Category: English

Julian Thorne’s ex, Seraphina, was back from overseas, divorced, and pregnant. The moment she returned, my husband of five years, Julian, just told me to take care of her every need. I didn’t argue or make a fuss; I simply accepted. After all, everyone in the family knew I was just a stand-in for Seraphina. All these years, he’d ignored my dedication to this family. One casual comment from his ex about wanting a ‘servant’ and I’d be running myself ragged for her. If she so much as sighed, Julian would practically hand her his soul. When Seraphina saw me, she immediately flung herself into Julian’s arms. “Brother Julian always had good taste, marrying a free housekeeper.” “I just wonder if asking Amelia to take care of me will make her angry…” Angry? There was no need. Julian had already signed the divorce papers three days ago. From now on, we were going our separate ways, no strings attached. “My mother’s still in the hospital. Seraphina and I have plans tonight, so you go take care of her.” Julian said, pulling on the clothes I painstakingly ironed and laid out for him every day. He didn’t offer a single word of comfort, just grabbed Seraphina and walked straight out the door. He left the breakfast table a total disaster, and even though he knew I hadn’t eaten, he dumped the extra portion straight into the trash. The house was terrifyingly quiet, leaving me alone in a mess. “Oh, you poor thing, Amelia. You really slave away for us day in and day out.” “Now there’s just Seraphina, too, but I’m sure you can handle it. My brother trusts you, that’s why he gave you the task of looking after the whole family.” Julian’s sister, Chloe, muttered a sarcastic remark as she passed me. I knew she’d always disliked me. I mean, who asked me to ‘steal’ her dear Seraphina’s husband, right? Even though I was Julian’s legal wife, Julian and the entire Thorne family’s favoritism toward Seraphina was plain for all to see. I was already exhausted from work every day, yet he ordered me to spend ten hours at the hospital taking care of his mother, who was paralyzed from the waist down. Julian and I had a huge fight about it. Everyone in the Thorne family saw my distress. Even when I yelled and screamed like a banshee, not one of them would say a word in my defense. Even though I’d tirelessly played the part of the perfect daughter-in-law and wife for five long years. This was my last argument. I was exhausted from constantly fighting to stay afloat in this toxic family dynamic. I listed out all the care instructions for Mrs. Thorne in a neat table and sent it to Seraphina. Isn’t she so eager to climb the ladder? Might as well give her a head start on what it means to be a Thorne daughter-in-law. She stomped her foot in anger. “What’s this supposed to mean, Amelia? You’re complaining about taking care of Aunt Thorne?” “Besides, Brother Julian, you know I’m frail and sickly…” So Julian had the absolute audacity to tell me to quit my job and become Seraphina’s full-time caretaker. I stood before them, watching them flirt and intertwine. They both seemed to be waiting for me to get angry, to rage. But none of that happened. I simply said, flatly, “Okay.” And so, today’s scene unfolded. He seemed determined to humiliate me, all just to win a smile from his ex. Julian believed that leaving me utterly devastated was proof of his love for Seraphina. I should have recognized the truth long ago: Julian never loved me. Julian and Seraphina’s love story was the kind people dreamed of, a real fairytale, the kind you read about: childhood sweethearts, perfectly innocent and inseparable. But when the Thornes went to propose, they were utterly shut down. Apparently, the Cross family looked down on the Thornes’ social standing, thinking Julian was just a toad trying to snatch a swan, and married Seraphina off to a wealthy foreign businessman instead. Julian wanted to elope with Seraphina, but she refused, tears in her eyes. She claimed it was for her family’s benefit, but in truth, she had just snagged someone richer than Julian. And so, they parted ways. Seraphina went to live overseas with her husband, and Julian vowed never to marry. But Julian’s parents wouldn’t have it. That’s when they found me. Julian and I met on a rainy day, a scene straight out of a romance movie. I was being harassed by some thugs, and he stood up for me. Then I held my umbrella over him as he stood drenched in the rain. From that moment, love took root in my heart. It had been ten years since then. At first, he strongly resisted, but then, after meeting me, he compromised. It was only then that I realized the truth: it was because my face was an uncanny eight-tenths match for Seraphina’s. Now Seraphina was back, and it was time for me to go.

It was past midnight when I finally finished taking care of Mrs. Thorne. Mrs. Thorne was famously difficult: petty, cruel, and demanding. Even though I tried my absolute best, she was always finding something to complain about, even if it meant splitting hairs. If anything was even slightly not to her liking, she’d start throwing things around the hospital room and cursing me with all sorts of foul language. As a daughter-in-law, my conscience was clear. Tonight was no different. I was only a minute late bringing her food, and she made me kneel by her hospital bed until she fell asleep before I could leave. In the dead of night, taxis were scarce, so I had no choice but to hobble home, my knees swollen and red from kneeling. I couldn’t afford to waste time; I had a major project to follow up on at the company first thing in the morning. Then a notification popped up on my phone. I squinted, and it was from Julian Thorne. He had never actively messaged me before, and for a second, a flicker of surprise, even hope, stirred in my heart. But as I opened the message, my heart died completely. It was a photo of him kissing Seraphina. Behind them, fireworks exploded, and drones lit up the night sky, spelling out a message: “Seraphina, Julian Thorne loves only you, this life and forever!” All the grand gestures were custom-made for Seraphina. Julian’s next message was ice-cold. “Sent it to the wrong person. It was meant for Seraphina.” “Whatever. You saw it, you saw it. Doesn’t matter.” In five years, I had only ever made one request of him: to receive a single bouquet of roses from him. But he had refused. “Roses? Can’t eat ’em, so what’s the point!” Hearing that, I had only felt a quiet sadness, assuming he was just a pragmatist, not into grand gestures. Turns out, Julian wasn’t clueless about romance; he just wasn’t willing to put in the effort for me. The joyful, blissful expression on Julian’s face in the photo was something I had never seen before. I opened my social media feed, and it was completely dominated by Seraphina’s posts. The comment sections were filled exclusively with messages from relatives and friends. “I knew Seraphina and Julian were always the perfect match.” “When is Julian finally going to divorce that old hag, Amelia Vance?” “Wishing them eternity.” Those comments were like daggers plunging into my chest, leaving me breathless. My finger slipped, and I accidentally liked one of Seraphina’s posts. Her message popped up instantly. “Today is the 10,000th day since Brother Julian and I met. He insisted on giving me a surprise, and I forgot to block you, Amelia, which might have upset you.” “But Amelia, you’re such a generous person, I’m sure you won’t mind, right? Oh, and I forgot to tell you, the photo Brother Julian just sent you? I accidentally sent that too.” “Accidentally”? I almost choked laughing at her ‘accident.’ How she managed to ‘accidentally’ pick me out from hundreds of contacts and send that photo, she knew damn well. Seraphina just wanted to see me furious and raging, didn’t she? Well, I was truly going to disappoint her. What once felt like the end of the world now just felt… trivial. At that moment, I calmly downloaded the photo Julian had sent me and the photos from Seraphina’s social media feed, zipped them into a file, and sent them to my lawyer. Everything I was owed, I would get every single penny. I had already wasted too many of my prime years on Julian Thorne. From now on, I would live for myself. I dialed my family’s number. “Big brother, I’ve made up my mind. It’s much more comfortable inheriting the family fortune back home. Will you still welcome me?” My brother was practically weeping with joy. “My little princess is finally willing to come home! There’s always a place for you here, sis.”

Julian didn’t come home, so I immediately called my private investigator. Sure enough, an hour later, I had the video of them ‘doing their thing’ at a hotel. I was determined to get my share of the Thorne family’s assets. After we got married, Julian always wanted to start his own company. So, I handed over the millions of dollars my family gave me as a wedding gift, letting him go all in. He just happened to catch a massive trend, and the company took off, making the Thornes richer and richer. But Julian, with his pea-sized brain, couldn’t even manage to pass his classes back in the day – how did he think he could run a company? He actually believed he was some kind of business genius! If I hadn’t called in financial executives from Vance Group to advise him, he’d have lost his shirt by now, along with everything else. But instead of gratitude, Julian only became more arrogant, and that whole pack of ungrateful wolves in the Thorne family looked down on me even more. How they saw me no longer mattered. Sooner or later, they would reap what they sowed. I just considered all the money and time I’d invested over the years as wasted, thrown to the dogs. First thing the next morning, as I was packing my bags to leave, Julian called and told me to attend the Thorne family dinner. “Don’t forget the family dinner at noon. Just dress casually, nothing too fancy. You know my parents don’t like you dressing too extravagantly, and it wouldn’t look good for the relatives and friends to see you overly made up. Even if the Thornes are rich, we can’t have you being too wasteful.” Before I could refuse, he’d already hung up. Maybe he was afraid I’d argue with him again, or perhaps he was afraid I’d beg him to forgive me over the phone, considering I was always the one meekly going to him to make up after every argument. Whatever he was afraid of, it didn’t matter anymore. I was about to be completely free. My family’s fortune was waiting for me to inherit. No need to work hard, no need to endure being belittled. How great would it be to just ‘lie flat’ and still get paid? The divorce papers were already effective, and I had collected all the evidence of his infidelity. Attending one last family dinner wouldn’t hurt. But when I arrived at the banquet hall, I was stunned. Everyone was dressed to the nines, while my outfit could only be described as pathetic in comparison. No wonder he told me to dress simply. He was setting me up! The most dazzling person in the crowd was undoubtedly Seraphina, wearing a haute couture gown, its skirt shimmering with diamonds, making her look absolutely radiant. Julian had clearly gone all out to make me look bad and let Seraphina shine, putting in a truly pathetic effort. But when I looked closely at the design of the dress, I froze. Wasn’t this the gown design I had personally created? I stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, watching Julian put his arm around Seraphina’s waist and dance elegantly. People around me started whispering. “Is that Julian’s ex-wife? Why is she dressed so shabbily? How embarrassing!” “She clearly knows she can’t compare to Seraphina, yet she still showed up? Talk about overconfident!” “Tsk, tsk, tsk, she looks way too much like Seraphina. Did she get plastic surgery to look like that?” A wave of laughter swept through the room. Seraphina spoke up, feigning concern for me. “What’s so funny? Amelia spends all day slaving away in the kitchen at home. It’s perfectly normal she doesn’t know how to dress herself up.” Anyone who didn’t know better would think Seraphina was being noble, but in reality, she just wanted to embarrass me, pure and simple.

Too tired to deal with them, I turned to leave, but Seraphina grabbed my arm. “Amelia, you just got here! Why leave so soon? Stay and enjoy the party!” “Didn’t Brother Julian prepare a gown for you? I thought he’d arrange something for you too!” I raised my eyes and stared at Julian, but he nervously avoided my gaze. Seraphina continued to chatter. “Oh, that’s right. Amelia, you’re such a rough person, I guess you wouldn’t know how to wear a gown anyway. No need to waste Brother Julian’s money.” I cursed silently in my heart. Sweetie, when I was wearing gowns, you were probably still crawling around in diapers. But I maintained a polite expression. “Oh, you’re absolutely right. I’m just a crude country bumpkin. But Seraphina, you’re so generous, I’m sure you’d be happy to take off your gown and let your ‘older sister’ wear it, wouldn’t you?” Julian spoke up. “Amelia Vance, do you really have to be so difficult with Seraphina? It’s just a dress. I’ll buy you one, okay?” I smiled, looking at Julian. “Oh, yes, just one dress. But everyone at this party is dressed elegantly, and you specifically told me to dress simply. What was your intention, then? To make me a mere backdrop for your first love?” Julian looked a little flustered. “Do you have to be like this, Amelia? I already told you, Mom and Dad don’t like their daughter-in-law dressing too flashy.” I swirled the red wine in my glass, watching Julian perform his little act. “Is it really your parents who don’t like it, or is it your beloved first love?” Seraphina quickly interrupted. “Amelia, if you think it’s me, then it’s me! As long as you don’t fight with Brother Julian, I’m willing to take the blame.” “I’ll toast to you, hoping you’ll calm down.” She raised her glass, trying to clink it with mine. I scoffed. “I have a severe phobia of trash, so no, I won’t be clinking glasses with a b*tch.” Julian roared, “Enough! If you can’t behave, then get lost! Don’t be an eyesore.” I turned to leave, but Seraphina suddenly rushed forward and knelt in front of me, grabbing my hand and trying to pull it towards her face. “It’s all my fault, Amelia, please don’t be angry.” In Seraphina’s violent tug, I lost my balance and spilled the red wine from my glass onto her gown. She shrieked in terror. “Amelia, how could you do this? You can hit me, curse me, but how could you take it out on this gown? This is a haute couture gown worth millions, the only one in the world!” “If you can’t afford to pay for it, Amelia, you’ll be facing jail time. And I truly wouldn’t want to see that happen to you.” I just laughed. A chilling, slow smile that spread across my face. Seraphina looked confused. “Amelia, you’re about to go to jail. Why are you still laughing?”

