Category: English

Quinn has skin hunger syndrome but never touches me.
He says it’s because he loves me too much to hurt me.
I believed him.
But in private, he embraces his true love without hesitation, saying,
”The sorcerer said that without that pearl, she’s no different from ordinary people. Why should I care about her?”
”She’s just a fox spirit. Isn’t it disgusting to touch her? My skin hunger can only be satisfied by our dear Sophia.”
Everyone thought I would continue to endure, just because he is my immortal love I’ve searched for over a thousand years.
But I acted out of character, not crying or making a fuss.
On the eve of his wedding, I vowed never to see him again in this life and returned to my magical realm.
Who knew that a year later, he would travel thousands of miles to my realm, kneeling and begging me to return to his side.
”Quinn, I don’t want children anymore. Please, just hold me.” With the rapid development of modern technology, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has become scarce.
No new magical creatures have been born since the founding of the country.
So now magical beings are in decline, with only a few thousand-year-old great spirits still existing in the world.
But I had no awareness of shouldering the mission of reviving our kind, indulging in love instead.
I wanted to be with my immortal love Lucas forever, just because I had waited for him for a thousand years.
For him, I cut off contact with my clan, willing to become an ordinary person mingling in modern society.
He never touched me, but he told me he wanted to have a child.
To fulfill his wish to be a father, I disregarded the reproductive barrier between humans and magical beings. I found a witch doctor and exchanged half of my remaining soul to get a body that could conceive offspring with humans.
Because I loved him.

The morning I learned online that he was about to marry Sophia, I hurriedly left my rented apartment, wanting to find him for an explanation.
He had just promised me not long ago.
As long as I was willing to give up my soul pearl to save Sophia, he would marry me.
The vow of “Willing to get my true love, never to part till old age” was still ringing in my ears.
Although I had lost all my magical powers, my physical skills remained.
I effortlessly dodged through the crowd, shuttling between high-rise buildings to his villa.
Standing at the door, I had just pushed it open a crack when I saw him holding Sophia in his arms, pinching her face with an affectionate expression.
”Alright, still throwing a tantrum? I’ve said that my wife can only be our dear Sophia.”
”She’s just a useless creature who can’t even have children. She doesn’t even have a modern identity. Who would marry her?”
Sophia pushed away his hand and pouted, “Who knows if that witch will whisper sweet nothings in your ear and make you change your mind?”
”After all, someone used her to get rid of all the competitors and climb to this position.”
The man who used to forbid everyone from discussing this matter, and would become furious if anyone mentioned it, was now not angry at all.
He coaxed gently, “I used her for the sake of us and our child.”
”That Quinn is so stupid. I casually said I would marry her, and she foolishly handed over her soul pearl.”
”The sorcerer said that without that pearl, she’s no different from ordinary people. Why should I care about her?”
”She’s just a fox spirit. Isn’t it disgusting to touch her? My skin hunger can only be satisfied by our dear Sophia.” As he spoke, he hugged her tightly, his hands roaming inappropriately.
Seeing his shameless behavior, Sophia giggled coyly, “Lucas, you’re so bad.”
I was certain Lucas knew I was there because he was looking directly into my eyes as he said it, the corners of his mouth curling into a malicious arc.
He was deliberately saying it for me to hear, revealing his true colors to me.

I could no longer bear to hear the sounds of the couple’s flirting and playing.
So, it turns out he never touched me because I was a magical being.
He found me disgusting.
If that’s the case, why didn’t he just say so? No matter how painful it would be, I wouldn’t have humiliated myself. I would have left.
I wandered away in a daze, bumping into a maid.
I looked up at the newcomer.
It was Sophia’s personal maid, who was also her good friend.
She was holding a snow-white cat, with a haughty expression.
When she saw it was me, she looked at me with disdain and sneered, “Oh, it’s Miss Quinn. Sorry, I bumped into you.”
After saying that, she nodded perfunctorily at me.
In the past, as Lucas’s vice president, I had schemed for him and acted as his pawn to clear obstacles for him.
Now that he was firmly seated in a high position, these two roles of mine were not of much use to him anymore.
So he suggested removing my position, letting me stay by his side to bear children for him.
Out of trust in him, I agreed.
So, in the eyes of most people, I was just a nameless orphan girl of unknown origin.
Except for my former subordinates, not many people respected me.
Moreover, to satisfy his desire to be a father, I disregarded the reproductive barrier between humans and magical beings. I found a witch doctor and endured a year of soul-stripping pain, only succeeding today.
Originally, I wanted to tell him this good news this morning.
I was too emotionally confused to care about her rudeness.
I tried to walk past her.
But she didn’t intend to let me go, blocking my path.
She held up the cat in her hands and brought it close to my face, her eyes flashing with malice.
”Don’t go, Miss Fox. Look, this is the pet Mr. Lucas gave to our dear Sophia.”
”I specially brought it out for a walk today.”
I knew what she meant. She just wanted to show off Lucas’s love for Sophia and make me see the situation clearly.
This kind of inexplicable malice from humans is sometimes truly incomprehensible to magical beings.
If I didn’t go along with her, I was afraid she would pester me for a long time.
I prepared to humor her and praise the cat a few times before leaving.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to look at the cat, I froze.

The kitten opened its round, big eyes and affectionately reached out its chubby paw towards me.
Perhaps it sensed that we were both feline creatures.
The red silk ribbon fluttering around its neck caught all my attention.
That ribbon was the one I had given to Lucas.
A thousand years ago, Lucas’s previous life, Luke, had saved me when I was on the verge of death, being hunted by spirit hunters.
At that time, I was a little fox who had just started cultivating and couldn’t transform into human form yet.
And he was just a sickly scholar.
Unlike the stories in novels where fox spirits repay kindness, I ended up causing his death.
In my memory, the meandering blood flowed from under him, staining the blood-red ribbon.
This ribbon, for me, was filled with warm and painful memories of the past, and also contained half of my soul.
The scene of the couple’s wanton mockery flashed through my mind again.
My nails were almost embedded in my palms, but I felt nothing.
He could use and humiliate me, he could marry someone else.
But he actually casually gave away the ribbon I had cherished for a thousand years!
He clearly knew what it meant to me!
My eyes gradually became deep and dark, as if they could suck people into hell.
The maid saw that I wasn’t speaking and secretly felt proud. She said as if unintentionally, “This ribbon, Mr. Lucas used to wear it every day, but he gave it to Sophia as soon as she asked.”
”You can see that Sophia is not like some…”
Before she could finish speaking, I calmly reached out my hand.
Then.
I grabbed her neck.
Too noisy, I didn’t like it.
I casually picked her up by the collar, ignoring her struggles, and threw her into the pool like throwing away garbage.
It didn’t matter if someone discovered it, there were no cameras here anyway.
The little cat in front of me seemed not to understand what had happened and came to my feet on all fours, rubbing against the hem of my skirt as if seeking attention.
I looked at it for a moment, silently picked it up, and left.

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Ava’s world shatters when she overhears the Alpha she’s loved for five years admit his crippled act was a cruel ruse to punish her. For 98 rain-drenched days, Ethan faked agony with wolfsbane, letting her believe he needed her—all to avenge a childhood illness that “cost” him his Luna. “99 times, then it ends,” he cold-bloodedly tells his Beta, unaware she’s eavesdropping. Her heart breaks further as she plays along, forced to watch him flirt with Lila, a fake healer brought in to replace her. When Lila parades from Ethan’s room in silk pajamas, marking her neck with “medical” bites, Ava’s blind loyalty snaps. The man who once soothed her nightmares now gaslights her, calling her “filthy-minded” for doubting his lies. As she uncovers his ability to walk—every midnight “massage” a mockery—Ava plots escape. But Ethan’s final act of betrayal looms: the 99th rainstorm, a trap disguised as need. Will she break free from the man who weaponized her love, or drown in the wreckage of his five-year lie? Chapter 1 When I delivered Alpha Ethan’s painkillers in the heavy rain, I heard him talking to his friend. “Ethan, you are too good at pretending. You have been bound to a wheelchair for five years since the ‘accident’. Ava is also a fool. She has served you for five years and didn’t even notice that there was nothing wrong with your legs.” His friend, Beta Declan, chuckled, “I can’t even remember how many times you asked her to deliver medicine in the rain.” I only heard Alpha Ethan speak coldly, “98 times, what do you care about her?” Another voice was silent for a while, “I didn’t, but after all, you raised her as a child, are you really willing to do that?” Ethan replied, “If she hadn’t pretended to be sick on the day Sophia left, I wouldn’t have failed to win back my Luna. This is her punishment. The game will end after 99 times.” Outside the door, I tightly grasped the painkillers in my hand, feeling so heartbroken that I couldn’t breathe. I thought Alpha Ethan didn’t care about other wolves’ eyes and kept me by his side because he felt the mate bond. I didn’t expect it was just to retaliate for my illness that day and delayed his pursuit of Sophia, the former Luna. Okay, he sheltered me in his pack for five years and I would pay him back for five years. After that, we would not see each other again. I waited in the hotel lobby until I calmed down before I walked to the box again. After the knock on the door, there was a commotion inside. Everyone’s smiles faded. “Ava, why did you come just now? Alpha Ethan is sweating from the pain. If you don’t want to serve Alpha Ethan, just say so. If you hadn’t been so shameless as to rush to take care of him yourself, his legs might have healed long ago.” The voice was the same as before, it was Beta Declan, Ethan’s closest subordinate. I ignored his strange voice and walked in front of Alpha Ethan. His expression was ugly, as if he had endured great pain and beads of sweat were clearly visible on his forehead. But I clearly smelled a strong smell of wolfsbane on it. This was the drama he had performed for me 98 times before and the funny thing was that I didn’t notice it at all in the past five years. “What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and get the medicine.” Seeing that I was not like usual, Beta Declan grabbed my wrist and threw me to the side. I fell heavily to the ground and the wound that was knocked down by someone because I was in a hurry broke again. But no matter how deep the pain in my knee was, it was not even one-tenth of the pain in my heart. Ethan, you were really a good actor. In order to punish me, you even pretended to be disabled in a wheelchair for five years. “Declan, stop it!” Alpha Ethan’s voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up and saw him maneuvering the wheelchair in front of me, trying hard to help me up. “Ava, I’m sorry, Declan didn’t mean it, he was just too worried about me.” I refused his help and tried to force a smile on my face. “I know, I took too long. You must be in pain.” Hearing what I said, the tension in Alpha Ethan’s eyes immediately relaxed. I knew that my performance just now made him suspicious. The Hawthorne Pack was extremely powerful. As a human fostered in the pack for five years, I knew better than anyone how absolute Alpha Ethan’s authority was. If I didn’t listen and play this scene with him, the consequences would never be better than now. I gave the medicine to Beta Declan, told him to take good care of Alpha Ethan and left on my own. Just because Alpha Ethan said he didn’t want me to see him taking medicine—he said it would make me sad, and if I was sad, he would be unhappy. In fact, not only would I be sad, but every time I turned around, I would pray for his legs to heal. Even if it costed me my life. Chapter 2 Before I walked far, I could vaguely hear loud laughter coming from inside. “Ethan, you saw it, we successfully fooled her again. Next time I will be more prepared. Just a little scratch is not enough to make her realize her mistake. And you have to pay for all the wolfsbane today. I have prepared a mysterious gift for you.” Alpha Ethan was silent for a moment. “Ask the waiter to put it on my tab.” I walked back to the pack villa in my soaking wet clothes, their laughter replaying in my mind. My hope for the mate bond with Alpha Ethan disappeared with every step I took. Until I saw a woman dressed exquisitely at the gate. I suddenly realized that this was the gift Beta Declan prepared for him. “Miss, please make way, you are blocking me,” she said. I hurriedly stood aside and waited for her to go in. “Isn’t this the best hotel? How come someone dressed like this appears? It’s really disappointing.” That woman said to me as she looked at me upside down. I thought it was really Sophia, the former Luna, who came back, but as soon as she opened her mouth, I knew it wasn’t. Sophia was raised in a noble pack and it would never be possible for her to say such a thing in public. It turned out she was Lila Blackwood, the Beta Female Declan had found as a substitute. On the way back to the Hawthorne Pack villa, I contacted my aunt who was away for the first time. Five years ago, in order to take care of the “disabled” Alpha Ethan, I did not agree to go abroad with her. This time, she agreed to help me get a new identity without asking anything—human identities were easier to forge outside pack territories. Before that, I just needed to maintain the status quo and serve Alpha Ethan as usual. Unfortunately, Alpha Ethan did not show up for the next three days. His assistant told me that there was an emergency in the pack—only he could handle it. “Ava, I’m already here. I’m safe and sound, you should have a good rest and don’t run around.” Alpha Ethan called me as usual after arriving at the place. This was our agreement, to tell each other that we were safe at any time. The year I first arrived at the Hawthorne Pack, I made an appointment with several human classmates to travel. On the way, we were threatened by a rogue werewolf and locked in a small dark room. He mobilized the pack warriors to find us who were hungry and scared. He asked me to call him when I went out. He had kept this habit for so many years. But this time, I clearly heard a charming female voice from the other side. “Alpha Ethan, come and see, do you like this sample? I’ll wear it for you to see.” “Don’t make trouble.” I said shortly as I hung up the phone bitterly. The appearance of this woman made Alpha Ethan’s lies clumsy. Since he couldn’t move his legs, he never went on pack business trips. Besides, with the current strength of the Hawthorne Pack, there would be no problem that only he could handle, unless the pack was under siege. While he was away, I stepped up my plan to leave. The weather forecast said that it would rain in five days—and that would be the day I left the Hawthorne Pack. Alpha Ethan was back, and he brought Lila Blackwood back to the pack villa. “Where have you been? The housekeeper said you always go out recently.” I greeted him. Alpha Ethan looked at me who had just entered the door with an unhappy face. I took out the herbal medicine bag in my hand and shook it. “I just found a human pharmacist with good skills. Just when you are back, I will make it for you to soak your feet in the evening,” I explained. His eyes looked at the medicine bag for a moment. “Yeah,” he replied casually. My tense heart relaxed immediately and I handed the medicine bag to the housekeeper and walked over to push him naturally. Unexpectedly, I was pushed away by the woman behind him—Lila Blackwood. “Ava, this is Lila, the private Healer that Declan hired for me. She will arrange my daily care in the future, just listen to her instructions.”

