I could smell people eating warm food down the hall. But I was alone in a hospital room, far from home. Last night, I thought Jake was deliberately blocking Chloe from answering my calls. But the nurse had put her on speaker just now, and I heard everything crystal clear. I almost died, and she was still so cold to me. If she hadn’t insisted on having fresh fish soup, and live fish at that, I wouldn’t have risked going ice fishing. It was at that moment I realized my life meant absolutely nothing to her. I pulled out my phone and dialed my boss’s number. “Mr. Sterling, is that remote development project still looking for people?” On the other end, I heard his relieved voice. “Of course! We’re short on technical talent like you. It would be a godsend.” “But this assignment is for five years. Aren’t you and your girlfriend getting married? Does she agree?” “I’m not getting married.” A silence fell on the other end of the line. After a moment, Mr. Sterling said, “Young man, it’s good to be able to move on.” “Alex, I’ll help you apply. There’s only one spot left, but time is tight – you’d need to leave in five days.” “Okay, thank you, Mr. Sterling.” I stayed alone in the hospital from New Year’s Eve until two days after New Year’s Day. Chloe and Jake finally showed up, fashionably late. As soon as she walked in, she looked at me with disdain. “You’re such a grown man, and you fall into a lake while fishing? So useless. I was supposed to play cards today, and you ruined it.” For the past few days, I’d been eating nothing but bread and instant noodles in the hospital, while she was out feasting on lavish meals and playing cards. My heart instantly turned cold. Jake, standing behind her, looked at me with feigned concern. “Alex, that night, I thought you just slipped. I didn’t realize you actually fell into the lake. I thought you were fine.” He then chuckled, openly mocking me. Chloe looked at me with a sneer. “You messed up our whole New Year’s. Hurry up and get discharged. Our whole family is waiting for you to cook for us.” So they only came to pick me up so I could go back and cook for them. Every New Year before this, I’d gone to Chloe’s hometown to wait on her entire family, old and young. I hadn’t seen my own parents even once during the holidays. This year, we’d agreed to spend New Year’s at my house, but on the day we were supposed to buy tickets, Chloe changed her mind. She said her mom, being her only daughter, couldn’t be left alone for the holidays. But I’m my mom’s only son too, and I hadn’t been home to see her in five years because of Chloe. Jake chimed in from beside her, “Yeah, hurry up and get out of here. There’s a ton of work waiting for you at home.” I looked at the two of them, feeling a strange sense of irony. So, the only reason they wanted me to come home with her was to make me work for their family. Seeing Chloe roll her eyes at me, Jake’s lips curled into an involuntary smirk, like a victor’s provocation. Chloe and I had a stable relationship for years, but everything changed after he appeared. Ever since Jake’s business failed and he moved back home, they hit it off instantly. Whenever Jake was around, Chloe would unconsciously side with him. If I showed even a hint of jealousy or anger, she’d bring up how they were just childhood friends and say I was overthinking things. She insisted their relationship was purely platonic. At first, I didn’t think much of it, until I accidentally overheard their conversation. “Chloe, you know I’ve never forgotten you.” “I specifically came back from the big city for you this time.” They were just using the excuse of friendship to openly carry on an affair. Chloe and I started dating after college. I even moved away from my parents and came to this unfamiliar city alone for her. My family and friends all warned me to think carefully, but I was willing to do anything for love. I thought we’d be together forever, but it was just wishful thinking on my part. Lying in bed, I replayed every little moment from the past. Chloe’s cold words suddenly echoed in my mind. “I’ve decided, we’ll have Jake be the best man at our wedding.” “And you can let Jake wear your suit first. You can buy a new one for yourself later.” Normally, if I heard those words, I’d be furious. But at that moment, my heart was perfectly calm. Once you’re utterly disappointed in someone, there’s no hope left. I replied calmly, “Okay.” She didn’t expect me to agree so readily. A flicker of confusion crossed Chloe’s face, but mostly, it was delight. “Good. At least you’re sensible.” With that, she left with Jake. Anyway, in five days, I’d be leaving this place for good. I wasn’t planning on getting married to her. Forget giving him my suit, I wouldn’t even mind giving him the groom’s spot.

I handled the discharge paperwork myself, because Chloe and Jake had already gone back to play cards. When I got home, the house was a mess. Chicken, duck, and fish were scattered everywhere in the kitchen. The moment Mrs. Miller saw me, her face fell. “Alex, you’re finally back. See the kitchen? Hurry up and clean it. Our whole family is waiting to eat tonight.” I turned and saw Jake and Chloe sitting at the card table, sipping tea and eating melon seeds. Resentment welled up inside me. “Mrs. Miller, how can I manage all these dishes by myself? Can you get a few people to help me?” My eyes were fixed on Jake, but Mrs. Miller said, “Didn’t you cook every year before? Why can’t you do it this year?” “Don’t look at Jake. He’s a guest in our home. How can we let him cook?” With that, she took the freshly brewed tea she was holding and handed it to him. “Jake, it’s rare for you to be back. Have some more tea.” The aftermath of falling into the icy water still lingered. Now, my hands would ache whenever they touched cold water. I picked up the kettle, planning to boil some hot water, but Jake snatched it away. “Such a crybaby. You need hot water just to wash vegetables?” Chloe watched everything with cold indifference, silently approving. The moment my frostbitten hands entered the water, a biting cold spread through my entire body, making me shiver. But Chloe just ignored it, pulling Jake back to play cards. I spent the entire afternoon alone, busy in the kitchen, finally finishing all the dishes by evening. My frostbitten hands, still not fully recovered, trembled after preparing such a feast. When I carried the last dish to the table, I found there was no seat for me. I finally managed to squeeze into a spot, only to find the dishes were almost all eaten, leaving only scraps. But before I could even pick up a few bites with my forks, Mrs. Miller’s complaining voice chimed in. “Eat quickly. The dishes in the kitchen are waiting for you to wash.” I looked at Jake and Chloe on the couch, peeling oranges and watching holiday specials, and a surge of anger flared up. They were perfectly fine, yet they expected me, an injured man, to wait on them. My eyes instantly turned cold. “I have something to do; I’m going out for a bit.” With that, I walked out without looking back. As I closed the door, I heard Mrs. Miller’s curses. Outside, heavy snow fell. Inside, there was warmth and harmony, but that warmth didn’t belong to me. My phone rang the moment I got into a taxi. “Alex, what’s with the tantrum on New Year’s? It’s just a few dishes to wash, is it really worth it?” “My mom already has high blood pressure, and you’ve made her so angry. Can you afford it if she gets sick?” I could faintly hear Jake’s voice in the background: “Mrs. Miller, take a deep breath. Don’t let someone irrelevant upset you.” I hung up immediately. Some people truly are two-faced. I, Chloe’s fiancé, was now “someone irrelevant” in his mouth. Before, I went out of my way to please her family for Chloe’s sake, but now, I didn’t want to anymore. Anyway, in a few days, I’d be gone for good, and these people would have nothing to do with me.

Having been out in the cold last night, coupled with the lingering effects of falling into the lake, I woke up with a high fever. In this unfamiliar place, I reluctantly called Chloe. Her voice came through, full of annoyance. “It’s the middle of the night, are you trying to kill me? Why are you calling?” My throat felt like I was swallowing razor blades. I managed to croak out in a hoarse voice, “Chloe, I think I have a fever. I’m too weak. Can you bring me some medicine?” The other end of the line was silent for a moment, then I heard her even breathing. I laughed bitterly at myself. Chloe didn’t care even when I almost drowned in the lake. It was just wishful thinking that she’d bring me medicine now. I felt ridiculous. I forced myself to the hotel lobby. With the help of the night staff, I managed to get some medicine. “It’s the holidays, your parents must be worried about you. Take care of yourself, young man,” one of the staff said. The staff even thoughtfully handed me a hot water bottle and a bowl of plain rice porridge. My cold heart found a sliver of warmth at that moment. Chloe, you couldn’t even compare to the kindness of strangers. All these years, I poured my heart out for nothing. After a night of tossing and turning, my fever finally broke. My phone vibrated, and Chloe’s voice came through when I answered. “Alex, what happened yesterday when you called? I was asleep.” I said coldly, “It’s nothing now.” Jake snatched the phone. “Alex, why aren’t you back yet? Chloe has a surprise for you.” Chloe immediately grabbed the phone back. “Alex, hurry back. I have good news for you.”

When I got home, the house was filled with Chloe’s relatives. Chloe, looking shy, handed me a small box and looked at me with expectant eyes. The moment I opened the box, I was utterly shocked. Inside, the pregnancy test clearly showed two lines. Chloe was pregnant. A soft spot in my heart slowly began to blossom. I looked at Chloe’s belly, where my own flesh and blood was now growing. Chloe’s entire family was overjoyed, and even Jake struggled to hide his smile. Dinner that night was exceptionally lively. Mrs. Miller even cooked personally, and Jake went over to help her. After a few rounds of drinks, I couldn’t resist everyone’s enthusiasm and went outside for some fresh air. I stared blankly at my phone, hesitating to make the call. Now that Chloe was pregnant, it seemed the wedding was definitely on. I quietly lit a cigarette. Just as I finally made up my mind to call Mr. Sterling, I saw Chloe sneaking into the backyard. I followed closely. Chloe entered the backyard shed and pushed open the door, and a dark figure immediately pulled her inside. Suspicious, I pressed my ear to the door. A familiar voice came from inside. “Chloe, I’m so happy you’re pregnant. Is the baby in your belly mine?” My grip on my phone tightened until my knuckles turned white. I held my breath, waiting for Chloe’s answer. “Jake, I counted the days. This baby must be yours because Alex wasn’t home during that time.” My suspended heart plummeted to the ground. My heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by a rope until I couldn’t breathe. This child wasn’t mine; it was Jake’s. They had been carrying on an affair behind my back all along. I slumped against the door, feeling all the strength drain from my body. Inside, I heard the sounds of passionate kissing. Chloe panted, “Jake, be careful. It’s still the first trimester, it’s not stable yet.” Jake laughed slyly. “Just thinking about Alex, that big idiot, being tricked into being a father makes me so happy.” Chloe quickly replied, “You need to stay calm and make sure no one finds out. Wait until I get the wedding money from him and marry him, okay?” “Chloe, you’re always so thoughtful. He’ll even cover the child’s future support.” I don’t know how I left the yard. At that moment, my heart felt more desperate than when I fell into the lake that day. Every word they uttered twisted a knife in my gut, like a thousand tiny cuts. Chloe, I treated you well these past few years. But you bit the hand that fed you, toying with me like this. I stood amidst the falling snow, behind me the scene of their family’s joyous reunion. Even I, a grown man, felt my eyes well up. At that moment, my phone vibrated. “Alex, your deployment papers came through. We leave tomorrow, remember to report on time.” I sniffled hard, trying to keep my emotions steady, and replied, “Understood, Mr. Sterling. I’ll be on time.” In the middle of the night, after Chloe’s family had fallen asleep, I took my pre-packed suitcase and headed downstairs. Snow was falling heavily as I got into a taxi and drove toward the station.