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In the fifth year of my marriage to Nolan, his first love returned. He placed her on his maintenance team. When I questioned him, he retorted, “Do you know why I chose her? Because she’s not like you, just a housewife obsessed with romance!” So, when he asked for a divorce for the twenty-second time, I nodded, “Let’s get divorced then.” Nolan scoffed, “Don’t come begging me like a stray dog.” I nodded, efficiently packed my belongings while he watched in disbelief. “Goodbye forever.” In the fifth year of my marriage to Nolan, he asked for a divorce for the twenty-second time. It all began because today was our anniversary. We had planned to go out for French cuisine, and the reservation was set, but he didn’t come home on time, so I drove to his office. As I passed the coffee shop downstairs, I saw him standing with a girl. The sight of her made my heart clench, and I struggled to breathe. It was Eloise, his ex-girlfriend, with whom he had a stormy five-year relationship before they finally parted ways. They stood at the bar, the girl in a stylish white outfit exuding a professional yet charming vibe. The man was in a suit. Their actions weren’t overtly intimate, but the love in their eyes was unmistakable. I took out my phone and opened my chat with Nolan. My last messages were still there, unanswered. Every time I called, he was busy, busy spending time with someone else. I walked into the coffee shop but couldn’t bring myself to interrupt the lovely scene. The gentle, affectionate smile on Nolan’s face was something I’d never seen directed towards me. Every time he came home, he wore a scowl, and I thought it was work stress. Turns out, he was unhappy because I wasn’t the person he wanted to see. After getting coffee, Nolan turned and saw me. He was momentarily startled, then gently patted the girl’s head, said something that made her pout, and she left. Nolan got into the car, frowning again, “What are you doing here?” I shrugged nonchalantly, “I came to pick you up from work. Didn’t we agree to have French dinner tonight?” “And, I remember you saying you wouldn’t let Eloise join your maintenance team.” Nolan’s frown deepened, “Phoebe, can you stop being so unreasonable?” “Eloise graduated from a prestigious aviation university and worked in a top maintenance team in Malaysia for years. Her professional skills are outstanding. Do you know how many teams want her?” “As a captain, choosing responsible crew members is about passenger safety. Why do you only think about romance? Maybe you’re too bored as a housewife. If you can’t stand it, find a job as a supermarket cashier.” He showed no restraint in his disdain. I silently gripped the steering wheel. We didn’t go for French dinner. At home, Nolan locked himself in the study, unwilling to talk. Usually, I’d try to make peace, or if I couldn’t take it, we’d have a big fight, but he’d always remain indifferent, making me look foolish. But this time, I acted as if nothing happened, quietly going about my business. An hour later, Nolan suddenly opened the study door. “Who are you sulking for?” “Eloise passed the team interview. I’m not letting her go. If you care, we can just divorce.” He seemed sure I’d back down, speaking with authority. “Anyway, you’re just a housewife. Without me, you can’t do anything…” “Fine, let’s divorce.” I cut him off. Nolan was stunned, “Phoebe, are you serious?” After a couple of seconds, he laughed. His smile was usually reassuring, but now it was laced with mockery, “Phoebe, I’m not joking.” “If we divorce, don’t come crying back, saying you can’t bear to part and only love me. It’s pathetic.” Though this wasn’t our first fight, hearing such hurtful words nearly shattered my composure. I was used to his harsh words, but it still hurt. I took a deep breath, “I’ve drafted the agreement. The car and house are yours, and I’ll take the savings.” I placed the agreement in front of Nolan. His expression shifted from disdain to disbelief, but he soon took it blankly. “Phoebe, once you sign this, there’s no going back. No matter how much you beg, I won’t look at you again. As a faded housewife, you’ll struggle to find better. I suggest you think…” I handed him the pen, “Stop wasting time. Sign it.” Nolan was stunned, grabbed the pen, and signed quickly to save face. “Tomorrow at nine, don’t disappear,” he mocked. I shook my head seriously, “I won’t. I’ve already made the appointment.” That night, I moved my bedding to the living room, listening to the sounds of things being thrown in the bedroom, crying silently under the covers.

Maybe my relationship with Nolan was doomed from the start. I always chased him, an eight-year crush from college. After graduation, he and Eloise broke up, and everyone knew. Eloise got an overseas job offer, but Nolan had been interning at a domestic airport for six months, soon to be permanent. Neither could give up their future, so they parted ways. At that farewell party, Eloise didn’t come. Nolan drank heavily and was a mess. Leaving, he was unconscious. His friends knew I liked him, so they urged me to take him home. Even drunk, he was a grown man, over six feet tall, his weight on me. I got him to the couch but was pulled into his alcohol-scented embrace. I had a few drinks at the party too. As the alcohol hit, I heard him sobbing, “Eloise, don’t leave me.” The next morning, I fled with a hickey on my neck. We silently agreed not to contact each other, and I thought my crush was over. Then I found out I was pregnant. My periods were always regular, and when I noticed something off, I got tested. With the report in hand, I sat in the hospital corridor. On a whim, I texted Nolan. I didn’t want to trap him with the baby, but he had a right to know. I waited at the hospital till night, but he didn’t respond. I thought he blocked me, but then Nolan called. “Phoebe, let’s get married.” If not for being in a hospital, I would’ve screamed with joy. I thought I used all my luck for his proposal. But I stayed calm, “If you’re doing this out of duty, I don’t need it.” He paused, then firmly said, “Phoebe, I’ll take responsibility. We can be together.” I waited for him at the hospital entrance. As he approached, he became the handsome boy from my youth. I didn’t know when I fell for him. Maybe when he caught me skipping class but let me go, teasing, “Like a little rabbit, hard to scold.” Or maybe every morning and evening I watched him. But at this moment, my longing finally found hope. Later, Nolan’s mother used my pregnancy as an excuse to skip the wedding. She made my life difficult, and I lost the baby. But I believed if I worked hard enough, Nolan would see my worth. How naive I was back then. Five years later, my sincerity was worn out, meaningless.

The next morning, I got up half an hour early. As nine approached, I knocked on the bedroom door. Nolan took his time, still in yesterday’s suit, “You’re eager for divorce.” I checked my watch and echoed his words, “It’s almost nine. Are you planning to disappear?” “Didn’t you always want a divorce? Now you’re almost free, why need a reminder?” Five years have gone by, and the sincerity has long faded away. It’s not even worth mentioning anymore. The next evening, I deliberately got up half an hour earlier. As the clock approached nine, I knocked on the bedroom door. Nolan finally came to open the door, still wearing the same suit from yesterday. “Phoebe, are you really in such a rush to get divorced?” I glanced at my watch and threw his words from the previous night back at him: “It’s almost nine. Are you planning to pull a disappearing act?” “Besides, haven’t you always wanted a divorce? You’re about to be free. Why do I need to remind you?” With that, I went to the door to change my shoes. “Hurry up, or we’ll have to reschedule if it’s past nine.” Nolan sneered and followed me to the door. “Fine, let’s get divorced. Eloise is much better than you. Marrying her will bring me more happiness than I can express.” I nodded, brushing off his comment. On the way to City Hall, Nolan drove like he was in a fury, cursing at everyone we passed. I sat in the back, eyes closed, resting. I’m used to interacting like this by now. In five years of marriage, Nolan and I rarely talked about the little things in life, as couples do. Initially, I would share interesting or delicious things with him, but he always responded with indifference, sometimes even impatience. Eventually, I stopped trying, convincing myself he was just naturally aloof. But that wasn’t true. I had seen him on Phoebe’s social media, being witty and charming. That warmth just wasn’t for me. At City Hall, the mediator kept trying to reconcile us. I smiled and said, “There’s no need to persuade us. The divorce is a mutual decision after careful consideration. Besides, it was a shotgun wedding. There’s no real affection.” Nolan glanced at me, a complex expression on his face. But I didn’t care. Seeing we were beyond help, the mediator sighed: “There’s a one-month cooling-off period for divorces now. If you’re sure, come back in a month.” “Take this time to think it over. Look at you two; such a handsome couple. If you’ve been married this long, there must be some feelings. Don’t act impulsively.” Nolan is indeed good-looking, I agree. When we started school, he was famous for his looks. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had a crush on him for so many years. Plus, he comes from a good family, always treated like royalty. Back in college, while we were eating street food, he was taking Eloise to fancy French restaurants. He was generous and loyal to his friends and classmates. But with me, he was stingy, unwilling to share even a bit of affection. I used to agonize over whether I wasn’t good enough. But now, I realize that’s not important. He treated me poorly, not the other way around. Because I hadn’t slept well, I kept yawning. Nolan turned to see my tear-filled eyes. He thought I was crying because I couldn’t bear the divorce, feeling smug: “I told you there’s no remedy for regret. Even if you don’t want the divorce now, it’s too late.” “I, Nolan, never go back.” I ignored him and headed home. Once there, Nolan habitually said, “Go make lunch. I want sweet and sour ribs today.” I ignored him and went into the kitchen, but I came out with the rice cooker I had customized. He widened his eyes: “What are you doing?” “I bought the rice cooker. Of course, I’m taking it with me after the divorce.” Besides the rice cooker I’m reluctant to leave behind, I also want to take the shoe cabinet and glass vase I bought. But they’re too big and inconvenient to move. “What do you mean?” Nolan asked, trying to suppress his anger, and I saw a vein throbbing on his temple. “Isn’t it obvious? I’ve found a new place and plan to move out. Oh, though you didn’t buy me much, I’ve left the things you did in the bedroom. Handle them as you wish.” Watching me busily pack my suitcase, Nolan suddenly erupted, kicking the coffee table. “Phoebe, if you leave, don’t ever come back.” I frowned at him, “We’ve been married for years. Do you really have to be so hostile?” “Wouldn’t it be better to part ways gracefully?” “There’s no point in maintaining appearances between us. If you’re leaving, just stop nagging.”

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alpha hasn’t been close to me for a year. I discovered his affair with that human woman. I overheard him say: “Every time she gets emotional, luna transforms back. “Seeing her covered in fur is off-putting to me; you’re so clean and pure. “Give me a wolf pup, and you’ll be the most honored mother in the pack.” I watched silently with the entire pack. He’s held the alpha position for too long. He’s forgotten that the blood of the pack cannot be diluted by outsiders. And he’s also forgotten that the infertility issue lies with him! From the first day that human woman was brought back. I sensed Gideon’s special attention to her. He gave her the best cave for shelter. He even cleared the hot springs on the mountain for her to bathe. Wolves eat raw meat. But humans aren’t accustomed to it. Gideon would select the tenderest piece of meat, roast it over a fire, and season it with cumin, something we rarely use. The cumin smell was overwhelming. Every time the pack smelled it, they felt uneasy. But Gideon is the alpha. No one can question what the alpha does or says. And as the luna, I had to quell the pack’s dissent for my husband’s dignity. I privately advised Gideon that it wasn’t worth it for a human woman. But he didn’t care. He even took the warrior wolves to the tiger’s territory, skinned a striped tiger alive, and made her a blanket. For a mere blanket, the peaceful relations between the wolf pack and the tiger clan turned hostile again. We kept watch day and night, fearing a tiger attack. The wolf pack is pure-hearted. No one would think the illustrious alpha would do anything with an outsider. Besides, the alpha has a luna. In a wolf’s life. There is only one mate. That never changes. I remained loyal, guarding the territory, defending the pack, and establishing the alpha’s prestige. Unfortunately. I was wrong. Wolves, like humans, can change their hearts.

That night. Tigers and foxes attacked the territory together. I led the warrior wolves in defense, but Gideon broke through from the side, driving the foxes and tigers away. Gideon was injured protecting the wolf pups. His wound oozed black blood, a clear sign of poison. The human woman named Nora is a doctor. She came at the sound and without hesitation sucked the poison out for Gideon. But the poison had already reached his lungs. Nora said, “We must climb the mountain to get the snow lotus to cure Gideon.” She called him Gideon. But even I, as luna, can only call him alpha. In this urgent moment. I shouldn’t focus on this. The pack looked to me. Hoping I’d make a decision. The alpha fell, so the luna must rise. At this moment, Gideon held my hand. He firmly said, “Listen to Nora, she won’t harm me.” That sentence contained many meanings. But in a life-and-death situation. No one focused on anything else. I said, “Finn and Milo, accompany me up the mountain, the rest of the pack guard the territory, ensure the pack’s stability.” “Yes!” After a unified howl. I took the two bravest warrior wolves and headed for the snowy peak. Before leaving, Nora specifically instructed, “Gideon’s poison will spread throughout his body in three days, so please, luna, bring back the snow lotus within that time.” After speaking. She knelt on the ground and bowed to me. I didn’t understand what her bow meant. Gideon and I are married. We are one. Finding the snow lotus for Gideon is something I ought to do. Her bow seemed to entrust Gideon’s life to me… But what was her relation to Gideon? What position did she have to bow like that? I left. Thinking, when I return from the mountain, I will surely drive this woman out of the pack. The mountain is far. The journey is tough. Finn and Milo guarded me from behind, shielding me from the wind and snow. When we encountered a cliff, we dared to rest only briefly. Afraid we couldn’t return in three days, delaying Gideon’s treatment. “How could the alpha be injured by a fox, we both know his strength, he was clearly injured on purpose that day…” Milo bit a branch, showing dissatisfaction. “And that Nora, who is she to live in the best cave and enjoy the best resources! Even luna was never personally fed by the alpha! “Luna is the daughter of the previous alpha, if not for luna, who would have served Gideon as king, Gideon can’t even compare to a single finger of Finn’s in governance or defense!” Finn frowned, stopping them: “Don’t say that again.” Milo was defiant: “I wasn’t wrong, it was Finn who rescued Esme from the tiger pack, Gideon just helped Esme home, making her mistakenly think Gideon was her savior, which accidentally led to Gideon becoming alpha.” Esme is my name. Before becoming luna. Finn, Milo, and I called each other by our names. But after my father died, I became luna… I had more responsibilities. And grew distant from them. “Enough, luna is back.” Finn said, and Milo immediately fell silent. I threw the hunted food on the ground, handing it to the brothers to store. After thinking, I finally said, “When Gideon and I married, he told me that it was Finn who saved me, so… I’ve always known Finn is my savior.” I straightened up, looking at Finn: “I will repay your kindness, but it has nothing to do with whether Gideon becomes alpha.” Finn was startled. His sharp eyes cooled slightly. Then dimmed a bit. He lowered his head, placing his hand on his chest, promising, “I swear loyalty to luna.” I frowned slightly. I didn’t dwell on why his loyalty was to luna and not alpha. Milo, still dissatisfied, muttered softly: “We’ll talk when you’re married, Gideon really knows how to time things.” In a day and a half, the three of us reached the snowy peak. It took another half day to find the snow lotus. After picking the snow lotus, I carefully placed it in an ice box, wrapped it in a hide, and carried it on my shoulder. Racing against time, the three of us rushed down the mountain. But I accidentally got caught in a human trap, and my leg was injured. Blood splattered on the snow lotus. I quickly wiped it off, relieved to see the snow lotus was unharmed. But I couldn’t walk. The journey back was so long. Finn immediately made a sled, and with Milo, they pulled me down the slope. Finally. Within the three-day limit. We delivered the snow lotus to Gideon. But I didn’t expect. The Gideon who was gravely ill three days ago. Now had regained his vigor, sitting on the alpha throne. And the snow lotus, obtained with great effort, was given as a gift to that human woman. “Nora saved my life, so the snow lotus is her reward.” Gideon said. Casually. And I looked at my leg wound, feeling uneasy inside. Hesitating whether to expel the human woman from the pack. Gideon added, “Nora is human, it’s not suitable for her to stay in the wolf pack for too long, soon I will personally escort her back.” Sending Nora away is what I wanted. But Gideon personally escorting her, isn’t that too… casual… A human woman. Is she really worth that to the alpha? I don’t understand, I’m confused. But that night. Gideon gave me the answer.