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After I died, my parents signed the organ donation consent form, transplanting my retinas into their most cherished adopted daughter, Felicity. Without me, they finally became a real family. My whole life, I’d fought with Felicity, only to end up with nothing but a bleak, desolate fate. Reborn, I decided to live my own life, and unexpectedly, I found a happy ending. I was reborn, back to the very day Felicity came to our home. If I’d been reborn just a little earlier, maybe I could have prevented Felicity’s biological parents from dying, or perhaps I could have threatened to kill myself to stop my parents from adopting her. But now, she was already home. It was too late for any drama. Felicity was the daughter of my father’s respected mentor, a renowned artist who had her late in life, and she was cherished like a precious gem. She showed extraordinary artistic talent but suffered from an unknown eye condition, with her sight fluctuating and the constant risk of blindness. Her parents had taken Felicity everywhere seeking treatment, but they died in an accident, leaving young Felicity orphaned. Felicity’s childhood was truly tragic, which is why my parents, at first sight, decided to treat her as their own, even valuing her more than me, their biological daughter. “Chloe, haven’t you always wanted an older sister? From now on, Felicity will be your sister. Aren’t you happy?” My parents looked at me with loving eyes, hoping I would genuinely accept this adopted sister. My seven-year-old self, in my previous life, was indeed happy. I thought the world had given me a warm new family member, and I was eager to share my love with this gentle-looking sister. I never imagined Felicity was a thief, not wanting to share my parents’ love, but to steal it all for herself. “Chloe, Dad knows you’re a sensible girl. Felicity’s health isn’t good. Even though you’re the younger sister, we need you to help Mom and Dad take care of her. Can you do that?” Before I could even open my mouth, tears were already welling in Felicity’s eyes. “I know my sister will have a hard time accepting me. Who wants to share their family’s love? Sister, don’t worry, I’ll just go to an orphanage.” Sometimes I truly suspected Felicity had also been reborn. How could an eight-year-old girl be so manipulative? I hadn’t even expressed any opposition, and she was already branding me as a jealous, difficult child. Mom gently wiped Felicity’s tears. “Don’t cry, Felicity, it’s bad for your eyes.” “Why are you still calling us ‘Uncle’ and ‘Auntie’? We told you, from today on, we’re your Mom and Dad.” Felicity lifted her small, innocent face, clear tears still clinging to her lashes. She looked so overwhelmed and grateful, anyone would feel sorry for her. “Waaah, I have a Mom and Dad now!” At that moment, the three of them hugged, crying together, and no one remembered to ask for my opinion. Felicity just had that kind of power.

That night, my parents made Felicity and me share a room. I lay quietly, unable to sleep, my mind racing with how to become independent and leave this family as soon as possible. After everything in my previous life, I understood: from the moment Felicity entered this home, my Mom, Dad, and even my brother, all became her sole possessions. Late in the night, Felicity quietly got out of bed beside me. I squinted, pretending to be asleep, and watched her head straight for my parents’ room. “Waaah, Mom, Dad, it’s so dark, my eyes hurt so much, I’m so scared!” My overly compassionate parents, blinded by sympathy, didn’t even stop to think how Felicity, in such an unfamiliar environment, could have found their room so easily in the middle of a sudden “eye attack.” They just hugged Felicity tightly, their eyes welling up with tears in distress. “Don’t be afraid, Felicity, Mom and Dad are here.” Felicity trembled, burying herself in Mom’s arms, looking utterly terrified. “Mom, Dad, can I really stay in this home? Waaah, just now my sister…” Overhearing this, my heart sank. The next second, Dad stormed into my room without a word, pulling me out of bed while I was still pretending to sleep. “What did you say to Felicity?! How can you be so insensitive? Felicity has been sick since she was little, and her background is so tragic. Can’t you just give in to her?!” “Don’t be like that, Chloe is still young. Just teach her, she’ll understand!” Mom said she was trying to calm Dad down, but she was still holding Felicity tightly, not even attempting to come over and shield me. In the end, they took Felicity back to their room, leaving me, dressed only in thin pajamas, shut outside my own door. Before, Mom used to check on me in the middle of the night, tucking me in before she left. They seemed to have forgotten I was just a seven-year-old child. I also feared the dark, the cold, and I was at an age when I needed my parents’ love the most. In my previous life, Felicity often did this. She would fake an eye flare-up, then, while my bleeding-heart parents were overwhelmed with sympathy, she’d invent baseless lies to badmouth me. As a young child, I gradually realized the danger. Ever since she arrived, I, their sweet and adorable little daughter, had turned into a “bad girl” in my parents’ eyes. So, I began to secretly compete with Felicity, always trying to outdo her. Anything Felicity had, I had to have too. But Felicity was skilled at playing innocent in front of people, appearing gentle, timid, and always deferring. My parents felt even more indebted to her. I fought with Felicity my entire life, but I could never win against her. Even my brother, who used to dote on me, fell under Felicity’s spell. Everyone in the art world knew that the Davidsons had a pitiful, talented adopted daughter, Felicity, and a rude, jealous, good-for-nothing biological daughter, Chloe. This time, I decided not to compete with Felicity anymore. I would live the life I truly wanted.

The next morning, Felicity and my parents’ joyful laughter drifted from the dining room. I quietly walked downstairs and saw Felicity sitting in *my* seat, using my favorite tableware. When they saw me, the previously harmonious atmosphere suddenly shattered, as if *I* were the outsider who had intruded on their family. A flicker of awkwardness crossed Mom’s face. “Chloe, why are you up so early today? Felicity doesn’t have her own tableware yet, so she’s using yours. Can you use Liam’s set, please?” “No, thanks. I don’t like taking other people’s things.” The moment those words left my mouth, everyone understood I was mocking Felicity. Dad seemed to still be upset about me “bullying” Felicity yesterday; his usually kind expression turned incredibly sour. I glanced at the milk, sandwich, and bacon and eggs on the table—all things Felicity liked to eat. I was lactose intolerant and usually had porridge for breakfast. “Oh dear, I forgot! You can’t drink milk. I’ll make you some soy milk in a bit,” Mom quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over, desperate to hide the fact that she paid more attention to her adopted daughter than to me. *Slam!* Dad slammed his cup on the table, scolding me with displeasure in his voice. “Why so particular? You spoil her too much! At such a young age, you’ve indulged her into being so wild! We need to take Felicity to transfer schools, no time to waste!” The old me would have been heartbroken by those words, throwing a tantrum without a second thought. But now, my heart was numb. I silently sat at a corner of the table, watching Felicity, who was eating with her head down, a hint of a triumphant smile playing on her lips. But when she looked up again, her small face was filled with sorrow. “Dad, don’t talk about my sister like that. My sister isn’t like me; she was pampered with love since she was little, so it’s natural for her to be a bit willful. It just shows how much you love her.” My overly compassionate parents were once again moved to tears. How could there be such an angelic little girl in the world? In comparison, I, who had everything since childhood yet was so headstrong, seemed utterly insensitive. The disappointment in their eyes when they looked at me deepened. But I didn’t care. In my previous life, I had practically cut ties with my parents, and I no longer cared what they thought of me. I could have easily charmed Felicity, acting as a brainless, easily controlled younger sister. Then I would still be my parents’ good daughter, picking up whatever scraps of affection they left over from Felicity. But I would make Felicity understand that the family love and affection she so painstakingly gained were worthless in my eyes.

By the time “the family of three” returned home after handling the school transfer, I had already voluntarily cleared out my original room, moving all my belongings into the unoccupied guest room. It wasn’t that I was giving way to Felicity on purpose; it was simply to preserve my own personal space. Dad gently patted my head and said, “Chloe is so sensible, truly Dad’s good daughter.” A young child might have gloated over those words, but reborn, I understood the unspoken meaning: I had to sympathize with Felicity at every turn, sacrificing my own happiness for hers, to be worthy of being his “good daughter.” Felicity burst into my room without asking, wanting to look around. When she saw the complete set of art supplies my parents had bought for me earlier, her small face suddenly turned pale, and she weakly collapsed into Mom’s arms, sobbing. “Waaah, I wish I could paint carefree like my sister!” Mom looked at me uneasily, hesitating for a long time before finally speaking. “I’m sorry, Chloe, but to consider Felicity’s feelings, could you put away your painting things for now?” Here we go again. Ever since Felicity appeared, my living space had been constantly squeezed, to the point where I wasn’t even allowed to have my own hobbies and dreams. It was the same in my previous life. Felicity’s eyes weren’t good, so she couldn’t paint for long periods, which meant I was also forced to drastically cut down my painting time. I was a painter’s daughter, yet I couldn’t buy art supplies freely or attend art classes, simply because seeing them would upset Felicity. But Felicity could cuddle in Dad’s arms, learning to paint hand-in-hand. Every one of her works was exquisitely framed, while my paintings had to be hidden at the very bottom of my art box. It even came to the crucial moment of our art school entrance exams. Felicity’s vision suddenly flared up during the exam, preventing her from completing her test, and she swapped our names on the canvases when submitting them. When the admission results came out, I immediately recognized that the excellent artwork labeled with Felicity’s name was actually mine. I begged my parents to intervene for me, but they just held a sobbing Felicity, urging me to be more generous. “Chloe, you can always retake the exam next year, but Felicity doesn’t have much time left! You know she could go blind at any moment!” “Felicity has been so pitiful since she was little, just let her have this! You’ll definitely get in next year!” It was easy for them to say. They had no idea how much time I, with less natural talent than Felicity, had secretly spent practicing, painting in the dark every night, nearly ruining my own eyes. I broke down, screaming: “She stole my Mom and Dad, and now she wants to steal my life too?! Give me my spot back, or I’m leaving this house forever!” My resistance didn’t bring my parents any remorse, only a furious slap from my father. “If it weren’t for Felicity’s eyes, do you think you could have beaten her? You have no talent for painting at all, you’d just be bottom of the class at an art school!” I clutched my stinging cheek, unable to believe those words came from my own father. In the end, Felicity still took my place at art school. I, meanwhile, was mocked by everyone in the art world for losing to an adopted daughter with poor eyesight. My artistic dreams shattered, and I lived a mediocre life. Reborn, I had lost all passion for painting. So, in front of my parents, I threw that set of painting tools into the trash. Dad’s face immediately darkened, but they knew they were in the wrong and just awkwardly left with Felicity.

When summer arrived, my older brother, Liam, who usually studied abroad, returned home for a reunion, mainly to meet the legendary new sister, Felicity. Just like in my previous life, Liam was utterly captivated by Felicity the first time he saw her. Felicity had wrapped a cloth around her face, stumbling around the living room like a blind person, then “accidentally” fell into Liam’s arms during their first meeting. Felicity blushed, saying in a delicate voice, “Because I don’t know when I’ll go blind, I want to learn to live in darkness first, so I won’t be a burden to Mom, Dad, and my brother later.” Felicity was so good with words. She subtly excluded me, her sister, and hinted to Liam that I didn’t get along with her. The passionate young Liam was too stunned to speak. The girl before him was as endearing as a delicate, innocent-looking heroine from a K-drama. He instantly vowed in his heart to take care of Felicity for the rest of his life. My parents suggested we all go out and have a fun day to welcome Liam home. I didn’t want to go. They were a harmonious family of four; what did I, their willful, jealous, spoiled, unloved younger daughter, have to do with it? But Felicity just had to stir up trouble, shrinking into a corner and letting tears roll down her face. “Mom, Dad, you should just take my brother and sister. It would be so depressing if I were there when you all have your family reunion.” Liam panicked, gently wiping Felicity’s tears. “Why would you say that? We’re already a family!” Felicity feigned shyness, trying to evade Liam’s hand, while casting a timid glance at me, as if making a silent accusation. Liam immediately glared at me. “Chloe! Why are you bullying Felicity? How did you become this kind of person? You weren’t like this before!” What kind of person did I become? The ones who changed were clearly *you*. Mom, who once thought of me in every way; Dad, who was strict but gentle; and my brother, who always protected me—they had all become strangers. I simply gave a cold laugh, looking Liam directly in the eyes. “Why don’t you let Felicity answer? How did I bully her? I even gave her my room; what else isn’t she satisfied with?” Felicity, guilty, instinctively avoided my gaze. Her frightened look only fueled Liam’s protective instincts, and he shouted at me without restraint, “It’s that condescending attitude of yours that hurt her! Felicity just arrived at our house, it’s only right for you to give in to her!” Suddenly, I felt like an enemy who needed to be vanquished, and he, Liam, was the prince protecting his princess. My overly compassionate parents only took sides. “Chloe, your brother is rarely home; don’t make him angry. Go apologize to your brother and Felicity.” I scanned this family, whose favoritism extended all the way to Antarctica, and answered firmly, word by word, “Anything Felicity wants, I can give it up, because I don’t care. But make me apologize? No way!” After throwing out those words, I locked myself in my room, shutting out Liam’s enraged shouts. Afterward, the family of four happily spent the entire day out. No one remembered to call to check on me, and no one remembered to bring me back any food. If it were the me from my previous life, I would have been incredibly wronged, starving myself or even running away from home to make my parents feel guilty. But now, I knew such actions were futile and would only torment my own body. I cooked myself a rich bowl of instant noodles, and while eating, I laid out the study guides I had secretly bought. Since being reborn, I had diligently studied and improved myself, not daring to slack off for a single day. This time, I wanted to forge my own path through my own efforts. After careful consideration, I decided to study medicine.