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After the game, my boyfriend held the championship trophy and publicly declared his love. The girl? My rival roommate. Seeing my face turn ashen, Liam Harrison didn’t even bat an eye. “It was just a bet. What’s the big deal?” “Worst case, you can just have someone declare their love for you, too. We’ll call it even?” He was so sure I’d never do something like that, and no one around dared to cross him by showing me any interest. But then, his sworn enemy walked towards me. He held his individual achievement trophy out to me, a slight smirk playing on his lips. “Daisy Miller, I’ve always liked you.” “Would you be willing to finally look at me, and be my girlfriend?” I finally took the trophy, nodding emphatically. That night, Liam Harrison went absolutely insane trying to find me. The whistle blew. The host excitedly announced, “Congratulations to the Engineering team for defeating the Athletics team 4-3 and winning this year’s championship!” During the awards ceremony, the stands erupted in cheers. I unclenched my clasped hands. Our university had sent two powerhouse teams to the state championships, and they swept both the championship and runner-up titles. For us, the state tournament practically felt like an internal practice match, a given. Normally, the Athletics team was way ahead. This time, the Engineering team finally held their heads high, and their captain, Liam Harrison, was openly weeping tears of joy. Then, he walked towards the stands, holding the trophy high. Sitting in the front row, my heart began to pound rapidly. “Daisy,” “I’ll propose to you when I lift the trophy.” Liam’s promise, made over dinner with both our families during the holidays, still echoed in my ears. I’d asked him why he thought of that, and he’d answered candidly. “My desire to win this trophy is as strong as my desire to marry you. It means everything.” Indeed, the Athletics team captain, Cole Sterling, had been his sworn enemy since childhood. They were equally matched in family background and looks, but while Liam was more well-known in social circles, when it came to actual skill and campus popularity, Cole was superior. At that moment, a rush of warmth surged through me, and tiny beads of sweat formed on my palms. Nervousness, anticipation, and excitement intertwined, making my heart feel like it would burst from my chest. Clutching my skirt, I even felt a little grateful. I looked pretty today. Every time Liam had a game, I’d dress up carefully to watch, wishing from the stands for him to win. I didn’t dare stare too openly, so I just sat quietly in the stands, waiting. His tall figure knelt down, poised for what I’d hoped would be a proposal. I awkwardly lowered my head, waiting for one of the most important moments of my life to arrive. But his voice came from beside me instead: “Chloe, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?” It wasn’t me… It was Chloe Davis. My roommate, the one I never got along with. How could it be her? My heart instantly ripped open. A sudden blow landed squarely on my head. My mind was filled with static, and my vision blurred. I felt like I’d been slapped in public. All my anticipation shattered, my body trembled uncontrollably, and my spirits plummeted into an icy abyss. My broken heart bled, making it impossible to maintain even basic composure. “Say yes…” Cheers and catcalls erupted around us, non-stop. Chloe feigned surprise as she took the trophy, glancing at me. But I caught the quick, undeniable glint of triumph in her eyes. Liam slowly stood up, clicking his tongue. “Alright, that’s enough. Doesn’t a girl need some face? Stop all this shouting.” You cared about her reputation. What about mine? My heart pulsed, bleeding in rhythmic throbs, and I couldn’t stop shivering. “Daisy?” Finally noticing me standing beside him, Liam frowned in displeasure. “Are you crying?” “It was just a bet. What’s the big deal?” Chloe, on one side, pretended to turn and look at me. “Oh, Daisy, I’m so sorry. Please don’t be mad. I was going to tell you tonight… but it was hard to bring up, since it was just their team’s bet. Liam will explain it to you later, okay? Please don’t let this affect your relationship with him.” I searched her face for a hint of guilt. There was none. My lips twitched, my voice trembling. “Really?” Liam shrugged carelessly. “Anyway, I told you it was just a bet.” I suddenly remembered Chloe’s deliberate effort to dress up today, and how, for the first time, she’d been nice to me, coming to the game together. That was it. It was a bet designed to humiliate me, and everyone was waiting to watch the show. What was there to explain? Liam’s indifferent attitude made everyone around him look down on me, too. One of his teammates couldn’t help but say, “It really was just a bet, Daisy. Don’t be a sore loser.” Others quickly chimed in. “Come on, Daisy, don’t ruin the fun for everyone.” “We finally won for once. It’s just a joke, let’s have some fun.” It was as if my not agreeing with them now would make me a huge party pooper. But did I deserve to endure their cruel games? Chloe hurriedly handed the trophy to me. Its golden, shiny surface reflected my humiliated face. She pretended to comfort me, “Daisy, don’t be mad. You can hold the trophy.” Then she gave Liam a coy look, softly complaining, “How could you be like this…?” Their interaction was clearly familiar and close. Liam knew perfectly well that Chloe and I didn’t get along. Yet he was secretly interacting with her behind my back. This time, it truly disgusted me. I threw the trophy away, my voice choked, but my chin held high. “Liam Harrison, we’re over.” **截断点** Chapter

My self-respect had been trampled enough. Liam and I had no future. “Daisy, stop being so dramatic. Just apologize to me, and I can pretend I didn’t hear any of that.” “You heard me clearly. I said, we’re breaking up.” Liam, rarely offering an olive branch, saw that I wasn’t taking it, and his face darkened. Then he let out a ridiculous laugh, a thin layer of anger mixed with confusion. “It was just a bet I lost. How far do you need to take this?” “Worst case, you can just have someone declare their love for you, too. We’ll call it even?” He was certain that I only ever liked him and wouldn’t be able to do something like that. The people around were pretty much all of Captain Liam’s teammates, his hangers-on, or his fair-weather friends. And absolutely no one would dare to meddle in his personal affairs. For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense. “Go on, tell me. Who do you want to declare their love for you?” Liam snapped his fingers, his gaze, sharp as a knife, sweeping across the men present. The meaning was unspoken. Everyone’s eyes on me immediately took on a playful, taunting look. Chloe then spoke up, seemingly innocent. “Liam, don’t be like that. Daisy’s used to being a pampered princess. How could she possibly handle a joke like this?” A joke had its limits, and they had completely overstepped them. And now they were twisting the narrative, making it sound like I couldn’t take a joke? She was really good at chiming in. I didn’t want to say anything more to them; I just felt sick staying there another second. However, just as I was about to stand up, a deep male voice spoke from a nearby section. “Daisy, I’ll declare my love for you.” I looked up, seeing the man walking towards me clearly. Cole… The two teams’ resting areas were separated. The commotion on our side couldn’t be fully heard by the other team. So I had completely forgotten that the Athletics team members hadn’t left yet. Everyone else was also startled by his sudden move. After all, the rumor was that this guy was a complete sports fanatic; nothing else ever caught his eye. More importantly, he had always been Liam Harrison’s sworn enemy. Why would he… While my mind raced, Cole had already held his Best Scorer individual trophy out to me, a smirk playing on his lips. “We’ve known each other for years, and everyone knows I’m a sports fanatic, but they don’t know that the one I’ve always been most obsessed with is you.” “Would you be willing to finally look at me, and be with me?” Liam’s face changed slightly, but he still sounded casual, a sneer in his voice. “Cole, you’re a sore loser, so you’re using a woman to get back at me?” But Cole didn’t look at him, his gaze still fixed on me. Seeing this, Chloe subtly hinted, “Daisy, you can’t possibly not know that Cole and Liam have always been at odds, right…?” I scoffed, my voice dripping with anger. “Liam knew *you* and I didn’t get along, but he still declared his love for you, didn’t he?” As if seeking revenge, I took the trophy and nodded emphatically. “Daisy, put his trophy down.” Liam immediately tried to grab me, but Cole blocked him. “Be a little more gracious, Liam. It’s just a declaration of love.” “Captain Liam, don’t be a sore loser.” Liam was enraged. He wrapped an arm around Chloe, scoffing. “You think I can’t handle it?” “Fine then. Whoever declared their love for someone, that person goes home with them tonight.” Cole raised an eyebrow. “As you wish.” Without hesitation, Cole smoothly took my free hand and led me directly towards the Athletics team’s area. He asserted his dominance. “Alright, guys! Our captain just got a girlfriend tonight! Let’s celebrate! Anywhere you want to go for the party, I’m treating!” “Go, Captain!” “Welcome, Captain Cole’s lady!” The Athletics team erupted in cheers, everyone packing their things and heading out. They left the Engineering team with their jaws dropped. “Is that really Cole? I heard he never even looked at women.” Chapter

The first time I sat in Cole’s car, it still felt like a dream. It wasn’t until he leaned over to help me fasten my seatbelt that I snapped back to reality. My face felt slightly awkward. “Just now… I didn’t expect you to bail me out.” “Thank you, Captain Cole.” Because I had grown up with Liam, I had secretly helped him badmouth Cole plenty of times. I never imagined Cole would actually protect me, saving me from utter humiliation in front of everyone. Cole started the car, eyes on the road, and simply murmured, “Mm.” He sounded a little unhappy. Did I say something wrong? I quickly added, “No need to trouble you, Captain Cole. You still have a celebration to go to. You can just drop me off at the curb up ahead.” “I’ll take a cab home myself.” Cole suddenly stomped on the brake, looking at me. “What? You’re not coming to the celebration with me?” I froze, then suddenly remembered the scene earlier. I didn’t expect Captain Cole to take the joke seriously… He was Liam Harrison’s sworn enemy, after all. Now, I didn’t want any involvement with either of them. It was better to keep my distance. I said sincerely, “Thank you so much for what you did tonight, Captain Cole.” I couldn’t help but recall the rumors about him. People said he was a sports fanatic who wasn’t interested in women. He’d never had a woman around him, and his greatest hobby was playing football with his team. Many even said there was a 100% chance he was gay. “Besides ‘thank you,’ don’t you have anything else to say?” “Huh…?” I racked my brain, wondering what I might have said that was inappropriate. After thinking it over, it hit me. There must be a guy Cole liked on the Athletics team. He was being a good friend, helping me out, and I couldn’t let his crush misunderstand… So, feeling quite righteous, I patted my chest and declared, “Don’t worry, Captain Cole. What happened between us was a complete misunderstanding. I’ll definitely explain it to the teammate you like.” A confused Cole said, “The teammate I like?” “Oh, is the person you like not on your team?” *Crack!* I thought I heard Cole’s knuckles crackle. “You think I like men?” Cole practically gritted through his teeth. Maybe I was too blunt, making him uncomfortable in front of someone he didn’t know well. But there was nothing wrong with liking someone. I chuckled awkwardly, trying to explain. “Captain Cole, love knows no gender. Don’t be embarrassed.” “I totally understand…” My voice trailed off as I watched Cole’s face grow darker and darker. Finally, I timidly mumbled, “Really, I don’t discriminate against gay people…” Then I shut my mouth. Cole focused on driving, no longer bothering to speak to me. What a weird atmosphere. For a while, all I could do was pull out my phone and constantly refresh Ins. People always pretend to be busy when they’re awkward… Suddenly, my scrolling finger stopped. Two minutes ago, Chloe Davis had just posted something on Ins. “I accept Captain Liam’s declaration of love.” Below it were two selfies: her holding the trophy, and her and Liam intimately cheek-to-cheek. My roommate Mia Rodriguez commented: *Oh, so Captain Liam actually likes you, huh? Ugh, Daisy went to all his games every day. She must be furious now.* Chloe replied: *Don’t say that, Daisy will be unhappy.* My hand, clutching the phone, trembled slightly from how hard I was gripping it. My vision went black. What a load of crap, that bet was just a cover-up. These two had probably already been secretly involved. That’s why Liam declared his love for her, even knowing she and I didn’t get along. Just then, my phone suddenly rang, snapping me back to reality. “Hello, Daisy, are you and Captain Cole really still together?” It was the teammate who had called me a sore loser earlier. “We’re playing truth or dare at the celebration, and they forced me to call and ask.” “Daisy, come on, tell us. Is Captain Cole’s boyfriend mad at you?” “Hahaha…” A burst of laughter came from the other end of the phone, likely a group gathered to hear my humiliation. Before I could even speak, Liam Harrison’s voice cut in. “Ask her if Cole just abandoned her halfway there.” “Tell her to apologize and beg a little, and I don’t mind picking her up.” Liam’s voice was mocking and crude. My blood rushed to my head. “None of your business! And even if he ‘can’t perform,’ he’s still way more impressive than you are!” There was a brief silence on the other end, then Liam’s furious roar: “What did you say? Daisy! Are you and Cole…?”