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Married for five years, Asher passed me off to his boss, Finn. The first time, he said, “Adeline, just have a meal with him, and he’ll hand me the project.” The second time, “Adeline, just spend the night with him. He promised he wouldn’t harm you!” The third time, “Adeline, why not have a child with him? Then he’ll promote me to General Manager!” Later, on the day Asher joyfully became the General Manager, I divorced him and instead married Finn. After I posted our marriage certificate on Facebook, Asher was filled with regret. “What did you just say? You want me to have dinner with Finn?” I froze, holding a wine glass, staring incredulously at Asher across the table. Today is our wedding anniversary. I prepared a candlelight dinner, thinking we would celebrate together. But instead of a gift, he said this. We were college sweethearts and joined the same corporation after graduation, though in different departments. He was in the Project Department, and I was in the Secretarial Department. After five years, he remained a small team leader, while I had been promoted to Chief Secretary. Finn was my boss, and I was responsible for all his needs, practically on call 24/7. I spent more time with Finn than with Asher. I knew many colleagues gossiped about us, given the stereotype of a CEO and secretary. Besides, Finn was young, wealthy, and attractive. But I always reminded myself that I was married. Asher and I had a strong relationship, from school to the working world. We were once the golden couple at school, with nearly a decade of history, and I had faith in us. Asher looked down, avoiding my gaze. We both understood what “having dinner” implied. He approached me, crouched down, and held my hand tightly. “Adeline, Mr. Finn said if you have dinner with him, he’ll let me handle the coveted project. You know many in the Project Team are after it. If I don’t get it, my promotion this half of the year is doomed… Adeline, I’m begging you!” Looking at this somewhat desperate man, my heart ached, and I wiped away a tear. “Okay, I’ll do it.” Asher hugged me tightly, almost to the point of pain. “Adeline, I knew you were the best. Once I finish this project, I’ll take a break and travel with you. Didn’t you always want to go to the beach?” That night, I lay awake until dawn, listening to Asher’s loud snores and occasional sleep talking. The next morning, Asher was up early. When I came out of the bathroom, he had picked out my clothes. A fitted pencil skirt with a white lace blouse. I frowned, reluctant. It was an outfit Asher had bought for our anniversary last year, one I only wore when we were alone to keep things exciting. “I’m not wearing this. Didn’t you say it was just dinner? I’ll wear my uniform.” “Adeline, please wear this. It looks great… If Mr. Finn is in a good mood, he might promote me even more. Be good, for our future! Just endure it!”

In the end, under Asher’s insistence, I wore it. Standing before the mirror, I bit my lip. The woman reflected had a great figure, the lace blouse with a hint of cleavage showing. Before leaving, I put on a blazer to cover up. Asher and I joined the corporation one after the other. The company had a no-office-romance rule, so few knew we were married. Finn knew because I told him myself. A few months after I became his Chief Secretary, he confessed to me. To refuse, I had to reveal I was married. Since then, he minimized our alone time. I thought he’d transfer me out of the Secretarial Department, but instead, he investigated Asher and came up with this plan… Just stepping onto the CEO’s floor, Finn walked out of the pantry with a coffee cup. His gaze fell on me, and I instinctively forced a smile. “Good morning, Mr. Finn.” “Morning, Secretary Adeline, you look… quite nice today!” Before I could respond, he entered the office, and I sighed in relief. Finally, it was time to leave. Colleagues bid goodbye one by one. My phone showed two messages, one from Asher, and the other from Finn. “Wife, I’ll wait for you at home!” “Secretary Adeline, wait a few minutes for me!” I turned off the screen, feeling too tired to reply. I was about to fall asleep when a knock on the table startled me awake. Finn looked amused. “Did I scare you? Let’s go…” I followed him into the CEO’s private elevator to the parking lot, keeping my distance, afraid a colleague might see us. Finally, we reached the restaurant. “Secretary Adeline, I apologize for this way of having dinner with you… I looked into Asher; he doesn’t deserve you…” “Mr. Finn, my husband and I get along very well.” Finn leaned back slightly, with a hint of sarcasm at my words. “Very well? Secretary Adeline, greed knows no bounds. Want to bet? Next time, Asher will send you to me without any request.” I bit my lip, feeling pale. “He won’t… We’ve shared so many years!” Even as I said it, I found it hard to believe. Seeing Asher offer me to another man for a project, what if there were more at stake next time? I didn’t dare imagine. “If I win, you can’t refuse me anymore. If I lose, I won’t bother you again, how about it?” That night, Finn was a gentleman and drove me home. When I got out, he opened the car door, and I glanced up to see Asher peeking from the third floor. “Adeline, remember our bet!” I nodded silently. In the following days, Asher successfully took on the project and was visibly happier. I felt somewhat relieved. I didn’t expect to lose the bet with Finn… A month later, one day after work, I came home to a strong smell of alcohol.

I quickly turned on the lights, opened the windows, and saw Asher sprawled on the sofa with a bottle, surrounded by empty bottles. I squatted in front of him, patting his face. “Honey, why did you drink so much? What’s wrong?” Hearing my voice, Asher jumped up and hugged me, crying. “Adeline, I’m done for; I can’t be with you anymore!” I frowned, confused. After a long time comforting him, I finally understood. Asher was desperate for a promotion. The project he took on had a batch of products with a 50% deposit paid. But now, at delivery time, the supplier was unreachable. He went to their office, but it was empty. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “How much was the 50% deposit?” “Five million…” I was stunned. Five million. Our savings together barely reached one million, and even with this apartment, it wouldn’t cover the gap. “Let’s call the police!” “We can’t call the police, Adeline. If we do, the company will find out and fire me… You know our corporation is the industry leader. If I’m fired, no one else will hire me…” Asher was agitated, his grip on my hand hurting. I tried to stay calm, coaxing him. “It’s okay, we can find another job slowly. You have me; my salary can support us.” “No… no…” No matter how I comforted or persuaded him, Asher drowned in his emotions. He always avoided problems instead of solving them. I lost patience, my voice turning cold. “Then what do you want?” Asher glanced at me, seemingly making a decision. He suddenly got off the sofa and knelt. “Adeline, only you can save me now.” My heart tightened, sensing something bad. Before I could ask how, Asher spoke up. “Adeline, just spend the night with Mr. Finn. He said he’d cover the five million privately. Then I can find another supplier to fill the order, and no one else in the corporation will know…” I slowly stood, staring at the man kneeling before me, feeling like he was a stranger. “Adeline, you’re the only one who can help me now.” A sense of dread gripped my heart. Before I could ask how, Asher blurted out the answer himself. “Adeline, you just need to spend the night with Mr. Finn. He promised to handle the five million privately for me. Then I can place orders with other suppliers to cover it, so no one else in the corporation will find out…” I slowly stood up from the floor, staring blankly at the man crying and kneeling in front of me. In that instant, he seemed like a stranger. Was this the same man who used to defend me with his fists when classmates teased me in school? How could he shamelessly suggest something like this with such confidence? “Asher, are you out of your mind? I’m your wife, and you’re asking me to sleep with another man?” Asher clung to my leg desperately, his words tumbling out incoherently. “Adeline, Mr. Finn promised, it’s just spending the night. He won’t do anything else, don’t worry!” I struggled to control my emotions, taking a deep breath to calm myself. Asher was just panicked by the sudden crisis, not thinking clearly. Maybe once he’s sober, he’ll realize what he’s asking, and then we can discuss how to solve this. “Honey, I can’t agree to this. I’m a person, not a commodity to be used for such things. Let’s talk when you’re thinking straight.” After saying that, I pried his hands off me. I had lost all interest in dinner and decided to wash up and go to bed. Asher sat dazed on the floor, mumbling something I couldn’t make out, and I left him alone. After washing up, I found him sitting by the bed, holding a glass of milk, with a hint of guilt on his face. “Sweetheart, I lost my mind earlier. I’m sorry. Will you come with me to the police station tomorrow?” Hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief, glad he had come to his senses. I stopped drying my hair, sat beside him, and held his hand. “Yes, honey, we’ll figure this out together. Tomorrow, let’s go to the police station first, then see how the corporation handles it. If worst comes to worst, we can go back to our hometown and start over, right?” “Yeah, right! You didn’t eat dinner earlier, so I made you some milk. Drink it, please.” “Thank you, honey!” I didn’t suspect a thing, took the milk, and drank it. I didn’t notice the forced smile on Asher’s face. After drinking it, I planned to dry my hair. But as I stood up, I suddenly felt dizzy. I shook my head and grabbed Asher’s sleeve. “Honey, I feel so dizzy…” “Adeline, I’m sorry, just help me this once. After this, I’ll never push you to anyone else… I can’t lose this job. I’ve worked so hard for it…” Only then did I notice the madness in Asher’s reddened eyes. My body gradually lost strength, and I lay on the bed, gasping for air. “Asher, what did you put in the milk?” “Adeline, it’s just something to make you weak. Just get through tonight, please…” “You’re crazy, Asher, you’re a madman. I’m your wife.” “Exactly because you’re my wife. You think I’m not suffering too? But I have no choice… Adeline, forgive me!” I lay motionless on the bed, not wanting to see that twisted face anymore. The weakness in my body, the grievances in my heart, and the fear overwhelmed me, and tears streamed down my face. Normally, I could accept anything. I even agreed the last time Asher asked me to have dinner with Finn. But this time, he truly broke my heart. I began to doubt if our marriage could really continue. For the first time, I considered divorce. I didn’t know what Asher put in the milk. My body was weak, but my mind was clear. Asher took me to a nearby hotel, stripped me naked, and left me on the bed. “Adeline, I’ll come to get you tomorrow morning!” I didn’t respond, just silently closed my eyes. Tears fell silently onto the pillow. As I waited, the feeling of humiliation made me tremble uncontrollably. I started to hate Asher for doing this to me. I didn’t know how long it was before the hotel door opened and Finn walked in. The moment he saw me, he looked away and covered me with a blanket. With the blanket on, I finally felt a bit of security. “Sorry, I didn’t expect Asher to be so…” I knew what he wanted to say, those two words he didn’t speak—shameless. “Adeline, you’ve been let down.” Yes, I had been let down, completely. I never imagined that nearly ten years of relationship from dating to marriage couldn’t compete with a job. That night, Finn didn’t touch me. He slept on the couch all night. I’m somewhat grateful to him for leaving me with a shred of dignity. The next morning, after the drug effect wore off, I quietly got dressed to leave before Finn woke up. As I reached the couch, he grabbed my hand, and I lost my balance, falling onto him, my hand resting on his chest. “Adeline, you don’t think just because I acted like a gentleman all night, I truly am one, do you?” I felt nervous, avoiding his intense gaze. “Mr. Finn, thank you. Can I have some time to think?” “Sure, I’ll wait for your decision.” When I got home, Asher wasn’t there. I took a quick shower, put on my uniform, and got ready for work. Just as I opened the door, Asher was outside, about to enter. When he saw me, his eyes lit up. “Adeline, you’re back. Didn’t we agree I’d pick you up? When I went to the hotel, you were already gone.” At that moment, I was almost late for work and didn’t want to talk to him. As I tried to pass him, he grabbed me. “Adeline, did Mr. Finn touch you?” Hearing that, the string that had been tight all night in my heart finally snapped, and I slapped Asher hard. 5 His face turned away from the slap, and my palm throbbed painfully as I choked out the words, “Asher, you may not care about your reputation, but I do!” I shook off his hand forcefully and went to the office.

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I was the last surviving member of the Immortal Kindred. But after 99 heartbreaks, my immortality would shatter completely, and I would die for good. Falling for Caleb Thorne, the brilliant archaeologist, was my last chance. He once promised we’d grow old together, our love eternal. But everything changed when Lila joined our excavation team. He mocked my immortal fate, sneering, “Don’t sicken me. When I’m gone, won’t you just move on to the next guy? How filthy.” Later, when I was captured for live research, I called him for help. He dismissed it as a pathetic act and hung up to be with Lila instead. My heart broke for the 99th time. I closed my eyes, and my life finally ended. But when he realized I was truly gone, he spiraled into madness. Wind whipped up sand, the sky darkened, and the ancient tomb felt eerily sinister. Our team carefully studied the murals on the walls. Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed from above, and the tomb passage began to shake violently. “Cave-in! Run!” one of the team members yelled. “Lila!” Caleb’s voice was filled with frantic urgency. In that critical moment, my boyfriend was calling out another woman’s name. I turned my head and saw a massive rock hurtling towards Lila. Before I could even react, a shove sent me forward, pushing Lila to safety. The colossal rock, instead, crashed down on me. Excruciating pain ripped through my body. Slowly, I lifted my gaze to the hands that had pushed me—Caleb Thorne’s. He was frantically rushing to Lila, pulling her into his arms, as if terrified she might even get a scratch. When the cave-in subsided, team members rushed to help move the rock off me. Caleb, meanwhile, was still meticulously tending to Lila’s slightly scraped knee. Only after he was done did he finally remember me. By then, I had already been moved onto a stretcher. Caleb’s eyes widened when he saw my state. He looked stunned. “Anya… I…” “Caleb! My foot hurts!” Lila called out from a distance. Caleb immediately rushed back to her. After a few steps, he turned back to me and said: “Anya, it was too dangerous just now. You know Lila’s always been delicate since childhood, she can’t handle any injury.” “Anyway, you won’t die. You won’t blame me, right?” I struggled to speak, but before I could utter a single word, Caleb was already helping Lila up. Right. I wouldn’t die. But I just wouldn’t die. I had all the same emotions and senses as any normal person… I was bedridden for three days. Caleb finally came to see me. He looked at me, lying in the hospital bed, his face full of guilt. “Anya, this is an ancient coin we found during the dig these past two days. It has great meaning, so I had it made into a necklace for you.” The last time Caleb gave me a gift was four years ago, when I hand-knitted him a scarf. The next day, he gifted me a bottle of perfume in return. Even though the top notes of the perfume were an overpowering rose scent, which I didn’t like, I still treasured it for years. Every year after that, he would say: “We’re old married couples now, no need for these extra things. I’ll always love you.” Though I accepted that notion, I was still excited and asked him to put the necklace on me. But after he did, he said, “Lila and I made it together. She said it’s her apology to you.” “She feels really bad about what happened the other day, and she’s been down. When you’re better, why don’t you go apologize to her?” The sudden surge of joy instantly drained away. My heart clenched with a sharp, agonizing pain. I stared at him, confused, and said, “Caleb, you two made it together, fine. But why do I have to apologize?” Caleb frowned, looking at me with dissatisfaction. “Anya, when did you become so petty? It’s just an apology, sweet-talk her a bit. You won’t lose a limb.” I turned away from him. “I won’t go.” Caleb said nothing, then turned and walked out. From start to finish, not a single word of comfort.