My seven-year-old self retained the intellect of my twenty-something self from my previous life, which meant I far surpassed Felicity academically. Felicity’s ‘white lotus’ acts worked on my overly compassionate family, but they were useless against school teachers. Failing an exam meant failing an exam. At the end of the semester, I ranked first in my grade, while Felicity was at the bottom. Every time she was called in for a parent-teacher meeting due to her poor grades, Felicity would cry, claiming she was too stressed and her eye condition flared up. Yet, she stubbornly refused to transfer to a special needs school. Every exam week, she would disrupt the peace of our home. To accommodate Felicity’s feelings and prevent her from being looked down upon by classmates due for being an adopted child, my overly compassionate parents decided both of them would attend Felicity’s parent-teacher conference, even though our grade levels had parent-teacher conferences on the same day. My bleeding-heart parents couldn’t possibly have been unaware that I was being mocked and bullied by my classmates because of their favoritism, being called a child who was born but not loved. Every time they needed to inconvenience me for Felicity, they pulled out the same old, tired, brainwashing rhetoric I’d heard countless times: “Felicity isn’t well, and her background is so sad. Just give in to her.” But I didn’t care, because knowledge gave me the greatest power. I used my after-school hours to study ahead, and at twelve, I skipped grades, becoming the youngest high school student in our city’s history. Overnight, my name became famous. Everyone knew the Davidsons had a child prodigy daughter. Dad’s phone rang off the hook daily with calls from people in high society, wanting me to befriend or even get engaged to their children. But again, to cater to Felicity’s feelings, Dad turned down all those invitations. He never considered how beneficial connecting with high society could be for my future. Of course, how could I compare to his precious darling, Felicity? The day my acceptance letter arrived, the Principal and newspaper reporters personally came to our house to deliver it. But they were met only by the fleeting backs of my parents rushing out. How could Felicity allow me to draw my parents’ attention? She simply claimed she had a headache, and my parents, without a second thought, whisked her off to the hospital, not even taking the time to greet the Principal. Even though I had long given up hope on my overly compassionate parents, at that moment, I still felt a touch of injustice and powerlessness. The Principal looked at me deeply and said earnestly, “Our school doesn’t have boarding students, but if you want to stay in the dorms, you can apply in advance, and I’ll arrange it for you.” The Principal’s hand, as she gently stroked my head, was so warm. I hadn’t felt such care and concern from an elder in a long time. I couldn’t help but shed tears in front of her. It was because of that tear that I gained the two truly important people in my life.

As the school year approached, I couldn’t wait to move out of that loveless home and into the school dorms. The day I left, my parents were once again dispatched to the hospital by Felicity. Liam, though home for the holidays, showed no inclination to help me pack. He just watched me busy myself, then finally tossed out, “This house will finally be quiet.” I hoisted the last bag of luggage into the taxi, not even sparing Liam a glance. The room Principal Thompson had prepared for me was excellent, seemingly converted from an unused faculty dorm, a comfortable studio apartment. I spent a day cleaning the dorm until it was neat and cozy, then went to a bookstore and bought a huge stack of study guides. High school coursework would be heavier; I had to work even harder to outcompete everyone. On the first day of school, as expected, I was ostracized by the other students. They heard the Principal had made an exception to arrange a dorm for me, and immediately labeled me as someone with connections. “Oh, look, here comes the 12-year-old genius!” “Is the prodigy scared to live alone in the dorm? Will she cry for her mom at night?” “Let the prodigy sit by the water cooler. Maybe she’ll need to mix some baby formula during breaks.”

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As the true daughter, I was asked to donate a kidney to the adopted daughter. I pulled out my cancer diagnosis: “I’m sick, I can’t donate.” My eldest brother, Alex, flung the diagnosis in my face. “Liar! Do you know falsifying hospital documents is illegal?” My second brother, Ryan, his eyes red, clamped onto my wrist. “I know you’re jealous of Serena. Are you really going to let her die just to win favor?” My mother, Eleanor, cried, cursing me for being cold-blooded. “Serena’s dying! What’s wrong with giving her a kidney?!” My father, Robert, shattered my last shred of hope with a slap. “Your life’s only value is to save Serena. Don’t be ungrateful.” After being thrown out of the house, I swallowed a massive dose of sleeping pills, lying in bed, calmly waiting for death. But the Cancer Research Institute called me: “Miss Davies, why did you suddenly request to stop the drug clinical trial?” I sighed, defeated. “I’m sorry, I’m a little busy right now.” “Can we talk tomorrow?”

The project leader on the other end, Julian, fell silent for a moment. He asked in a meticulous tone: “Miss Davies, when you signed the consent form, you promised me you’d see it through to the end.” “You’ve been so proactive with every treatment. Why the sudden change of heart?” I sighed, a headache throbbing, not because of him, but because the expected sleep never came. It was probably the resistance from relying on sleeping pills for my usual insomnia. Good thing I had a backup plan. I lay in the simple folding bathtub and slowly brought the razor to my wrist. “Sorry, I’m a little busy right now.” “Can we talk tomorrow?” Julian was stubbornly insistent. “What are you busy with?” I watched the blood bloom in the water, hesitating. Should I tell him I was busy dying? While I was still conscious, I quickly mass-texted my family. Attached was a selfie, the screen awash in crimson. “You wanted my kidney, right? Come collect the body!” “If you’re late, I’ll bleed out, and the kidney won’t be fresh.” My eldest brother, Alex: “You must have spent a fortune Photoshopping that.” “According to the tech I developed, if that blood loss were real, you’d be unconscious already.” “Charlotte Davies, stop acting. If you really want to die, jump off a building.” My fingers trembled, fumbling for the keys. “Your software sucks. You need to send it back to the drawing board.” In the SnapChat chat, a red exclamation mark popped up. System notification: Message sent, but rejected by the recipient. My second brother, Ryan, rapidly sent several messages: “You’re such a drama queen; Hollywood really missed out without you.” “If you truly wanted to donate, why didn’t you just come home? Stop pretending!” “I saw right through you after Serena’s engagement party, you phony!” I was getting dizzy from the rapid blood loss.

That day, it was Serena’s engagement party, but I was the one who went viral, trending everywhere. “Wardrobe Malfunction Steals the Show! The Real Heiress’s Raw Beauty Outshines the Socialite’s ‘Perfect’ Image.” Serena wept, accusing me of humiliating her. Alex said I used despicable tactics to steal Serena’s spotlight on her most important day. Ryan had my dress ripped off me. “You don’t deserve to wear something I made with my own hands!” Dad’s single phrase, “family discipline,” had me confined in the attic for seven whole days. Nothing but water. No food. I developed insomnia, terrified of the dark. From then on, I became withdrawn and quiet. Dad seemed quite proud, believing my newfound obedience was a result of his ‘effective’ parenting. “You came back and turned this house upside down. I truly wish you’d never come back.” His words pierced me, my eyes stinging. I opened Mom’s voice message, clinging to a final sliver of hope. “Charlotte, are you threatening your mother?” Her voice was tearful: “Serena is as much a daughter of the Davies family as you are.” “She’s sick, and as her older sister, you should help her!” “You can’t hate her because of what happened to you when you were little!” I stared up at the ceiling. A true daughter, stolen and sold in childhood, then found again, was nothing but vulgar in their eyes, not worth a single strand of the adopted daughter’s hair. But I, foolishly oblivious, had tried so desperately to win their approval. The moment they invited me to a family dinner, I rushed home, eager. Seeing the birthday cake, I couldn’t contain my excitement and surprise. After so many years, they finally remembered my birthday, finally ready to accept me! Just as I reached for the gift box, Alex smacked my hand away. “That’s Serena’s birthday gift. Who told you to touch it?” I felt a pang of confusion, watching Serena, surrounded and adored, blow out the candles amidst joyous laughter. “So, why did you call me home?”… I listened several times before I understood what they meant. “You want me to donate a kidney to Serena?” I pulled out my cancer diagnosis. “I’m sick, I can’t donate.” “Can’t donate, or don’t want to donate?” Alex scolded my hypocrisy, and Ryan raged that I’d disregard someone’s life just to compete for attention. Mom’s tearful curses and Dad’s slap utterly shattered the last bit of hope I had for the Davies family. I gave a bitter laugh. “Should the true daughter’s blood just drain dry for the sake of the adopted one?” I clutched my phone, feeling like I was squeezing my own heart, my face numb with pain. “Are you going to save your beloved Serena or not?” “If you are, come collect the body.” Mom’s tone was reproaching, as if speaking to an unruly child. “Charlotte, stop acting up. I can’t leave.” “Serena needs me.” Dad’s messages, as always, vanished without a trace. I stared at the silent chat list, muttering to myself, “Didn’t you want my kidney?” “Now that I’m willing to give it, why don’t you want it anymore?”… “Miss Davies, are you still there?” I slowly came back to myself, dropping my hand weakly. “I’m so sorry, I really can’t help you.” “However, I’d be very happy to donate my body to your research.”

I slept restlessly, plagued by nightmares. Sporadic noises drifted into my ears, like someone speaking. When I woke again, Julian’s voice rang above my head. He was pressing hard on my wrist wound, his tone edged with a furious grit. “Miss Davies, did you take pills too?” I smiled, dazed, a flicker of pride in my voice. “Yup! Sleeping pills!” “I saved them up for two months!” Julian rushed me into the emergency room, but a man swiftly cut in front of him. “Doctor, my sister was scratched by a stray cat; she needs a vaccine!” Hearing the familiar voice, I sharply looked up, staring intently at the backs of the two people ahead. What a coincidence. It was my second brother, Ryan, and Serena. “Why did you have to go feed that stray cat? It’s none of your business if it starves to death.” Serena whimpered, looking aggrieved. “Ryan, that’s the cat Charlotte often feeds.” “I saw she wasn’t around, so I wanted to help.” Ryan looked at the three bloodied scratches on her hand, his doting expression twisting into irritation and anger. “This is all Charlotte Davies’s fault, getting you hurt.” I struggled to make sense of it. Mimi? She’s so timid, she hides so well. How did Serena find her? Julian, seeing them cut in line, scowled and moved to argue. I stopped him, weakly saying, “Let’s go to another hospital.” Julian glared. “Change? Change what? You need your stomach pumped, we can’t wait!” The doctor’s ears perked up, and she instantly looked at me, her eyes wide. “Charlotte Davies, is that you?” I recognized her as my clinic doctor and gave her a helpless smile. Hearing my name, Serena immediately looked over. Catching sight of my wound, she turned pale with fright, backing away repeatedly until she stumbled into Ryan’s arms. Ryan frowned, as if suppressing disgust as he glanced at my wound. A few seconds later, a mocking smile twisted his lips. “How much ketchup did you waste on that outfit?” “The wound’s quite realistic though. Are you really trying to fool people even at a hospital?” The doctor pushed him aside. “Sir, this lady’s condition is more serious. I need to see her first.” As Julian carried me past, Ryan shielded Serena. His eyes were wary, as if I were the most dangerous virus on earth, capable of harming his beloved sister. The doctor bandaged my wound and arranged for my stomach to be pumped. She looked hesitant. “Even with late-stage cancer, don’t give up hope.” I deliberately laughed exaggeratedly, pretending nothing was wrong. “You misunderstood.” “Every time I come here, you all say there’s nothing you can do.” “So I just learned from the ancients and tried bloodletting myself.” Ryan’s eyes were filled with disdain and contempt. “Charlotte Davies, aren’t you getting a little too deep into character?!” “A tiny scratch, a few pills, and you’re making a scene at the hospital saying you’re suicidal.” “Now you’re upgrading the drama, playing a cancer patient. Do you really need to go this far just to compete with Serena for attention?” The doctor was annoyed. “She’s my patient, I know her condition!” Ryan eyed me and the doctor back and forth, as if so enraged he found it funny. “Bravo, Charlotte Davies.” “You’re even colluding with doctors just to avoid donating a kidney to Serena.” I shrugged, a faint smile playing on my lips. “If you’d come earlier, my kidney would’ve been yours.” “Now it’s too late. I promised to donate my body to the institute.” Julian suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Ryan’s collar. “She’s this sick, and you still want her to donate a kidney? Are you even human?” Ryan violently shook him off, both angry and amused. “What’s it to you?” “It’s only right for her to save her own family!” My throat choked up, and I gave a bitter laugh. “How do I deserve to be family with Miss Serena Davies?” “Did you ever treat me as family?” Ryan’s face stiffened, then he clenched his jaw, suppressing his anger. “You’re a Davies daughter, living in luxury, you want for nothing. What else do you want?” “Just wait till you get home; Dad will teach you a lesson!” My ears buzzed, and my cheeks faintly stung, as if a burning slap had just landed on my face again. My fingers dug into the edge of the table, my whole body trembling uncontrollably, my voice squeezed through clenched teeth. “Do I even have a home?” “Don’t forget, you threw me out.” Ryan’s face darkened, veins throbbing on his forehead. “It was clearly your spoiled tantrum that made you run away.” He mumbled softly, “We just said a few things to you.”

Julian gently squeezed the IV tube, cool liquid with his body warmth slowly entering my veins. When I woke, I couldn’t help but marvel, “You’re truly dedicated to your patients.” Julian’s face looked a bit unnatural. “You’re not just my patient; you’re also my friend.” I was startled by the answer, taking a moment to process it. Julian’s lowered lashes fluttered. “Of course, maybe it’s just me unilaterally thinking you’re my friend.” “No, no, no, I’d be honored to be your friend!” “I thought geniuses like you only liked making friends with other geniuses.” I paused. “I’m just surprised you’d even consider me.” Julian frowned and pursed his lips, lost in thought. After a moment, he slowly raised his eyes, his earlobes flushing, his expression incredibly serious. “Charlotte Davies, you are the kindest, most understanding person I’ve ever met.” “When I start talking about my research, I can’t stop, and everyone else gets annoyed, but you listen patiently and ask questions.” “When you look seriously into my eyes and smile at me, it makes me really happy.” “In my heart, you’re amazing.” My eyes grew warm, and I turned my head, feigning nonchalance. “As a friend, do I get any special privileges?” Julian lowered his head to check his phone, then said earnestly, “I just asked my AI.” “As a friend, I have an obligation to be there for you when you need me.” “So, is there anything you want to do?” Julian drove me back to the apartment complex, and I softly called out, “Mimi.” A rustling sound came from the bushes. A tabby cat peeked out, looking around warily, then emerged when it saw me. It circled my legs, rubbing against me and meowing affectionately. After making sure Mimi was okay, I got up to leave. Julian spoke up. “I thought you’d take her home.” “You really like her, and she likes you too.” I fell silent for a moment, my chest heavy. I had thought about adopting her too. But when Mom found out, she said stray cats carry all sorts of germs, bad for people. I mustered my courage and said, “I’ll take her to get her shots!” The dinner table went quiet for a moment, Mom looking a little awkward. Alex scoffed. “Charlotte Davies, Mom’s giving you an out, can’t you tell?” “Let me tell you, no cats allowed in this house, because Serena doesn’t like them!” “Whatever Serena dislikes, anything you say is useless.” I murmured, “I don’t have a home, so how can I give her one?” That was just where I was staying, dependent on others. I composed myself and asked Julian, “Do you know anywhere with a really, really tall building?” Seeing his confusion, I quickly explained, “The ancients used to say you could reach out and pluck stars from the sky, and I want to try that too.” He nodded. “I know a place where the stars are beautiful.” “I’ll make a call to set it up.” A shadow fell over me. I exhaled slowly, looking up. “Where are we going next?” It wasn’t Julian. I stared blankly at Mom and Alex.