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Blakely Corp.’s new diamond mine in Africa was officially launching, and my wife, Chloe Blakely, bought me a first-class ticket to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. But here I was, tied up in a chair, bound hand and foot. Before me, a massive stage. Our business partner, Benjamin, pulled back a red cloth, revealing a huge, colorful spinning wheel. It was marked with twelve numbers, like a clock, and my wife was tied naked right in the middle. “This is our tribe’s celebration ritual,” Benjamin declared. The men, each wearing a number tag, roared with laughter. With every spin of the wheel, my wife would be subjected to whatever twisted ‘game’ the man assigned to that number had in mind. I heard Chloe scream, “It hurts! No, stop it!” I struggled desperately in the chair, trying to break free and rescue my wife. But the ropes had barely loosened when a jolt of electricity surged through my body. I realized I was sitting in an electric chair. The remote control was in Benjamin’s hand! My eyes turned bloodshot. The more I struggled to break free, the more Benjamin cranked up the current. “Benjamin! What are you doing?!” I roared. Benjamin, black as charcoal and strong as an ox, chuckled. “Why, completing our tribal ceremony, of course! Only this way will our partnership with Blakely Corp. go smoothly!” As he finished speaking, one of his men stuffed a foul-smelling rag into my mouth. The stench of the rag, the burning pain of the electric shocks, and the horrifying sight of my wife being humiliated before my eyes, made my vision blur with tears and my heart ache with unbearable agony! Benjamin watched my struggles, laughing maniacally. “Keep struggling! Use more force if you’re not afraid of being electrocuted to death!” “Take a good look at our tribe’s customs. Let us teach you pathetic outsiders how to pleasure a woman!” My throat was choked with blood, the pain immense, but with my mouth gagged, I couldn’t make a sound! I closed my eyes, unable to watch my wife being tormented further, but two men forcibly pried my eyelids open. I watched, helpless, as a huge brute of a man intimately engaged with her, violating her. “No!” “It hurts!” “Ah…” Chloe’s screams seemed to be an aphrodisiac for these men. They laughed even louder! My blood felt like it was freezing solid, my insides twisted in agony! My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, burning as if acid had been poured into it! Benjamin, in his excitement, flung the remote control from his hand. I seized the chance, tore free from the ropes, and dashed onto the stage, heedless of the danger. But what could my 5’11” frame do against a group of 6’6″ brutes?! I had just ambushed one from behind when the big man, a literal black mountain, elbowed me, sending me flying. I spat out blood, cursing from my corner. “This is illegal!” Benjamin sneered. “Don’t think just because I’m not from your country that I don’t understand your ways. I’ve mastered your language, even studied under your Professor Davies! You have a saying, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do!’ Mr. Davies, have you forgotten your own customs?” I spat back, “To hell with your damn customs!” He strode over to my corner and kicked me in the chest with his leather shoe. “You’re on our turf now! What can you do to us?!” He dragged me back to the electric chair, tied me up again, and ordered his men to force my eyes open once more. I watched as Chloe’s body began to bruise and swell, my heart twisting in agony! I wished I could bear it all for her. I struggled frantically in the electric chair, and my phone slipped from my inner pocket. The screen displayed an email from the Chief, written in French, offering me thirty of his daughters as brides. The men couldn’t understand French. They snatched my phone, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it wildly until it was a pile of shattered fragments! I was almost insane. I lurched forward, electric chair still strapped to my back, charging onto the stage, shouting, “Chloe! I’m sorry I’m late!”

Chloe, her face flushed, paused for a moment, taking a breath mid-long, wet kiss with one of the men. “What are you doing up here?!” “You’re the audience for today!” I was utterly dumbfounded. If my wife wasn’t alive before my eyes, I would’ve sworn she was possessed. “I came to save you, my love! I’ll make these beasts pay for this, I swear!” Her body was covered in hickeys and unspeakable fluids. I had the heavy electric chair strapped to my back, and tears streamed down my face. The next second, Chloe opened her mouth and spat in my face. “You save me?” “Liam Davies, this is their tribe’s custom. What do you know?!” “Only this way can the diamond mine business monopolize the global market and make our stock prices soar!” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. I couldn’t believe this was the woman I had loved for so many years. But seeing her surrounded by a dozen men towering over six feet, I guessed she was saying crazy things to protect me from harm. I stammered, “Chloe, don’t be afraid, I’ll find a way to save you right now!” To my shock, Chloe lifted a leg, now free of its restraints, and kicked me in the chest. “Liam Davies, do you have a death wish? Are you trying to ruin Blakely Corp.’s diamond mine business?” “This is a massive monopoly deal. Can you afford to ruin it?” “Get back to the audience! Be a good spectator!” Seeing her spout such insane remarks, I finally completely broke. “Chloe Blakely, are you out of your mind? What kind of business deal involves a gang orgy?” “You’re publicly cheating on me with a dozen men! What am I to you? A fool?” “You’re Lily’s mother! Aren’t you afraid that if this gets out, she’ll never be able to hold her head up again?!” “Liam Davies!” she roared. “This is a business rule, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do,’ what do you know? Don’t you dare slander me and my business partners!” “Lily will understand someday. She’ll know her mother did this for the corporation, for her!” “As for you, you’re just jealous of your wife, who’s a successful businesswoman. Is that appropriate?” she demanded, her eyes red-rimmed and her voice filled with feigned hurt. I looked at her, like a used plaything, hung disgracefully on that wheel, still spewing her shameless nonsense, and I instantly burst into bitter laughter. Benjamin, right in front of me, violated her again! I couldn’t take it anymore. I swung the electric chair strapped to my back, trying to hit them, but the big brute kicked me flying again. Chloe, panting heavily, glared at me. “Liam Davies! If you dare ruin my transnational business, I’ll divorce you!” “Ah… Benjamin, I want more. Benjamin, tie him up tighter! Let’s continue!” My heart died. I was like a slab of meat, allowing them to drag me back to the audience. Benjamin picked up the remote control from the ground and turned the electric chair to its highest setting. He sneered, “Learn how to be a good audience member!” I was cold all over, a chill running down my spine. My eyes were vacant as I said, “Chloe Blakely, let’s get a divorce.” “I don’t want to be an audience member. I don’t want to continue this ribbon-cutting ceremony. Let me go back home.” “I want to go back to Lily! This place sickens me!” **截断点** Benjamin held the remote control for the electric chair, flipping it on and off, the current shocking my body repeatedly until I felt I was about to die. I heard the beast say slowly, “Mr. Davies, since you’ve come to our tribe, you must ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ Otherwise, it will negatively impact Blakely Corp.’s business.”

“Don’t your people have a saying about fate?!” “Your talk of divorcing Mrs. Blakely right now is breaking her heart. She’s doing this for the corporation!” “Since you’ve betrayed such a good woman, and the child can’t be without a father! We’ll have to be less polite! Electrocute you? That’s the easy part!” I said coldly, “You’ll pay for your actions!” Benjamin sneered, slapping my face. “Are you dreaming?” His dark face leaned in close. “Who the hell are you? A pampered pretty boy?” “Do you know who the Chief is? I work for him! Do you know who you’re threatening?! If you dare offend me, I’ll make sure you never leave this country alive?!” I scoffed. “The Chief?” “Back when the Chief was studying abroad, he practically begged my Professor Davies for his diploma. Now he’s practically begging me to take thirty of his daughters as wives!” Benjamin gnashed his teeth in anger. “How dare you insult our Chief!” He swung a punch that landed on my face. Blood gushed from my mouth and nose, and one of my molars flew out, accompanied by a violent ringing in my ears. “Beat him! Beat this cocky outsider to death!” “How dare he speak of the Chief like that?” “He’s making our tribe a laughingstock!” Fists rained down on my face, and massive size 13 boots slammed into my chest. I ached all over. “Don’t kill him!” “I don’t want to be a widow! My child can’t lose their father!” Chloe, barely clad on the stage, cooed. Only then did Benjamin reluctantly stop. She strode up to me, pinching my chin. “Liam, are you crazy? How dare you slander the Chief! This is South Africa, not back home!” “Control your mouth. I don’t want to clean up your messes!” “Do you know why they partnered with Blakely Corp. instead of the Shen Group? Because I’m better at dealing with people, better at doing business!” “You have to make it through tonight if you want to be my man, Chloe Blakely!” I stood stunned, watching everyone return to the stage and resume playing with the spinning wheel. Chloe was re-tied to the center. Benjamin continued to spin the wheel. The men with number tags stripped off their clothes, pulled out props, and put on… raincoats. Chloe’s moans and throaty cries filled the air. “Benjamin, you guys are amazing!” “I’m going to…” My eyelids were held open, forcing me to watch the repulsive scene. My heart had been run over by a tractor a hundred times. Seven years ago, I was a college student. When I chose Chloe, my billionaire mother kicked me out. She said the Blakely family was insignificant, and that I was useless and unmotivated! Yes, my mother was right! I am so damn useless! After a night of depravity, the miserable ribbon-cutting ceremony finally ended. Chloe was discarded on the stage like a used rag, drenched in sweat, moaning all night. She draped Benjamin’s suit over herself and slithered towards me like a venomous snake. I almost vomited from disgust. I said viciously, “Chloe Blakely, let’s get a divorce!” Her eyes red-rimmed, she looked at me. “Liam Davies, do you know what you’re saying?” “You want Lily to grow up in a single-parent home? Are you insane?” She picked up the electric chair remote and shocked me repeatedly, cursing, “You ungrateful wretch! I’m doing this for the corporation and for this family! How dare you disregard everything just for petty jealousy!” “It seems I’ve been too good to you, letting you get carried away!” Then, she looked coquettishly at Benjamin. “Benjamin, my husband still hasn’t learned to ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’ after a whole night. You guys need to teach him some more!”

I struggled frantically in the electric chair, resisting with all my might. The next second, Benjamin kicked me and the electric chair to the ground, then stepped on my face with his leather shoe. “Mrs. Blakely gave the order!” “Brothers, we can’t shame the tribe!” Fists rained down on my face like hail, and foul-smelling leather shoes kicked me repeatedly. Along with the constant electric shocks, I was in so much pain I nearly died. A flicker of distress finally crossed Chloe’s eyes. “Liam, as long as you apologize to them and cooperate with the smooth launch of the diamond mine, I’ll forgive you.” “Dream on! I’d die before I apologize!” I roared weakly. “Chloe Blakely, not only will I not apologize, but I’m also divorcing you!” Chloe pushed the men away, her high heel stomping on my head. “You were the one who shamelessly pursued me, willing to be my dog. Now you don’t want to be? I won’t allow it!” Benjamin fawned, “Mrs. Blakely, he doesn’t appreciate you, but we do!” “We’ll continue to teach him the rules! We’ll make sure he learns to ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’!” “I’ll make him learn from scratch!” The phrase “from scratch” was chillingly ambiguous. The men nearby began to snicker, covering their mouths. My heart sank. What were they going to do? What did “from scratch” mean? As I wondered, all my clothes were ripped off. Benjamin took a fruit knife from a huge brute. “Are you going to kill me?” Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Benjamin sneered. “Why would we?” “You’re a VIP!” “We’re just letting you experience a unique African circumcision ritual! To help you ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’!” I struggled wildly, trying to find somewhere to hide. “You wouldn’t dare!” Benjamin scoffed. “Why not?!” With that, the men dragged me onto the stage and held me down firmly. Just as they were about to act, a voice echoed through the hall, “Stop!” I looked up and saw several of my Professor Davies’s former international students! They had received careful guidance and care from my Professor Davies when they studied his language back home. Benjamin sat arrogantly in a chair, like an NBA star. “What’s up?” One of the students said, “I saw your live stream and came right over.” “Benjamin, let this man go. I’ll give you money.” “How much do you want?” My heart warmed. Though my Professor Davies had been overshadowed by my mother his whole life, he truly had students everywhere! I used the confusion to break free from my ropes again, scrambling desperately towards the exit. The students shielded me, but Benjamin and his towering men were too formidable. We were at a stalemate. “Are you even part of this tribe? Why are you helping outsiders?” Benjamin, a large lump on his forehead from a blow, roared. Chloe suddenly walked up to me, furious. “Liam Davies, you’re determined to ruin me and Blakely Corp., aren’t you?” “Your actions are seriously jeopardizing international relations! Don’t you realize that?” I scoffed, boiling with rage. “They violated my wife, and beat me to this extent. Who’s jeopardizing international relations?!” She slapped my face, her long nails drawing blood. “That’s because you don’t respect their customs, and you’re hell-bent on ruining our business!” “And you want a divorce from me. Benjamin and the others are just feeling sorry for a poor woman like me!” “They don’t want Lily to be without a father! They’re just being helpful!” She feigned a sob, wiping away tears. “Can’t I just go back home with you? Stop being so disgusting here!” “Tell these students of your Professor Davies to leave immediately! They’re annoying!” “The private mine business in South Africa cannot go wrong! This is the result of years of my hard work! Don’t mess things up for me!” With that, she tugged at my sleeve, trying to pull me away. I shook her off. “Chloe Blakely! I said I’m divorcing you!” “Can’t you understand human language? Have the men played with you so much you forgot English?”

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When I saw Liam again, the Wen family was ruined. I was no longer the high and mighty heiress I once was. But Liam? He was soaring, radiating raw power and confidence. It was a high-stakes game between adults, fueled by the lingering grudges of our youth, igniting the ashes of our messy past. “The former Miss Wen is so down on her luck now?” “How about you spend a night with me? I might consider investing in you.” Liam let out a short, mocking laugh, dripping with ridicule. Liam was right to hate me. After all, our breakup was a messy disaster, or rather, I unilaterally made it a disaster for him. So, it was only fair that he’d come back for revenge now. “Aria, if you’re begging, at least look the part.” Liam’s eyes, sharp and arrogant, flicked down, and he knocked the wine glass from my hand. I’d known Liam since we were teenagers, so I knew how fiercely proud he was. And I, too, used to be just as arrogant. But where was my dignity now? I picked up the glass again, refilled it, and bowed low, my posture humble, almost pleading. “Mr. Shen,” I pleaded, “what happened before… it was all my fault. Please, you’re a big man, don’t stoop to my level.” “I’m here to apologize to you. For old times’ sake…” Liam, sprawled carelessly on the opposite sofa, leaning back into the cushions, scoffed. “Old times’ sake? And you have the nerve, Miss Wen, to even bring that up?” “Is it the ‘old times’ sake’ when you treated me like a stray dog, Miss Wen? Calling me over, then kicking me out whenever you felt like it?” Meeting Liam’s calm, deep eyes, I couldn’t utter a single word in my defense. I just chugged the wine in my hand. After all, I truly had wronged him back then.

I’d known Liam since I was a little girl. I followed him around like a shadow for years, and we finally became a couple in college. But just a year into our relationship, I unilaterally broke up with him. There were no cheesy love triangles, no dramatic betrayals, no tragic illnesses forcing us apart. If I had to pick a reason for our breakup? I was just… bored. I didn’t want to be with him anymore. That day, Liam came to confront me, holding a photo of me and Alex that someone had taken. He asked if I’d betrayed him. I wanted to break up, so I didn’t deny it. I just admitted it directly. At first, Liam didn’t believe me. He hugged me tight, kissing me everywhere, his hoarse voice repeating, “I don’t believe it… I don’t believe it…” I struggled, tearing free, and slapped him across the face. “Liam, you don’t actually think I liked you, do you? Do you even know who the Wens are? What my family’s status is?” “I just found you somewhat interesting back then.” That slap shattered over a decade of his fierce pride, and it tore apart the tender affection we’d shared for just as long. Youthful impulsiveness, mixed with my own self-importance, pushed me to an irreversible point. Liam grew up with just his mother, and his family wasn’t well-off. But as a teenager, his back was always straight; he had his pride. And that slap from me? It crushed his dignity completely. He was right to hate me. Now, eight years later, we met again. Love and hate, joy and sorrow, a tangled web of desires, twisting people into grotesque versions of themselves. I was powerless, only hoping he’d finish venting and maybe, just maybe, show me a little pity. My father’s exorbitant medical bills, Linghua’s startup capital. Before these things, my dignity was worthless. I’d spent three years researching an algorithm that could profile user groups for businesses. It was faster and cheaper than any other algorithm on the market. I was confident it would be a huge hit. But without enough startup capital, Linghua couldn’t even see the light of day. The two biggest investment firms in the country were Capstone Capital and Chuyan Corp, Liam’s own company. Capstone Capital showed great interest in Linghua, but they wanted to buy out all its ownership. “Look, Aria,” the Capstone rep said, “five million for the full buyout of your algorithm? That’s not a bad deal at all.” If I hadn’t been absolutely desperate, I wouldn’t have come begging to Liam. Life had pushed me to the edge of a cliff; I had no way out. I raised my hand and slapped myself hard across the face. The sharp sound echoed in every corner of the private room. “I apologize to Mr. Shen for my foolishness back then. As long as you can calm down and help me, I’ll do anything you ask.” Liam seemed surprised I’d hit myself and froze for a moment. When he reacted, he grabbed my hand, stopping it from falling again. A flicker of annoyance crossed Liam’s handsome face, quickly replaced by a smirk. “Anything I ask? How about you spend a night with me, Miss Wen? I’ll consider it.” Liam let out a short, mocking laugh, dripping with ridicule. “Okay!” I said it, devoid of any emotion. My fingers curled behind my back, my palm aching. Liam’s malicious amusement hadn’t faded. He seemed surprised I actually agreed. Then he teased, “Looks like Miss Wen’s preference for rich men hasn’t changed all these years? Now you’re even willing to throw away your pride.” Pride? Did I even deserve to talk about pride anymore? Society and reality’s first lesson is to crush a person’s spirit and ambition.

Liam took me to one of his private clubs. It used to be my favorite. The penthouse suite was incredibly luxurious. Pushing the door open, I found people already inside. In the dim light, their faces weren’t clear, but the room’s atmosphere was intoxicatingly intimate. Someone on the sofa exhaled a cloud of smoke, a girl nestled close to him, their heads together, her soft laughter floating through the air. People at the card table also had various girls around them. When my friends and I used to come here, they’d always have girls with them too. For them, those girls were just commodities, part of a transaction. The girls had their own motives, so they willingly played their part. And now, wasn’t I doing the same? The person on the sofa recognized me and quickly made space. The people at the card table also gathered around. “Mr. Shen, a rare visit!” “The sun must have risen from the west today, our Mr. Shen actually brought a lady!” “Won’t your little darling Skylar cry her eyes out, Mr. Shen?” “I’ll text your little darling Skylar right now and tell her to come catch you in the act.” As they chatted and laughed, I remained silent, trying to make myself as invisible as possible. Liam picked up a cigarette from the table and lit it, the tip glowing and fading. Noticing his bad mood, the others quickly changed the subject. “Mr. Shen, you finally came out to play. Let’s play, let’s play, no more boring talk.” “Let’s play ‘Beauty’s Gambit.’ Perfect, since we all have ladies tonight.” “What do you think, Mr. Shen? You wouldn’t be too attached to your pretty companion, would you?” Hearing their words, I cast a pleading look at Liam. Beauty’s Gambit was a cruel game these rich guys made up. The bet? The ‘beauties’ themselves. They’d play cards, and whoever lost, their female companion had to take off a piece of clothing until there was nothing left. My pleading gaze met his calm, deep pupils, still and unmoving like ancient water. The atmosphere turned instantly dead silent. After a long moment, Liam sneered. “Fine.” My heart instantly felt like it was pierced by needles, a searing pain spreading through my limbs. Everyone, having heard Liam’s answer, had already moved to the card table. Liam and I remained on the sofa, unmoving. Liam leaned closer, his warm breath ghosting over my ear. “Didn’t Miss Wen say she’d do anything?” His dark, shining eyes watched me, a hint of playful malice dancing within them. “Mr. Shen, still whispering sweet nothings to your beauty? Come on over!” The people at the card table had already shuffled the cards, calling out to Liam. Liam took my hand and walked toward the table. As we reached the card table, the dim lights suddenly became blinding. The sofa area had been a lounge, so the lighting was deliberately soft, but the card table was brightly lit. I squinted my eyes slightly. “You… Miss Wen, what are you doing here?” Suddenly, a shocked male voice rang out. The others at the card table heard him and all turned their gaze toward me. Among them were faces I found familiar. The looks directed at me were a mix of curiosity and surprise. The atmosphere at the card table instantly became exceptionally tense. And the girls around them began to whisper. “Miss Wen? Who’s Miss Wen?” Daniel was certain he hadn’t mistaken me. Who was Miss Wen? Aria Wen, the former heiress of the Wen family, was once the most dazzling red rose in the entire city. Aria had a signature red tear mole under her right eye, and it had been a sensation across the city. Every girl wanted one, drawing red tear moles under their own eyes. She was also Liam’s teenage sweetheart. Liam’s company had stormed the city, skyrocketing to the top in just five years. During that time, he had searched for Aria countless times, sparing no expense. This was no longer a secret in the city’s high society. But about their story, Daniel had heard several versions. Some said Aria had cheated on him, breaking Liam’s heart, and he was searching for her to get revenge. Others said Liam still had feelings for her. Daniel couldn’t be sure which was true. Liam pulled me into his arms, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, his gaze sweeping over the various expressions on everyone’s faces. “What Miss Wen? The Wen family went bankrupt ages ago, didn’t they?” Liam pulled me down onto a seat at the card table, tapping the surface. “Why are you all frozen? Deal the cards.”

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My husband had a low sperm count, and after 33 grueling rounds of IVF, I finally managed to conceive. On the day of delivery, I was hemorrhaging badly and needed an emergency C-section. My husband had barely signed the consent form when he rushed off to his childhood friend’s birthday party. But the surgeon just stood there. “Lily, the online system shows you’re single. This consent form isn’t valid…” I froze. It hit me then: my supposedly perfect marriage had been a lie all along. Later, my parents rushed to the hospital to sign for me. But the baby didn’t make it, too long without oxygen. After the surgery, my hand trembled as I signed the cremation consent form for my child. Then, without a second thought, I dialed a number. “Owen, are you free now? Meet me at the courthouse.” *** Owen still looked a little dazed after we’d gotten our marriage certificate. “Lily… did you really marry me?” Seeing his goofy expression, I couldn’t help but crack a smile. But it pulled at my incision, and I winced, my brows furrowing in pain. Owen frantically rushed me back to the hospital, pressing a careful kiss to my forehead. “I have to go out of town for some business. You focus on recovering. I’ll be back to pick you up.” Dragging my weak post-op body to marry Owen had exhausted me, and I drifted off to sleep. But in my hazy state, I overheard Caleb and his friend talking. “Your wife almost died! Why aren’t you changing the marriage info back in the system?” “Just wait. Seraphina is seriously ill, and her only wish is to marry me.” “But if your wife finds out, she could leave you anytime!” “No way? She’s suffered so much for me. How could she possibly leave?” When I opened my eyes again, Caleb’s face was filled with worry. “Lily, you’re finally awake! My mom made some chicken soup, drink it while it’s hot.” His cautious demeanor made me wonder if the earlier conversation had been a hallucination. I cut straight to the chase. “Caleb, why does the system say I’m single?” Caleb’s movements stiffened. “Maybe the hospital’s online system hasn’t updated the info yet. Don’t worry about it, I’ll handle it.” He added, “I’m so sorry, I should have been there with you…” Catching the fleeting flicker of panic in his eyes, my heart plummeted. But I pretended it was nothing. “Yeah, their system definitely needs an update.” Caleb visibly relaxed and patiently ladled out chicken soup for me. “Don’t overthink things. Oh, by the way, where’s the baby?” The baby? I froze. Had no one told Caleb the baby was gone? Of course not. Caleb wasn’t my legal spouse, so no one would inform him. My chest tightened, and my voice wavered slightly. “The baby was too weak. Still in the incubator.” Caleb didn’t suspect a thing. He was about to say something when he suddenly shot to his feet. “Seraphina! What are you doing here?!” He was so agitated that the scalding chicken soup spilled all over my hand, instantly turning it red. But Caleb didn’t even notice, his eyes fixed on the small, delicate figure. He clenched his fists, his voice trembling with anxiety. “What happened? Are you feeling sick again? Why didn’t you tell me?” Seraphina’s small face was pale. “It’s nothing major, just my period seems delayed, and you had something more important…” She glanced meaningfully at me. Caleb lightly tapped her head. “Nothing is more important than you!” I couldn’t help but speak up. “Caleb…” Only then did he pull his attention away, looking at my hand. Before I could even speak, he frowned, tugged off my jacket without hesitation, and possessively wrapped it around Seraphina’s waist. “Exposing your legs in this cold weather? How old are you! Come on, I’ll take you to see a doctor!” From start to finish, he didn’t spare me another glance. In that moment, I realized just how foolish I’d been. 33 rounds of IVF, and Caleb had never once accompanied me. Always “working late” or “too busy.” I, someone so afraid of pain, had bitten down hard, like an idiot, learning to inject myself with ovulation shots, leaving my stomach a canvas of needle marks. It wasn’t that he was busy. His time, all of it, was for Seraphina. The signs of love and indifference were so painfully obvious. Caleb, I really don’t have the energy to keep playing this game with you. 2 I didn’t see Caleb for the next few days. Through her Ins posts, I knew he was constantly by Seraphina’s side. Expensive luxury goods flowed like water to her bedside. The giant screen facing the hospital was rented out, playing his blessings for Seraphina 24/7. Seraphina even posted an update with a picture of their tightly clasped hands. “I’m the happiest woman in the world.” I said nothing. Under the sympathetic gazes of the doctors, I handled my discharge papers alone. Only that day did Caleb finally call. He demanded, displeased, “Where’s the baby? Why won’t they let me see them?” “I haven’t recovered, and you must be incredibly busy. I left the baby with my parents.” He caught the sarcasm in my tone. For once, he sounded a little guilty. “Lily, you’ve been through so much. Wait until I—” I hung up without mercy. Caleb, I hope you’re still as calm when you find out the truth. Back home, I instructed the maid to pack up all my belongings. The scattered items were all memories of Caleb and me. There was the limited edition collectible figure he’d waited 12 hours in line to get me, and the good luck charm he’d prayed for at a temple when I first got pregnant. But how could these tiny acts of affection compare to even a thousandth of what he gave Seraphina? With a single fire, I burned them all to ashes. I was planning to move abroad with Owen; the visa application takes five days. I just wanted to spend these last few days in peace. But Caleb wouldn’t let me. He suddenly burst in and grabbed my collar, choking me. “Lily! Where have you hidden Seraphina?!” I managed to gasp out, “I don’t know.” Caleb’s gaze darkened. “You better actually not know! Otherwise, I won’t let you off the hook!” He threw me aside. I gasped for air, still unwilling to give up. “Caleb, do you even remember I’m your wife?” Caleb’s steps faltered. He hurriedly threw out an explanation, “Don’t overthink things. Seraphina’s mother asked me to take care of her before she died. She’s my sister.” Then he left without looking back. I laughed at myself, bitterly. In the past, even if I disappeared for half a month on a business trip, Caleb never bothered to ask. He really *was* worried about this “sister” of his. I went to the embassy to submit my paperwork. When I returned, I found Caleb had already found Seraphina. “Silly girl, why run off? If you’re pregnant, just have the baby. I’ll take good care of you and our child!” But Seraphina stubbornly shook her head. “No! How could I bear to have a baby born without a dad?” Caleb panicked, blurting out, “You’re my legal wife! How could he be without a dad!” A pang of sorrow hit me. I wasn’t paying attention and stepped on a fallen leaf, making a loud crunch. Both of them noticed me then. Caleb instantly flustered. “Did you hear something?” I shook my head. “I just got back.” He let out a sigh of relief, then hesitated. “Lily, Seraphina might need to stay here for a while. Is that okay?” I smiled, walking straight to my room. “Would it matter if I said no?” “Lily!” Caleb couldn’t help but raise his voice. But Seraphina suddenly said, “Caleb, I’m a little hungry. I heard Lily is a great cook, could she make me something?” Caleb looked hesitant. “Wouldn’t that be a little awkward?” Seraphina’s mouth immediately drooped, and tears welled up. “I knew it, I shouldn’t have come here to impose. It’s okay, I’ll just leave—” Caleb immediately interjected, “Lily, you’re the lady of the house, hurry and play hostess!” Not wanting to cause further trouble, I went to the kitchen and made a dish for Seraphina. When Caleb saw the dish, he paused. Pork Rib and Pear Soup. A dish I’d once joked I’d make if we ever broke up. The word ‘pear’ sounds like ‘leave’ in Chinese, a subtle, bitter joke now. Before he could ponder its meaning, Seraphina had already taken the bowl of soup. But after just one sip, she suddenly shivered and threw the bowl onto my chest! I was drenched from head to toe, standing there, humiliated, while Seraphina innocently covered her mouth. “Oops, I’m so sorry, it was too hot… I just dropped it…” 3 Seeing her reddened eyes, Caleb’s face immediately darkened. “We’ve been married for five years, and you can’t even do this right? Or are you upset with Seraphina and deliberately targeting her?” I tried to explain, but he was already anxiously cupping Seraphina’s hand. “Does it hurt? Wait here, I’ll bandage it right away.” I suddenly felt utterly disheartened. Out of sight, out of mind. I left the villa and checked into a hotel. But the day before my departure, I realized I’d forgotten my documents at home and had no choice but to go back. The villa was hosting a party. Caleb stood beside Seraphina, a perfect couple, surrounded by guests. Some guests whispered. “Mr. Turner is so good to his wife! Look at Seraphina’s designer clothes, that must be hundreds of thousands!” Someone in the know corrected him. “Are you blind? The woman who just walked in is Mrs. Turner!” The first person looked embarrassed. “Oh, really? Her clothes look like they cost barely anything, doesn’t really look like it—”

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My husband personally sent me to a reform school for the sake of his childhood sweetheart. I was abused to death there, while he threw a lavish birthday party for his true love. A year later, he finally drove to pick me up and take me home. Later, when he was about to go on a date with his sweetheart, I kissed him sweetly and said, “Go ahead, darling. I’ll wait for you to come back.” He was very pleased: “Sending you to that reform school was the right decision after all.” I smiled faintly: “Yes, darling.” But what he didn’t know was that this person wasn’t really me. The real me was already dead. Chloe came to visit our home and broke the only thing my grandmother had left me. Looking at the shattered purple jade bracelet on the floor, I pushed her away. I didn’t use much force, but she fell to the ground, her cry bringing my husband running. Lucas immediately slapped me across the face and helped Chloe up: “Are you okay, Chloe?” The tenderness in his eyes and voice was something I had never heard before. Chloe leaned into his arms, quietly sobbing, “I… I accidentally broke Olivia’s bracelet. I’m so sorry…” Lucas glanced at the bracelet on the floor and comforted her, “It’s fine, that’s not important.” I stared at them in disbelief. This was the only thing my grandmother had left me. And he said it wasn’t important? My fingers trembled with anger, but Lucas just walked away with her in his arms. That evening, his assistant rushed over with a new bracelet. It was prettier and more expensive than the one that broke. But I didn’t want it. Lucas handed me the bracelet, telling me not to be so petty – it was just a bracelet, not worth getting so worked up over. I clutched the new bracelet, staring at him blankly, “That was my grandmother’s wedding gift to me.” My grandmother was the only one in the family who was ever kind to me. She had set aside this wedding gift, but wasn’t able to attend my wedding. Lucas just paused briefly, then frowned, “Chloe didn’t mean to. What do you want?” “I saw her take it out of the drawer and throw it on the floor herself. How was that not intentional?” “Enough!” Lucas cut me off harshly, “Olivia, there aren’t many people as petty as you in this world. You’ll say anything to slander Chloe.” I was suddenly at a loss for words. Looking at him was like looking at a stranger. Seeing my stunned expression, Lucas softened his tone: “Don’t be angry. I’ve already found someone to repair the bracelet. You can have it back in a few days.” Hearing that, I felt a little better. But I still couldn’t entirely let go of my resentment, clearly remembering the stinging slap he had given me without hesitation.

The next day, Chloe suggested going to see a movie and brought me along. It was a romantic film. Chloe cried throughout, quietly sobbing. Lucas wiped her tears and rubbed her back soothingly, pulling her into his arms to comfort her. I sat to the side, feeling like an outsider. The quiet theater felt like an invisible knife, slowly torturing me. When it was time to leave, Chloe said she had left her purse in the theater and Lucas went to get it for her. As soon as he left, Chloe touched her reddened eyes and smiled at me. She had finally dropped the act. “Mrs. Lucas, don’t you think you were quite eye-catching today?” I was in such a foul mood that I didn’t want to respond to her. Seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, she began to size me up. “I don’t know how Lucas ever fell for you and actually married you.” “Oh right, I left him so decisively back then, I must have broken his heart. He probably married you just to spite me.” “He doesn’t love you anyway, so of course he doesn’t care what you look like.” My anger turned to bewilderment. Her words played over and over in my mind as I struggled to process them. My fingernails dug into my palms, the pain barely registering. I suddenly understood. So that’s how it was. No wonder all these years I always felt Lucas was too reserved, never telling me he loved me. It turns out there was always someone else in his heart. And now that person had come back, which is why he suddenly seemed like a different person. Actually, he hadn’t changed – he just didn’t love me. “Mrs. Lucas, why don’t you bow out gracefully? If you drag this out, you’ll only embarrass yourself in the end. I don’t want to be the bad guy here.” “After all, Lucas really likes me. With just one word from me, he’d dump you in a heartbeat.” Chloe was very confident. Judging by how Lucas had been doting on her these past few days, she certainly had reason to be. However, I didn’t want to give up. Lucas was the man I had secretly loved for years and finally managed to win over. At the very least, I was still Lucas’s wife right now. Hearing my response, Chloe sighed sympathetically. “You’re going to lose.” With that, she grabbed my hand and pushed herself down the stairs. A figure immediately rushed over and caught her in his arms. In that moment, I thought she was actually quite desperate. If Lucas had asked for a divorce, I probably would have packed my bags and left immediately. However, he didn’t.

He drove me out to the suburbs, and when I asked where we were going, he said he was taking me to meet someone. When we arrived at our destination, there was no one there to meet. There was only an old iron gate with a sign that read “Reform School.” I struggled desperately, trying to escape, but it was no use. I was tied up and thrown inside. Lucas stood outside the gate, coldly watching me, saying he would come pick me up and bring me home in a year. But three days later, I died in a cramped, stuffy dormitory. In those three days, I was beaten with sticks, electrocuted, forced to kneel for hours, made to roll on beds of nails, taught how to be a proper person, and instructed in the ways of female obedience. Bruised and battered, I returned to the dorm room and was about to lie down when the door was suddenly kicked open. A group of men dragged me from the bed to the floor. The leader grabbed my chin, looking me over. Someone said, “She’s quite a looker, boss.” He sneered, “Well, she is Lucas’s wife. Even with his poor taste, he wouldn’t choose someone too ugly.” “You’re unlucky to run into me. Who told Lucas to mess with me?” “He bankrupted my family. Is it too much for me to mess with his wife?” The lackeys chimed in, “How could that be too much? Lucas brought this on himself. Go ahead boss, we’ll keep watch.” “Keep watch? What kind of brothers are you if you don’t join in?” The man laughed cruelly and started tearing at my clothes. I cried and struggled, but with just one hand each, they could pin me to the floor, unable to move, at their mercy. Despair and anguish spread through my chest as I recalled Lucas’s cold expression when he left me here. And how carelessly he had said he would come pick me up in a year. Suddenly all my strength drained away as I stared blankly at the moldy ceiling. They took videos and photos, but decided it wasn’t enough – they wanted to call Lucas too. “No… please don’t!” I shuddered violently, then shook my head desperately, crying and begging him not to do it. The man laughed loudly as he dialed the number. Thankfully, Lucas didn’t answer. They tried calling several times with no luck. The man hung up and showed me a video. It had just been posted moments ago. It was from Chloe. In the video, she was holding a bouquet of bright red roses, wearing a birthday crown, sitting next to the man who had sent me to this place. Lucas turned to look at her, his eyes overflowing with tenderness and love. I stared blankly, forgetting the pain, forgetting where I was. “Tsk, sending his wife to a place like this while throwing a birthday party for another woman. This Lucas sure knows how to play.” The man put the phone away, lamenting that it was a shame Lucas couldn’t witness his wife being violated in person. They tormented me all night long. On the third night, I died in that dormitory.

One year later. When Lucas drove up to the reform school, the sky was already growing dark. A woman stood at the entrance, smiling gently at him. He got out of the car, and before he could get close, she ran over and hugged him. “Darling, I’ve missed you so much.” Lucas paused, then smiled in satisfaction: “How was it in there?” The woman tilted her head thoughtfully, then said: “Not bad at all.” Lucas brought his now obedient and submissive wife back home. He called her Olivia. But I was already dead. The one by his side was my twin sister, Sophia. I followed them back to the city in spirit form. Lucas was especially patient with his newly returned wife, telling her about the changes at home and what he had been up to over the past year. He told her everything, except about Chloe. But I knew. After death, my spirit had left my body and wandered the human world. I knew everything he had done crystal clear. Including every meal with Chloe, every movie, every intimate encounter. His change in attitude was probably out of guilt, wanting to make it up to me. That evening, after showering, Sophia put on a lacy nightgown and slipped under the covers, wrapping her arms around the man’s waist. Lucas instinctively locked his phone, which was open to a chat window. Sophia acted like she hadn’t noticed, snuggling against him like a kitten. Looking down at the woman’s cleavage, his Adam’s apple bobbed. As if sensing the man’s heated gaze, Sophia looked up, her eyes sparkling, red lips parted slightly as she let out a soft moan. Lucas paused, his eyes flickering. No longer paying attention to the messages popping up on his phone, he flipped her over and pinned her beneath him. I had thought that after a year, nothing he did would affect me anymore. But the stabbing pain in my heart at that moment was undeniable. My Sophia was now lying beneath my husband, begging for his attention, with a triumphant smile playing at her lips. The next day, Sophia went to a cemetery on the outskirts of town, stopping in front of a blank headstone. She placed a bouquet of jasmine flowers before the grave, her slender fingers lightly tracing the unmarked stone. A crazed smile spread across her face. “Rest in peace, sister.” “Your husband is mine now.”

Returning to the mansion, Sophia ran into Lucas dressed in a tailored suit, his hair carefully styled, wearing men’s cologne. She smiled at him, “Are you going out, darling?” “Mm,” he paused, then said, “I’m going to see Chloe.” Lucas and Chloe’s chat the night before had been cut short, and Chloe was upset. He was going out now to appease her. If it had been me before, I definitely would have questioned him and thrown a fit. But Sophia just kissed him sweetly, “Go ahead, darling. I’ll wait for you to come back.” Lucas was very pleased with this response: “Sending you to that reform school was the right decision after all.” The woman’s lips curved into a smile: “Yes, darling.” Of course it was right. How else would I have died? How else could she have taken my place? Sophia had liked Lucas for a long time. In high school, the three of us went to the same school. Lucas was the golden boy – wealthy family, top grades, strikingly handsome. There was hardly a girl in school who didn’t have a crush on him. Lucas and I were in the same class. My secret crush on him was the only joy in my otherwise dull high school life. I realized Sophia also had a crush on him when she started frequently coming to our classroom during breaks. Sophia and I looked about 60% alike, but in terms of delicate features, she wasn’t as pretty as me. Despite coming to our classroom every day, she never entered Lucas’s field of vision in those three years. When it came time for college applications, Lucas didn’t go abroad, but applied to a local university instead. Fortunately, after three years of hard work, I finally caught up to him and we entered the same university. Sophia, on the other hand, got sick and had to take a year off from high school. She was still in her senior year when I started college as a freshman. She missed her chance with Lucas. I started dating Lucas in the second semester of sophomore year. We got married after graduation. In all those years, Sophia never appeared before me. So Lucas didn’t know Sophia. After I was sent to the reform school, Sophia came to see me and somehow found out I had been abused to death. She made a deal with them. Later she got plastic surgery. When she reappeared at the reform school, no one recognized her anymore. Sophia took my place, while the reform school kept my death a secret. She came back this time to stay by Lucas’s side in my stead.

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It had been three years since our breakup. My childhood sweetheart, Liam, and I were back together again. He treated me just as he always had, maybe even more thoughtfully than before. I truly believed this time, we were finally on the right track, headed for a happy ending. Until I happened to pass by the private booth next door. I heard Liam’s friends teasing him. “Didn’t you say you were done with Chloe? How is this fair to Cassie?” Inside the booth, Liam’s eyes were slightly glazed over, but his words were crystal clear. I watched him gently squeeze the slender neck of the girl beside him. He chuckled, playfully chiding, “Cut the crap. Be there on time for the wedding next month.” The private booth was loud and boisterous. But Liam’s voice cut through the noise, clear as day. My body went cold. I had to brace myself against the wall to keep from collapsing. The conversation inside continued. “I’m telling you, just be straight with her. You finally managed to win Cassie back and sweet-talked her into agreeing to marry you. Don’t mess this up now.” It was another voice. Jake, Liam’s best friend. He was also a witness to our on-again, off-again relationship for years. Liam waved a hand, shrugging it off. “What’s the point of just nagging me? Why don’t you tell her to keep her distance from that boss of hers?” Jake gave Liam a fed-up kick. “Cassie already said she wasn’t dating him during those three years you guys were broken up…” “And you believed her? The rumors about her and her boss have been going wild at the office! I was the only idiot kept in the dark…” His voice grew more bitter as he continued. “Always working late, always out entertaining clients—who knows if she was actually in the office or in someone’s bed!” Those words were truly disgusting. Everyone in the room was too stunned to speak. And I, standing outside the door, felt my blood run cold. A shiver that I couldn’t control ran through me. It’s already tough enough for women in the workplace. Arthur had only taken me under his wing because I was a former student of his. I honestly believe I worked myself to the bone to earn this position today. I’ve been fair to everyone. But to avoid Liam misunderstanding, I clearly told him the situation on the very first day we got back together. Liam had also told me more than once that he trusted me and supported my work. But I never imagined he was actually thinking this about me behind my back. And slandering me with such disgusting words in front of all his friends. If I hadn’t happened to pass by this booth, was he planning to just trick me into marrying him? That would be absolutely terrifying. In that instant, my brain made the decision faster than my heart. I pulled open the door, walked straight up to Liam. Before he could even react. *Smack!* The sound echoed through the entire room. I slapped Liam. It landed with a lot of force. Two seconds later, the girl beside him shrieked, crying as she reached out to touch his face. But Liam abruptly pushed her away. He stood up, flustered, and started to explain to me. “Listen, I can explain…” “Liam, we’re done.”

Tonight, I’d successfully closed a huge deal. I’d put on a brave face and drank myself silly. I had planned to use this bonus as our honeymoon fund, for Liam and me. But by a cruel twist of fate, I ended up hearing his true thoughts instead. Destiny truly loves to play jokes on me. I flexed my numb hand, stumbling towards the restroom. Looking up, I saw my eyes looked terrifyingly hollow. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to calm down. But somehow, I couldn’t seem to wipe the water from my face. My eyes just kept getting redder. A wave of delayed grief hit me like a ton of bricks. I just crouched there and cried until I had no tears left, setting a five-minute alarm. When the alarm rang, I slowly calmed down. The dinner wasn’t over, and the clients hadn’t left yet. This wasn’t the time to lose myself in emotion. So, while no one was looking, I slipped back into the private booth. “What took you so long?” Arthur, my boss, sitting beside me, turned his head to look. His eyes burned into mine, as if he could see straight into my soul. I nervously avoided his gaze, casually made up a lie. “Ran into someone I knew. Just said a quick hello.” Arthur nodded, saying nothing more. Ten minutes later, the dinner ended. A sigh of relief escaped me. I’d expected to stay until midnight tonight, but it ended so early. Good. I’d have a little more time to sort out my messed-up feelings. And it wouldn’t affect my work performance the next day. After seeing the clients off, Arthur and I stood at the entrance, waiting for the company driver. Suddenly, he pointed at the dark circles under my eyes and spoke calmly: “Go home and get some rest. Your eyes are all red from staying up.” I froze. Just as I was about to say something, I was interrupted by an angry shout. “Cassie!” Not far away, Liam was glaring at us, furious. “Was I wrong about anything I said just now? If there’s nothing going on between you two, then why did you lie to me tonight and say he wouldn’t be here?” Before I left for the client dinner, Liam had asked me if my boss would be there tonight. I’d said no because I truly hadn’t received any notification. Who knew the client was difficult and insisted Arthur oversee the signing before they’d agree to the contract? My colleagues had no choice but to ask Arthur to come. But I couldn’t bring myself to say any of this to someone who clearly didn’t trust me. I slapped his hand away from where he was pointing at Arthur, warning him coldly: “Liam, this is between *us*. Be respectful to other people.” Liam probably hadn’t expected me to disrespect him so openly in front of others. He gritted his teeth, repeating “Fine, fine” through them. “This is all because of him, isn’t it? That’s why you want to break up with me? “Well, guess what, I don’t agree!” With that, Liam stormed off in a huff. Fuming, I wanted to chase after him and argue. But suddenly, my wrist was grabbed. I turned my head. A strange emotion flickered in Arthur’s usually stoic eyes. “That childish, ridiculous man—is he really worth you going back to him again and again? Cassie, did he save your life or something?”

Arthur was a year ahead of me in school. He was a campus legend I’d heard about frequently during my college years. Everyone who knew him always praised how gentle and polite he was in how he treated everyone. And in the three years I’d worked under him, he’d lost his temper with me only twice. Once was when I first started. I’d swallowed my pride and put up with a harassing client just to get the company a deal. He chewed me out for not knowing how to protect myself. The second time was just now. He mocked me for being upset over a worthless man. But what Arthur didn’t know was that Liam really *had* saved my life.

Liam and I were next-door neighbors. He was only twelve when he first moved in. I was two years older than him. One time, the kids in our neighborhood were playing together. I walked by and was playfully pushed into the river. The river wasn’t deep, but it was deep enough to be life-threatening for fourteen-year-old me. The other kids either froze in fear or scattered, terrified of getting into trouble. Only Liam. Without a second thought, he jumped right into the water. He struggled to pull me out. CPR, chest compressions—he did everything he could. When I finally opened my eyes to the world again, the first thing I saw was Liam’s clear, innocent eyes. That night, my parents went to Liam’s house with some fruit and milk to thank them. Once inside, we found Liam getting yelled at by both his parents. When we asked why, I found out. Liam, who’d just saved me, had only been taking swimming lessons for three days at that point. One wrong move, and both of us could have drowned in that little river. He was grimacing from the scolding, but still managed to greet us: “Cassie, Uncle, Auntie, please make yourselves comfortable…” Because he saved my life, Liam and I were always close growing up. Once we hit our teenage years, that closeness became even more apparent. I was the first to realize it. Liam really wasn’t good at hiding his feelings. After I called him out, he actually got all shy and awkward before confessing to me. “Cassie,” he’d said, all flustered, “I’ve liked you since we were kids. And I can tell you like me too. We’ve already kissed, so why don’t you just say yes…?” In my panic, I blushed and used my grades as an excuse. “Your grades are terrible! No one’s going to want you!” I never thought Liam would actually buckle down and study harder because of that one sentence. His grades weren’t bad to begin with; he just had a lazy approach to studying. Now that he was actually putting in the effort, the results were incredibly obvious. But when he confessed again, I still turned him down. “Liam, I’m not ready for a serious relationship right now.” He didn’t get angry, just confidently raised an eyebrow at me. “Fine,” he’d said, a confident smirk on his face, “but I’ll stand proudly by your side one day. You’ll see.” His confidence wasn’t misplaced. Because two years later, we really did get together.

When he first went to college, that was the most carefree time of our lives. We did all the things couples in love do. Sweet gestures, thoughtful gifts, exciting surprises. Every day was a new adventure. But the turning point came because of that. He was handsome, and had a charming personality. When he first started college, lots of girls loved chatting with him. He’d smile and chat right back. Boundaries between men and women—he just couldn’t grasp them. I’d walked in on them a few times, and we argued about it countless times. But it always ended with me heartbroken and him feeling misunderstood. Liam didn’t understand why I got so angry over him just talking to someone. And I didn’t understand why he couldn’t keep his distance from other people. Too many petty arguments can really damage a relationship. We started constantly breaking up and making up, and eventually, we were both exhausted from the drama. Liam couldn’t take it anymore and initiated the breakup. He chose to study abroad. I, too, grew rapidly during those years, becoming the professional woman I’d always aspired to be. And it was then that Liam came back. He came back with an engagement ring. … My silence stretched on. Arthur finally let go of my hand, letting out a silent sigh. “I’m giving you three days off. Take some time to think things through.” Snapping out of my reverie, I nodded wearily. “Okay.”

Back home, I tore up the marriage leave request I’d prepared a week ago. I started thinking about how I’d spend these next three days. Maybe I was just too tired today, too drained to think about anything that upset me. The moment my head hit the pillow, I was out cold. But my sleep was restless. Fragments of memories about Liam kept appearing in my dreams. I also dreamed about the girl sitting beside him. Her name was Chloe. She was a hardworking student Liam had sponsored while abroad. After we got back together, we’d confessed our three years apart to each other. I hadn’t dated anyone. And Liam had completely changed from his usual thoughtless self, quietly studying abroad. But Chloe was an exception. Liam said the resilient look in her eyes reminded him of me, and that was why he chose to sponsor her. Over time, they developed feelings for each other. Liam said they had a brief relationship. But ultimately, she wasn’t me. In the end, he chose to break up with her and come back home to try and win me over again. And it was then that I impulsively agreed to his proposal. And he had completely cut ties with Chloe. But then the scene shifted in my dream. I dreamed of his hand gently stroking Chloe’s neck again. Such an intimate and natural gesture—how could that be “cutting ties”? Liam… he hadn’t changed at all, right from the start. The dream turned nightmarish at that moment. I snapped awake, as if I was trapped in a suffocating shroud of black mist. It was four in the morning. I was wide awake. There wasn’t much of Liam’s stuff at my place. Most of his belongings, along with mine, had already been moved to our wedding house. It was a new house we’d both loved, after looking at so many options, that he’d bought a month after returning home. Now, my only comfort was that he’d paid for it in full. We didn’t have any property division issues to sort out yet. Thinking about this, my heart still sank. When Liam first came back, I truly planned on making things work with him. I thought we could both be more tolerant, more compromising. After all, we’d loved each other for so long. And found it so hard to forget each other. But when Chloe reappeared by his side. The moment those ugly words came out of his mouth. I realized how foolish I’d been. Liam was still Liam. He couldn’t be tolerant, couldn’t compromise. He couldn’t even guarantee his love. While I was still lost in thought, my phone rang. It was Jake. I pulled at the corner of my lips, a sarcastic smile playing on them. For so many years, whenever Liam and I argued, he’d come over afterward to play the mediator. But things had been so tense last night, I was curious how he’d even try to convince me now. “Cassie, I’m not getting involved in your business anymore. But I hope you two can really clear the air before you go your separate ways. So you don’t have any regrets later.” “Regret? Why would I regret it? Finding out before the wedding means it’s a blessing in disguise.” I spoke softly. Jake fell silent. After hanging up, I lay on the couch for a while. It was true, I should have a proper talk with Liam. I needed to explain things to my parents, at least. But I couldn’t get through to Liam’s phone. I remembered that when we first got back together, he’d linked a location-sharing app to my phone. I dug it out and opened it. It showed he was at a hospital. I didn’t overthink it. I quickly got ready and hailed a cab. My time off was almost over—only two and a half days left. I needed to get these things sorted out quickly. The location sharing was precise—it even showed the building and floor. I made my way to the hospital room. And that’s how I unexpectedly heard Chloe’s familiar voice. “Liam, it hurts so much.” Inside the room, Liam had his back to me. He gently ruffled Chloe’s hair, his voice filled with remorse. “I’m sorry. I won’t let you get hurt next time.” Chloe’s response was to wrap an arm around his waist. She smiled sweetly. “I never blamed you.” Anyone seeing this scene would assume they were a loving couple. Even I felt a moment of confusion. But I’d grown so much in these three years. It hadn’t even been ten hours since we’d ripped each other apart last night. And I could already suppress the pain in my heart, knocking on the door without batting an eye. “Liam, step outside for a moment.” 8. Liam frantically rushed out, breathlessly explaining to me. “When I pushed Chloe away yesterday, I hurt her, that’s why I brought her to the hospital.” He grabbed my hand, his voice catching slightly.

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Eight years married, twelve pregnancies, twelve heartbreaks. Each time, a mysterious miscarriage stole my babies away. Everyone whispered it was my fault, that my wild youth had ruined my body. I endured countless IVF treatments, swallowed mountains of pills. But no matter what, I could never hold onto a pregnancy. I couldn’t bear to see Liam so tormented. Tears blurring my vision, I nodded, agreeing to let his childhood sweetheart, Chloe, bear him a child. Chloe became pregnant, and the baby was perfectly healthy. He wrapped me in a tight embrace, his face alight with pure joy. “Now you won’t have to go through the pain of IVF anymore. This child, once born, will be the sole heir to the Davies fortune.” I truly believed the storm had passed, that we could finally settle into a loving, peaceful marriage. But then, I stumbled upon a conversation between Liam and Chloe that shattered my world. “I knew your heart was always mine. I told you, I made Avery believe it was her fault, by putting miscarriage-inducing drugs in her food.” Liam gently stroked her belly, a soft smile gracing his lips. “She’s so unbelievably stupid. She believes anything I tell her. If it wasn’t for making her get the hint and divorce me willingly, I wouldn’t have even bothered with the drugs. Once our baby is here, everything in the Davies family will be ours. And his parents? They won’t be able to do a damn thing.” I thought about the endless IVF cycles, the infections, the internal damage to my body, and a wave of ice-cold horror washed over me. Eight years of marriage. It was all a lie. And it was finally time for it to end.

My fists clenched, my eyes burning red, my whole body shaking with pure rage. The sounds from the room continued, sweet whispers turning into fervent kisses. “Liam, my love, I remember everything you’ve done for me. You’ve worked so hard. Let me show you my gratitude.” “Stop, darling, you’re pregnant.” The tenderness Liam showed her, a tenderness he had *never* shown me, made my entire body ache, numb with pain. For eight years, he’d often held me, comforting me about our lost children, making me feel eternally guilty. He had suggested, with feigned anguish, that Chloe help us have a child. I couldn’t bear to see him suffer, so I agreed. I never, *never* imagined that the twelve children in my womb had been murdered by his own hands, all so he could be with Chloe. I turned and walked away, immediately sending the video I’d just recorded to his mother, Mrs. Davies. Mrs. Davies arrived quickly. The sounds from the room hadn’t stopped. As she listened, her face turned a terrifying shade of dark. I wanted to stop her, but she kicked the door open, ignoring everything else. Liam and Chloe gasped in shock, scrambling to pull the covers over their naked bodies. “Mom? What are you doing here?” Mrs. Davies landed a resounding slap across Liam’s face. The sickeningly sweet scent of their betrayal still hung in the air. I stopped at the doorway, mortified. Mrs. Davies’ shoulders heaved with fury. She pulled out her phone and played the video I’d sent her. “You animal! Those were your own flesh and blood! How could you do such a thing?” Liam finally realized what was happening, his face contorting with anger. He glared at me, his eyes burning with hatred, his jaw clenched tight. “You disgust me, Avery! How dare you tattle on me?” My heart turned to ice. I just stared at him, utterly heartbroken. He seemed to realize there was no point in pretending anymore. He gently stroked Chloe’s belly, then tossed a vasectomy report onto the bed. “Mom, you want a grandchild, right? The baby in Chloe’s belly will be the only child I’ll ever have. I’ve had a vasectomy. I can’t have any other children.” Mrs. Davies looked utterly shattered, her face drained of color. She swayed, almost collapsing, but I managed to catch her just in time. The report clearly stated that Liam’s vasectomy was permanent, with no possibility of reversal. Chloe, tears welling in her eyes, nestled gratefully into Liam’s embrace. She met Mrs. Davies’ gaze, her expression defiant. “Auntie, you forced me away once. But now, I’m carrying the only Davies heir. Do you really want to send me away again, and let your family line die out?” Mrs. Davies’ face flushed with anger, then slowly softened. She looked at me, a flicker of guilt in her eyes. “Avery, this is the Davies family’s *only* child. Be the bigger person, darling. Don’t fight them on this. The Davies family has wronged you, I know, but I promise you, the Lady Davies title will always be yours.” My face went deathly pale. I instantly understood her true intention. She wanted me to swallow my pain, to endure it until the baby was born. Before I could even respond, Liam’s voice cut in, full of resentment. “Mom, I don’t understand why you’re so against Chloe and me being together. Is it just her family background? Avery is nothing but a down-on-her-luck heiress herself. If I stayed with her, imagine how many people in this city would mock me for marrying into a bankrupt family?” He looked at me with utter contempt, the disgust in his eyes a sharp stab to my heart. He gritted his teeth. “Avery, even if you *pretend* to be the bigger person, I will *never* love you.”

Mrs. Davies dragged me away, practically by force. Behind us, Liam’s furious accusations still echoed, but Mrs. Davies held herself upright, refusing to collapse. Her trembling hand clasped mine. “Avery, Liam is the only heir left in our family. Chloe’s baby simply *cannot* be harmed. For my sake, please, just let it go.” My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, a desolate pain settling over me. Liam and I weren’t just a business arrangement; we were childhood sweethearts. He was the one who chased me as a child, insisting he’d marry me someday, setting this whole engagement in stone. “What about my twelve lost children? Am I just supposed to pretend they never existed?” “Let bygones be bygones. We need to focus on the future. As a woman, you have to be more understanding.” Mrs. Davies’ tone grew impatient, as if I was being utterly unreasonable. The light in my eyes slowly faded. After the truth came out, Liam dropped all pretense and spent his days at the office. I couldn’t care less about seeing him. Since we still worked at the same company, bumping into Liam and Chloe was an everyday occurrence. Chloe suffered from severe morning sickness, but Liam didn’t have her stay home to rest. Instead, he made her his personal assistant at the office. Naturally, the whispers among the staff began. “Look at how careful Mr. Davies is with her. That baby the assistant’s carrying has got to be his, right?” “But I heard Mr. Davies and his wife were so in love?” Someone scoffed, cutting in. “In love? Please. Mrs. Davies went through IVF a dozen times and couldn’t keep a baby. Rumor has it her uterus was ruined from all her past wild partying. Look at Mr. Davies – one try with someone else, and the baby’s perfectly healthy.” Before the words even finished, everyone’s gazes flickered to me, filled with blatant contempt and mockery. I ignored them, walking straight into my office. “Ms. Shaw, your assets are deeply intertwined with Mr. Davies’. It’s very difficult to separate them without his signature. You’ll need to discuss this thoroughly with Mr. Davies.” I sighed, a wave of helplessness washing over me. Liam would never agree to this easily. I wanted to sort out the assets first before filing for divorce, just to avoid any further complications. “So, all I need is his signature?” “Sign what?” Liam pushed the door open, his entrance perfectly timed to my phone call. Before I could answer, his eyes landed on the contract on my desk, and he frowned, displeased. “You want to split our assets? Typical. Always putting profit first, terrified of losing a single thing.” I met his gaze, my expression chillingly calm, a faint smile playing on my lips. I softly called his name: “Liam.” My voice was so cold, it made him visibly flinch. He just stared at me, dumbfounded. “What do you *think* I should do? Hand over everything I own to my husband and the child he had with another woman? Do you honestly think I’m that stupid? Don’t forget, you’re the one who murdered my children. I haven’t sought revenge. You should count yourself lucky.” He had never seen me look at him with such intense hatred, as if I wanted to sever every last tie. His face darkened considerably. He stood there, forcing himself upright, his eyes sweeping over the contract on the desk. He let out a series of cold, hollow laughs. “Fine. If you want to cut ties, I’ll grant your wish. I don’t care about your paltry assets anyway. Just don’t come crying to me later.” Liam signed the contract, then flung it right at my face. He sneered, a superior smirk on his face. “What’s the point of just signing a property division agreement? If you’re so brave, divorce me outright! Deep down, you just want to use our marriage to control me. You don’t actually want a divorce.” He wore an expression that suggested he knew me inside out, then scoffed and turned to leave. I gave a self-deprecating smile, bending down to pick up the contract before handing it to my lawyer. “I’ve sent all the divorce-related details to your email. You can handle it from here.”

The moment Mrs. Davies found out Liam and I were estranged, she called me. Her voice, when she spoke, was laced with accusation: “Avery, what is going on with you? I hear you’ve moved out? How can a wife abandon her husband like that? Liam made a mistake, yes, but he’s learned his lesson. Chloe’s baby will be your child too, someday. You need to show some care. It’s done, Avery. Can’t you just be the bigger person?” Mrs. Davies didn’t give me a chance to speak, her accusations tumbling out one after another. She had no idea I’d already decided to divorce Liam. Whatever happened to Liam and Chloe, it had nothing to do with me anymore. Before anything else, I needed to go back to the family estate, to the old graveyard. I wanted to visit my twelve lost children. They were still buried in the Davies family plot. When I arrived home, I could hear Liam’s triumphant sneer from a distance. “Oh, look who decided to come back. I thought you’d be out running wild forever.” Chloe nestled into his arms, then leaned in provocatively and kissed the corner of his mouth. She raised an eyebrow at me. “Liam, darling, don’t blame Avery. She just doesn’t like me, that’s all, right? If she’s constantly around us, I’d worry about it affecting our baby.” I scoffed, ignoring them both, and headed towards the back hill of the estate. I had erected a tombstone for each of my twelve lost children, burying them in the Davies family graveyard. One after another, the cold, stark tombstones lined up before me. My eyes burned, and tears freely streamed down my face. If I hadn’t walked in on Liam and Chloe, I would have remained completely oblivious to the truth. After burning some offerings for my children – a tradition I’d maintained – I went back inside, packed the things I’d prepared for my unborn babies into a suitcase, and headed out. Liam saw me and, displeasure etched on his face, strode over to block my path. “Where are you going now?” He snatched my suitcase impatiently, opened it, and frowned. “Aren’t these things for *our* child? They’ll be perfect for Chloe’s baby. After all, it’s still *my* child. The agony of childbirth – you don’t have to suffer it now. Chloe’s doing it for you. Shouldn’t you be grateful? We’re not even asking you to thank her. Why the long face all the time? Who are you trying to impress?” Liam’s accusations rained down on me, one after another. Each word was a knife, twisting deeper into my heart. I looked up at him. “They were my flesh and blood! I yearned for them, dreamt of them coming into this world, giving them names, watching them grow. But in the end, they never even got a chance to live, their lives snuffed out by their own father. Now, there’s nothing but cold, desolate tombstones. You never even bothered to see them once! Just because they weren’t carried by someone you *loved*, does that make you so heartless, so cruel? Liam Davies, when you lie awake at night, don’t you ever worry that our children will come back to haunt you, demanding retribution?” My frenzied outburst clearly terrified Liam. His face went ashen, and he stumbled back, step after step. Finally, a faint flicker of guilt crossed his features. Seeing this, Chloe stepped forward, cradling her swollen belly, shielding Liam. She pointed an accusing finger at me, indignant. “It’s your own weak body that couldn’t hold onto those babies! What does that have to do with us? Besides, Liam never liked you from the start. He certainly wouldn’t have liked your babies. *Our* child is the crystallization of true love. Yours were nothing. Why should Liam feel sad for a bunch of embryos? They died in your womb. They deserved it.” I snapped. My hand shot out, delivering a stinging slap across her face. Chloe was stunned. Liam immediately stepped in front of her to shield her. I kicked him away, grabbed his shirt collar, and slapped him, hard, again and again. But the pain of my palms striking his face was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. I roared, “How dare your ‘true love’ be built on *my* suffering? If you didn’t want me to have those children, you could have just said so! Why did you have to murder them in secret? Your hands are stained with their blood! Both of you murdered them!” Liam was so startled, he forgot to fight back for a moment. Chloe reached out, clawing at my arm, trying to pull me away. But reason had abandoned me. All I wanted was for the people who’d destroyed my children to feel a fraction of my pain. I violently shook Chloe’s hand off, just as I was about to unleash more. Then, a pained shriek erupted from behind me. I froze, turning to look. Liam had shoved me, hard, sending me sprawling onto the floor. Chloe was curled on the ground, trembling with agony. Her white dress was rapidly blooming with scarlet. “Help! My baby! Someone, please, help my baby!”

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The day I went into premature labor, James was celebrating his first love’s birthday. After I almost died from hemorrhaging, he coldly said: “Let’s get divorced. Since we lost the baby, there’s no point in staying together.” He didn’t know our child was in the NICU under observation. Three years later. James stared at the son holding my hand. He panicked. The day I found out I was pregnant, I was excitedly planning to go home and tell James. However, when I eagerly pushed open the door, I saw James tenderly embracing Sophia and whispering to her. The man who was always cold and distant with me was now smiling in a way I’d never seen before. They sat side by side on the couch I had carefully chosen for our home. Their tightly clasped hands made my excitement feel like the cruelest joke. I froze in place, my elbow accidentally hitting the doorframe. The loud thud finally made the two engrossed in conversation notice my presence. They turned to look at me simultaneously, both their expressions changing. Sophia instinctively pulled her hand from James’ grasp. She stood up from the couch, her intertwined fingers betraying her panic and unease. However, I only gave her hesitant face a brief glance. Looking away, I calmly gazed at James. The man now had his arms crossed, looking at me with an unpleasant expression. “You shouldn’t be home now.” I silently laughed to myself. Right. Normally at this time, I should be at the office handling work for him. But today, halfway through work, I suddenly felt short of breath and nauseous. After enduring it for a while with no relief, my lower abdomen started cramping. Not daring to delay, I immediately had my assistant take me to the hospital. After a series of examinations, the doctor told me I was already two months pregnant. Because of my poor health and overwork, I was now showing signs of threatened miscarriage. It took quite a bit of effort at the hospital to stabilize the pregnancy. Looking at the “2 months pregnant” on the report, I finally felt belated happiness. My first thought was to tell James this news. Because I knew he had always wanted a child. But I never expected Sophia would be back. The woman James had loved since childhood. The woman who…had married someone else but remained an indelible obsession in James’ heart.

I closed the bedroom door and calmly walked over to them. Sophia grabbed my hand, tearfully trying to explain. “Lily, I just got divorced. James was only comforting me, don’t misunderstand.” I silently let her hold my hand, my gaze lowering slightly to her snow-white arm. So she was divorced. No wonder. No wonder James had been leaving early and coming home late lately, too busy to even care about his own company. I let out a soft laugh, feeling indescribably desolate inside. In two years of marriage, James had never taken a day off work to spend time with me. But it turns out it wasn’t because he was a workaholic by nature, just that I wasn’t worth him pausing for. These two years, to have more time with him, I had voluntarily taken on the company’s business. I accompanied him working overtime, attended social events with him. I was even pregnant now and nearly miscarried because I was so busy with work. And now, he was with Sophia while I endured the pain of medical exams alone. He had even brought her back to our marital home, openly holding hands with her. I felt like crying, but also felt I deserved this. Who told me to marry him knowing he always liked Sophia? Who told me to…start liking him ten years ago? Taking a deep breath, I felt my lower abdomen start to cramp again. Silently clutching the test results in my pocket, I forced a smile at Sophia. “It’s fine, I don’t misunderstand.” Turning around, I handed the test results to James. James looked at me with dark eyes, but didn’t reach out to take it. I shrugged, feigning nonchalance: “You’re going to be a father.” James’ eyes flickered, and he finally took the thin A4 paper. He quickly scanned the test results. After a while, he calmly looked up and said to me without any emotion: “Go tell Grandpa the good news tomorrow. Don’t go to the office these next few months, just stay home and take care of the pregnancy.” Sophia also leaned over to look at the test results. Then, she put on an expression of pleasant surprise and looked at me with shining eyes. “Lily, you’re going to be a mom?! Congratulations!” I didn’t miss how she deliberately omitted James’ role. But seeing James’ indulgent look, I could only swallow my words. I smiled at her and softly said: “Thank you.”

The next day, I went with James to see his grandfather and tell him about my pregnancy. For the next period of time, I stayed home to take care of the pregnancy. During my pregnancy, I didn’t see Sophia again. James also didn’t mention her in front of me, so I deluded myself into ignoring his gentle eyes when he made phone calls on the balcony every night. My body had many health issues from birth, so this pregnancy was not stable. By seven months, my whole body had lost weight except for my belly. That day, I wanted to bring coffee to James who was working in the study. But when I waddled to the study door with my big belly, I heard his pleasant voice saying tenderly: “What do you want for your birthday? Shall I take you to the South Islands?” My hand holding the coffee shook, and the cup fell to the floor. There was a loud crash as the ceramic mug shattered. James finally looked up, his lips tightening slightly when he saw me standing in the doorway. After softly reassuring Sophia, he hung up the phone and quickly walked over to me. He held my arm, carefully leading me around the spilled coffee and ceramic shards. Bringing me to sit on the couch in the study, he asked in a low voice: “Are you hurt?” I instinctively shook my head, but thinking of the phone call I just overheard, I couldn’t help grabbing his sleeve. “You just…” I bit my lip, hesitating before asking. “Who were you just on the phone with?” James’ brows furrowed instantly. But very quickly, he relaxed again and looked into my eyes, saying very frankly: “Sophia.” “It’s her birthday next Wednesday, I was asking if she wanted any gifts.” My suspicions were confirmed, and for a moment I felt short of breath. Perhaps due to pregnancy hormones, I clearly felt my emotions spiraling out of control. Gripping his arm tighter, I said softly: “Can you not spend her birthday with her? I…I’m a bit scared being home alone.” But as soon as I finished speaking, James’ face changed instantly. He pried my hand off his arm without mercy, his gaze cold and gloomy as he said: “Lily, you’ve crossed the line.”

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