The next day, I woke up in a haze. I unexpectedly heard an argument outside my door. “Caleb, Miss Anya’s current condition isn’t suitable for blood drawing. You can’t do this.” Our team’s accompanying doctor said. “She’ll be fine, but Lila needs this blood to save her life! Hurry up and prepare, or you can say goodbye to your medical career.” Caleb’s family was seriously loaded. They pretty much owned half the city. But I never imagined he’d threaten someone like this for Lila. Before, in my mind, he was always kind and dedicated to his work. I stared silently at the door, my eyes hazy. Just then, Caleb walked in. He seemed startled to see me awake and said, “You heard everything?” I nodded weakly. “Anya, yesterday when Lila and I were out on the excavation, she got seriously injured and lost a lot of blood trying to protect me.” “She’s already anemic, I have to save her.” “Your blood never spoils, it’s perfect for a transfusion.” “You wouldn’t just stand by and let her die, would you?” Caleb said, his voice soft and gentle. He didn’t seem to realize that I, too, was a severely injured patient lying in a hospital bed. “What if I don’t?” At my words, Caleb’s expression instantly hardened. He stared at me coldly: “Anya, I don’t know when you became so stingy.” “Yesterday, I let it slide when you refused to apologize. What more do you want?” “You won’t die anyway, so why not save her?” “There’s no discussing this. You *will* donate blood.” With that, he called two people in to hold me down, afraid I’d resist. The doctor came to draw my blood. He looked at me with a pained expression and sighed. After he finished the first draw, Caleb stopped him. “That’s not enough. What if Lila’s afraid of pain and moves, spilling some?” “Keep drawing.” The doctor looked at Caleb in disbelief. “Caleb, if you draw any more from Miss Anya, she might die.” Caleb glanced at me, his voice firm. “Don’t worry, she won’t die.” The secret of me being an Immortal Kindred was known only to Caleb. If others found out, I’d surely be captured for live research. Two streams of tears silently ran down my face. The doctor, left with no choice, continued to draw my blood. Fortunately, he monitored my condition and didn’t take a lethal amount. After everyone left, Caleb saw my pale, bloodless face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself. “You’ll heal quickly. It’s fine.” With that, he hurried out. Later, I overheard the little nurses chatting. “Mr. Thorne and Miss Lila are so sweet together.” “I know, right? He stays by Lila’s side day and night, afraid anything bad might happen to her.” “I saw Mr. Thorne at lunch today, he even blew on Lila’s food to cool it down and fed it to her, just in case she burned herself.” “Truly childhood sweethearts, they’re such a perfect match!” “Shh, don’t let Anya hear us. Let’s go talk over there.” I lay alone in the empty hospital room, staring at the ceiling. It had been almost a century. My heart hadn’t ached like this in so long.

The day I could finally get out of bed, I went home first. I mistakenly thought leaving early would grab Caleb’s attention. After all, I used to be the one he cherished most. But I was wrong. Our last contact was a month ago: a message from him informing me that Lila would be joining the archaeological team and asking me to look after her. The next day, I was woken by a commotion. I looked and saw Caleb had returned from the dig. No, Caleb *and* Lila had returned from the dig. Caleb was in the kitchen, making noodles for Lila, while Lila was in the living room, casually playing with Caleb’s most prized antique. I’d once accidentally touched that antique myself. At the time, Caleb had lost his temper with me for the first time: “Do you know how precious this is? It’s a Ming Dynasty antique, the only one in the world!” His voice was laced with suppressed rage, as if I’d almost destroyed his entire world. I stood rooted to the spot, feeling helpless, my heart pricked by something sharp. “I’m sorry…” I whispered. But he didn’t even look at me again, only carefully placed the porcelain vase back in its spot. After that, I never touched anything he loved again. Now, Lila casually balanced the porcelain vase on her lap, her fingertips gently tapping the body, making a clear, crisp sound. Caleb poked his head out from the kitchen, his gaze falling on the vase in her hands, yet there was no displeasure, only a smile as he asked, “Do you like it? If you do, it’s yours.” Lila looked up, blinked, and her voice held a touch of playful charm: “Really? But this is your most treasured possession.” Caleb chuckled, his voice doting: “When have I ever lied to you? Come, the noodles are ready.” I watched it all in silence. The warm scene before me was blindingly painful. Suddenly, Lila accidentally spilled some noodle soup on the table. She casually grabbed a piece of cloth and said, “This is a rag, right? I’ll just wipe it up.” I stared intently, realizing it was the scarf I had personally knitted for Caleb. Caleb probably didn’t remember. He didn’t stop her, only looked at Lila with concern. “Didn’t burn yourself, did you?” Lila shook her head, complimenting Caleb that his noodles were still as delicious as ever. “Caleb, do you remember?” “You couldn’t cook before, but you specifically learned to make tomato and egg noodles for me.” Caleb smiled faintly: “Of course, I remember.” I looked at him in surprise. Before, Caleb had discovered my fondness for tomato and egg noodles. Every morning he was home, he would make a steaming bowl for me. I thought he had learned and made it specifically for me. Turns out, from the very beginning, it was never for me. I gave a self-deprecating laugh, turned, and prepared to go back to my room. But then I heard Lila say: “Oh, right, Caleb, can you come perfume shopping with me this afternoon? Mine’s almost out.” “There’s a new one in the cabinet, just take it. It’s your favorite rose scent.” My steps faltered. Rose scent… Back in my room, I threw the bottle of perfume, treasured for years, into the trash.

Early the next morning, I was jolted awake by a nightmare. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had one. Feeling strange, I decided to go for a walk alone. When I got downstairs, I saw Lila hadn’t left yet. Caleb had actually let another woman stay over. I watched her fiddling with the flowers I’d planted, just about to warn her, when she spoke first: “Anya, you’re awake! Speaking of which, your name really suits an Immortal Kindred, doesn’t it? I never thought the legend was true.” I walked over, gripping her wrist tightly, and stared at her coldly: “Who told you?” “Caleb did, yesterday. He told me.” Lila looked at me smugly. “Be smart, Caleb doesn’t love you anymore. Just give up now.” “You’ve lived for so many years, you don’t need Caleb, do you? Wouldn’t it be better to just let me have him?” She leaned in close, whispering in my ear. I slapped her across the face. The sharp sound drew Caleb’s attention. Lila clutched her cheek, whimpering and looking down, feigning hurt. Caleb saw, rushed to Lila’s side, and then noticed the flower bed next to her. He glared at me.

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The year I loved Julian Thorne the most, I was forced to personally attend to his pregnant mistress. When his mistress faked an illness, Julian was convinced I’d tampered with her soup. He condemned me to three days and three nights kneeling in the freezing snow. While he was inside the mansion, doting on his mistress. I could hear them, for three days and three nights, their passionate sounds echoing. At one point, I heard Melody Hayes say: “Julian, if you treat Aubrey like this, what if Aubrey stops loving you?” Julian scoffed, a cold sneer on his lips: “Impossible. She loves me so much she’d throw her life away for me.” He was right, I did love him desperately. But what he didn’t know. This love had an expiration date. The doctor said I had ten days before I would completely lose my memory. Julian Thorne slapped me across the face, leaving my left cheek burning. “You jealous witch! If you can’t have children yourself, fine!” “But now Melody’s pregnant, and you’re trying to harm her!” Behind Julian, Melody Hayes wore a triumphant smile. “Julian, what if I told you she did it to herself? Would you believe me?” I pressed a hand to my cheek, my voice barely a whisper. Julian’s cold eyes narrowed, his anger mounting, as he let out a harsh snort. “Are you saying she harmed herself?” “Do you even believe that nonsense coming out of your own mouth?” “Aubrey Sinclair, when did you become this kind of person?” Melody stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Julian’s arm, her voice deliberately sweet: “Julian, it’s my own weak body, don’t blame Aubrey.” Julian sighed in exasperation, then tenderly stroked her head. “My little Melody is always so kind.” Then his voice hardened. “But that doesn’t mean I am.” “Aubrey Sinclair, you should be grateful Melody is unharmed. If anything had happened to her, I’d have made you pay with your life!” “But since you made a mistake, you must accept your punishment.” “I’ll sentence you to kneel in the snow for three days and three nights. No standing.” Melody gasped at his words, feigning concern. “Julian, that’s too harsh! Our wombs are so delicate, what if…?” Julian sneered. “She doesn’t even *have* a womb, what’s there to fear?” At his words, my hand instinctively went to my flat abdomen. Yes, I didn’t have a womb. And I couldn’t bear children. But Julian seemed to have forgotten that if I hadn’t been stabbed in the abdomen while saving him years ago, forcing a hysterectomy, I wouldn’t be without a womb now. “What are you waiting for? Guards!” At his command, two bodyguards grabbed me and dragged me out into the snow. Following Julian’s unspoken signal, they used electric batons to brutally strike the back of my knees. I cried out in pain, forced to my knees in the biting snow. Julian simply uttered, “You reflect on your actions here,” before wrapping his arm around Melody and leading her into the mansion. Soon after, passionate sounds began to emanate from within. Night fell quickly, but the sounds from inside showed no sign of stopping. The sub-zero temperatures, dropping to minus ten degrees, froze me until I was numb. Every time I tried to stand, the guards watching on the security cameras would spot me and strike my knees again. After a while, I lost all strength to even attempt to stand. I shivered uncontrollably, a thick layer of frost coating my face. Inside the warm mansion, Julian ceaselessly took Melody, again and again. At one point, I heard Melody Hayes say: “Julian, if you treat Aubrey like this, what if Aubrey stops loving you?” Julian scoffed at her words. “Impossible. She loves me so much she’d throw her life away for me.” He was right. It was common knowledge among our set: I was utterly, hopelessly devoted to Julian Thorne. Three years ago, when he was attacked at a gala, I didn’t hesitate to shield him from a fatal blow, leading to the removal of my uterus. Two years ago, when his car plunged from a bridge into a lake, I rushed into the freezing water without a second thought to find him, leaving me with a chronic illness that makes my entire body ache every winter. Five months ago, when Melody Hayes discovered she was pregnant, Julian brought her back to the mansion, and I was expected to cater to her every whim, on call 24/7. I even had to go out in the middle of a storm-lashed night to buy their condoms. But what no one knew was that this love had an expiration date. Due to the complications from my hysterectomy, my doctor had told me I had only ten days before I would completely lose my memory.

I knelt in the snow for as long as Julian and Melody were together. Three days and three nights passed, and I had completely lost all sensation. When the staff carried me into the mansion, Julian was getting out of Melody’s bed, looking utterly satisfied. Seeing me, his brow furrowed, and a rare flicker of worry and unease crossed his usually indifferent eyes. He lost control, shouting at Mr. Charles, the butler: “Where’s the doctor?! Get the doctor here now!” By the time the family doctor, Dr. Miller, arrived, I was on the brink of death. Just then, a loud crash came from Melody Hayes’s room. Followed by her cry of pain: “Julian, I accidentally fell! It hurts so much!” Julian instantly panicked. “Dr. Miller, come with me, quickly, to help Melody!” Dr. Miller hesitated for a moment. My skin had taken on a waxy, grayish-white pallor. If I wasn’t treated immediately, I would surely die. He explained my critical condition to Julian, but Julian simply brushed it off. “Her life’s a tough one.” I fought to remain conscious until Dr. Miller returned, though by then, my awareness was fading. Julian and Melody came in with him. Melody looked at my frostbitten body, a flash of surprise in her eyes. Then she abruptly pushed Dr. Miller aside and began rubbing my hands together. Dr. Miller frantically called out to stop her, but it was too late. A large patch of skin had already been rubbed off my left hand. With severe frostbite, rubbing the skin is strictly forbidden; it only causes secondary damage. I found it hard to believe Melody didn’t know this basic first aid. Excruciating pain shot through my left hand, and I bit down hard, clenching my teeth. Dr. Miller immediately rebuked Melody. “Ms. Hayes, what are you doing?! This will only make her condition worse!” Julian watched my tormented expression, his brow furrowing, and for once, he even criticized her. “Melody, couldn’t you have waited for the doctor?” Melody’s eyes instantly welled up. “But I didn’t know it would be like this! I just wanted to help Aubrey!” Hearing her, Julian’s heart immediately softened. He pulled the crying Melody into his embrace, comforting her. “Don’t cry, Melody. It’s not your fault. Did it scare you?” Then he turned to me, his voice dismissive. “I’ll get you the best medicine and resources to save you. Just forgive Melody; she meant well.” “Anyway, you survived the pain of having your uterus removed. This is nothing.” With that, his warm fingers wiped away Melody’s tears. Melody, fresh from crying, looked utterly pathetic and adorable. Julian’s voice was a little husky, teasingly caressing Melody’s nose. “Such a cute little crybaby, is someone getting a little… aroused?” Melody’s face flushed crimson, and she clenched her fists, playfully punching Julian’s chest. “Someone’s here, Julian, don’t be like that!” “This mansion, I call the shots.” When the ambulance Dr. Miller called arrived, Julian swept Melody into his arms and hurried into the master bedroom.