Alex eyed me up and down. I instinctively hid my injured hand behind my back. His brows furrowed into a deep V. “A few days out on your own and you’ve made a mess of yourself. I’m embarrassed to even say you’re a Davies.” Here we go again. Next would be— “You’re both Davies daughters, but how can you be so different from Serena?” “Did you feed everything you learned in etiquette class to the dogs?” Mom’s eyes welled with tears. “Charlotte, just come home.” “You and Serena are sisters, you should help each other.” Help? I swayed for a moment, understanding her meaning, a sharp pain shooting through my wrist wound. Alex crossed his arms, a flicker of irritation in his eyes. “Mom, don’t spoil her.” “Is the Davies home a hotel? You can just leave and come back whenever you want?” “You can come home, but first, you apologize properly to Serena.” “I’ll arrange the kidney donation. That way, Serena will surely forgive your past mistakes.” My body stiffened, my face expressionless. “What did I do wrong? Why should I apologize?” Alex rubbed the bridge of his nose hard, a look of impatience and exhaustion on his face, as if he’d reached his limit of tolerance. “You leaked company secrets and tried to climb into Daniel Chen’s bed, Serena’s fiancé. Do you have no shame?” I opened my mouth, my throat dry. “I didn’t do that.” Alex laughed, enraged. “Enough! Caught red-handed, you think we’re all blind?” “If Daniel hadn’t recognized you in time and prevented a major disaster, Serena’s lifelong happiness would have been utterly ruined by you.” “How could the Davies family have given birth to such a manipulative daughter like you?” “I’m truly grateful Mom and Dad brought Serena home that year, not you!” Alex’s eyes held no warmth, looking at me the same way he’d look at trash on the street. My mind went blank, and I helplessly looked at Mom. Mom’s expression had flattened. “Charlotte, Serena was generous back then, she pleaded for you, otherwise, if this had blown up, you would have gone to jail.” “Listen to your mother. Give Serena a kidney.” “Whatever happened before, right or wrong, will be completely wiped clean.” My nails dug deep into my palms, a cold chill running through my body, my voice coming out raspy and despairing. “Mom… I didn’t do any of that. Why don’t you believe me?” Suddenly, someone pulled me behind them. Julian glared at them, angry and anxious, then looked solemnly at me. “Charlotte Davies, your body is your own.” “Not even your own mother has the right to force you to do anything!” He finished speaking and pulled me, intending to leave. Mom shouted, stopping me. “Charlotte, where are you going?” Alex’s arm muscles tensed, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes. “Charlotte Davies, Mom and I have said all the nice things we can.” “If you leave today, the Davies family will consider you no longer their daughter!” My steps faltered, my lips trembling slightly, all the blood in my body rushing backward. My gaze finally landed on the brightly lit room in the distance. I once thought that was my forever home. I fiercely squeezed my eyes shut, forcing back the tears brimming in my eyes, and finally, gave a liberated smile. “Fine. I don’t care about being a Davies daughter anyway!” Julian took me to an observatory by the sea. I gazed blankly at the sky dotted with stars, feeling as if I were immersed in a galaxy. “It’s beautiful.” Julian’s face showed a rare, boyish, proud smile. “I knew you’d like it.”

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I stood by Jasper while he built his fortune from the ground up, remaining by his side for ten years. Yet, once he achieved success, the first thing he did was propose to Phoebe. He said people often yearn for what they couldn’t have in their youth. He claimed his feelings for Phoebe were just unfinished business, asking me to wait a little longer. But I was out of time. Each day he spent wrapped up with Phoebe felt like a countdown to my end. … In the office, I accidentally walked in on Jasper and Phoebe during their secret rendezvous. The typically reserved CEO of Jasper’s Corporation was embracing Phoebe. His eyes turned dark, with a hint of red at the edges. My heart sank, and I stood frozen in shock, not even noticing the documents slipping from my hands. Jasper quickly covered Phoebe’s exposed back and stared at me with intensity, “Get out!” His tone was cold and harsh, as if I were some bothersome presence. Unable to bear those icy eyes any longer, I fled. The scene kept replaying in my mind, making my stomach churn. I stumbled into the bathroom, clutching the sink as I vomited. The pain in my stomach and the mental fog overwhelmed me. I didn’t know how long it took before Jasper finally came looking for me. He approached, still carrying Phoebe’s lingering scent. The smell made me nauseous again, so I distanced myself and said, “This is the ladies’ room.” Jasper paused, then locked the door. “Is this enough for you?” he said. “Adeline, stop this.” It was laughable—I hadn’t done anything, yet he came to tell me to stop. What was I doing? “You know I only did it to get back at Lydia.” “I know you like me, I…” “You’ve waited ten years already, can’t you wait a little longer?” His calm gaze fell on me, the earlier desires he showed for Lydia now completely gone. I choked. He had known all along. Ten years of hidden love, those feelings I carefully hid away, he knew them all. Yet he kept them at a distance, repeatedly playing out this tragic love drama before me. What did he see me as? A pathetic fool? Or a servant who flawlessly handled both his work and life? Thinking of him with Phoebe made my stomach ache again. The pain twisted my insides, and a metallic taste rose in my throat. Jasper frowned at my trembling form, “Adeline…” I shouted, “Get out!” I frantically grabbed his collar and pushed him out, locking the door and turning back to the sink to vomit again. When I lifted my head, my mouth was full of blood. “Miss Xue, your cancer has advanced to stage four, leading to severe gastrointestinal bleeding. It’s very dangerous,” the doctor sighed repeatedly while looking at my test results. “I recommend hospitalization.” But as I listened, my eyes were blankly fixated on my phone. The company forum’s gossip post had already skyrocketed. The front page showed Lydia in Jasper’s coat, being pulled into his office. When she emerged, her clothes were disheveled, and her lipstick smeared. The contrast between the two photos led many to imagine the worst. Especially since Lydia held a special status as Jasper’s chosen Phoebe, the one who occupied his thoughts for ten years. The comment section was buzzing. “Does this mean Jasper’s Corporation is getting a new boss lady?” “Of course. Lydia dumped him when Jasper’s Family went bankrupt, but he still couldn’t forget her. Now that he’s back on top, he chased her down again. If it wasn’t true love, who’d do that?” “Also, a friend in the secretary’s office said the CEO plans to propose. He’s already secretly preparing.” “What? Is Jasper really going to marry her? What about Manager Xue?” “Adeline? What’s she, anyway? She’s been with the CEO for ten years. If he was going to give her a title, he would have done it by now. Why drag it out and make it so embarrassing?” “I say, the CEO’s stance is clear. She’s been just a manager for all these years, obviously dispensable. Yet she clings like a shadow. I’d have left long ago.” “Staying now, waiting for the boss lady to come in and be humiliated?” Reading those comments, my heart felt pierced. Was my decade of loyalty really so worthless in others’ eyes? And Jasper… I thought again of him and Lydia in the office. Is that what he thinks too? “Miss Xue, what’s your decision?” the doctor asked again, tentatively. Maybe he felt pity for the young life before him. “If you don’t get hospitalized, your life expectancy is less than three months…” Three months. I felt dazed. I looked down, my eyes falling back on those comments. A bitter feeling rippled through me. “Alright. I’ll stay.” After arranging for hospitalization, I requested leave from Jasper via phone. Lying in the hospital bed, I realized it was my first time taking leave in ten years. Jasper always joked that I was a workaholic, with a will of steel, the favorite worker of capitalists. But he didn’t know it was just for him that I endured. I lost my parents young, and Jasper’s Family supported me for ten years, helping me avoid hardships and successfully get into college. But soon after, Jasper’s Corporation went bankrupt, accumulating huge debts. Jasper’s parents couldn’t handle the pressure and jumped to their deaths. The once favored son studying abroad had to drop out and return home to clean up the mess. When I heard, I rushed to Jasper’s Family. The once-bustling household was desolate, and the boy lay among piles of debt contracts, quietly sobbing. That vulnerability struck me deeply. Naively, I thought I could save him, just as his parents had saved me. Driven by a sense of mission, I resolutely went to him, determined to pull him from the mire. The story that followed was cliché. Gradually, under my daily influence, Jasper emerged from his despair and took on his parents’ debt, rebuilding from scratch. Meanwhile, I studied and helped him with the business. In the early days, it was just the two of us, working till exhaustion, often going without sleep, ending up with four dark circles under our eyes. To share his burden, I even attended drinking parties, turning from a non-drinker to someone who could hold her liquor. We lived like that for ten years, achieving today’s success. Jasper cleared all his debts and gloriously bought back Jasper’s Corporation. I thought I had redeemed him. But he told me he had come this far only for the heartless Phoebe who abandoned him. In a daze, I got a call from Jasper. His usual cool tone, “Taking leave for hospitalization? Are you sick? Even a workaholic has days she can’t endure.” “Which hospital? Want me to visit?” His tone was casual, teasing, as if he’d long forgotten the earlier unpleasantness. He always did this, moving on as if nothing mattered besides Phoebe. If I brought up conflicts, I’d seem petty. So I usually let it slide, ignoring things again and again. But this time, I was tired, lacking the energy to follow his lead. I suddenly wondered what expression Jasper would have if he knew I was dying. So I said, “Sure. General Hospital, Building 5, North Wing, Bed 31. Come on over.” Jasper didn’t expect my response and paused. Then he chuckled lightly, “Adeline, your lie is quite detailed.” “Stop joking. I know you’re upset about what happened before. I apologize, okay?” “I shouldn’t have yelled at you in the bathroom.” “But Lydia heartlessly left me when my family went bankrupt. I can’t swallow that.” “I’ve held on for so many years, finally reaching today, just to make her suffer as I did.” “I want her to soar high and then fall hard… Adeline, I’m about to succeed.” “Adeline, help me one more time.” Almost begging, in a way. Knowing me for ten years, Jasper had me figured out. He knew I couldn’t refuse. He sent an address, asking me to help. I looked at it, feeling helpless but eventually packed my things and went. The address Jasper sent was an amusement park under Jasper’s Corporation. I’d been there multiple times during project development, but I didn’t expect it to be the venue for setting up a proposal for Phoebe. Jasper said I was meticulous and suited his needs, specifically appointing me as the general coordinator. Ha, he certainly thought highly of me. The path had to be lined with flowers, the scenery along the way had to be beautiful, and the proposal scene had to be impressive. Even the people playing NPCs had to be ones she liked… A list of demands that made my head spin. So when the park manager asked for my instructions, I waved it off, “Whatever.” This was Jasper’s revenge game, unrelated to me. Besides, was it really just a game to him? Thinking back to the redness in his eyes, I couldn’t be sure. Maybe even he couldn’t guarantee it. So my existence became even more of a joke. Haha, he really does think a lot of me. Moreover, the Path needs to be lined with flowers, the scenery along the way must be exquisite, the Proposal setting should be outstanding, and even the NPC dolls should be ones she likes… He made a slew of such requests, giving me a headache. So when the Amusement Park Manager consulted me, I just waved it off and said, “Whatever.”

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I was five months pregnant when I found out I was carrying a child that belonged to Nolan and his true love. Back then, my father had groomed two childhood friends as potential suitors for me. I bypassed the one he favored and chose Nolan, who seemed uninterested and unambitious. Then one day, as my pregnancy progressed, I overheard a conversation between Nolan and his beloved: “Adeline’s uterine wall is thin, and she risks a miscarriage at any time.” “Nolan, are you really willing to let her risk her life to carry our child?” Nolan remained unmoved. “I’ll compensate Adeline later, but right now, your uterine cancer is the priority.” “Even if it means risking Adeline’s health, I want you to have a child that’s ours.” “You’ve suffered enough. I don’t want you to have any regrets.” “Besides, Adeline only bears 80% of the risk; there’s a 20% chance everything will be fine. Just endure the next five months.” I wiped away my tears and dialed a number I hadn’t called in years. “If I say I regret it, would you still want me?” …

I stood outside the door, feeling like I’d been struck by lightning, cold to the bone. On the other side, a woman’s screams rang out, then gradually subsided. Phoebe’s voice was still laced with seduction: “You didn’t touch her, did you? You promised me, in these last days, you’re mine alone, only crazy for me!” Nolan let out a satisfied laugh. “Such a little temptress, who was just begging for mercy?” Before I could make sense of it, the door opened before me. Nolan’s hair was disheveled, and there was a faint lipstick mark on his collarbone. The man standing before me carried a distinct scent. Nausea hit me hard, my stomach churning with morning sickness. Nolan, still looking pleased, was visibly startled to see me. His expression turned awkward as he noticed my pale face. In a voice still husky with desire, he asked cautiously: “Adeline? How long have you been standing there?” His Adam’s apple bobbed—a sign of his unease. I dug my fingers into my palm, forcing a strained smile. “I was just about to knock.” My throat tightened, and I looked away to control my trembling. “Nolan, I came to ask where you put my calcium tablets. Are you meeting with a guest?” Now was not the time for confrontation. Nolan visibly relaxed, clearing his throat. Before he could answer, Phoebe peeked out from behind him, playfully sticking out her tongue: “Adeline, I have some here.” She pulled out a bottle of calcium tablets, giggling as she handed it to me. “Nolan knows I hate drinking milk, so he’s been stuffing my bag with these since we were kids.” She stomped her foot happily: “He’s so annoying! The house is full of them, and I can’t finish them.” Phoebe, the daughter of Nolan’s family maid, grew up with him. Seeing the familiar pink bottle, I was at a loss. Nolan had once leaned against my belly, proudly handing me this bottle. “I had these calcium tablets specially made for you. Be sure to take them.” He’d said they were precious, only one bottle a month. I chuckled to myself. Inside, I felt barren. What moved me was merely someone else’s leftover. Seeing I didn’t take it, Nolan looked displeased. “What’s your problem now? Who are you giving attitude to?” “Am I giving you too much leeway? You’re making things hard for Phoebe.” In public, Nolan was always accommodating to me, but I was never to upset Phoebe. I used to think it was childhood friendship. Now, I realize I was naive. Five years of marriage, and my husband had his heart elsewhere. Five months pregnant, I was just a vessel. The illusion of happiness from a minute ago was now ashes. I looked at the man before me, who was clearly biased, feeling only disappointment. I gently caressed my slightly swollen belly, speaking in a low voice: “Nolan, it really hurts.” My shoulders shook, tears rolling uncontrollably. “It hurts so much.” Maybe my face looked really bad. Nolan’s dissatisfaction faded, replaced by nervousness. He warmed his hands, cautiously placing them on my belly. I felt no warmth from his palm. A wave of sorrow engulfed me, leaving me sobbing and breathless. Nolan, helpless, helped me sit down, wiping my tears with concern. He squatted in front of me, looking up: “Is it hurting badly?” My tears fell like rain, and I choked out: “Nolan, the doctor said my eggs weren’t good. How did I get pregnant with IVF this time?” For a child of ours, I’d been to the hospital countless times, my hands covered in needle marks. Hormone pills were my meals, and my hair fell out in clumps. The large egg retrieval needle made my whole body tremble with pain. Now I’m told this hard-won embryo is my husband’s and someone else’s.