When I woke up in the hospital, Julian was beside me, engrossed in paperwork. “You’re awake?” Julian looked at my weak state, a flicker of tenderness in his eyes, and his voice softened in a way I’d never heard before. “What do you want to eat? I’ll go get it for you.” “Tiramisu.” The word slipped out instinctively. Julian paused for a moment, then said, “Okay, I’ll go buy it for you right now.” I shook my head. “I want the one you make.” That single sentence pulled us back three years. Those were the days I was hospitalized after shielding Julian from that knife. Julian was constantly by my side, tending to my needs. He even learned to make tiramisu himself, just because I loved it. Back then, he’d replay a single cooking tutorial video a hundred times, meticulously researching different ingredients and combinations. He was a quick learner; within days, he’d mastered it. The tiramisu he made was perfect, even better than anything from a bakery. But ever since Melody appeared, he’d never made it for me again. Julian hesitated, then finally agreed. “Alright, I’ll go back and make it immediately. You wait here, okay?” I forced a smile through the pain, replying, “Okay.” For some reason, my smile seemed to freeze him, leaving him stunned for a long moment. After he left, I finally stopped pretending. The pain made me weep. Especially during the dressing change. My left hand was almost completely raw. I had deliberately sent Julian away. My heart had died completely for him; I no longer cared for his sympathy. Wanting tiramisu was a lie; I just wanted to smash the one he made right in front of him. But it was a chance I was destined not to have. About thirty minutes after Julian left, I received a call. It was Melody Hayes. Over the phone, I heard the woman’s unbearable moans and the man’s heavy grunts. I knew then that Julian wouldn’t be making me any tiramisu. Julian pushed open the hospital room door, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. But he quickly composed himself, his voice carefully neutral. “Aubrey, I made this myself. Taste it, is it still the same?” I knew perfectly well, but I took a bite. I feigned a smile. “Mmm, it’s delicious.” Julian’s voice still held a hint of post-intimacy raspiness. “Good, glad you like it.” Just then, my attending physician came in for rounds. He asked if I wanted to take Torrusin. I knew he was referring to the memory recovery drug. They had recently developed a new medication to prevent memory loss. We had discussed it on SnapChat. I observed Julian; he showed no reaction. If only he’d bothered to ask what medication I was taking, he would have known everything. But he didn’t. I decisively refused the doctor. The doctor asked me one last time: “Ms. Sinclair, are you sure? You only have five days until you completely lose…” I gave him a look, and the doctor immediately fell silent. Julian finally frowned, raising his eyes, and asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice: “Lose what?” I suddenly spoke up. “Melody just Snapchatted me saying her stomach hurts, and she couldn’t reach you by phone.” At my words, he immediately grabbed my hand, anxiously saying: “What did you say?!” “How could she not reach me?” I couldn’t help but cry out in pain, and only then did he realize he was gripping my freshly operated-on left hand. Blood soaked through the bandage, staining it crimson. Julian gave me a apologetic look, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. But in the end, he grabbed his documents and hurried out of the hospital room, rushing towards the mansion. The next day, Julian came to visit me again. This time, he brought another tiramisu. I opened the box, about to scoop a spoonful, but he stopped me. “You just had surgery, you can’t eat too much sweet stuff. You need to moderate.” “You definitely won’t stick to it yourself.” “Let me feed you.” I was suddenly reminded of when we first got married. I loved ice cream, and our fridge was always stocked with several tubs. But whenever my period approached, Julian would eat all the ice cream in the fridge. He’d only buy more after my period was over. Because we had an agreement that I wouldn’t eat cold things during my period, but I never stuck to it. As he said this, his expression was a little distant, as if he was thinking of something, and his eyes softened for a rare moment. He scooped a spoonful and held it to my mouth. But I didn’t open it. “Are you upset with me?” Seeing my silence, he wore an “I knew it” expression. “I know you’ve been feeling suffocated lately.” “But Melody is pregnant with our child, can’t you just make allowances for her?” “Melody is only twenty-two, and you’re a thirty-year-old woman. Why are you always bickering with a young girl? Melody even sees you as a sister.” “Anyway, you can’t have children, can you? Just let Melody give birth to my child. For my sake, Melody will let you be the child’s godmother.” I scoffed. “No thanks, I find that repulsive.” Julian instantly became enraged, slamming the spoon onto me. “You truly are stubborn!” Just then, Melody Hayes pushed open the hospital room door and entered. Seeing the scene before her, she immediately rushed forward and grabbed Julian. Feigning anger, she said: “Julian, what are you doing? Aubrey just had surgery!” Julian frowned. “She’s an ungrateful wretch.” “Forget her, Melody, why are you here? Didn’t I tell you to rest?” Melody pouted, looking remorseful. “Aubrey’s skin peeled off because of me. It’s only right that I come to take care of her.” Julian’s face darkened, his eyes like ice. “Nonsense! This is entirely her own fault!” “Not to mention she didn’t take proper care of you, she almost caused you to miscarry! I haven’t even settled that score with her yet!” “Now she’s using her surgery as an excuse to make you wait on her?” With that, he pulled Melody away and left. 5 Melody Hayes sent me a few more explicit pictures. I felt a surge of disgust. My gaze inadvertently fell upon Julian’s left ring finger and I noticed the diamond ring wasn’t his original wedding band. It was a matched set with the one Melody wore. A ring from a brand famed for its ‘one love, one life’ promise. I closed my eyes and turned off my phone. A short while later, another call came in. Mr. Charles, the butler, said Julian wanted a simple wedding for Melody, and Julian had specifically asked me to be the chief planner, claiming I had experience. The reason was Melody’s prenatal depression; she was constantly terrified Julian would abandon her, and he wanted to prove his love for her. They were taking their wedding photos at the beach.

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After the Thorne family went bankrupt, my stepsister, Vanessa, and I were thrown into a strange selection process for a substitute bride. Whoever was picked would be married off to the comatose eldest son of the wealthiest family. Vanessa was destined to be chosen. While I, bound by a family agreement, was set to marry Alex Sterling, my childhood friend who’d been in love with Vanessa for a decade. In my last life, he begged me to undergo nine IVF procedures, and I finally conceived a boy and a girl. When I was confined to the attic during my late pregnancy, forced to rest, he and my recently widowed stepsister were having a passionate affair in the master bedroom downstairs, night after night. A week before I gave birth, he deliberately swerved, crashing the car into a guardrail, letting sharp metal pierce my abdomen. The second before my consciousness faded, I heard his unrestrained joy: “Vanessa, Iris is finally dead. We can get married tomorrow!” I opened my eyes again and found myself back on the night of the drawing. Looking at my stepsister, who was crying into her hands, I leaned in close to her ear, smiling: “How about it, sis? I’ll marry him instead of you?” That unfaithful bastard? Not even if he begged!

A round of applause erupted from the crowd. Vanessa’s face was ashen, her fingers digging into my clothes, clinging desperately. “The second Miss Thorne is truly blessed with good fortune.” “From an illegitimate daughter of a bankrupt family to the future mistress of the wealthiest household – who wouldn’t be envious?” A few people deliberately spoke loudly, then covered their mouths, giggling. Vanessa gritted her teeth, her tear-filled eyes glaring at Mrs. Thorne. “I don’t want to marry him! I want to marry Alex! Alex promised he’d only marry me! And I’ll only marry him!” Mrs. Thorne quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. I stood there, stunned, staring at the empty lot slip in my hand. The excruciating pain of the guardrail piercing my abdomen still hadn’t faded. I instinctively looked towards Alex Sterling. The man stood there, fists clenched and trembling, his eyes bloodshot with rage. It was a stark contrast to his usual gentle demeanor. The next second, he strode forward and bowed deeply to the Hayes family representatives. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he cleared his throat, “the second Miss Thorne is still young and doesn’t know how to care for others. I believe it would be better to have the eldest Miss Thorne marry instead.” The entire room fell into a sudden, dead silence. No one had ever dared to offer an opinion to the Hayes family. In my last life, Alex had merely watched helplessly as the woman he loved married another. Right up until her wedding ended, he’d locked himself in his room, numbing himself by systematically collapsing his business rivals’ stock. Could it be that… A thought flashed through my mind, and my hair instantly stood on end. Had he been reborn too? The Hayes family’s old butler slowly rose, leaning on his cane, his sharp gaze sweeping over me and Vanessa, who was trembling uncontrollably behind me. “Mr. Sterling is truly considerate.” “It appears the second Miss Thorne’s identity truly doesn’t suit our Hayes family. In that case, let the eldest Miss marry our eldest young master.” With that, the old man led the others away. Vanessa’s breath hitched, her long, sharp nails digging tighter and tighter into my arm. Her eyes were sinister, but her voice was pitifully aggrieved: “Iris, that Hayes family’s eldest young master is just a useless invalid clinging to life. If you marry him and he drops dead on the spot, the Hayes family won’t come back to haunt us, will they?” A flicker of hesitation crossed Alex Sterling’s eyes. He pulled Vanessa into a comforting embrace and murmured, “Vanessa, we’ll fulfill our engagement tomorrow, okay?” “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to throw you a wedding that will shake the entire city.” As he spoke, he glanced at me a few times, observing my reaction. In his eyes, my expression was surely one of utter devastation. But I simply offered a polite smile and bowed deeply to him. “Mr. Sterling, thank you for your help to the Thorne family. I’m truly grateful.” As the man stood there, momentarily stunned, I handed him a string of simple jade beads. We had picked them out together from a street vendor when we were little. He’d told me to keep them, and then never mentioned them again. “Just a small token of my appreciation.” When my fingertips brushed his cool palm, my body involuntarily shivered. Alex Sterling’s gaze was dark and unreadable. He released Vanessa’s hand and meticulously examined the gift. After a heavy sigh, the red string snapped, and the beads scattered across the floor. His gaze, when it met mine, was utterly indifferent. “The eldest Miss Thorne sends me this trash?” He scoffed, casually nudging the nearest bead with the tip of his leather shoe. “This kind of ‘token,’ you might as well not send it at all.”

My chest felt heavy, as if a stone had been lodged there. I took a deep breath, forcing down the stinging tears in my eyes. “Alright, tomorrow I’ll bring you the antique watch from home…” “No need.” Alex Sterling took Vanessa’s hand, lacing his fingers with hers. The plain band on his middle finger was unassuming, yet he’d worn it for ten years. Only because it was the first gift Vanessa had ever given him. “If the person giving the gift is wrong, then nothing is right.” “Mrs. Thorne, Vanessa and I have a date. We’ll be leaving now.” With that, he walked away, his arm around Vanessa, not sparing me another glance. It seemed I had been delusional. “Slap!” Before I could even process my emotions, a loud slap landed on my cheek. A ringing sound echoed in my eardrums. My face went numb, then a burning sting spread across it. “You little bitch! Still coveting the family’s assets? I’m telling you, the Thorne family won’t give you a single penny as dowry! Dreaming of that antique watch? In your dreams!” “But that was my mother’s…” Before I could finish, another slap landed. My eyes red, I met her distorted, furious face. “Your mother’s been dead for ten years! She didn’t leave you a separate will before she jumped into the river.” “If I hadn’t brought my lucky star daughter into this family, the Thornes would have been cursed into extinction by you long ago.” I staggered backward, fumbling, and knocked over a cup of scalding hot green tea. The tea splattered on the back of my hand, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my heart. My father was superstitious. She had specifically sought out a psychic to analyze my and Vanessa’s birth charts. That’s why, before my mother’s memorial rites were even over, she was able to bring her illegitimate daughter, claiming her to be a lucky charm, and they officially moved into our family home. My father loved to boast about his second daughter’s special ‘blessed’ constitution, and the rumors had long since reached the Hayes family. Mr. Hayes, desperate to save his son, didn’t hesitate to stoop low, manipulating the Thorne corporation to drain its assets, and then proposed a substitute marriage. And there was another, bigger secret, one I had kept buried deep until the day I died. Seeing that I wasn’t arguing or crying, Mrs. Thorne snorted. “Just like your pathetic mother, a complete pushover.” “After you’re married, remember to rake in plenty of money and bring it back to the Thorne family.” I swallowed the metallic taste in my mouth, letting her yank my hair as she dragged me outside. “The Hayes family has more than one son. If you play your cards right, you might even snag that playboy second son.” *In her dreams.* I silently replied. In the last life, after Vanessa married Marcus, the second son, Julian Hayes, immediately branched off from the family, cutting ties with the greedy Thorne family at lightning speed. When Mrs. Thorne dumped me at the door, the servants nearby were still gossiping: “That lady just ran off, leaving her daughter to be bullied by her stepmother.” “I say, what man doesn’t change his mind? Just turn a blind eye, and it’s over.” “They’re too used to good lives, can’t handle a little setback. All these rich ladies are like that…” I couldn’t take it anymore and roared, “Shut up!” The few women immediately fell silent, startled. When they realized it was me, they all relaxed. “What’s all this noise about?” Vanessa, holding Alex Sterling’s hand, came closer. “Sister, how can you be so mean to the servants?” Her soft, delicate voice immediately garnered a chorus of agreement. Alex Sterling frowned at me. “Although your mother’s death left you with psychological trauma, what they’re saying isn’t wrong.” “Can’t you be a little more lenient?” The elderly woman leading the group jutted out her neck in agreement. “Mr. Sterling is right, we didn’t mean to.” I laughed, exasperated, and lunged forward to hit her. Vanessa spread her arms wide, desperately blocking me. “Martha has taken care of me since I was little. If you’re angry, take it out on me, ah!”

Vanessa screamed and fell backward, pulling me down with her into the pond. “Splash!” The cold water choked my lungs the moment I hit it. I fought through the pain, trying to swim to the surface. But the more Vanessa struggled, the more I was dragged deeper into the water. “Splash!” Another splash, and the water’s surface suddenly exploded with light. Vanessa immediately released the leg she had wrapped around my waist and vanished from my sight. I desperately groped around, but there was nothing left. In a daze, the scene of my death from the previous life replayed before my eyes. I can’t die! Digging my fingernails into the muddy pond wall, I struggled to climb up. My broken fingernails peeled back, but the pain was nothing compared to my tattered heart. Finally, someone pulled me up. I pushed aside my soaking wet hair and coughed,趴吐ed at the edge of the pond, while Vanessa shivered, burrowing into Alex Sterling’s embrace. “Alex… my sister pushed me… I’m scared!” Alex Sterling took off his soaked suit jacket, grabbed a dry towel, and wrapped it tightly around her. The worry in his eyes was the genuine concern I had always longed for. And when he faced Vanessa, he was never insincere or dismissive. Warm tears flowed down my face. I bit down hard on my lip, all my accusations choked in my throat. Alex Sterling belatedly looked at me. He subconsciously released Vanessa, his eyes darting away as he helped me up from the ground. “Iris, you…” “Do you still remember this place?” I cut him off, forcing a bitter smile. My mother had just passed away then; her body hadn’t even been fully recovered from the river. My father, meanwhile, accompanied that mother and daughter on a trip. In the vast Thorne mansion, only Alex Sterling had climbed over the wall and sat with me in the courtyard all night long. “You said you’d protect me forever, that even if I fell into this pond, you’d jump in without hesitation to save me.” They say children’s words mean nothing, but I had remembered them for eighteen years. “Alex Sterling, when did you change?” His fingers, which were helping me, trembled violently. His eyes were full of heartache. Just as he was about to speak, Vanessa suddenly coughed violently. “Be careful not to catch a cold.” He instinctively warned Vanessa, yet his gaze remained fixed on my face. “Iris, get inside first, it’s cold out here.” Before I could even nod, my father roared, charging towards us. “You disgraceful child!” The brass buckle of his belt struck my kneecap directly. Alex Sterling let go, and I tumbled onto the pile of碎石. Mrs. Thorne frantically brought a fur coat and draped it over Vanessa. That was clearly my mother’s heirloom! I took a deep breath, and with all my might, I screamed, “Don’t you dare touch my mother’s things!” My father’s furious voice was my only answer: “You deliberately pushed Vanessa into the pond! How could you be as malicious as that short-lived mother of yours!” “These are all Thorne family belongings! What right do you, a daughter who’s marrying out in a few days, have to tell us what to do?” Alex Sterling remained silent. Mrs. Thorne shrieked and cried, “My Vanessa, wake up, don’t scare your mommy!” She turned, her face contorted, glaring at me, her tear-filled eyes bloodshot: “If anything happens to Vanessa, I’ll have your birth mother’s ashes dug out of the family grave!” I laughed, exasperated, and coldly watched the performance of this theatrical family. Vanessa, who had been lying there with her eyes closed, suddenly began to twitch. “Alex, I’m so cold, save me.” The sob in her voice completely unnerved Alex Sterling. The guilt on his face was replaced by urgency. He quickly scooped the heavily wrapped woman into the living room. The boy who had once saved me in my memories had now personally abandoned me. He truly died the day Vanessa and her mother moved in. “You’re to spend the entire night kneeling, and tomorrow you’ll be writing lines in the family study!” My father finished, then slammed the front door shut. The courtyard instantly fell silent. All my strength was gone. My heart was like a stagnant pool, completely still. This home had no room for me anymore. I picked at the broken stones under my knees and suddenly smiled with a sense of release. It felt so good to have no lingering attachment. They didn’t know. As long as I held out until noon tomorrow, this little sympathy play would be over.

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Married into an elite family for three years, I left with my unborn child, disappearing into a distant land. Years later, I returned to find my former husband and son begging for forgiveness. I sneered, “I only have one child.” **1** “Alright, you can go.” Julian was off to see Celeste again. I had just stepped through the front door of our house. He was carrying large bags, so many that an uninformed person would think he was moving in with her. He looked surprised, as if he couldn’t believe his own eyes. “How come you’re not even asking questions anymore?” My face was expressionless, but inside, a whirlwind of emotions churned. “What’s the point of asking? I’ve been asking for three years, has anything changed?” Julian, however, poked his head back through the doorway, a flattering smile plastered on his face. “Mia, are you in a good mood today?” “Could you let Caleb go visit Celeste?” The motion of me changing my shoes paused slightly. After a moment of silence, I nodded. “You agreed?!” I once thought I would never relent. Julian actually wanted my son, Caleb, to get closer to that woman. How ironic. I was his lawful wife, the one he officially married. Yet he wanted to take the child I bore with so much difficulty and give him to his mistress. Just because she liked him. “Celeste doesn’t ask for anything. She just loves the child.” “We’ll have more children later.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind, but I offered no response. He probably forgot that when Caleb was born, we were dirt poor. The only shelter we had was a ramshackle hut my mom put together from whatever scraps we could find, the door cobbled together from salvaged planks. That winter, he had to go out for business. I hid there, shivering from the cold, gritting my teeth and struggling for three days and three nights to give birth to Caleb. After that, we struggled through countless hardships, and my body was never the same. Julian always said he owed me, promised he’d give me the grand wedding ceremony we never had. The wedding did happen, but he just ended up owing me even more. I was numb to the blatant lies that just rolled off his tongue. My family passed away that winter. I broke free from his grasp, turning to grab a beer from the fridge. “Go. Caleb’s things are already packed.” Julian’s expression was complex. After a long pause, he looked at me and spoke, “Mia, don’t play mind games like those elite wives in Grandview City.” “Don’t pull any tricks on me.” “Otherwise…” He scowled, turned, and disappeared into the darkness. I watched his retreating back, wanting to scream. Celeste’s manipulations were so obvious, yet you were completely blind to them. **2** But he truly overestimated me. Julian’s wild, impractical business ideas, no one believed in them except for me and my support over the last ten years. Until Celeste appeared. She had her father fund Julian, making him a name for himself overnight and truly finding his footing in Grandview City. When we first arrived in Grandview City, all the elite wives sneered at me. A small-town girl like me, if it weren’t for pure dumb luck, I wouldn’t have met Julian, nor achieved what I have today. But this achievement felt like a wild hawk trapped in a gilded cage. Why did everyone say I was lucky? Why didn’t anyone say Julian was lucky to have me? I stood up, dusted myself off, and walked to the dressing table. From behind the wall, I pulled out my hidden phone and sent a message: “I’m leaving.” Then I put the phone on the table and hugged myself tightly. The sky darkened. I didn’t turn on the lights, letting the darkness slowly consume me. In this enormous house, I was alone. Father and son had both gone to Celeste’s place, as if that was the real family. My swollen eyes stared at the phone. The screen suddenly lit up. The reply was a single word: “Okay.” **3** My name was Mia. I didn’t even have a last name. Actually, even this name was given to me. My adoptive father was in some shady business. After his last “job,” he brought us to hide out in this remote town. Julian, the neighbor boy, who’d actually been to school and knew how to read, gave me the name “Mia.” He said I smiled like the moon in the sky, especially beautiful. Later, when I learned to read, I realized he thought it meant “radiant,” like the moon, but it was a clumsy spelling of a word that meant something totally different. I did rough work at home; I was incredibly strong. But Julian next door was weak and always getting sick. He always smiled and told me, “Mia, you’re strong, and I’m smart. If we team up, we’ll be unstoppable!” Later, when he wanted to start a company, I’d never even heard of such things. I told him to focus on his work and we could hold off on getting married for a bit. But Julian looked serious. “Mia, you’re marrying me. What are you scared of?!” I wasn’t scared of anything. I wasn’t scared of anyone. But I was scared of becoming a burden to him. I was afraid that my lack of education, or my rough demeanor, would offend his important clients. After that, he went out to make his way alone, and I gave birth to Caleb by myself. But he didn’t come home for two years. I carried Caleb on my back and worked odd jobs, taking anything that hired. At the construction site, I’d secure Caleb to a stool in the security guard’s shack outside the site, then go in and work all day. Caleb would cry from hunger, but I had no choice. I didn’t know how to reach him; I could only wait for him to find me. So I waited and waited, waited and waited. Finally, the day his company went public arrived. Julian came back for me and said he wanted to take me to Grandview City. I saw another girl beside him, but I didn’t think much of it. My Jules was so capable! He’d built such a huge business in just two years! Going to Grandview City was fine. With Jules there, what was there to fear? I was so foolish. I actually believed every word he said. **4** Even more impactful than the changing environment was the change in the people around me. I knew all of Julian’s buddies, the ones he’d struggled with. Back then, when they were so broke they couldn’t even eat, I’d gather discarded cabbage leaves and rotten winter melons from the market and make them a big pot of stew. His buddies used to affectionately call me “sister-in-law.” When Caleb and I came back from the construction site, they’d see us and their eyes would well up with sympathy. But now, no one called me “sister-in-law” anymore. They all called me “Madam CEO.” I was dusty and disheveled, a complete mismatch for them. They were awkward, and so was I. All sorts of eyes in the company swept over me. I wasn’t particularly smart, but that day, I understood in an instant. This place didn’t belong to me. Powerful people were everywhere in Grandview City, and glamorous socialites were a dime a dozen. New money like Julian, with no connections and easily manipulated, everyone wanted to court him. When they found out I was his wife, their faces first showed disdain, then they started plotting. I felt like I was a step below them. I had been exposed to wind and sun, my skin was dark and cracked, my hands covered in layers of scars, working harder than their household staff. The second person to change was Julian. Not long after arriving here, I sensed it. The only thing I asked for here was a wedding. Though I wasn’t smart, I could tell many people coveted my position. He hesitated but still agreed. However, after that, he stopped going along with me so easily. “Initially, the company could only get started thanks to Celeste’s father’s help.” “Now, they just want me to spend more time with Celeste. It’s a profitable deal.” I felt a pang of panic, but I still blurted out, “Jules, back where I came from, that kind of behavior could get you ostracized…” “You already have me. How can you go looking for other women…” He erupted like a lion whose tail had been stepped on, covering his insecurity with rage. “Mia! Everyone here is like this!” “Do you know how much effort I put into fitting in here?!” “Now, it’s just a small sacrifice for you, and you’re so unwilling?!” It was the first time I’d seen him so furious. I took a few steps back and looked at him. That familiar face looked more and more unfamiliar. I asked one last question, “Celeste, is she pretty?” Julian seemed to calm down a little, and he lightly tapped my nose. “No one’s prettier than Mia.” He lied. Celeste was much prettier than me, and several years younger. Her playfully whining mannerisms, I’d seen them so many times, yet I could never learn them. Whenever things didn’t go her way, she’d look at Julian with tearful eyes and pout sweetly. At first, Julian would come back and complain to me, saying he couldn’t handle such a delicate, demanding socialite. But then, he started going to Celeste’s place more and more often. Later, he’d be called away for various holidays, sometimes even taking Caleb with him behind my back. But truthfully, if it were just that, I wouldn’t have sent that message to that person. What truly broke my heart was Caleb’s repeated hurtful actions. I once thought that no matter what grievances I suffered, I would never leave. Not this man, full of lies, nor the child I bore with so much difficulty. In the days Julian was absent, Caleb would snuggle up to me, looking at me with clear eyes. The people at the company might look down on me, but they didn’t dare look down on Caleb. Whenever I was bullied, Caleb would always step forward to confront them, then turn around and hug me. When did it change? Probably when he started elementary school. Julian said Caleb needed to act like a young gentleman now, with private cars for pickup and drop-off. And then, without my knowing, he started taking my child to see Celeste. I could barely read, so I couldn’t help him with his studies, or understand the articles he was praised for, or his perfectly answered math problems. Caleb would say, “Dad’s at Aunt Celeste’s house, so I’m going to find Dad.” But later, he started calling Celeste “Mom.” I didn’t mind him getting close to Celeste at first. He would eventually inherit the company, and he would eventually have to deal with Celeste’s powerful family. But that day, I just couldn’t take it anymore. It was snowing that day, and Caleb had left too quickly without his jacket. I worried there might not be a jacket in the car, so I rushed out after him, calling his name. But he didn’t seem to hear me, running excitedly, directly into Celeste’s arms in front of the car. “Mommy—” My blood seemed to freeze. I watched them, trembling. Julian stepped out of the car, smiling as he looked at them. I hid in the shadows, like an ugly bug. I remembered those three days I gave birth to him, the freezing cold, my vision blurred, all I saw was blood and red. But how could he call another woman “Mommy”? **5** I stumbled back home, leaning against the wall. But my heart wasn’t completely cold yet. He was my son, what could I blame him for? Until Celeste suggested to Julian that Caleb should move in with her. I refused, adamant. Until that day, Celeste came to our door. My relationship with Celeste was subtle; we both knew the other existed but didn’t interfere. I didn’t have the courage to make a fuss anymore, and she disdained competing with me. But her coming to my door, that changed everything. Her eyes swimming with tears, she held a hospital diagnosis report. It stated she could never have children. “Sister Mia, I truly adore this child…” “You can still have more children, but I… I can’t…” She was sobbing uncontrollably, but I held Caleb tight, refusing to let go. “I carried him for nine months and gave birth to him! Why should I give him to you?!” Julian’s face darkened, his tone annoyed. “Mia, Celeste just wants a child.” “We’ll have more later.” My heart twisted with a sharp, gut-wrenching pain. For the first time, I yelled at Julian. “Where?! Didn’t you know the doctor said it would be hard for me to get pregnant again, Julian?!” A flicker of hesitation crossed Julian’s eyes, but then his resolve hardened. “Mia, it’s just one child.” Just one child? He hadn’t been with me for years, and Caleb was my only hope. He was the hope of my entire life. Perhaps I was distracted, because Caleb struggled free from my embrace. He shoved me hard. “You’re not my mom! You don’t love me at all!” “Other kids have their moms pick them up, but you’ve never picked me up once!” I froze. Julian was the one who didn’t let me go. He said he was afraid I’d embarrass Caleb and make him feel ashamed in front of others. “You don’t even love me, so why are you clinging to me?!” My heart seized. Just then, a loud clap of thunder boomed outside the window. A brilliant flash of white light illuminated the faces of the few people in the room. Celeste’s triumph, Julian’s impatience, and Caleb’s fury. That’s it. He seemed genuinely angry… I sank to the floor, watching them embrace. I suddenly understood: there was never a place for me here. I had occupied Julian’s wife’s position. I had clung to their child. I should have left long ago. **8** They bought me a ticket to a city called South Mountain and told me a car would pick me up in three days. Three days later was supposed to be Caleb’s parent-teacher conference. I had originally planned to go; I thought it was his first conference, and I’d go even if it meant defying Julian. But now, there was no need. For some reason, my health had been worsening these past few days. On the first day, Julian came. He seemed pleased with my decision yesterday. As if to reward me, he even took off his clothes, intending to kiss me. I saw the kiss marks on his neck—from someone else—and a bitter ache spread through my chest. Without warning, a mouthful of blood suddenly rose in my throat. Julian asked why I wasn’t speaking. I forced a smile and swallowed the blood down. “I’m on my period.” Julian shrugged. For some reason, I felt he was relieved too. He lit a cigarette and then took my hand. “Mia, you need to be good here.” “We can’t compare to the Celeste family. Some things, just bear with it, and they’ll be over soon.” “He’s your son, after all.” I remained silent. He blew out a smoke ring. “How about I take you and Caleb out next weekend?” I looked up. “I want to go back to the town.” “To South Mountain, the place you always wanted to go…” “I want to see the magnolia blossoms.” “After I’m done with things here…” “Okay.” I pulled away from him and wrapped myself in the blanket. For some reason, tears suddenly streamed down my face. Julian used to look so cool when he smoked, my favorite kind of charmingly bad boy. But now when he smoked, he looked meek. Julian, what do I even like about you anymore? Suddenly, his phone rang. I could hear a woman’s voice on the other end, saying she had a headache and couldn’t sleep, telling him to come quickly. I didn’t turn around. “Go.” Julian didn’t answer, just the rustle of clothes. I watched his figure in the moonlight; he had changed. Back in the town, we were used to being wild and free. Now, he was tall and lean, every movement reeking of a Grandview City socialite. He walked further and further away, becoming smaller and smaller. More and more like Jules when we were kids. “…We’re unstoppable together!” “You marry me, you won’t lose anything. I’m afraid you’ll run off if you’re unhappy!” “If you run, with my broken body, I won’t even be able to catch you!” …I couldn’t think about it anymore. The next day, Caleb came. I lay weakly, and his small face rubbed against mine. “Mom, you’ll have lots of other kids.” “But Aunt Celeste only has me.” My heart bled. I wanted to tell him, even if I had more children, they wouldn’t be him. But I didn’t say a word, just smiled and looked at him. This was my last look at you, Caleb. **10** Celeste went to the parent-teacher conference. She was dressed to the nines, and Caleb walked behind her, his little back held straight. I left, and no one seemed to care. My only real leverage was that marriage certificate with Julian. That person also got me a divorce agreement. I signed my part and left it on the living room table. There was also Caleb’s custody transfer agreement. I clearly wrote that I was voluntarily giving up custody of Caleb. I knew that after I left, Julian would sign the divorce agreement, then grandly marry Celeste, the powerful heiress. Let it be. This life, living up to this point, was exhausting. **11** The maid noticed I was gone but didn’t tell Julian. Because he was with Celeste, playing in the water with Caleb. It wasn’t until half a month later that they returned to the apartment. The coffee table even had a thin layer of dust. I heard Julian threw a fit, turning Grandview City upside down, but I was beyond caring. I was already in South Mountain City, where I opened a flower shop. On the day of the opening, the person who helped me appeared. It was a strange coincidence; I felt my fate had always been peculiar. In those years working odd jobs with Caleb on my back, I had nowhere to sleep except a sleeping bag I found in a junkyard. One day, I found him by the roadside. He said he was a wanderer and, after looking at me, kept sighing about my convoluted fate. He left me his phone number, saying if I ever wanted to leave a place, I should text him. I thought it was strange at the time, but he looked so sincere, saying I would definitely need it. So I kept it carefully. He stood at the entrance, bowed to me, and said, “The client is set. The old man has finally repaid his life debt.” My new shop was open, and my heart was filled with joy looking at the garden full of flowers. Not just because this was the flower city I had dreamed of, but also because I had escaped that suffocating place. “You’re not that old. Why do you call yourself ‘old man’?” He closed his eyes, bowed again, and walked away. I called out to him, smiling brightly, “Come often! It’s free for you!” This was my true nature. Bold and uninhibited, interacting with people. Across the street was a coffee shop, run by a young man who collected antiques. He often gazed at my shop while making things. So I took a bouquet of flowers and gave it to him. His face turned red, a little overwhelmed. His name was Noah. We would do crafts together, tend to flowers, bask in the sun, and rock in chairs. Life was so peaceful, I almost forgot the miserable things that had happened recently. I wanted to settle in South Mountain, but buying a house involved residency status issues. That’s when he suddenly blushed and said, “Sister Mia, if you really want to buy a house, you could marry me…” I didn’t quite catch the rest of his words; his voice trailed off. When he finished explaining, I paused. Noah saw my hesitation and, blushing again, explained, “Sister Mia, I’m not a kid anymore. I can make my own decisions.” “If you want to leave later, or divorce after buying the house, I absolutely won’t interfere.” “I just want to help you.” I looked at his shy, clear eyes and smiled faintly. So, I vaguely got married again. As I was getting married, I thought, Julian must have already signed the divorce papers, right…? **12** On our wedding night, I asked him to call me Elena. He jokingly asked, “Is Sister Mia warning me to cherish you properly?” Before I could answer, he leaned in. “How could I not cherish someone as wonderful as Sister Mia? I’ll protect you fiercely, afraid of anyone coveting you.” He made me laugh, but I didn’t take his words to heart. Men’s words, they’re just for amusement. A year later, we had a clever daughter named Daisy. I hadn’t thought I would get pregnant again, so I wasn’t careful. I hesitated about whether to terminate the pregnancy, and Noah squatted by the window, his eyes tearful as he looked at me. “Sister, c-can we keep her…?” I touched my belly, lost in thought. “Okay.”