Even if he could just tell me the whole truth right now… Nolan’s expression stiffened, panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained composure. “Don’t overthink it, maybe heaven saw our sincerity.” The faint hope was snuffed out. I lowered my gaze, hiding my turbulent emotions. The life inside me seemed to empathize, contracting suddenly. I placed a hand on my belly, feeling a stab of pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red string on Phoebe’s hand. My gaze lingered; it was what I had prayed for at the Blue Mountain Temple, wishing for Nolan’s safety. Inside, woven with strands of my own hair. Sincerity? More like a joke. Neither of them noticed my change. Nolan handed me a glass of water, intending to feed me, a faint hint of guilt in his eyes. I shook my head, taking it and drinking it all in one go. Steeling myself, I took out my phone and messaged someone, scheduling a surgery. Nolan, feeling inexplicably uneasy, leaned over to look. “Adeline, who are you messaging?” His tone was displeased, tinged with jealousy. After confirming the surgery time, I turned off the screen emotionlessly. “Work stuff.” When Nolan asked, I didn’t miss the malice in Phoebe’s eyes. His unease grew, but Phoebe interrupted, clinging to his arm provocatively. “Nolan, you promised to take me for wedding photos today.” I ignored her. Compared to the child not being mine, nothing else mattered. Nolan licked his dry lips, awkwardly explaining. “Phoebe’s just childish, she wants to take some bridal photos and dragged me to be the groom for fun.” “Don’t mind it.” So the wedding photos were just a casual photo shoot. In five years of marriage with Nolan, we never even had wedding photos, just the one on our marriage certificate. My heart shattered, settling into silence. I gave a faint, indifferent smile, brushing away his hand on my belly. “If you promised her, go ahead.” Nolan sensed something was off, opened his mouth to explain more, but Phoebe tugged him away. He hurried out, reminding me: “Adeline, remember to take the calcium tablets Phoebe gave you. I’ll be back after the photos.” Once they left, I went straight to the hospital. Lying on the operating table, I felt a slight movement in my belly. Sorrow overwhelmed me instantly. I stared at the ceiling, letting tears soak into my hair. “Let’s begin.” Just as the anesthesia started to take effect, my phone rang. Nolan’s apologetic voice came through. “Adeline, the flowers are gone.” With just those words, I staggered off the operating table, rushing back. But I was too late; the blue and pink field of lily of the valley was already charred black. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. Those flowers were my labor of love. I had traveled the world to find the seeds, planting them one by one on my knees. Even with a big belly, I squatted to weed, nurturing them carefully. Lily of the valley takes five years to bloom, and after five years, this was the year they finally blossomed. Before I could even rejoice, they were destroyed in the fire. I dug through the ashes, my hands trembling, finding even the seeds burned soft. Phoebe shrieked. “How are these still alive!” Her words caught my attention, and I leapt up, cradling the surviving flowers with blackened leaves. Thankfully, there was still hope for a new beginning. Phoebe’s eyes glinted with malice, and I sensed danger. Before I could react, she pretended to trip, pouring boiling water over me. Instinctively, I shielded the flowers, the scalding water cascading down my shoulder. The burn made me flinch, my skin blistering and swelling instantly. The popped blisters clung to my clothes, the friction making the pain unbearable. I looked at the intact seeds and sighed in relief. Failing once, Phoebe changed her face, ruthlessly kicking me aside. “Adeline, what’s your problem? Trying to make Nolan blame me?” She then smashed the hot kettle onto the remaining flower seeds. Lily of the valley is delicate, and the surviving seedlings were all scalded. Nolan looked at me coldly, his words full of disdain. I jerked from the burn, and the skin blistered and reddened immediately. The broken blisters stuck to my clothes, and the friction was so painful that I shuddered uncontrollably. I looked at the intact seeds below and let out a sigh of relief. But my relief was short-lived as Phoebe’s expression shifted dramatically. She kicked me aside without hesitation. “Adeline, what’s wrong with you? Are you trying to make Nolan blame me on purpose?” she snapped, then threw the kettle onto the flower seeds. The delicate lily of the valley seedlings were all withered by the scalding water. Nolan looked at me with disdain in his eyes. “Adeline, you’re about to become a mother, yet you still play these games.” “Phoebe is younger than you, and she should be calling you sister-in-law. Can’t you be a bit more accommodating?” Never have I seen a woman call someone sister-in-law while trying to steal her husband. My heart felt like it had turned to ice.

All I could see was a field of charred lily of the valley. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand, the pain making it hard to breathe. Tears fell uncontrollably, leaving trails in the sooty mess. My research, my family, my life’s work was destroyed like trash. What did I gain in the end? I helplessly held the lifeless lilies, feeling lost. Yet I couldn’t help but think of Nolan from six years ago. He stood excitedly in the front row, catching the bouquet at his best friend’s wedding. He rushed toward me, his face alight with excitement, kneeling before me with tears of sincerity in his eyes: “Adeline, will you marry me? I’ll treat you well for a lifetime.” I was moved by his sincerity and, against my better judgment, took the bouquet. The passionate youth was something that could never be regained. The vibrant lilies from the bouquet years ago had gradually turned into the charred land before me. There’s no going back. Never going back. I covered my tears and cried softly. Phoebe was still adding fuel to the fire, arms crossed and watching like a spectator: “Adeline, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to set up an outdoor barbecue for Nolan. Who knew these flowers would catch fire so easily?” “Nolan, I’m really too clumsy.” Nolan didn’t see Phoebe’s malice, even gently coaxing her. My anger flared up, and I used all my strength to slap Phoebe hard. She was stunned, covering her face and looking at me in shock. Nolan’s eyes widened; he hadn’t expected the usually obedient and tolerant me to dare to confront Phoebe in front of him. He shoved me hard, burning with anger. “Phoebe already said it wasn’t on purpose. Why are you being unreasonable and even daring to hit her?” The force of his push made me fall to the ground, small stones embedding into my palm. He stood in front of another woman, completely forgetting who his wife was. The extreme pain turned into numbness. I no longer hoped for his return, looking at him with exhausted eyes. Nolan’s eyes flickered at my expression, a huge panic almost unstoppable inside him. But he stood there silently for a few seconds, hoarsely offering a truce: “Adeline, let it go, okay? We can plant flowers again later.” After speaking, he bent down to pull me up, but I gently shook off his hand. I shook my head, smiling bitterly. “No more. They can’t be replanted.” Just like my brave heart that once rushed towards him, it will never come back. Nolan’s Adam’s apple moved, thinking he had come up with a compromise. “I’ll have Phoebe drink three glasses of milk as an apology, okay? She’s always hated drinking milk; it’s the biggest punishment for her.” Is this a reward or a punishment? I looked at the man before me, feeling like I was seeing him for the first time. Phoebe pouted and whined. “Nolan, I don’t want to drink milk.” Nolan turned to negotiate with me. “Adeline, how about two glasses?” The scene before me was so absurd it was laughable. I couldn’t hold back and laughed like a madwoman, tears in my eyes. Pain hit me belatedly from where my back hit the stone, followed by a severe ache in my stomach. Warm liquid gushed between my legs. My face turned pale, the smile frozen. I forgot about the child’s existence, overwhelmed by panic. I clutched my stomach nervously, calling out in distress, looking at the man pleadingly. “Nolan, my child! The child!” Nolan instinctively moved to help me, but Phoebe called out and stopped him. Phoebe let out a scream, clutching her calf as she sat on the ground, tears welling up in her eyes. “Brother Nolan, I was just bitten by a snake! I’m so scared. Will I die?” Following her pointing finger, I saw a small green snake, no bigger than a thumb. It bites but is non-venomous and not deadly. Nolan gritted his teeth, glanced at me, and decisively turned to pick up Phoebe. She clung to his collar, her lips pale, deliberately acting like a victim. “Adeline, stop being childish. The doctor said a five-month fetus is stable. It’s not that fragile.” But my body wasn’t suited for pregnancy from the start. My condition is different from most. In the intense pain, I couldn’t speak, biting my lip until it bled. Cold sweat dripped down, and tears blurred my vision. The hesitation in Nolan’s eyes disappeared as he held Phoebe and looked at me coldly. “Adeline, you’ll do anything to bully Phoebe. I’ll deal with you later!” With that, he quickly got into the prepared car and left. The pain in my abdomen drained all my strength, and large beads of sweat formed on my forehead. Blood pooled beneath me. At this critical moment, my mind went blank. I only remembered the child I had carried for five months and hoped for years. Driven by a powerful will to survive, I shakily dialed a number. I felt the life inside me slipping away. The sensation of two hearts beating in unison was gone. My consciousness was blurry, but tears flowed uncontrollably. “Nolan, it really hurts,” I murmured, feeling the grip on my hand tighten suddenly. Then I fell into darkness. In my dream, I saw a petite girl in a purple dress I had embroidered. She waved at me from a field of lilies, her smile radiant. I moved beside her, crouched down, and inexplicably started to cry. A deep sorrow engulfed me. The little girl reached out, wiped my tears, kissed my face softly, and spoke gently, “Mom, don’t be sad.” Tears streamed down my face as I choked, wanting to embrace her small body, only to wake up suddenly, my arms empty. I clutched my now flat abdomen and finally broke down in tears. The man stood silently beside me for a long time, his eyes red with pain. I stayed in the hospital for a week. Nolan called countless times but never visited. On the day I was discharged, the man peeled open a candy and put it in my mouth. “Adeline, it’s all over. It won’t be bitter anymore.” The sweet grapefruit flavor exploded in my mouth, and I smiled. Sunlight filtered through my fingers, shining on my face, and I finally felt reborn.

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On my wedding day, the shocking revelation came: I was responsible for my fiancé’s father’s death. He publicly called off our engagement and, in front of everyone, placed the ring on my cousin’s finger instead. Shamed by the crowd, I made my way down the aisle, not in celebration, but in disgrace. Then, the grandson of New York’s wealthiest man stepped forward, offering a villa as a dowry to marry me, silencing the crowd’s murmurs. Touched by his bold gesture, I accepted. Three years later, with joy in my heart, I brought my ultrasound report to his office, only to stumble upon a conversation between him, his friend Beckett, and my cousin. “So, who do you think the father is? I’m dying to see her reaction.” It turned out I was nothing but a pawn in their cruel game. Wiping away my tears, I called his business rival. “I have something you want, along with a multimillion-dollar proposition. Are you interested?” Laughter echoed through the office, chilling me to the bone. “Declan really has me wrapped around his finger. He orchestrated the murder accusation. She’s been trying to have your child, not knowing her fertility meds were swapped for birth control.” “If I wasn’t curious about whose child it would be, she wouldn’t even have the chance to become a mother.” Declan adjusted his glasses and said, “There’s a 50-50 chance for both of us. Maybe we should bet on whose child it is. The loser buys Adeline three villas on the most expensive land.” With their pride at stake, they agreed. Adeline toyed with my private photos, sitting on the desk, laughing. “I took these photos at the scene. I can’t wait to see her face when she finds out the truth.” Declan placed his glasses on the table, a hint of malice in his voice. “No one should let her find out about this!” Adeline, with a touch of jealousy, said, “Declan, are you feeling sorry for her?” “Not really. I’m just worried that if she finds out, she’ll have an abortion, and the bet will be meaningless.” Declan continued his work without looking up. The photos disturbed him. He casually tossed them but landed them precisely outside the door. Quickly, I grabbed the photos and walked out. The stares from everyone felt like they were stripping me bare. Back home, I poured a glass of strong liquor and downed it in one go. The burning sensation in my stomach brought tears to my eyes, as the office conversations replayed in my mind. The day before the wedding, I had received an anonymous package. The words and photos accused my father of being a murderer, with my fiancé’s father as the victim. He had hugged me and said, “Let’s not let the previous generation’s issues affect ours.” But the wedding I eagerly awaited only brought public humiliation, with words and photos displayed on the big screen, and his abandonment turning me into a social pariah. Declan appeared among the crowd, offering a villa as a dowry to marry me, silencing everyone. He claimed he had loved me all along and if he couldn’t marry me, he wouldn’t marry at all. His determination moved me, but now I know it was all part of their game. No wonder on the wedding day, Adeline’s gaze was filled with a strange smile. She mocked my naivety, proud to have me as her plaything. I endured bitter herbal medicine just to give him a child. The nightly milk I drank before bed, unaware of the person switching it all along. For three years, Declan’s companionship was just a facade to gain my trust. A familiar scent from behind enveloped me as he hugged me, his hand resting on my stomach. “My sources told me you went to the hospital today. Are you pregnant?” He took the glass I drank from, “If you’re pregnant, drinking isn’t good.” Seeing my red eyes, he asked, “Who made my beloved cry? I’ll make them pay.” He wiped my tears carelessly. Then he ordered the maids to remove all the alcohol, telling me to point out anyone who upset me, and he’d deal with them. I shook my head, they were innocent. Yet he had the maid taken away to be fed to the tigers.

I tried to stop him but was taken to see the scene. “She didn’t watch over you, letting you drink alcohol. She deserves to die.” His words could decide life and death. The bloody scene made me nauseous, and I rushed to the bathroom. He looked at me with genuine concern, a stark contrast to his office demeanor. “Let’s go to the hospital. With you feeling this bad, I feel bad too.” I gazed at him, his deep eyes, and nodded along. At the hospital, Adeline and Beckett were at the OB/GYN. The next moment, he asked the doctor for an amniocentesis, and I realized their intention. The doctor was shocked, “The baby is just forming. Anesthesia can’t be used, and it would harm the mother.” “Just do it,” he said, pushing me into despair. I held onto a sliver of hope as he walked over, “It’s just to check if the baby’s okay.” I almost applauded his acting skills. Inside, I heard him impatiently tell the doctor, “Check the DNA for me and him.” The people outside gossiped, “No wonder they’re doing a DNA test so early. She must have done something shameful.” “No anesthesia, it’s definitely not her husband’s child.” The doctor returned, no longer shocked, and was quite rough. I endured the pain, slowly making my way out. The doctor said it’d take a week for the results. Declan wanted to carry me to the car, but Adeline left without looking back. Beckett followed her, and I was left by Declan, who went after Adeline. I clutched my stomach, barely making it to the hospital entrance, blocked by onlookers. “How much for a night? Pregnant women must be interesting.” “She’s free!” I boarded my car amid the insults. Returning home, I found my beloved dog dead in the rain. I ran to hold it. In the distance, Declan was bandaging Adeline’s wound. After his subordinate spoke to him, he glanced my way before resuming the bandaging. He walked over with Adeline, looking down on me. “This mad dog bit Adeline. It needed to be quieted forever.” My eyes reddened as I looked at him. “It’s gentle, never bites.” Adeline weakly touched her bitten hand, catching my eye. “Fiona, are you saying I wronged the dog?” “I don’t even know if I should get a rabies shot.” Declan waved, and the dog was tossed into the trash. I screamed in horror, “No!” “Fiona, it’s just a dog. You want one, I’ll get you another.” Then he left with Adeline. The dog was a birthday gift from my parents. I had told him. Now, because of Adeline’s words, it’s gone forever. Ignoring them, I braved the rain to retrieve the dog and gave it a proper burial.

Inside, I saw his forgotten phone on the table. Ignoring my soaked clothes, I instinctively entered Adeline’s birthday and unlocked it, revealing their sweet wallpaper. My heart ached. On SnapChat, there was a pinned conversation titled “Only One.” I clicked it without thinking. The screen was filled with their discussions about me. Adeline had set her eyes on the man I was to marry. Unable to take him openly, she resorted to underhanded tactics. My fiancé’s father was indeed murdered, but evidence was fabricated to frame my family, leaving my father restless in his grave. Further down, videos of me in bed were in Adeline’s hands, and Declan’s message left me hollow. “She’s not as good as you. You know how to please people.” Adeline: “Then come over tonight. It’s your good brother’s turn there.” Suppressing my anger, I read on, oblivious to the cold. Recent messages revealed they had plans for my dog all along. Adeline: “Your dog always barks at me. I’m scared.” Declan: “Then come over here, and I’ll have a reason to deal with it.” I never thought these words would come from him. In the chat album below, my blood froze. He had once said he urgently needed a necklace for his cousin. Without hesitation, I agreed, except for my most cherished one, he could take any. He laughed, “You’re the best wife. Having you as a sister-in-law is a blessing for her.” Now, that necklace was perfectly worn around Adeline’s neck. I ran to check my cabinet in disbelief, and it was indeed gone. It was my mother’s gift for my 18th birthday. I stared at the photo, noticing a scar on her arm similar to mine. I had known her for so long, she never had a scar. We were close cousins, sharing everything. But after I told her I saved a bloodied Chinese person in No Borders Country, she distanced herself. With work being busy, I didn’t look into it. When we met again, she was Declan’s adopted sister, seemingly holding a grudge against me. Suddenly, it all made sense. “So that’s it.” Declan never knew about the scar on my arm. I hid it with foundation. Checking the time, he’d be back soon looking for his phone. I called his business rival. I used to be very close to my cousin, sharing everything with her right away. Ever since I told her about saving a blood-covered Chinese person in No Borders Country, she started distancing herself from me. I was too busy with work to delve into it, and when I saw her again, she had become Declan’s adopted sister, as if we held a deep grudge against each other. Suddenly, it clicked for me, “So that’s how it is.” Declan never knew about the scar on my arm, which I always covered with foundation. Glancing at the time, I figured he’d soon return to look for his phone. I dialed the number of his business rival. “I can offer you what you want, plus a million-dollar deal. Are you interested?” “What are the conditions?” “Kidnap me in two days.” I gently touched my belly, “Declan will pay for this willingly.” Just as I put down the phone, he walked in, glaring at the phone’s location, displeased with anyone touching his things. His whole demeanor was tense as he looked at me, “You know everything?” I played dumb, “What should I know?” Declan held his head, noticing my clothes were soaked, and urged me to change. He didn’t forget to mention he had just taken Adeline for her rabies vaccine. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, pulling at my face, realizing I couldn’t smile. The messages on my phone kept replaying in my mind. I desperately washed myself for an hour. Just as I came out dressed, I saw Declan about to go in. “I saw you were in there for so long, worried you might faint.” “You’re not alone now, you’re carrying someone else too. Don’t mess around like that next time.” Before I could respond, he hurriedly left with his men. I started preparing the divorce agreement and the recording.

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I was secretly married for five years to a man known for his aloof, almost monastic discipline. After 99 failed attempts to win him over, I decided to let go. “Sis, I want to come home.” I hung up the phone. Passing by his meditation room, I heard hushed sounds. Through the crack in the door, I saw Alex. His clothes were disheveled, and his prayer beads hung loosely around his neck. One hand was discreetly hidden, the other clutching a photo of Chloe, the family’s adopted daughter. A muffled groan escaped him, and he whispered her name, his voice thick with tears. He kissed the photo with desperate reverence. It was only a month ago that I finally realized he wasn’t truly the pure, detached man he seemed. For the first few nights, I was stunned, unable to sleep. But after watching for 30 straight days, I felt nothing but numb. All his spiritual talk, his ascetic practices—they were just a smokescreen, an excuse to keep me at bay. The entire meditation room was plastered with Chloe’s photos. He was her nominal uncle, a forbidden love that could never see the light of day. So he chose me, to be his pathetic shield. 0

On the phone, Vivian, my sister, had sounded so happy: “Aubrey, you finally got it! I told you that boyfriend of yours was no good.” “Hiding for years, refusing to meet us… Sis here has a ton of great, reliable guys for you to choose from!” I murmured, “Yeah, I was wrong. Love shouldn’t be forced.” “Give me two weeks to sort things out. After that, I’ll be back home, helping you with the company.” I met Alex seven years ago at a party. In a room full of noise, he stood out like an ethereal lotus. Dressed in a high-collared white shirt, prayer beads in hand, his gaze was distant, cold, and utterly detached. My best friend, Maya, poked me, whispering, “That’s the ultimate ice king of our study abroad group. He’s been into spiritual practices since he was a kid, sworn off love, broken countless rich girls’ hearts.” “You can go for anyone else in this room, just not him. Stay far, far away.” But when Alex’s gaze swept over me, my heart hammered like a drum. My attraction to him was completely out of control. I’d always been bold, lively, and straightforward. Everyone liked me. So I didn’t believe anyone could truly be devoid of emotions. I was determined to win him over. I stuck to him every day, using every trick in the book. When he was writing, I’d climb into his lap, begging him to teach me. He’d back away, twenty feet, abandoning his paper and pen. He casually mentioned a pastry once; I scoured half the city to buy it, but he didn’t touch a bite, feeding it all to the stray dogs at school. I even lit an aphrodisiac incense, but he casually doused it with a cup of tea, saying it smelled awful. Finally, I decided to go all out. I slipped into his meditation room, wearing nothing but a loose robe. Kneeling beside him as he chanted, I whispered in his ear, “It’s so cold, Master. Please hold me.” He turned and left. The next day, he sent me a dozen down jackets, telling me not to wear inappropriate clothes and disrespect the divine. Maya poked my forehead, calling me pathetic. But I argued back, righteous, that she just didn’t understand how rare it was to find true love. I spent two whole years being a complete doormat, so obvious everyone knew it, but I never softened his heart, not one bit. Just as I was losing hope, wondering if I should give up, Alex suddenly took me to a church. Against the cool moonlight, he asked me: “Marry me?” “Who?” “Me.” Tears welled up instantly. I wrapped my arms around his waist, asking, “You do have feelings for me, don’t you?” He was silent for a very, very long time. So long that I looked up, confused. Finally, he said, “Yes.” Looking back now, I realize that long silence was his unspoken refusal. Five years into our marriage, Alex never once stepped into my bedroom. No matter how I tried to seduce or tease him, even if he momentarily lost his composure. He would always pull back, shutting himself inside his meditation room. A month ago, still unwilling to give up, I quietly tampered with the lock on his meditation room door. That’s how I witnessed his most hidden desires. He hadn’t sworn off love at all. He had poured all his passion into Chloe. His chanting, his prayers, his marriage to me – it was all just a facade. He was afraid of what society would say, afraid his shameful love would bring disaster to Chloe. So, was I just destined to be a sacrificial lamb for his affection? The Alex in that meditation room was a side of him I’d never seen. His eyes were red-rimmed, his expression both devout and deranged. He clutched Chloe’s photo to his chest, confessing in anguish: “Chloe, I truly love you so much.” Like a self-inflicted wound, I didn’t move. I just watched him break down and cry over another woman. This time, I was truly ready to let go. 0

I was up almost all night, preparing the documents I needed to finalize everything. At breakfast, Alex came downstairs, prayer beads in hand, back to his usual aloof, disciplined self. He walked past me, not even bothering to spare me a glance. “Alex.” He didn’t stop. I followed him, and he was just putting on his shoes. He naturally extended his arms, expecting me to help him with his jacket. When he turned his head and saw my hands were empty, he frowned. “I’ll be busy today.” His voice was tinged with annoyance. “Don’t cause trouble.” A sharp pang went through my heart. How much did he really despise me? I reached for his jacket and handed it to him. “I’m not going to the office today. I’m taking the afternoon meeting off.” Alex finally deigned to give me a look. “Something else going on?” I just hummed in response. He nodded dismissively. “Go have fun. It doesn’t matter if you come to the office or not.” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. “What if it’s not ‘fun’?” But he was already out the door. My answer wasn’t something he cared to hear. With Vivian’s connections, my relocation back home went incredibly smoothly. All that was left was to wait. It was still early, so I went straight to the office to pack up my belongings. As I was leaving, I ran into Alex and a group of his friends. Over the years, even though I hadn’t managed to charm Alex, I had gotten quite close to his circle. They practically dragged me into their gathering. When I was pushed close to Alex, he gave me a brief, indifferent glance. “So that’s your game plan.” He shifted away, casually brushing the sleeve I had touched. I was speechless. It seemed no matter what I did, he would always assume the worst. At the bar, I had just poured myself a full glass of whiskey when Leo, Alex’s assistant, quietly reminded me: “Mrs. Gray, didn’t you forget Mr. Gray hates it when women drink? You’ve been sober for years. What’s gotten into you today?” I gave a faint smile. “I’m just craving it.” The liquor slid down my throat, igniting a fire that warmed my frozen heart. Fueled by alcohol, I felt like I was finding some part of my old self again. I slipped into the dance floor with the crowd, swaying to the music. A few handsome guys approached me. I not only matched their moves but even hooked a finger under one of their chins. Maya, my best friend, who I’d called earlier, walked in just in time to see this. She gasped, rushed onto the dance floor, and dragged me out. “Aubrey Gray, are you out of your mind?! Alex is right there at the VIP table, watching!” “Dancing like that, flirting with guys—aren’t you worried he’ll give you hell when you get home?” How ridiculous. When had Alex ever given me a good look? From the VIP table behind us, a friend said to Alex, “Are the newlyweds fighting? Is Aubrey mad you won’t make your relationship public?” “Honestly, you two have been married for four or five years now. You really should give Aubrey a proper title when you go back home.” Alex took a sip of his drink. “She doesn’t care.” His words were like daggers, stabbing my heart. How could I not care? I’d forced myself to stay abroad all these years for him. My family had asked countless times who he was, but Alex never bothered, leaving me to face them alone. His friend chuckled again. “Aubrey’s got plenty of handsome guys around her. Aren’t you worried about getting cuckolded?” Alex answered casually, “She won’t.” He was so certain, I almost laughed out loud. Maybe Alex knew how much I loved him, how he thought I wouldn’t dare to cross the line. Or perhaps, he just didn’t care at all. Alex’s eyes scanned the room for something. Suddenly, he stood up. He quickly moved through the crowd, stopping in front of a girl. It was Chloe. Of course. That’s why he, who usually despised nightclubs, had agreed to this party. 0

He pulled Chloe back to the VIP table. I caught the jealousy in his eyes: “You’re too young for a place like this, and you let that man touch your hair? Why are you so careless with yourself?!” Chloe pouted. “Uncle Alex, why are you more controlling than my parents? I’m an adult, why can’t I come here?” “Anyway, you don’t even bother with me anymore, so what does it matter who I hang out with?” Alex’s face showed a rare flicker of emotion. “Your business, of course it matters to me!” Chloe looked wronged. “Then tell me, how long has it been since you came to see me?” “You used to care about me so much, but ever since you got married, you changed.” “You only have Aubrey Gray in your heart now, you’ve completely forgotten about me!” Seeing her cry, Alex visibly panicked. “No, that’s not true, how could I possibly…” He sighed, not daring to continue, but gently took out a handkerchief to wipe Chloe’s tears. He even helped her blow her nose, then casually put the handkerchief back in his pocket. It seemed his constant talk of being a germaphobe was selective. Chloe grew even more agitated. She stomped her foot, furiously pointing at me. “So what if you’re married? If it wasn’t for this woman, would you come back to me, Uncle Alex?” She grabbed a fruit knife from the table and, without a word, rushed at me, plunging the knife into my chest. The sudden pain drained all my strength. Screams and cries for help sounded distant. Before I lost consciousness, I saw Alex pulling Chloe tightly into his embrace. His lips formed the words: “Chloe, don’t be scared.” I woke up in a hospital room. “You’re awake?” A stranger, a nurse’s aide, rang the bell for me. “Next time, young lady, don’t go to nightclubs alone. It’s very dangerous.” “Luckily, the person wasn’t strong, and the knife wasn’t very sharp. But you’ll have a big scar on your chest after all those stitches.” I asked hoarsely, “Who brought me here?” The nurse’s aide blurted out, “Ms. Maya, of course. You two are good friends, aren’t you?” “She stayed by your side for a whole day and night. I finally convinced her to go rest for a bit.” And… Alex? I instinctively opened my phone. Chloe’s update popped up: “Uncle Alex was right, it doesn’t hurt when you blow on it.” She had a band-aid on her arm, and a man’s lips were restrained, hovering very close. Though only his mouth and below were visible, I easily recognized it as Alex. I swiped my finger, and a new update refreshed. “Hehe, it looks good on me too, doesn’t it?” Chloe was wearing Alex’s prayer beads on her wrist. My pupils contracted. My heart felt so sour, like I’d swallowed a truckload of lemons. I distinctly remembered: when I had tried to seduce him before, I’d accidentally brushed his prayer beads with my fingertip. Alex had been furious, forcing me to copy scriptures 100 times, burning them as punishment to the gods for my disrespect. All these years, because I loved him, I had completely turned myself into a joke. Hatred flared in my heart. I wanted them to pay. Not long after I called the police, Alex burst into my hospital room. “You called the police just to force me to see you?” I rolled my eyes. “I called the police because I was stabbed.” Alex frowned, then turned and walked out of the room. After a long moment, he returned. “I’ve already signed the settlement on your behalf. Stop making a fuss.” That’s when I realized he had gone out to intercept the police. I yelled, “How dare you!” Alex’s voice was as cold as ice. “Because I’m your husband.” “And because I have enough wealth.” I roared, “Chloe stabbed me! She deserves to be punished!” Alex was silent for a moment. “She’s still young, and she was hurt too.” I held up the photo Chloe had posted on her phone, then ripped open my hospital gown. “She has a small scratch on her hand, but my chest has eighteen stitches!” “Alex, your bias is unbelievable!” Alex lost his patience. “I already punished her. Can you just drop it?” I scoffed, “Punish her for what? Copying the Great Compassion Mantra once?” Alex’s expression flickered. I hadn’t expected to guess right. It was absolutely laughable! I laughed until tears streamed down my face, my voice filled with desolate helplessness. “Alex, you don’t love me. Why did you marry me?!” “You clearly hate me so much…” Alex looked up. “When did I ever hate you?” Seeing me trembling with agitation, he sighed and said, “Alright, when you’re discharged, I’ll agree to let you have my child. Happy now?” I froze. “What did you say?” Alex continued, “However, it can only be through IVF…” I completely broke down, slamming my phone onto him. “Get out!” 0

Alex didn’t leave. Instead, he stayed, saying he wanted to take care of me. It was the first time he’d ever softened, claiming he meant well but messed up, even buying a cake to apologize. If this had happened before, I don’t know how ecstatic I would have been. I would have said it was fine, and even taken some blame myself. I had loved him so humbly, I’d forgotten who I truly was. But now, I was awake. Whatever he did, my heart felt nothing. Perhaps the pain had been too intense before, making it easy to let go now. When I was discharged and returned home, I found Chloe sprawled on the couch, playing on her phone. Hearing us enter, she sprang up and threw herself into Alex’s arms. Her long legs wrapped around his waist, and her arms hooked his neck as she whined, “Uncle Alex, you’re finally home! I missed you so much.” Alex’s eyes softened. “Still acting like a child at your age.” Yet, his hands were firmly supporting Chloe’s thighs, with no intention of letting go. I walked past them expressionlessly. Only then did Alex put Chloe down. He whispered something softly to her. Chloe turned to me as I was heading upstairs. “Auntie, I’m sorry about the other day.” It was a perfunctory apology, but Alex seemed satisfied. He patted her head and said to me, “Chloe will be moving in with us.” “She’s old enough now, and it’s not safe for her to be out alone.” What wasn’t safe about a college dorm? He was just jealous that day and wanted to keep Chloe under his watchful eye. But I had no intention of exposing his twisted thoughts. I was leaving soon anyway; I didn’t want any more complications. But Chloe wasn’t quiet. She paraded around the house every day in tank tops and hot pants. Alex tried to endure it, but his eyes would inevitably latch onto her. The difference between love and not love was so obvious. As soon as Chloe beckoned, the aloof “monk” would immediately fall to earth, experiencing human joys and sorrows. One night, after Chloe had too much to drink, Alex dragged her home from a club. I was woken by the noise and went to the kitchen for water. That’s when I saw them, tightly embracing at the end of the hallway. Chloe was hazy with intoxication, calling Alex’s name: “Alex, don’t ignore me. Chloe’s been a good girl, hold me…” Her hands cupped Alex’s face. With every breath, Alex’s self-control completely shattered. He furiously kissed Chloe’s lips, his hand clutching the back of her head. Years of restraint were unleashed in that moment. I retreated back into my room, realizing my face was already streaked with cold tears. I thought I wouldn’t cry anymore, but remembering all the small moments from these years… I truly felt… so wronged. The next morning, I handed a stack of papers to Alex, who was peeling a boiled egg for Chloe. “Sign these.” Alex took the pen, asking, “What are they?” Chloe glanced at me and started whining, “Uncle Alex, I’m hungry.” I lowered my eyes, trying to sound natural. “Just some reimbursement forms. Nothing too important.” Alex didn’t suspect anything. He quickly signed, then went back to serving Chloe her breakfast. I took the documents and left the house, looking at the flourish of three words on the divorce papers. A sudden sense of immense relief washed over me. It was finally, truly over. 0

I had just finished calling Maya after arriving at the airport. Then I saw Alex and Chloe walking toward us, having just completed their boarding procedures. I was caught off guard, with no time to hide. Chloe spotted me first. “Oh, Auntie, did you put a tracker on Uncle Alex?” “Uncle Alex just decided to go to the auction an hour ago, how did you already know?” Alex looked at my small carry-on suitcase. “Later, okay? I promised to only bring Chloe this time.” “I’ll bring you some gifts as compensation when I get back.” Compensation, always compensation. I shook my head. “No need.” Chloe cried out anxiously, “You’re not trying to steal that pink diamond from me, are you? Aubrey Gray, you already stole Uncle Alex from me, how can you be so greedy?” I wasn’t angry. I calmly said, “Chloe, before I leave, let me give you a gift.” Even though I was leaving, I didn’t want Alex to have an easy time of it. Chloe’s face showed suspicion. I continued, “The person your uncle truly loves is you. He married me only because he was afraid of bringing scandal upon you.” “Don’t worry, no one can take him from you.” Alex’s breath hitched. He snapped, “Shut up!” But I didn’t stop, enjoying his exposed embarrassment. “If you get a chance, check out his meditation room. You’ll be surprised.” With that, I turned and walked away. Alex urgently tried to explain to Chloe, but she delightedly hooked her arm around his neck. The crowd quickly separated us. I wasn’t that kind. So, in my heart, I wished them: *May you never find happiness.* … Alex rejected Chloe’s attempt to kiss him. He called out Aubrey Gray’s name. But a senior tour group was passing by, and he was pushed to the other side of the crowd. From start to finish, Aubrey Gray never looked back. This had never happened before. In his memory, he seemed to have rarely seen Aubrey Gray’s back. Because he was always the one who left first. When she faced him, she always wore a smile, her devoted gaze tinged with a hint of eagerness to please. He always found that Aubrey Gray annoying. But he had also grown accustomed to her kindness. Even after they landed, he didn’t receive a message from Aubrey Gray. But he didn’t pay much attention, only stopping by a small street shop after the auction. Aubrey Gray was easy to appease; a small gift would make her happy. The shop owner eagerly showed him handmade rings. Alex’s heart stirred. He suddenly remembered that day at the church, after Aubrey Gray accepted his proposal, she had half-jokingly asked: “Alex, how can you propose without even a ring?” He didn’t answer, he thought. Later, she brought it up a few more times, always in a joking tone, but he either changed the subject or remained silent. He never gave her a response. And so, in the last two years, she had stopped asking. He picked up a rose-shaped ring, thinking of the day he first met Aubrey Gray. She was wearing a red shirt with high-waisted wide-leg pants, looking like a blooming rose. Later, she stood before him, eyes sparkling: “Alex, I like you. Can I try to win you over?” Her smile was direct and radiant. He had even been momentarily lost in it. A bell chimed at the door. Chloe came in and snatched the ring from his hand. “Ugh, why a rose? So cheesy…” She slipped it on and swung her hand back and forth, pouting, “Alex, do you really think this suits me?” After leaving their familiar surroundings, she had stopped calling him Uncle Alex. Alex felt a pang of guilt. Chloe immediately reacted. She yanked off the ring, her eyes red-rimmed. “You were going to give this to Aubrey Gray, weren’t you?” Alex spoke gently, trying to soothe her. “Chloe, I’m married. Aubrey is my wife.” But Chloe’s tears fell. “So what? A marriage without love means nothing!” She grabbed Alex’s shirt, stubbornly declaring, “I forbid it! I forbid you from buying rings for other women.” With this interlude, both their moods were sour for the rest of the trip. Alex unconsciously checked his phone every few minutes. But Aubrey Gray’s profile picture remained stubbornly silent. He made an excuse and called Leo separately, asking him to find out where Aubrey Gray had gone. But Leo was eerily silent for a moment. “Mr. Gray, Mrs. Gray resigned last week. Didn’t you know?” Alex froze. He heard Leo continue, “I heard Mrs. Gray returned home two days ago. Didn’t *you* know either?” 0 When Alex rushed home, Leo was already waiting at the door. Inside, he handed Alex a file, his expression grim. “Mr. Gray, this just arrived at the company.”

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I found a pair of battered-up lingerie stockings in my girlfriend’s bag. My gaze locked on the irregular yellowish stains on them, and I froze. I stayed silent, doing nothing but secretly pouring some fiery hot chili oil into the lube. From that day on, I became a regular at the hospital. Not for me, though. It was for the genes of a Black man. The day she gave birth, she clutched the newborn Black baby, her expression manic, as if struck by lightning. “No, wait, who put this in my belly?!” Chloe and I had been together for almost two years, but things had never gotten truly intimate. She swore she was old-fashioned, that she was saving herself for our wedding night. I chuckled and nodded, trusting her completely. Until yesterday night, when I found a pair of heavily used lace stockings in her pocket. The yellowish stains on the stockings were crystal clear. I didn’t even need to lean in to smell it. That sickening, acrid odor… any man would know exactly what had happened. My vision blurred. It felt like a physical blow. We weren’t young anymore, and both our families were pushing us to get married. So, a couple of days ago, I suggested we go for pre-marital health screenings. But Chloe seemed hesitant. “Liam, I think that’s a bit too soon…” I just thought she was shy and didn’t suspect a thing. “Chloe, it’s not too soon. We’re getting married soon anyway. Besides, with the screenings, we can get extra vacation days for our honeymoon! You’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii and Europe, right? We can get it all done at once.” Memories flooded my mind, and my blood ran cold. The sound of rushing water from the bathroom was fading. Chloe was almost done with her shower. I quickly put the stockings back where I found them. But my mind was already racing, unable to stop. When did she betray me? Two months ago, Chloe, who never wore stockings, suddenly, inexplicably, bought two pairs. She complained to me, saying the faculty really valued her and would often send her to academic conferences. She was too junior, so she’d just be there as a formality, standing all day. She said she read online that wearing stockings could effectively protect her calves, and told me not to overthink it. I didn’t sense anything was wrong; I just felt bad for her. But now, who could tell me what kind of standing position could turn a pair of stockings into *this*? I was dazed, feeling like I’d fallen into an ice abyss. Just then, Chloe emerged from the bathroom. I walked towards her, my hand barely touching her waist before she slapped it away. “Liam, please respect me! I told you I’m traditional. Can you just respect that?!” *Slam!* The bedroom door was violently shut. I gritted my teeth, rage churning inside me. I don’t respect you? Touching my own girlfriend is disrespectful, huh? Then what the hell is *this* ‘battle-damaged’ stocking from your academic conference?! I clamped down on my fury, refusing to explode right then and there. That night, I stayed awake on the balcony, not sleeping a wink. I’d heard grad students could be pretty wild. Had she hooked up with some younger guy? I suppressed my anger and secretly followed her for several days, but found nothing suspicious. The next day, I staked out her university entrance early. At six in the evening, she appeared near the gate. She was alone, but she kept looking around, a clear sign she was waiting for someone. I pulled my hat lower and moved to a higher vantage point. Almost simultaneously, a smile suddenly bloomed on Chloe’s face. She raised her arm, waving in a certain direction. I clenched my fists, staring intently. At the edge of my vision, a figure appeared. I didn’t rush out blindly to beat him senseless, as I’d imagined I would. Instead, I stood frozen, bewildered. It was indeed a man. And I knew him. He was Chloe’s mentor, Dr. Marcus Thorne, in his late fifties. Chloe had told me before that he’d pulled a lot of strings to help her attend those academic conferences. The two exchanged polite greetings and walked out of the university gate. Everything seemed perfectly normal. I felt a mix of bewilderment and relief. Maybe it was just my remaining fondness for her, acting up because I hadn’t caught her red-handed. But the next moment, I felt like I’d plunged into an ice abyss again. As Chloe got into the car, the man, in a gentlemanly gesture, used his left hand to shield the car door, while his right hand slipped into Chloe’s chest. Chloe shyly pulled back, but quickly pushed her chest out again, provocatively flashing her cleavage.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Chloe… and her mentor? A man old enough to be her grandfather! I don’t know how I made it home that day. Her tablet was on the console table in the hallway. She must have rushed off and forgotten it. I took a deep breath and opened their chat logs. “But my stockings were brand new, barely worn for half a day.” “You little vixen, you’re just too captivating. I can’t resist. I bought you other styles. Come get them tomorrow, and put them on right then and there.” “You need to be more careful. What if my boyfriend finds out?” “You’re too tempting. I just can’t hold back.” “Hmph, so between me and your wife, who has a better body, who’s prettier?” “That old hag can’t even compare to you. You’re a siren, the kind that makes me lose all control.” “Oh, stop it~ But we can’t always be in your office. What if someone hears us?” “We get so few chances to be alone. The office is the only place we can be open. And you’re too timid, you don’t even dare to make a sound. It’s much more exciting outside.” “Next academic conference, Daddy will make you feel like you’re flying.” “So embarrassing, don’t say that…” My face was ashen, my neck flushed with anger. The chat logs weren’t just filled with obscene words; there were countless indecent photos and videos. I couldn’t believe Chloe, who always presented herself as conservative and traditional, was truly this person. They had even talked about me. “Why are you still with that boyfriend of yours? What do you see in him? He knows nothing about passion.” “He doesn’t know passion, but he’s really generous with money. Besides, I’m so pretty, it feels good to have him dote on me.” “Dote on you? Can he dote on you like I can? Hmph, I’m jealous.” “Oh, you’re jealous? I haven’t even said I’m jealous yet! If you divorce your wife, I’ll break up with him immediately, and then I’ll give you two healthy baby boys. How about that?” “Baby, enough about that. Kiss me, mua~” That single “Baby” made me want to gag. I would have never in a million years thought that my girlfriend of almost two years, after such a long-term relationship, was this kind of person! In their eyes, I was just a cuckold, a walking ATM, and a personal servant? I thought back to these past two years. As her rightful boyfriend, I had to wait for her mood to even kiss her. Let alone any further intimacy. I even thought I’d found a good girl. That’s why I always respected her so much. But now, reality had slapped me hard across the face. This supposedly virtuous lady was, in fact, a backstabbing slut! I was worse than a simp! My lips trembled with rage. Dr. Marcus Thorne. This old creep was truly something. He’d published articles in numerous top-tier journals, a renowned figure in his field. In his late fifties, yet he showed no signs of aging; his posture was upright, he was refined and elegant, with an air of scholarly sophistication. His wife came from a prominent family, his two daughters attended top universities, and his own academic reputation was well-known in his circle. He probably thought his life was perfect. My face contorted into a grotesque grimace. Damn it! Cuckold me and make him a cripple? And I’d have to pay for that? That’s too easy on him. I’m going to destroy his reputation! I’m going to ruin him forever! I saved all the evidence, then put the tablet back in its original spot. Just as I finished, Chloe came back. Chloe usually came home after nine, but today she was back early, before eight. As soon as she opened the door, she asked if I’d seen her tablet. I pretended to be oblivious, and we “found” it together near the console table. Chloe grabbed the tablet and subtly let out a sigh of relief. “You scared me! I thought I’d lost my tablet.” Then, she took the tablet and went straight to her bedroom. I watched it all unfold with a calm gaze. She’d only left at six to have dinner with the old creep, and now she was rushing back so urgently. Wasn’t it just to delete evidence? When Chloe emerged from her bedroom, the slight heaviness on her face was gone. Right in front of me, she cheerfully answered a call. “Dr. Thorne, I’m back. Everything went smoothly.” “Thank you for worrying. Understood.” “I know. I’ll come to your office first thing tomorrow morning when I get to school.” Chloe covered the mouthpiece, naturally whispering a complaint: “These grad students are just slaves. Mentors aren’t teachers, they’re bosses. They make me do personal favors all day, I’m exhausted.” Personal favors? I scoffed internally. Yes, those were definitely personal favors. She lazily stretched out her legs and said softly, “Honey, I was standing all day at that academic conference yesterday, my legs are so weak. Could you give me a rub?” My lower lip bore the imprint of my teeth. Why were they weak? How dare she spout such trash? Did she really think I was a complete fool?! I excused myself, claiming I needed to use the restroom, and blew her off. Three days ago, I would have eagerly rushed over to rub her legs. But now, I saw it clearly. These two were deliberately seeking cheap thrills. You want thrills, huh? I’ll give you a thrill you won’t forget!

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Julian hated me. He hated me for usurping Blair’s life for eighteen years – Blair, the true daughter of the prominent Hamilton family. Then I died. It was a month after he forced me into an arranged marriage with Gary, a domestic abuser, just to protect Blair. The night before the wedding, I begged him on my knees, “If I marry him, will you finally forgive me?” He sneered, “Cut the pathetic act. You’re only fit to atone for your sins, for the rest of your life!” A month later, the police found my body floating in a rooftop water tank. The killer had severed my tendons, ripped out all my fingernails, and broken my leg and arm bones before tossing me into the water. But Julian, the man who had always wished me dead, went completely insane the moment he saw my corpse… “Julian, still no word from Willow? It’s been days since the wedding.” My adoptive mother, Susan, kept mumbling. “Is she still mad at us for making her marry him?” “Mom, she’s nothing but a thankless wretch! The Hamiltons raised her for so many years, and she complains about every little thing she has to give back! She might as well be dead for all I care!” Julian sounded annoyed. “Blair just called, said she had too much to drink. I’m going to pick her up.” I floated in the air, watching his retreating back with a self-deprecating smile. Of course. He still wanted me dead more than anything. He used to be the kindest brother, my protector. But ever since I turned eighteen and they discovered I’d been swapped at birth, he became convinced that I had stolen Blair’s eighteen years of life. He even believed that I, worse than an animal, wasn’t worth even Blair’s little finger. “Julian, if Willow calls, tell her I miss her. Tell her to come back and see me.” Susan sounded anxious, pleading softly. “Mom… I’m so sorry.” My voice caught in my throat. I wanted to hug her, but I couldn’t touch her. “She’s a thankless wretch, I tell you. If she doesn’t call, just assume she’s dead somewhere!” Julian’s voice was filled with pure disgust. I remembered when we were eighteen. Business rivals had hired thugs to kidnap us. He’d risked his life to draw them away, just so I could live. I still remembered him telling me before he passed out, “Willow, you’re my sister. I’ll be good to you for life.” It was during that kidnapping incident, when I was severely injured, that they discovered I wasn’t the Hamiltons’ real daughter. Now, no matter how much I tried to atone, I was still the ungrateful wretch he spoke of. My nose burned. “As you wish. I’m truly dead now. Are you happy, finally?” “Julian, I know you hate Willow, but it wasn’t Willow’s fault that she was swapped at birth back then…” Julian’s face darkened. “If her parents hadn’t deliberately swapped those two babies, Blair wouldn’t have been out there, struggling for eighteen years! Her whole family are kidnappers!” I trembled uncontrollably. “No, that’s not how it happened! Blair lied! My parents weren’t kidnappers!” The day after Blair was found, my biological parents died in a car crash on the freeway. Afterward, Blair swore up and down that my parents were kidnappers, and that they had intentionally swapped the babies back then. For eighteen years, she claimed she had suffered endless abuse in the Miller family. From that day on, Julian punished me, making me atone…

Julian left, and my spirit was forced to follow him to Blair’s birthday party. “Blair, I’m so jealous of you. Your brother is so handsome and thoughtful.” Julian smiled dotingly, and amidst everyone’s admiring glances, he pulled out a gift for Blair. “Bro, any news on Willow?” Blair whispered. “Is she still upset with me?” I scoffed. “Don’t pretend to be innocent. Didn’t you cause my death?!” Julian frowned. “She deserved to marry him. She has no right to be upset with you.” “Bro, she’s still your sister, even if her parents back then…” “Sister?” He scoffed. “Her whole family messed up our lives for eighteen years, and you’re still defending her? You’re just too kind.” Blair hugged Julian, pouting playfully. “It’s all in the past.” I stood in front of Julian, frantically trying to explain. “I really didn’t hurt you! I’ve found evidence that my parents weren’t kidnappers!” “Julian! It was her! She killed me!” But Julian couldn’t hear me. I shouted desperately, explaining over and over, until suddenly, I was just too tired. Julian had never trusted me. “Did you hear? The guy Willow married is a domestic abuser. His last wife almost lost half her life from his beatings.” “No wonder. I tell you, I saw Willow downstairs in her apartment building a few days ago. She was covered in bruises! Tsk… Serves her right. A kidnapper’s kid with an abuser, hahahaha!” “Exactly! That kind of person shamelessly tried to hook up with Blair’s brother. She used to be such a pathetic simp, clinging to Julian all day. And then she marries a guy just like that? What a cold-blooded opportunist.” “I think she should be here today, groveling and celebrating Blair’s birthday.” “Enough! Why even bring her up?” Julian was clearly annoyed. He lit a cigarette, but his gaze kept darting towards the door. Then, his phone rang. “Hello?” “Hello, this is the Coastal City Police Department. What is your relation to Willow Miller?” Julian’s heart clenched. “My sister. What’s wrong?” I looked at him and suddenly laughed. He still acknowledged me as his sister. “We received a report of a break-in at Willow Miller’s residence. We found some items at the scene and need you to come down.” Julian’s face was grim. I floated in front of him, pleading desperately, “Please, don’t go. Don’t go to my apartment.” After a long pause, Julian spoke. “I’ll be there soon.” Even though I was extremely reluctant, I still followed Julian all the way to Tangyu Manor. “Mr. Hamilton, we suspect Ms. Miller has been illegally abused.” The police led Julian to identify whips, handcuffs, ropes, and gag balls—unidentified tools of torture—at the scene. There was also a long trail of blood on the floor leading to the bathroom. The moment I saw those tools, I shrunk into a corner, trembling uncontrollably. It was a fear etched into my soul. Every single one of those tools had been used on me by that abuser. Back then, I was tied with ropes, my mouth gagged with a towel, and beaten bloody and bruised in despair. Julian’s face was dark. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “Where is she?” “We apologize, Mr. Hamilton. We haven’t been able to contact Ms. Miller or her husband yet. We suspect Ms. Miller may have been killed.” “No need to investigate further. Maybe she likes being abused.” Julian sneered. “That kind of low-life, she’d crawl all over any man she sees. These things are probably just props she set up to get our attention.” Julian simply didn’t believe I could be a victim. In his eyes, I was just a promiscuous simp, and he wished I’d drop dead.

“Mr. Hamilton, this is a human life!” “So?” Julian’s voice was cold. “This is a Hamilton family matter. I’ll find her myself and make her apologize to you for her little prank.” Julian’s eyes were dark and heavy. I knew he was truly angry. Angry that my “act” had gone too far. Suddenly, I wanted to laugh. See? Even with the torture devices laid out before him, he still firmly believed I was playing tricks, trying to deceive everyone. Even though the night before the wedding, I had knelt, begging him not to force this marriage. Even though it was Blair who had been involved with Gary, I was the one cleaning up her mess. Even though the Hamiltons had other solutions, this marriage wasn’t necessary. But what did he do? He lifted my chin with a cold laugh. “This is your chance to atone.” So many obvious truths, yet he steadfastly believed I was deceiving everyone… Even on the night I died, my last phone call was to him, but he just irritably snapped, “Then just let yourself get beaten to death. The world will be a quieter place when you’re gone.” Despairingly, I watched Gary burst into the bedroom, tie me up, beat me, abuse me, and eventually, kill me. “Riley, where’s Willow? Tell her to get back to the Hamiltons!” Riley was my only friend. For all these years, she was the only one who had ever protected me. Now, I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to her. “Julian, what the hell is wrong with you?! I should be asking you! Where’s Willow?! I haven’t seen her in days!” “You tell her! Tell her to get her butt back to the Hamiltons! Trying to play dead to escape her sins? No way!” Julian sounded agitated, his voice trembling slightly. He suddenly turned and looked in my direction. My body tensed. I thought he could see me. Then, he bolted out the door as if escaping. I stood there numbly, a self-deprecating smile on my face. It seemed only death would truly be atonement. It was a strange mix of luck and misfortune that I was really dead. When I caught up to Julian, Riley was still furiously yelling into her phone. “Julian, are you and your whole family insane?! Forcing Willow to marry an abuser! If anything happens to her, I swear I’ll never forgive you!” Julian let out a sarcastic laugh. “She put you up to this, didn’t she? Be careful, she’s a master at using others.” “You’re sick!” Riley cursed and hung up. In that moment, my heart felt like it had been hung and died too.

Outside, it was pouring rain. I sat beside Julian, staring out the car window. The heavy rain outside was exactly like the day something terrible happened to Blair. Julian had pinned me against the wall, his eyes cold and filled with murderous intent. “Willow, why did you get Blair drunk and make her sleep with Gary Jenkins? Are you really so malicious that you wanted to ruin Blair?!” “I didn’t! It wasn’t me, truly it wasn’t… Bro.” “Shut up! Blair tried to kill herself because of this, and she’s still in the hospital. Go kneel and apologize to her!” “No! I won’t! I told you, it really wasn’t me!” Julian didn’t listen to my explanations at all. He grabbed my arm and dragged me all the way to the hospital. At the hospital, Blair was still making a scene in her room. The moment she saw me, she rushed forward and slapped me, trembling hysterically. “Why, Willow?! I was so good to you, why would you hurt me?!” In my anger, I tried to strike back, but Julian violently shoved me to the ground. “It wasn’t me! When I arrived yesterday, you were already drunk.” I looked at them in a panic, trying desperately to explain. “It really wasn’t me.” Blair had called me to pick her up. When I arrived, only a disheveled Gary Jenkins and Blair were in the VIP room. A lace bra was even hanging on the door. Before I could react, a passing server shrieked, attracting a crowd. “But Mom, what do we do now? Everyone knows I shamelessly got drunk and hooked up with Gary. And now Gary is forcing me to marry him, or he’ll post the video online!” Blair’s eyes welled up with tears. She turned and rushed toward the corner of the table. “Don’t!” Julian rushed forward, bracing his lower back against the table corner, wincing in pain as Blair slammed into him. “I have a solution.” Everyone present froze for a moment, then heard Julian personally deliver my death sentence. “Announce to the public that it was Willow who was with Gary that day. Make Willow marry Gary Jenkins.” “No! Why me?!” I looked at Julian in a panic, hoping to hear him say that what he’d just said was all out of anger. He knew Gary was an abuser. He had beaten his previous wife into a triple-disability, and the court had only issued a flimsy domestic violence order,

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