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I married an idiot. For three years, I personally fed him, bathed him, and gave him the whole world. Then one day he woke up, became the CEO of a listed company, and spent millions proposing to me across the city. After marriage, I became the envy of everyone. He expressed his love for me on various occasions. But when his true love appeared, he immediately kicked me out, just to make room for her. With nowhere to go, I swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills. When I crossed over to this world, I spent 25 years pursuing the four main love interests, only to lose everything in the end. The system said that as long as this body dies, I can go home. But just as my consciousness was fading, I heard someone desperately begging me to live. 0 “Aria, I know you’re awake. Why did you choose to attempt suicide on the day Sam returns? What, are you trying to frame Sam by pretending to be dead?” Accompanied by a cold voice, I opened my eyes to see William’s icy gaze full of hatred. William, one of my love interests, was once a husband who loved me to the bone. When we first met, he was tricked while fighting for his family’s inheritance and became an idiot, insisting on marrying me. For three years, I bathed him, washed his clothes, took care of his daily life, and gave him the whole world. However, when the family heirs killed each other off, he suddenly woke up and became the sole heir. It turned out that he had been pretending to be stupid to avoid disaster, and I was the real fool who had been deceived. When I turned to leave, he knelt down and begged, spending millions to propose to me across the city. “Aria, please don’t go. I can’t live without you. I may have been pretending to be stupid, but I really do like you.” Amidst flying flower petals, looking at the face I had lived with day and night, I agreed. Until Olivia appeared, and he changed his heart. He used work as an excuse to stay away from home for long periods. “Why can’t you understand me?” “If I don’t work hard, where will your food and clothes come from?” I believed him. But not long after, I found him intimate with Olivia in the office, with used condoms on the floor. When I asked him why, he told me to leave with nothing. I refused, so Olivia faked her death by jumping into the sea and posted a 10,000-word accusation on social media, framing me for bullying and abusing her, forcing her to die. I was subjected to overwhelming cyberbullying. He seized the opportunity to kick me out of the house. My own brother also wanted to sever ties with me, this vicious person. No matter how I explained, no one believed I was innocent. Although I don’t know why William would save me, looking at the surging hatred in his eyes, I forced out the last breath from my lungs and said with difficulty: “Kill… me.” The next moment, William released his hand and slapped me angrily: “If you want to die, go somewhere else to die. Don’t dirty my hands!” I was stunned by his slap. When I came to my senses, I had already been thrown onto the road outside the villa gate by him and his bodyguards. William folded his arms across his chest, his expression cold and indifferent, as if looking at garbage: “If it weren’t for you bullying and harassing Olivia, how could she have been forced to jump into the sea? If you want to commit suicide, remember to stay away from me. Seeing you makes me physically sick.” I laughed self-mockingly. It was clearly them slandering me behind my back, but it became my fault! Can those with power and influence really turn black into white? But he probably forgot that without me, he wouldn’t have today! Since that’s the case, I won’t dirty his eyes! I staggered away, coming to a bustling street. Looking at the flowing traffic, I jumped. As long as this body dies, I can go home. The next instant, the sharp sound of tires screeching accompanied by honking horns rang out. Someone grabbed my hair tightly and dragged me to the roadside. “Aria, what are you doing?!” I looked at the angry William and quietly asked: “Why? I’ve already stayed away from you.” Although his words were so fierce, I saw his body trembling. When he was still pretending to be an idiot, whenever he was afraid, he would unconsciously tremble and hide behind me. What was he afraid of? Afraid of me dying? But isn’t this fulfilling his and Olivia’s wishes? William slapped me hard: “What are you pretending for? This is the road Olivia has to take to get home! If you die here, how will it dirty her eyes?” I lowered my eyes and laughed self-mockingly. So it was because of this. I obediently went to the riverside. Here, it shouldn’t dirty his beloved’s eyes, right? 0

I walked step by step into the river. The next moment, another hand grabbed me. I turned back in confusion, only to find it was my brother Finn. He was holding a cake with a big name written on it: “Olivia”. It should be a cake prepared to celebrate Olivia’s fake death return… Anger and hatred surged in Finn’s eyes. “What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you knew I was going to bring a cake for Olivia and came to stop me?!” “Aria, have you forgotten that I’ve already severed ties with you!” In this world, if there’s someone who hates me more than William, it would be my own brother. But he wasn’t like this before. We lost both parents when we were young. I raised my brother alone, naming him “Finn”, hoping he would be as free as the wind chimes dancing in the air. He dreamed of studying music, so I dropped out of school early and worked three jobs to send him to the best training classes. Once, during a house fire, he ran barefoot into the flames, crying that if I died, he wouldn’t live alone either. We were each other’s support in this world, the closest blood relatives. But all this changed after he met Olivia. Olivia said she wanted to eat something good, so he forced me to cook a table full of dishes despite my serious illness. She didn’t eat, and when I couldn’t help but ask, he turned on me: “Your cooking is too bad, why are you yelling at her!” Saying that, he threw the dishes I had worked hard to make into the garbage. Later, Olivia and William framed me and faked her death by jumping into the sea. Because of this, Finn hated me to the bone, severed ties with me, coldly watched me suffer all kinds of torment, and even personally pushed me into the abyss. Thinking of this, I didn’t answer his words, slowly pulling my wrist out of his hand inch by inch. Seeing this, William immediately sneered: “Olivia is back. She was kicked out by me with nothing, so she probably can’t accept it and wants to commit suicide.” Finn frowned and laughed coldly: “Someone as afraid of death as her, how could she really commit suicide? She’s probably just putting on an act.” “Great minds think alike,” William also laughed. “She just performed twice in front of me.” After mocking me, Finn looked at me with hatred again: “Aria, even if a vicious person like you really dies, no one would care!” “Get out of my way, don’t block me from finding Olivia.” I slowly lowered my eyes: “Alright, I’ll leave.” As soon as the words fell, I plunged towards the rushing river. Finn’s face turned pale. The river was so rapid that in the blink of an eye, I had been washed ten meters away. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. This time, I should really be able to die, right? But the next moment, with a “splash” sound, I was rescued by Finn and thrown onto the grass, covered in mud, looking miserable. He was soaking wet and kicked me like a madman. “Aria, are you trying to make everyone think I drove you to death and then ruin me?!” “You really disgust me!” “You, when did you learn to swim?” I coughed violently, bitter water spilling from the corners of my mouth. Finn kicked me hard and sneered: “After Olivia jumped into the sea, I learned to swim.” “What? Unhappy that your scheme didn’t work?” I couldn’t help but sneer. Love is really great. In the past, I wanted to teach him how to swim countless times. But every time I was stopped by Olivia, “With me around, Finn doesn’t need to learn to swim at all. I will always be with him and save him when he’s in danger.” Finn also coldly belittled me: “Aria, this is the difference between you and Olivia. You only force me to do things I don’t want to do. You’re not fit to be my sister at all!” Later, Finn accidentally drowned, and Olivia watched coldly. It was me who went into the water and saved him. But he thought it was Olivia who saved him, attributing all the credit to Olivia, and even scolded me for being ungrateful, watching my own brother drown without doing anything. But I never thought that Finn, who had been afraid of water since childhood, would actually learn to swim for Olivia. “What does my suicide have to do with you? You’re nothing but a stranger to me.” Hearing this, Finn’s face turned red with anger, and he slapped me. “If it weren’t for the fact that I vowed to pray and accumulate virtue for Olivia after her death, do you think I would save you, a biological sister I’ve severed ties with?” “Even if it were a dog that fell into the water today, I would save it!” I laughed self-mockingly, “What a fresh term, biological sister. Then what about Olivia? Your emotional sister? But she’s going to marry William.” Hearing this, Finn suddenly dropped the cake in his hand and looked at William. “Marriage?! With William?” I was about to speak when another love interest, Ryan, rushed over and blurted out: “Olivia is missing!” “Aria, did you hide Olivia?! Quickly call her out!” 0

William, who had been calm all along, panicked for the first time. “Olivia is missing?” “Aria! No wonder you’ve been acting so strange today. It seems you’ve done something bad and want to use fake suicide to clear your suspicions! Quick, tell me where you’ve taken Olivia!” Finn immediately reddened his eyes and slapped me hard: “Olivia went through so much to come back, and you dare to harm her! I should have let you drown in the river earlier!” “Quickly give her back to me! If she dies, I won’t live either!” There was an iron rust taste in my mouth. I opened my lips, and a few drops of blood fell. Olivia disappeared again. She really can’t stand to see me have any good. Since that’s the case, I might as well fulfill her wishes. I was about to speak when I saw Ryan, who once said I was his only salvation, holding a knife to my throat. “Speak! Where did you hide my Olivia!” Ryan, the fourth of my love interests, was also a well-known medical genius. Back then, because someone wanted to steal his family’s secret medical book, his entire family was killed. It was I who risked my life to save him. Perhaps because he witnessed his entire family being killed, Ryan became extremely resistant to others approaching him. There’s still a scar on my left hand where he bit me when he was in shock. But I never left him, accompanying him through that difficult time. Finally, Ryan regained his senses and decided to practice his family’s medical skills to find evidence and avenge his family. In the silent struggle, I went through countless life and death moments, personally helping him reach a high position and slaughter all his enemies. That day, he cried and said that from then on, I would be his sister, a relative without blood ties. That day, I cried too, because he really looked like my brother from another world. I… missed my brother. But later, after Olivia appeared, he gradually distanced himself from me. Just because Olivia said she didn’t like me calling him brother. He then declared that if I came within three meters of him, he would seal my throat with silver needles. On the day he learned that Olivia had faked her death by jumping into the sea, Ryan went crazy. He stuck tens of thousands of needles into my body, torturing me endlessly, just to avenge Olivia. “Who knows how much Olivia suffered at your hands before she jumped into the sea to commit suicide.” “Since that’s the case, then for each of your following days, you will suffer a hundred times more cruel torture than her!” Seeing my silence, Ryan’s eyes were filled with bloodshot, and the sharp blade pressed against my throat, drawing a line of blood. “Not talking? It seems a few days without torture have made you forget our methods!” Ryan coldly stepped forward, knocked me unconscious, and took me to the dark room in William’s villa. He stuck dense silver needles into my acupoints, amplifying my pain and torturing me with various instruments. William and Finn didn’t stop him, but instead gritted their teeth and glared at me with raging anger. I struggled, and dense, stabbing pain came from all over my body. The pain penetrated to the bone, making me cry out involuntarily. But Ryan slapped me hard and shouted: “What are you yelling for? Can’t you even bear this little pain? Don’t forget how you tortured Olivia back then!” “If you don’t tell us her whereabouts, everything you did to her, I will return to you one by one!” Hearing this, I opened my eyes wide, as if seeing dawn. I don’t want to be abused by them anymore. I just want to die quickly and cleanly. I just want to go home and have a good sleep! I cried, sobbed, and shouted: “Your Olivia is already dead! I chopped her up piece by piece with a knife!” “Come on! Kill me!! Let me accompany her!” “Come on!!!” I shouted crazily at them. Ryan was probably too angry, even at this point I still dared to be so arrogant. “You really think I don’t dare to kill you? Olivia is dead, trash like you should accompany her!” He suddenly took out a knife and rushed out, raising his hand to stab me. He used full force, probably thinking I would resist, but I just stood there, watching the knife tip enter my heart. Ryan was stunned, looking at the blood gushing from my chest, as if he couldn’t believe it. But I pulled the corners of my mouth, finally going to die! As my consciousness dispersed, Olivia’s voice suddenly came from the door: “Oh, why is everyone here? I’ve been looking for you for a long time…”

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I had just been released after serving three years in prison for my wife. To my shock, Olivia had given my position as vice president to Ryan, her old flame. When I confronted her about it, Olivia’s expression was cold. “You’ve been to prison. I should have fired you, but Ryan pleaded on your behalf, so I kept a position for you,” she said dismissively. “Do your job well and don’t cause any more trouble for him.” The “position” she referred to was as a janitor cleaning toilets in the company. That night, I knelt at my parents’ graves. During those three years, my father had passed away from a stroke, and my mother followed soon after. I never got to see them one last time, and now the company had been taken from me as well. As I was repenting for my mistakes, I discovered a phone hidden near the tombstone. The videos on it contained evidence that Olivia had conspired with Ryan to frame me and send me to jail, and then caused my parents’ deaths. Leaving the cemetery, I numbly dialed a number. “Mr. Thompson, I’ve made up my mind. I agree to transfer my shares to you to help you take control of the company.”

“That’s wonderful news, my boy! With your help, we’ll certainly be able to set the company straight and fulfill your parents’ wishes,” Mr. Thompson replied enthusiastically. I kept my voice steady. “Good. Pleasure doing business with you.” Just as I hung up, Olivia opened the car door and approached me. “Who were you talking to?” she asked suspiciously. “Nothing important, just a telemarketer,” I lied smoothly. Olivia didn’t seem to care about my response. Her gaze was fixed on the cemetery behind me. “Why did you come here?” she asked. “I came to visit my parents,” I explained. “Their passing was so sudden. I never got to say goodbye, so I wanted to pay my respects.” Olivia visibly relaxed, no longer concerned. She simply said “Oh” and urged me to leave quickly. As we got in the car, I studied Olivia. Since my release, she had been cold towards me. Yet today, after I’d only been at the cemetery for a short while, she had rushed over, even driving here herself to pick me up. Her unusual attentiveness only confirmed my suspicions about the video’s authenticity. On the drive back, Olivia probed to see what I knew. Once satisfied that I had simply come to visit my parents and knew nothing else, she dropped her facade of warmth. “Jack, I know you used to be the company’s vice president when your parents were alive. But they’re gone now, and you’ve been to prison. The company decided to appoint Ryan as VP,” she said coldly. “Don’t take out your frustrations on Ryan. Go apologize to him right away.” Earlier that afternoon, at the company’s year-end party, Ryan and I had both fallen into the swimming pool. Olivia immediately accused me of pushing Ryan in out of resentment for taking my position. I tried to explain that Ryan had actually pushed me, and asked them to check the security cameras to prove my innocence. But Olivia just frowned. “That won’t be necessary.” “Jack, I can’t believe you’re still so petty, deliberately pushing Ryan into the pool and then trying to frame him!” she scolded. Olivia was about to say more, but Ryan grabbed her wrist. “It’s okay, I’m fine,” he said smoothly. “Jack was probably just upset. He might have seen wrong – I actually slipped and fell into the pool accidentally, and Jack got pulled in with me.” Ryan’s false generosity only further condemned me. Olivia’s indulgence of Ryan nailed me to a pillar of shame. And now, she was demanding I apologize to Ryan. I turned to look out the window. “Did you check the security footage?” I asked quietly. Olivia slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road. She glared at me in disgust. “Jack, you really never learn, do you?” “Get out! Walk the rest of the way home and think about what you’ve done.” Olivia sped off, leaving me standing there. I watched the car disappear, then took out my phone to call Mr. Thompson again. “I can sign the share transfer contract today,” I said decisively.

Mr. Thompson offered me a lump sum of $300 million for my shares. As I stared at the transfer contract, my mind went blank. These shares were the last thing my parents had left me. Thinking I was having second thoughts, Mr. Thompson tried to persuade me. “Jack, my boy, I’ve known you since you were little. You don’t know what that woman Olivia has done to the company in the three years you were… away,” he said gravely. “After your father passed, she’s driven away almost all of us old-timers from the company.” “I’m not trying to cause trouble between you and your wife. I’ve just seen too much in my life. All I can say is, be careful of Olivia. She’s not a simple character.” My parents had warned me about her too. But back then, I was madly in love with Olivia and didn’t take their words to heart. Now I was paying the price, and it had cost my parents their lives. I let out a bitter laugh. “I understand, Uncle. But Thompson. Don’t worry, I won’t make the same mistakes again.” Mr. Thompson said we should wait until the shareholders’ meeting next week to reveal the share transfer. For this week, I needed to keep it secret from Olivia to prevent her from interfering with our plans if she found out about the shares. After setting the time, I returned home. It was already night. Olivia assumed I had actually walked all the way back, and looked at me with disgust when she saw me. She was still angry, waiting for me to apologize and make amends. But I was too exhausted. After learning my parents had been killed by her, I didn’t want to see her at all. Olivia waited and waited, but I didn’t bow my head to her. As I was about to enter the bedroom, she angrily threw clothes and bedding at my face. “You can come back when you’ve apologized to Ryan!” she snapped. “Take your things and get out. I don’t want to see you!” Clothes and blankets rained down on me as Olivia slammed the bedroom door shut in frustration. I stood there for a moment, then turned and went to the guest room without hesitation. Before going to sleep, I opened my phone and saw Ryan’s SnapChat post from that afternoon. “When you’re sick and someone brings you care and medicine, that’s the one to marry.” The photo showed Olivia’s back. Olivia had commented with a shy emoji. In the comments, many familiar names were cheering them on – our mutual friends, college classmates, former coworkers… Everyone seemed to have forgotten my existence, tacitly expressing their blessings for this new “couple.” I hit the like button and turned off my phone to sleep. The next morning, Olivia had the housekeeper buy breakfast from a famous old restaurant. Seeing me sit down, she proudly placed a crab roe bun in front of me. She cleared her throat, her expression haughty. “I bought this specially for you. Didn’t you like these? Eat up.” I didn’t touch it, only sipping the plain porridge the housekeeper had made. Olivia rarely lowered her head to me, but I wasn’t playing along as she had imagined. Her expression changed slightly as she tossed her chopsticks on the table. “I’ve already let the incident with Ryan go, and I’m taking the initiative to make peace. What more do you want?” she said icily. I looked at her face, angry yet tinged with grievance, and replied expressionlessly: “I’m allergic to seafood. I’ve never eaten crab roe buns.” Olivia’s expression turned awkward as she finally remembered it was Ryan who liked crab roe buns, not me. “Well… the housekeeper must have bought the wrong thing. But I’m already extending an olive branch. Do you have to fixate on this?” she said defensively. I put down my spoon, unable to hold back asking, “What are you in such a rush about?” “Yes, I went to prison for a few years. I can’t be VP anymore after getting out, but I can still like a SnapChat post, can’t I? Why are you acting so strange?” “What are you talking about? What do you mean you went to prison for me? That was your own doing. Don’t try to drag me into it,” Olivia snapped, suddenly standing up. She glanced nervously at the housekeeper’s questioning look and hurriedly sent her out.

Once we were alone, Olivia frowned and berated me: “That’s all in the past now. Why bring it up when there are others around?” “Why can’t I bring it up?” I countered. “Back then, you begged me. You said the police were framing you, that the company accounts were definitely clean. You said I just needed to go to the station for a few days and I’d be back soon.” “To make me believe you, you even married me.” “But you didn’t tell me I’d have to stay in prison for three years.” Three years. When I got out, everything had changed. My parents were gone. Olivia had taken over the company. I was stripped of my position and could only work as a janitor cleaning toilets. Olivia opened her mouth, seeming about to explain something. But I didn’t want to hear it. I turned and went to the bedroom, taking out a box with only one condom left inside. “There’s a whole drawer full in the guest room. I don’t know which of you bought them, but remember to put them away,” I said, tossing the box in front of Olivia. Olivia’s face flashed with shock. She angrily threw the box in the trash. “Jack! I was wrong about what happened back then. But do you have to dig all this up just because you’re jealous?” she snapped. “There’s nothing between Ryan and me. Even yesterday, I only went to see him because you pushed him in the water and made him sick. I was checking on him for your sake.” “As for these… things, I have no idea where they came from!” Olivia watched my cold expression, unsure if I believed her or not. She suggested we go to work together. Although Olivia had taken over the company using her status as my wife, after I got out of prison, she refused to go to work with me. At the company, she made no effort to hide her rapport and intimacy with Ryan. Now, few people in the company took my marriage to Olivia seriously. Everyone thought I should divorce Olivia and let her be with Ryan. Thinking of this, my face darkened. Perhaps it was time to put divorce on the agenda. “Olivia, we should—” I began. Before I could finish, Olivia’s phone rang. She answered it and walked away without a backward glance. “There’s an emergency at the company. I have to go. We’ll go to work together another day,” she called over her shoulder. Olivia had broken her word and left again. But I was no longer hurt by her every move like before. Thinking about divorce, I let out a sigh. Never mind. There were still five days until the shareholders’ meeting. I’d bring up divorce then. Half an hour later, I drove myself to the company. The person Ryan had arranged was waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he deliberately spilled coffee on the floor. “Oops, so sorry about that. Jack, could you clean this up? And the meeting room needs to be tidied quickly too – we’ll be using it for a meeting soon.” With that, he sauntered off smugly. I finished mopping the floor and pushed open the meeting room door with my broom and mop, only to find the room full of people. Seeing me in such a sorry state, Olivia frowned in disgust and gestured for her assistant to get rid of me. As the door closed, I caught Ryan’s undisguised smirk. I finally understood this was a trap he had deliberately set for me. Sure enough, after the meeting Olivia immediately summoned me to her office. “Jack, can’t you do your job properly? Didn’t anyone tell you that during meetings, non-essential personnel aren’t allowed in?” she scolded. “Did you turn stupid in prison? Can’t you remember such a simple thing?” The office fell silent. Olivia belatedly realized she had mentioned something she shouldn’t have. She stumbled over her words, “I… I didn’t mean… I meant…” “I understand,” I cut her off. “Do you have any other instructions? If not, I’ll get back to work.” Watching me turn to leave, Olivia called out hesitantly, “Don’t you have anything to explain?” “No,” I replied simply. It’s not like anyone would believe me anyway.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296763”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic