Category: English

Boyfriend was cuddled up with his long-lost love, who had recently returned from abroad. Everyone at the table looked at me with disdain as they laughed at my expense. In a sudden burst of emotion, I overturned the table. Later, Gideon stood by my hospital bed, eyes red from crying, pleading for me to take him back. When I received Gideon’s call, I was in the middle of packing my bags. “Phoebe, come over and apologize to Cora. The glass you broke cut her.” His voice was simmering with controlled anger. Cora, the woman he’d always yearned for but could never have—his long-lost love. I let out a derisive laugh. “Gideon, have you lost your mind? You can’t win her over, so you want me to do it for you? I made it clear tonight, we’re done. Don’t bother me again.” There was a brief silence on the other end. He probably didn’t expect me, who always tolerated everything, to defy him. Then I faintly heard Cora’s gentle, pitiful voice. “Gideon, it’s okay. I can go to the hospital myself.” “You and Phoebe shouldn’t fight because of me…” Then Gideon’s voice turned cold and commanding: “Phoebe, stop being childish.” “Come over and apologize to Cora properly, and I’ll pretend today never happened. We can move on with our lives.” Hearing this, I was so angry I laughed. Laughed until my stomach hurt. I cursed him: “Who in their right mind would want to go on with you? Even if I die, I’ll curse you from the afterlife to never find happiness!” No choice, a person nearing death speaks harsh truths.

That’s right, I’m dying soon. I’ve had stomach pains and nausea for days. It wasn’t until I vomited blood that I realized something was seriously wrong. Went to the hospital for a check-up, and it was late-stage cancer. I asked the doctor how much time I have left. The doctor advised me to watch my diet, get out more, and not leave any regrets. So, not much time left. After returning from the hospital, I messaged Gideon. [Come home for dinner tonight, I have something to tell you.] Not long after, he replied with a single word: okay. I prepared a whole table of dishes and waited quietly. I didn’t know how long I waited and then messaged him to check what’s up. No reply. The food went cold, the sky turned dark. My stomach started to hurt again. Ever since Gideon’s long-lost love, Cora, went abroad, he’s been frequenting bars every day. I was always there to clean up his mess, helping him down drink after drink of strong liquor. Maybe the irregular eating and excessive alcohol over time led to stomach cancer. I was on the couch, drenched in cold sweat from the pain, my whole body weak. I called Gideon. The call connected, but a woman’s gentle voice came through. “Phoebe? Are you looking for Gideon? He just finished some hangover soup and is sleeping now.” The voice was unfamiliar yet familiar. A voice I could never forget in this lifetime. “Cora? You’re back?” The woman chuckled softly. “Yeah, suddenly remembered someone here was waiting for me, so I came back.” “Got to thank you, Phoebe, for taking care of Gideon these past four years.” At that moment, the calmness I had maintained since my late-stage cancer diagnosis crumbled like sand. My face was pale, and my voice hoarse: “No need to thank me.” I hung up the phone. The taste of blood rose in my throat. I spat out a mouthful of blood. Wiped it away carelessly. Took out the doctor-prescribed meds and swallowed a few pills. The stomach pain eased a bit. I dumped all the food. Threw the late-stage cancer diagnosis report in the trash. Looked at this lifeless house. I felt as calm as a dead sea inside. Suddenly, it all felt meaningless. Time to end it.

I moved back to the apartment I previously rented. Woke up to find dozens of messages from Daphne. Someone had posted about me flipping the table and splashing drinks at last night’s gathering on the college online forum. Even though I graduated three years ago. During college, my reputation for chasing after Gideon and being a doormat was known all over campus. I clicked on the link Daphne sent. The post was popular, pinned to the top. Basically said Phoebe played the doormat for years and finally got promoted, but once the real one, Cora, returned, Phoebe, the impostor, had to step aside. It included two pictures: one of me sitting alone at the table looking a bit lonely, and the other of Gideon sweetly comforting Cora. His face showed a tenderness and care I had never seen in the past four years. I suppressed my nausea and scrolled quickly. The comments below were naturally unbearable. I logged into my main account to leave a comment. But as soon as I posted it, the thread was deleted by the admin. I looked through the forum, didn’t know the admin. Confused, Daphne called. “What’s really going on with you and Gideon?” I got up, went to the bathroom to freshen up. “We’re exes now.” Daphne: “Don’t believe it.” I kept brushing my teeth and washing my face. After a while, she suspiciously asked, “Are you serious?” “Gideon wanted to break up with you a few times before, yet you still clung to him, this time…” I don’t blame Daphne for thinking that way. Because I was indeed a complete doormat before. Gideon dated others. I bought the bubble tea and movie tickets for him. Gideon slept with others. I booked the hotel rooms for him. Gideon’s long-lost love went abroad, he drank day and night. I took care of him day and night. For four years. Call me a doormat, I admit it. But say I loved him deeply, I don’t. It was just a debt I had to repay. But now I’m about to die. Who cares if he’s happy or not. “Daphne, this time it’s real.” I packed up my things, chatted with her for a bit, and hung up. Got ready to go to work. Just opened the door, and there was Gideon at the door.

His face was cold, a low-pressure vibe all over him. His tone held a deliberately suppressed anger: “Phoebe, how long are you going to keep causing trouble?” I looked at him, finding it amusing. “We don’t have any relationship now, where do you get the nerve to say that?” Gideon was momentarily at a loss for words. He frowned, “What do you mean?” “I mean don’t show up in front of me again.” I closed the door, walked towards the elevator. From behind came his furious shout: “Phoebe, you better never regret this!” I turned and rolled my eyes at him. Walked into the elevator with big strides. What a crappy way to start the day. At the office, I headed straight for the CEO’s office. The receptionist girl saw me, sweetly called out “Secretary Phoebe,” I nodded. Took a deep breath before knocking and entering. The man behind the desk didn’t even look up, busy with documents. “Mr. Asher, I want to resign.” My heart was pounding. Asher looked up at those words. His sharp, deep gaze was piercing. He frowned, “Resign? Phoebe, are you serious?” I was silent for a moment. “I… I was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer not long ago, time is running out.” The office was silent for a while. I sneaked a glance at him. His expression didn’t look quite right. Afraid I might leave suddenly without finding someone to take over my work? I quickly explained: “Mr. Asher, don’t worry about no one handling my job after I leave, the admin department has someone more capable—” Bang— Asher slammed the file shut. I immediately went silent. His voice was a bit hoarse, “We’ll talk about resignation later.” “You, go to the hospital for a check-up right now.” I shrugged, “I don’t want to treat it, honestly, I feel fine now.” Asher: “Phoebe, listen.” His volume suddenly increased. The veins on the back of his hand bulged. I looked up to see his face slightly darkened, his deep eyes filled with unfathomable emotions. I was a bit surprised. Didn’t expect Mr. Asher to react so strongly to my resignation. Shouldn’t be like this. Even more unexpected, Asher came with me to the hospital for the check-up. Maybe because we were classmates and desk mates in high school. Mr. Asher had been looking out for me, an old classmate. Makes sense. On the way, my stomach started to ache. In the hospital lobby, the pain made me break out in cold sweat. My legs gave way, nearly collapsing. The expected fall didn’t happen. A large hand caught my waist in time. I was pulled into an embrace. The fresh, woody scent of cedar filled my nose. The stomach cramps seemed to ease a bit. “Phoebe, are you okay?” Asher’s brows furrowed, worry in his eyes I’d never seen before. My heart stirred slightly. An indescribable feeling spread in my chest. I shook my head, about to say I’m fine. But then a mocking voice came from behind: “Oh Phoebe, so you’ve found another man to be a doormat for.”

“Thought you were so devoted, turns out you’re just a fickle woman.” I looked over, it was Hugo. One of Gideon’s bad company from the bars. He was the one who started the bet at last night’s gathering. Bet that I’d be a doormat for Gideon for life. Too bad, it was his quickest loss. Because right after the bet, I flipped the table, splashed the drinks, and dumped him. I glanced at him with disgust, about to speak. Asher placed me behind him, shielding me completely. He coldly warned: “Sir, watch your mouth.” Hugo saw his face and was shocked. “Why is Mr. Asher here?” I remembered the Hugo family had a project hoping to collaborate with Asher’s company. Hugo extended his hand to shake. Asher didn’t even spare a glance. “Tell Mr. Hugo, there’s no need to seek collaboration with Asher’s group anymore.” He said, leading me inside. I turned back, seeing Hugo’s face turn from green to white. It felt amazing. I looked at him with disgust, just about to say something. Asher stepped in front of me, completely shielding me. He warned coldly, “Sir, watch your words.” Hugo was taken aback upon seeing Asher’s face. “Why is Mr. Gu here?” I remembered the Xue family was seeking a collaboration with Gu Corporation. Hugo extended a hand for a handshake, but Asher didn’t even look at him. “Go back and tell Mr. Xue there’s no need to pursue a partnership with Gu Corporation anymore.” With that, Asher put his arm around my waist and led me inside. I turned my head to see Hugo’s face turn pale, then flush with anger. It was immensely satisfying. After a blood test and gastroscopy, I sat on a bench in the corridor. Asher was discussing the details with the doctor. As the sunlight streamed in, I felt drowsy. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he came out of the office. “How is it? How many more days do I have left?” I asked. Asher frowned, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. “Let’s go eat.” Still a bit dazed, I was led to a restaurant. It only felt real once I sat at the table. Asher casually ordered the food and even arranged the utensils for me. I had always done such things for Gideon. No one had ever treated me like this before. And Asher didn’t owe me anything. It was then I realized that kindness and goodwill don’t require debts. After eating, he drove me back to my apartment complex. “Thank you, Mr. Gu.” He sat in the car, turning to look at me with those deep, mesmerizing dark eyes. His lips curved slightly as he nodded, “Message me every day after you take your medicine.” Startled for a moment, I nodded with a smile. “As long as Mr. Gu doesn’t find me troublesome.” He watched me silently, emotions deep in his eyes. “I won’t.” A slight warmth filled my heart. Suddenly, the idea of continuing to live didn’t seem so bad. After saying goodbye to Asher, I turned to walk toward my building. A figure emerged from behind the wall, grabbing my wrist and slamming me against the wall. The familiar smell of alcohol overwhelmed me, making me nauseous. I pushed hard, but he wouldn’t budge. I kicked him. “Gideon, are you out of your mind?!” His face was cold, eyes bloodshot. He spoke through clenched teeth, “Phoebe, how can you get involved with other men?” “Are you that desperate and shameless? Am I not enough for you? Huh?!” As he said this, he gripped my jaw, trying to lower his head to kiss me. A wave of revulsion and nausea hit me. I kicked him hard, then slapped him across the face.

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Five years ago, on Mother’s Day, my son gave me the most unforgettable gift of my life—a debt of five million. As a designer, I worked tirelessly by day and took on part-time jobs at night. Eventually, I managed to gather the money and returned it to the creditor, feeling utterly exhausted. But then I saw my son Jasper and my ex-husband Griffin, looking sharp in suits, sitting comfortably in a private room while the creditor was humbly toasting them and offering smiles. The father and son projected an air of authority. “Mr. Carter, I really tried my best. Who would have thought your wife would be so stubborn, working herself to the bone rather than asking you for help?” Jasper reassured his father, “Dad, don’t worry. If I incur another debt of twenty million, this time there’s no way Mom can escape!” Griffin put down his cigar, stood up, and patted his son on the shoulder. “Dad, I’ve got my eye on a sports car. Look.” “Go to the finance department tomorrow and get the money. It’s just a car. Remember, Jasper, you’re the heir to the Carter Corporation.” The Carter Corporation has been making waves in the business world, dominating all industries in City A for the past decade. Even the fashion company I work for is a subsidiary of Carter Corporation. When my son graduated from college, he envied others, wondering why he didn’t have such wealth despite having the same last name. “My son is so outstanding; he’ll definitely reach the top of the pyramid in the future.” He smiled and nodded. Perhaps even then, Jasper had already reconnected with Griffin. The noise in the club was deafening, and I felt a cold sweat break out, a sense of bitterness welling up inside me. But what came next plunged me into despair. “It’s all my mom’s fault. You just had a few affairs outside—did she really need to divorce you and ruin my good life?” “My mom is so unreasonable. If it weren’t for your social engagements back then, there wouldn’t be a business empire now. Women are just petty.” I’ll never forget the day I discovered Griffin’s affair, catching him in bed with another woman at a hotel. He never paid a dime in child support after our divorce, and I raised our son through hardship. Back then, he was understanding, knowing how hard I worked and wanting to help share the burden. He started his own business right after college. But then, on Mother’s Day, he told me his business failed, and his partner ran off, leaving him in debt. I watched as the creditors came to our door, vandalizing and threatening to harm Jasper if he didn’t repay the money. I stood resolutely in front of my son, taking on the debt myself. As a seasoned designer, I shouldn’t have had to work so hard on designs anymore, but the debt was enormous. I had no choice but to take on freelance work in secret. Unfortunately, the company found out, and because I violated industry rules, my bosses, out of respect for my years of service, demoted me to a design assistant. With even less money, I had to work during the day, wait tables at a hot pot restaurant at night, and clean at a fast-food restaurant until the early hours. I lived like this for five years, but the debt just snowballed, getting bigger and bigger. Jasper disappeared, leaving me with no choice but to beg the creditors for a few more days. But they were unmoved; debts had to be repaid. I had no right to ask for leniency. Yet, thinking of my son’s future, I knelt and banged my head on the ground until it bled. The debt collectors were afraid of causing a death and agreed to let me pay in installments. I’m not someone who gives up easily. For my son, I became stronger, perhaps the power of a mother’s love. But what I didn’t expect was that this was all a scam. I lost completely in love and money. Disappointment overwhelmed me, and I called an old friend. “Imogen, you once said you hoped I’d become the head of your company’s design department. Do you still need me?” There was silence on the other end. Just as I was about to speak, Imogen burst into tears of joy. “Hurry and come over. With your talent, you can easily be the design director or even the general manager.” “Back then, you gave up your career for marriage and children, and after the divorce, you returned to the design industry, all for that kid.” “You even turned down an offer from Milan’s renowned design college.” “We’re preparing for a big show at the end of the year, and the design team is working in isolation. Think about it.” I raised my trembling right hand, looking at my rundown self in the mirror. “I don’t need to think about it, but my age…” “Don’t worry about that. Your design concepts and abilities are well recognized.” “The clothes you designed back in the day are still classics for C Brand. Once you settle things in City A, I’ll send someone to pick you up next Monday.” I hung up and decided to settle things with them. I opened the private room door, and Jasper froze, then quickly walked over to my side. “Mom, you’re here. You. Why did you come so late? I almost got beaten to death.” The creditor stood up and slapped Jasper. “Have you prepared the money? We agreed on the deadline today. If you don’t have enough, I’ll cut off one of your son’s fingers.” Griffin squinted at me. “Cora, is this how you educate your son? Or you could beg me, return to my side, and I’ll find a way to help you out.” “After all, you wouldn’t want to see your son’s future ruined, right?” “If you really don’t want to beg me, I have a quick-money job for you.” “You’ve kept yourself well all these years. I know a place that loves women like you. How about it?” The men in the room burst into laughter, and Jasper was deeply ashamed. “Mom, did you bring enough money? If so, hand it over.” “What do you mean, watching me get my fingers cut off?” I trembled all over, not wanting to argue with them. I produced a bank card from my pocket. “This is one million. Starting today, we owe nothing.” I was about to leave. “Hold on, who said one million was enough?” “Lady, your son borrowed a million. We’re not a charity; there has to be some interest.” The creditor gripped my hand tightly, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Griffin’s gaze. He instantly let go of my hand. “Mom, I didn’t tell you, but they… They want interest too. If I don’t pay, they’ll break my legs.” “Mom, I’m your only son. You can’t just watch me die, right?” Jasper knelt on the ground, pleading. “Mom, you have to help me. You have to.” “Why don’t you beg Dad? Apologize to him, and the three of us can live happily together. Wouldn’t that be nice?” “Why must you insist on suffering so much? Kneel and apologize to Dad. If you do, he’ll forgive you.” Griffin sneered. “Your mom is a college graduate and a famous designer. I’m just a nouveau riche; I can’t handle it.” The creditor picked up a wine bottle from the table, ready to smash it against Jasper’s leg. They were all acting out a charade for me. My son, my son, would let his own mother suffer such humiliation for money. Where did the boy who brought me foot baths, massaged my shoulders, and promised to make lots of money to support me go? Griffin and I were in love once. In those days, I got pregnant with Jasper out of wedlock, and we later married. I had severe morning sickness, and Griffin canceled his business trips, even losing some big deals to stay by my side. Those were truly hard times. I had a falling out with my family, and the childbirth expenses were cobbled together. Griffin worked three jobs a day to ensure I had proper nutrition. Later, when he cheated, we divorced. When I make a choice, I never look back. I raised our child alone. Being a single mom was never easy. I struggled to raise him. Later, with my illness and his college expenses, we couldn’t afford his private university tuition. Griffin appeared during this time, flaunting his success. I knew he made some money and that his reappearance was to force me to return. Even my son sided with him because I had no money. During our arguments, he belittled me to nothing. I thought about having a serious talk with my son, inviting him out for a meal. But Griffin’s words made him kick me out of the car. That day, it was pouring rain, drenching me as my heart ached. Years of nurturing and love couldn’t compare to Griffin’s money. When I returned home, my son saw my sorry state and only said, “Mom, after all these years apart from Dad, we can eat together anytime. You don’t mind, do you?” “Of course not.” I knew he was under a lot of pressure about his future. If Griffin had the means, I wouldn’t stop him. After all, he was Jasper’s biological father. I had no reason to stop their meetings. Perhaps because I gave way, it awakened Jasper’s love for me. He was obedient and filial for a while. On Mother’s Day, he promised me a surprise. Who knew it would be a million-dollar debt? I can’t forget Jasper kneeling in front of me, tearfully repenting. It seems to echo with the current scene. “Mom, I’m begging you. Please ask Dad for help. He surely has a way to get us through this.” “You’re not young anymore. Physical labor won’t earn you much. Wouldn’t it be great for the three of us to live happily together?” — Perhaps my stepping back reignited Jasper’s affection for me, because for a while afterward, he was both obedient and respectful. On Mother’s Day, he mentioned he had a surprise for me. Little did I know it would be the burden of a million-dollar debt. I can never forget Jasper kneeling before me, tears streaming down his face as he expressed his remorse. It all seems to blur with the scene unfolding now. “Mom, I’m begging you, please talk to Dad. He must have a solution. He’ll help us get through this tough time.” “You’re already an adult. You can’t earn much through manual labor. Can’t we just live peacefully as a family of three?” This wasn’t the life I envisioned for myself. Step by step, father and son drove me into despair, pretending as if they were forcing me to reconsider. I couldn’t bear it any longer. “Jasper, he’s your father. It’s his responsibility to support you financially. Don’t pressure me to come up with a solution!” I pushed him away and turned to leave. On my way home, tears fell despite myself. For eighteen years, I’ve raised Jasper with great effort. The reflection in the mirror shows a face weathered by time, and even my hands have grown rough. To save money, I live in a rental apartment that’s cold in winter and hot in summer. To earn more to repay our debts, my hands are covered with chilblains in winter, and in summer, heat rashes spread all over. My son always uses schoolwork as an excuse to stay away year-round. Looking back, what busy work was there? Why would Mr. Carter Jr. live in a place like this with me? The thought is almost laughable now. A neighbor saw me and remarked with a smile, “Hasn’t your Jasper come back yet? You raised him so well—he’s achieved so much at such a young age. I saw him in that downtown office building a few days ago, looking so impressive.” I could only manage a bitter smile before opening the door. Everyone knows Jasper’s career success is largely due to the backing of Carter Corporation. It seems I’m the only fool here. As I looked around our home, I began to gather my things, but there wasn’t much to pack. Just then, Jasper entered, covering his nose as if there was an unpleasant odor. “Mom, what are you doing? Where are you planning to go?” “Surely you wouldn’t just let your own son die, right? Mom, if you couldn’t support me, why fight for custody? What does this mean now?” “I’m your real son. Are you trying to evade responsibility? Are you planning to run away?” I sat on the couch, regarding him with a cold stare. “Mr. Carter Jr., how long will you keep pretending in front of your own mother?” “Mom. You knew all along?” I’m sorry, it looks like the text you want translated is not available. Could you please provide the Chinese text you’re referring to?

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The tenth time I attempted to have the wedding, my boyfriend was, for the tenth time, called away by a phone call from his so-called childhood sweetheart. I was left alone on the stage, becoming a complete laughing stock. I swallowed my pride and contacted my boyfriend, begging him to return and at least go through the motions. But he wouldn’t even pick up my calls! His childhood sweetheart smugly sent me a photo of them lying in bed together, flaunting, “I won!” My heart turned completely cold. The wedding had been scheduled ten times, yet postponed ten times. The master of ceremonies looked at me with sympathy, “Do you still want to continue with the wedding?” I smiled, “Yes! It must be completed!” I sent a message to the boy-next-door, and upon receiving his affirmative reply, I breathed a sigh of relief and informed the master of ceremonies to wait a little longer. This was already my tenth wedding attempt, and I couldn’t let it be ruined again. Declan arrived quickly, his tailored suit accentuating his tall and long-legged frame, drawing quite a bit of attention. He walked directly to the center of the stage, standing beside my solitary figure, smiling nonchalantly. “Miss Quinn, have you figured it out?” I nodded. It was just a marriage to appease family elders; it didn’t matter who I married. Besides, Grandma’s illness couldn’t be delayed any longer. Her condition has been rapidly worsening for half a year now. Every time I visited her, she would talk about wanting to see me get married before she passed. As someone who had been closest to me all my life, Grandma’s only wish was for me to find someone trustworthy. That way, after she was gone, I would have someone to rely on and wouldn’t be bullied. Watching Grandma grow thinner day by day, I couldn’t bear to see her leave with regrets, so I set my mind on getting married. Boyfriend Kieran had also promised me we would marry. But for ten whole weddings, he missed every single one, leaving me to become the laughing stock of all Seaside City. And all his excuses for missing were because of his childhood sweetheart, Phoebe. Phoebe was fine on ordinary days, but on my wedding days, she either couldn’t handle the stress due to her depression or was too scared after watching a horror movie and needed company. The most ridiculous time was when she wanted to take wedding photos on a whim while shopping and called Kieran to be her partner. I couldn’t express a bit of dissatisfaction at these ridiculous reasons. If I dared to ask, I would get a barrage of scolding. “Quinn, can’t you be more understanding? Phoebe is like a sister to me, she needs me now. The wedding can happen any day, don’t be so petty, okay?” But after ten times of abandonment and betrayal, my patience finally ran out. This time, I wouldn’t stand in place and wait anymore. After completely letting go, I found that my heart didn’t hurt as much. Maybe it was numbness. Or perhaps Grandma’s words gave me strength. “Our Quinn is so good, Grandma hopes that after Grandma leaves, you’ll find someone who loves you and won’t let you suffer.” Recalling Grandma’s aged face gave me firm confidence. I couldn’t let the people who loved me down. So I took Declan’s arm and walked down the aisle with him. I needed to face the wedding in my best state so that Grandma would be at ease when she saw the video. As we exchanged rings, my phone chimed. It was Kieran. He hadn’t realized his mistake at all, still speaking in a casual tone. [Ning Ning, be good. Phoebe’s stomach hurts today, I really can’t leave. The wedding can be any day, I’ll make it up to you later.] Seeing such words again, my heart ached uncontrollably. I clenched my phone. Declan raised an eyebrow slightly. “Do you still want to wear the ring?” I looked up with determination, “Yes!” After going through all the procedures, I was already exhausted. Thanks to Declan for supporting my waist all the time. Before leaving, he looked at me seriously. “Quinn, I’ll give you two days to change your mind. I hope you think it through before we get the certificate.” His words gave me enough dignity, but I had already made up my mind to end things with Kieran. “Don’t worry, I won’t regret it!” After Declan left, I received a message from Kieran. [Quinn, buy painkillers within ten minutes and bring them over, don’t make me angry.] The address below was a famous couple’s hotel in Seaside City. Then, the phone chimed again. It was a photo of two people lying in bed. The sender was Phoebe. And my boyfriend was one of the main characters in the photo. [I won again!] Compared to the pain of being betrayed and abandoned, I felt more disgusted. On my wedding day, my groom was at a couple’s hotel with another woman. I clenched my fists unconsciously until they bled. Chapter Two In the end, I went to the hotel. This relationship was completely over for me. Afterward, I didn’t want to have any more entanglement with Kieran. So I wanted to break up with him face-to-face and get the house key back. After all, the place he was living in now was a house I bought with full payment! When I arrived at the hotel, Kieran was angry when he saw me empty-handed. “Quinn, what’s wrong with you? Where are the painkillers I asked you to buy?” Phoebe sat at the edge of the bed, pouting pitifully: “Brother Kieran, don’t be mad. After all, Sister Ning Ning has been busy with wedding preparations all day, maybe she’s just too tired.” She knew full well that the groom had been called away by her, yet she still spoke so nonchalantly. Being ridiculed like this, even with my heart already in tatters, I couldn’t suppress the sting. My fingers slowly clenched, nearly digging into my palm. Disappointment reached a certain level where I no longer had the desire to be angry. The couple’s hotel room was so cramped and ambiguous, I was almost suffocating. My relationship with Kieran started back in college. At first, it was his passionate pursuit that made me gradually fall for him. When we were together, he remembered every holiday better than I did, always surprising me with gifts. Even if I threw tantrums, he would take all the blame and patiently comfort me. My best friends often marveled that I found such a great boyfriend. I thought the same, which is why I wanted to marry right after graduation. But everything changed when Kieran’s childhood sweetheart, Phoebe, returned from abroad. Since then, Kieran’s heart completely leaned towards her. Between me and Phoebe, I was always the one left behind. Kieran affectionately ruffled Phoebe’s hair. “Ah, you’re the understanding one.” Then he walked towards me, frowning in displeasure. “Why didn’t you reply to my message?” My repeated concessions only made Kieran push his limits further. He abandoned the wedding and me, yet blamed me right away. I tried to calm down, speaking coldly. “I forgot.” Kieran was stunned, seemingly shocked by my tone. I looked at Kieran coldly. “Kieran, today you missed the wedding again.” Hearing this, guilt flashed in his eyes, and he angrily defended himself. “I didn’t do it on purpose. Phoebe wasn’t feeling well. I can’t just ignore her, right?” “We can reschedule the wedding, can’t we? Stop making a fuss, Quinn, be reasonable, okay?” He was the one who did wrong, yet he turned the tables on me. I had no desire to argue further, holding back my disgust, I coldly said one sentence. “But I don’t want to wait for you anymore, let’s break up!” With that, I turned and walked away decisively. “Quinn, what the hell did you just say?!” Kieran shouted, immediately chasing after me. At this moment, behind me, Phoebe exclaimed, “Oh no!” Followed by a crisp shattering sound that stood out. I stopped, puzzled, and turned to look. The next second, my eyes widened. The broken jade pendant on the ground was the one Grandma had prayed for my safety with every step! I was completely stunned, an immense anger almost bursting out. Realizing this, I pushed Kieran away and rushed to carefully pick up the jade pieces. “Why is my jade pendant here!?” I stared at Phoebe, loudly questioning. Kieran came over, grumbling with dissatisfaction. “Quinn, what’s wrong with you? You’re scaring Phoebe.” I couldn’t believe I met Kieran’s gaze. He knew well how important this jade pendant was to me, yet he could casually say such a thing. Suddenly, a sense of helplessness crawled all over my heart. The soft flesh of my palm was pierced, bloody and mangled. Indeed, when it came to Phoebe, I was always the one who had to give in. But this time, it concerned Grandma, and I didn’t want to endure anymore. I raised my hand and slapped Kieran hard. “If you’re blind, go see a doctor!” “She stole the jade pendant Grandma gave me without my consent and broke it. What right do you have to forgive her for me?” The room fell silent. I had never hit anyone before, no matter how angry I was. Now, it was Kieran’s turn to be dumbfounded. “You dare hit me? Quinn, I’m your boyfriend, and you dare lay a hand on me?!” He rushed up, grabbing my throat, applying pressure until I could barely breathe. He glared at me, eyes filled with malice and hatred, as if looking at an enemy. I couldn’t help but think, when did the person who once looked at me with love change? I remember when we hadn’t started dating, I posted a photo of a less than two-millimeter cut on my finger on SnapChat. Kieran was waiting downstairs at 4 AM just to bring me a box of medicine. The boy’s eyes were bright and full of concern. “You dare hit me? Quinn, I’m your boyfriend, and you actually hit me?!” He lunged forward and gripped my neck so tightly I could barely breathe. He glared at me, eyes filled with malice and hatred, as if I were his enemy. I couldn’t help but wonder, when did the person who once looked at me with love change? I remember when we weren’t even together yet; I had just posted a photo in my Moments of a tiny cut less than two millimeters long. Kieran waited outside the dormitory building at four in the morning just to bring me a box of medicine. His eyes were bright and full of concern. It was then that I was moved by his sincerity and agreed to his pursuit. But only half a year later, he could hurl insults at me for another woman. Only then did I understand… True feelings can change in an instant. After love is gone, no matter how much you argue, it’s pointless. The sharp pain in my neck reminded me of how ridiculous my efforts over the years have been. I just curled my lips into a self-mocking smile. Phoebe peeked out from behind Kieran. Caught off guard, I met her mocking gaze. It felt like a needle had pierced my heart, making it hurt even more. The next second, her eyes turned red as if she were a frightened rabbit, and she said to me: “Quinn, don’t be mad. I just found the jade pendant and wanted to return it to you.” She playfully shook Kieran’s arm. “Kieran, stop blaming Quinn.” Only then did Kieran calm down and reluctantly let go of me. “Phoebe, you’re so sensible.” “Quinn, can’t you learn a little?” The pain of near suffocation made me tremble all over. Phoebe pretended to help me up. “Quinn, will you forgive me?” Her tone was slightly ingratiating, but I clearly saw the provocation and mockery in her eyes. It was like she was saying, “Yes, I took it, yes, I broke it, what can you do about it?” I felt a chill of disgust and avoided her touch. Phoebe took the opportunity to let out a sharp scream and fell backward. “Ah—” She clutched her wrist, looking at me in fear. “Quinn, I just wanted to apologize…” I hadn’t even touched her, yet I became the villain bullying her. Seeing Phoebe fall, Kieran quickly crouched to help her up and turned to scold me. “Quinn, didn’t you hear Phoebe say she found the jade pendant? Is it fun to take out your anger on an innocent person?” I almost laughed at his words. The jade pendant my Grandma gave me has always been precious. Carefully kept in the drawer of my bedroom. Found? Did Phoebe accidentally enter my home, then accidentally walk into my bedroom, and finally accidentally find the jade pendant in my most private nightstand? I couldn’t be bothered to expose this poorly crafted lie and smirked. “Fine, I will call the police and let them investigate how Phoebe found my jade pendant!” “And I will hold you accountable for laying hands on me today!” Phoebe panicked and immediately clutched her heart. “Kieran, my heart hurts…” Hearing this, Kieran dropped everything and carried Phoebe to the hospital. “Phoebe, don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything happen to you!” As he passed by me, he glared at me with gritted teeth. “Quinn, just you wait! If anything happens to Phoebe, you’ll pay!” He deliberately bumped into my shoulder. The impact knocked me to the ground. But Kieran didn’t spare me a glance, snorted coldly, and left. After they left, I remained sitting on the ground. That familiar face, now twisted, unfamiliar, and terrifying. My throat was dry. Tears fell unconsciously, one by one. As my emotions gradually calmed, my phone rang. It was a call from the hospital. I didn’t hesitate for a moment and answered. Grandma’s condition had worsened, and she was already in surgery. I didn’t care about anything else and staggered to my feet, running outside. As I stepped out of the hotel, I saw Declan. The man, cool and dignified, leaned against the car door, his eyes lighting up when he saw me. It seemed he was there just to wait for me. Without time to wonder why he was there, I got in the car and asked him to take me to the hospital. When we arrived, Grandma had already been saved by the doctors. I breathed a sigh of relief and stayed by her side from the operating room to the ward. With Declan by my side, I decided to tell Grandma about our marriage to make her happy. Grandma flipped through the wedding photos on my phone, smiling genuinely. “Good, good, good! Our Quinn finally found a good match!” Declan sat beside us, answering all of Grandma’s questions politely and without a hint of impatience. It wasn’t until the nurse reminded Grandma it was time to rest that I took Declan and left. Before leaving, Grandma whispered in my ear. “Quinn, Declan is a hundred times better than that what’s-his-name you found before!” “No doubt you’re my granddaughter; you know how to pick them!” My cheeks flushed instantly. I mumbled a response and quickly left the ward as if escaping. The next second, I bumped into Declan’s chest. Declan’s amused voice sounded above my head. “Did it hurt?” Blushing, I didn’t dare look up at him. I just shook my head dumbly: “No…” Even after Declan took the payment slip from my hand and went to pay, my heart kept racing. I couldn’t help but scold myself for being spineless. We’d only met three times, and now he’s my fake husband, how could I have improper thoughts about him? I took a few deep breaths, finally calming down. But I never expected to run into Kieran and Phoebe holding each other at the corner! Seeing me, they quickly separated, a guilty look flashing across their faces. But I just glanced at them coldly, with no emotion, and turned to leave. Kieran rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Quinn, it’s not what it looks like, don’t misunderstand!” I looked up calmly. “You don’t need to explain. We have nothing to do with each other anymore.” Perhaps my unwavering gaze made Kieran uneasy, and he scratched his head in frustration. “Ugh, is there any point in saying that? Phoebe’s upset, I was just comforting her.” He leaned in and whispered in my ear, so only we could hear: “I promise, we’ll make up for the wedding next week, okay?” “But Phoebe’s in poor health, I don’t want to upset her, so let’s not tell her yet.” I couldn’t help but laugh sarcastically. If you have to hide and cover up even for a wedding, what’s the point? I smirked and shook my head: “No need.” I’ve already been married. I left the last part unsaid. Because the man in front of me wasn’t worth any more of my energy. But my indifference made Kieran anxious. He blocked my path and demanded, “What do you mean no need?” “Quinn, weren’t you the one who always wanted a wedding? Why not anymore?” The next second, a familiar scent of sandalwood enveloped me again. Declan pulled me into his embrace, asserting his claim. “Because we’re already married!” “She’s mine now, and some filth should just disappear!” I’m sorry, but it appears there is no specific Chinese text provided for translation in your request. Could you kindly supply the exact Chinese content you wish to have translated? Once you do, I’d be more than happy to assist you, ensuring that the translation maintains the desired format and follows the guidelines you have outlined.

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I am a top assassin, meticulously trained by the organization. But this time, I faced the only failure of my career. Late at night, the boss pinned me down on the bed, bringing out various devices in succession. He continued until I was breathless. Afterward, with reddened eyes, he asked me, “Do you know that person?” I paused for a moment before weakly responding, “We… shared a bed…” After a delightful week in bed with Lachlan, he finally unlocked the handcuffs from the bedpost. He pulled up his pants and adjusted his tie, returning to his polished appearance. This marks the third year since Lachlan took me in. He has trained me into a lethal weapon. But at the same time, I am also his devoted partner in bed. After our encounter, Lachlan casually tossed me a document folder. This mission was to eliminate a top assassin from the competition. Successfully completing it would allow the company to dominate the entire industry. I opened the document folder, reviewed the details, and then burned it to ashes.

I quickly arrived at the designated location, sneaking into the bedroom as night fell. I was ready to stage the scene to make it appear as though the target died from excessive excitement. The sheets were damp, clothes scattered, and there were… used condoms. Everything was set. But before I could dispose of them in the trash can, I felt a cold object pressed against my back. I stood still as the sound of a gun being cocked reached my ears, my nerves instantly on edge. I held my breath, waiting for the right moment to counterattack. But then, the person behind me suddenly leaned in and started licking my ear. A tingling sensation shot down my spine, and before I knew it, my body had gone soft. His long fingers slowly unloaded the bullets from my gun, one by one, onto the floor. It was clearly a dangerous move, yet he performed it like an art form. He slid the gun barrel along my calf, gradually exploring further. I pretended to collapse, unable to bear it. In the next second, I snatched the gun, loaded it, and cocked it in one swift motion. “You’re too inexperienced to play with me, dear. I’ve never lost except in bed.” Then I mimicked his move, sliding the gun barrel along his ear. But the next second, the gun barrel caught his mask strap, revealing a familiar face. “Do you have any last… Oh my god, it’s you?!” Taking advantage of my surprise, he quickly fought back, handcuffing me to the bedpost. In no time, he stripped me of my clothes. Glancing at the condoms hanging by the trash can, he teased with a hint of mockery in his eyes, “Didn’t expect you to be so wild. Is Lachlan not satisfying you?”

Hearing such explicit words from him, my heart ached. The person in front of me was Jude, the one I was smitten with in my youth, the one I once wanted to marry at all costs. To marry him, I even ran away from home. But in the end, I aborted the child, and despite his pleas on his knees, I never looked back. Now, he pinned me down, injecting a cold liquid into my body through a needle. In no time, I began to feel feverish all over. I started writhing uncontrollably in front of Jude, trying to pull him closer with my free hand. “Help… help me… please,” I mumbled unconsciously, making his gaze darken. He stood still for a moment, then removed his shirt and pants. “Beg me, beg me to please you!” His eyes, red with desire, held back the urge, forcing me to plead. I refused to speak, gently stroking his desire with a hint of flattery. Jude took a deep breath, forcefully pinning my other hand above my head. After a release, he lay satisfied on top of me, pecking my lips with a mischievous grin. “Can Lachlan make you feel this good?” Hearing this, the heat in my heart instantly cooled by half. I pushed his shoulder, my eyes red, telling him to leave. But he twisted my hand back, marking my neck with a hickey. “With you like this, will Lachlan still want you?” I saw the fury in his eyes, as if it would burn my heart to ashes. I didn’t know how to explain my betrayal to Jude back then. Nor did I know how to ask what he went through in these years to become like this. Meanwhile, he began another round of indulgence. When I woke up again, he was long gone, leaving a key on the bedside table. He didn’t kill me, but likewise, my assassination mission failed.

In this organization, assassins who fail face the harshest punishment. Lower-level assassins who fail are flayed and dismembered piece by piece. They start from the spine, splitting the skin in two, and then tear it like a bat spreading its wings, enduring a full day of agony before dying. But for someone of my level, there’s only death, not failure. As long as I’m alive, the mission doesn’t end, until I lose all value. When I returned to see Lachlan, he immediately noticed the mark on my neck. I heard him scoff, his tone mocking. “You’ve become so wanton, can’t even kill someone without getting frisky?” Hearing such words from two men in a row, I couldn’t help but look up coldly, my eyes nearly turning murderous. After a minute of standoff, I was the first to lower my head, unloading my gun and kneeling to plead guilty. “Mission failed, requesting organization punishment.” As soon as I spoke, the mockery in Lachlan’s eyes instantly vanished. He asked incredulously, “The mission… failed?” I kept my head down, mechanically repeating, “Yes! Mission 001 failed, requesting organization punishment.” This time, he actually laughed out loud. The sound was chilling, like a knife grinding against my bones. Sure enough, he then grabbed my shoulder and personally escorted me into the interrogation room. The people there were surprised to see me. After all, since earning the 001 code name, I’d never failed until now. I was tied to the interrogation chair, my expression numb, lost in thought. Lachlan gritted his teeth, taking the whip himself and lashing it onto me. My clothes split instantly. With another lash, my skin burned with a bloody mark. I bit my lip in silence, only for him to hit harder. After a dozen lashes, blood began to drip from my wounds. Lachlan carefully avoided the mark on my neck. Against the backdrop of blood, the love bite stood out even more. It was an interrogation room, yet he only tortured me without asking why the mission failed. Then he personally used pliers to pull out one of my nails and subjected me to electric shock. Every interrogation method was used on me. After another round of electric shock, I saw his hand trembling slightly on the switch, his eyes red, lips quivering. Seeing me refuse to speak, he grabbed my hair, forcing me to look up at him, then gently kissed the love bite. I couldn’t help but shudder. This side of him was far more frightening than any punishment. He untied me, gently cradling me in his arms as if afraid to hurt me. Yet back in the bedroom, he violently tore off my already tattered clothes, licking the fresh whip marks. I cried out in pain, my fingers digging into his hair. He paused, lifting my face…

When it was all over, I lay gasping for breath, the sheets rippling beneath me. My eyes were still veiled in a haze, and the figure before me was blurry. Lachlan looked down at me, controlled by desire. Even though his body reacted, he refused to touch me. He gripped my neck slightly, asking, “Do you know that person?” If you listened closely, there was a faint tremor in his voice. After a moment of silence, I weakly answered, “We… shared a bed…” Then he went crazy, biting the love bite fiercely as if he wouldn’t stop until he tore the flesh off. Was it because he loved me? But clearly, I had once asked him while lying in his arms, “Did you take me in because you loved me?” What did he say back then? I can’t quite remember, but it was probably a denial. After Lachlan took me in, I endured six months of inhumane training. On the day I officially became an assassin, I told him, “I have someone I love. It’s my only reason to keep going.” He was dismissive. “Feelings are the most unreliable thing. Only someone as foolish as you would believe in them.” So, how could he let himself fall into love now? It’s just the possessiveness of someone in power. He dragged me to the bathroom. Only then did I realize how wanton I could be in front of him. When it finally ended, I slid down the counter, but he caught me, holding me in his arms. He lifted me and tossed me back onto the bed. I thought he wanted more, resigning myself to his whims. But he threw another document folder onto the bed. Inside were the address, age, gender, and code name. But there was no photo or name. That’s why I didn’t recognize the assassination target was Jude in the first place… It’s just the possessiveness of someone in power. He grabbed my arm and hauled me into the bathroom. Only then did I realize how unrestrained I could be in front of him. When it finally ended, I slid weakly down the counter, only to be caught and held in his arms. He picked me up and tossed me back onto the bed. I assumed he was interested again and resigned myself to let him continue. Instead, he threw a document folder onto the bed. Inside, there was an address, age, gender, and code name. But there were no photos or names. That’s why I didn’t realize at first that the assassination target was Jude… Lachlan stared at that piece of paper for a moment, then suddenly laughed, though his words were harsh. “Is this the person you love? Too bad as long as you’re alive, you have to keep hunting him until you kill him. Only then will the mission be complete.” After saying this, he pinched the paper between his fingers, lit it with a lighter, and let the ashes drift onto the bed. He lifted my hand, caressing the edge where the nail had been removed. I’m sorry, but there is no text provided for translation at this point. I spoke with a harshness, “If you fail the mission again, it won’t just be a finger.” With that, I left without looking back. I sat on the bed, dazed, my hand unconsciously moving to my stomach. Once, a small life grew there, but I had heartlessly abandoned it.

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My mom is an amateur archaeologist with questionable ethics. She insisted on taking the whole family grave-digging on the summer solstice, claiming it was the day with the strongest positive energy of the year. We didn’t find any antiques, but we did unearth a thousand-year-old vampire. My family pushed me forward as a sacrifice to be the vampire’s groom. They thought the vampire queen would drain me dry and kill me. But not only did I survive, the vampire queen also helped me find many valuable antiques. My brother Ryan saw me with all the antiques and got jealous. He used a homemade bomb to kill me. When I opened my eyes again, we were back on the day my mom dug up the thousand-year-old vampire. This time, Ryan volunteered to be the vampire’s groom. I secretly laughed. Did he really think sleeping in a coffin with a vampire every day and having his energy drained was a good thing? 0 After being killed by my brother’s homemade bomb, I was reborn. I woke up on the day my family pushed me out to be the vampire’s groom. My mom is an amateur archaeologist with questionable ethics. In my previous life, she had found a tomb, but it was surrounded by such strong negative energy that she didn’t dare to dig it up normally. The summer solstice is the day with the strongest positive energy of the year, which can counteract the negative energy. So on the summer solstice, my mom took our whole family to dig up the grave. But what we didn’t expect was that after we finally dug our way in, there was only a coffin inside. My sister Emily saw it and got excited. “Mom, this coffin is made of nanmu wood! There must be valuable burial objects inside!” Nanmu wood was something only the nobility could afford in ancient times. It was clear that the tomb’s owner must have been a wealthy person. My mom nodded in agreement. She wouldn’t let us men touch it, saying our energy might disturb things. So she and Emily worked together to lift the coffin lid. But when they opened the coffin, there were no burial objects. Instead, there was a beautiful female vampire dressed in ancient royal robes. My mom was stunned. Then, before the vampire queen woke up, she whispered harshly, “Jack, come here quickly.” Before I could react, my brother Ryan pushed me in front of my mom. Mom cut my palm with a knife and shoved me into the coffin. “Your Highness, we didn’t mean to disturb your peace. This boy has a pure yang constitution. We offer him to you as an apology.” Then they hurriedly closed the coffin lid. I begged them desperately to let me out. But the thousand-year-old vampire queen on top of me woke up at that moment. She grabbed my wrist tightly, trapping me. I was so scared I stopped breathing. The next moment, a cold breath brushed against my neck. “Are you my groom?” Her voice was unexpectedly cold and pleasant. I lay there trembling, my teeth chattering in fear. “N-no… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude into your coffin.” “Can you please let me out?” But she just chuckled and stroked my face. “Your blood has already formed a contract with me. From now on, you belong to me.” Then she extended her cold fingertip and slowly traced my Adam’s apple. I felt like a snake was staring at me, ready to strike. When dawn came, she finally released me. Licking her crimson lips, she commented, “Pure yang blood is indeed nourishing.” After that, I became her tool for absorbing positive energy. At night, I had to sleep with her in the coffin, letting her feed on me. During the day, I had to fend for myself to avoid starving to death. Fortunately, when she learned I had no money, she voluntarily took some valuable burial objects from the tomb and gave them to me to sell. It was when my brother caught me exchanging antiques for money that he stopped me. After learning that all the antiques in my possession were provided by the vampire queen, he forced me to ask for more antiques from her for him. When I refused, he followed me to the tomb and killed me with a homemade bomb. What he didn’t know was that even if he hadn’t acted, I wouldn’t have lived much longer. The vampire queen was an evil creature. My energy had been nearly depleted from her constant feeding day and night. It’s not that I hadn’t thought about escaping, but she had placed a curse on me. No matter where I ran, she could always drag me back. Living again, watching my brother eagerly volunteer to take my place… I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. Did he really think being the vampire’s groom was some cushy job? 0

Thinking of everything from my past life, I couldn’t help but clench my fists. At this moment, Mom and Emily were already excitedly pushing open the coffin lid in front of me. I instinctively took a step back. The next second, the joy on Mom and Emily’s faces froze when they saw the vampire queen in the coffin. Then, just like in my past life, Mom turned to me and hissed. “Jack, come here quickly!” I looked at them warily and stepped back again. This time, no one was going to force me to be a vampire’s groom again. Living day and night in a narrow coffin, sleeping with a cold vampire – I never wanted to experience that life again. If they tried to force me, I’d bash my head against the coffin and die. Then none of them would be able to escape. But what I didn’t expect was that this time, Ryan rushed out from behind me. “Mom, let me be the vampire’s groom!” Ryan’s eyes flashed with excitement. Hearing Ryan’s words, Mom’s face changed. “Ryan, don’t be reckless. Come back here.” But Ryan urged Mom, “Mom, hurry up! If she wakes up, it’ll be too late.” Seeing this, Mom hesitated no longer. She immediately cut Ryan’s hand and chanted a string of incantations. Ryan was very cooperative. He didn’t even need Mom to push him; he eagerly climbed into the coffin himself. Before going in, he waved to us and said, “Mom, Dad, you guys should leave quickly. I’ll be fine.” Seeing this, I was certain Ryan had also been reborn. But I didn’t say anything. I just turned and ran quickly towards the exit of the tomb. 0

I was the unexpected second child in the family, so I was never favored by my family members since childhood. When I was born, my grandfather had originally planned to drown me in the pigsty. But my mom, being an amateur archaeologist, was already doing things that could bring bad karma. She was worried that if my grandfather drowned me, it would affect the fortune of her descendants. So she stopped my grandfather. The result was that although I survived, I grew up unloved by my parents. Add to that, I wasn’t as good at sweet-talking and pleasing people as my brother, and I couldn’t produce results no matter how hard I was pushed. So my parents liked me even less. As far back as I can remember, all the household chores like washing clothes, cooking, feeding pigs and chickens were done by me. To them, I was just a workhorse they could sacrifice at any time. Mom used to often tell me that if it weren’t for her soft-heartedness, I would have been drowned by my grandfather on the day I was born. Because of her words, I had always been grateful to her. But it wasn’t until she instinctively sacrificed me first when danger came that I realized she had never cared about me at all. And even if I really owed her anything, in my past life, I had already repaid it. In this life, I just want to live for myself. 0

After escaping from the tomb, my dad cried and slapped me hard. “You little jinx, why didn’t you go when your mom called you?” “Your brother sacrificed himself for you.” “Why couldn’t it have been you who died?” My dad’s eyes were full of hatred as he looked at me. I just stood there expressionlessly, looking at him. “Dad, my brother didn’t sacrifice himself for me. He sacrificed himself for our whole family.” “If you really feel sorry for him, why didn’t you stop him and take his place as the vampire’s groom?” I stared straight at my dad and asked. My dad’s face immediately showed embarrassment and anger. “You little bastard, are you cursing me to die?” “Besides, I’m already married. How could I be some vampire’s groom?” Mom impatiently looked at us at this point. “Alright, stop arguing. While the positive energy is still strong, let’s hurry home.” Mom urged irritably. Seeing Mom angry, Dad didn’t dare say anything more. It wasn’t until we got home that Mom collapsed into a chair, letting out a long sigh of relief. Then she instructed us, “If anyone asks in the future, just say Ryan eloped with his girlfriend, understand?” We all nodded quickly. Dad glared at me again at this point, “What are you standing around for? Go boil some mugwort water for your mom and sister to bathe in and get rid of the bad energy!” I silently turned and walked towards the kitchen. As I boiled the water, I was thinking about how to deal with that vampire. In my past life, I lived with that vampire for three years. Her powers were extremely high, but she was still afraid of light and only dared to go out on rainy days. During the day, she usually cultivated in places with extremely heavy negative energy. At night, she would pull me into the coffin to absorb the positive energy from my body. But before I was killed by my brother’s bomb, she had tried to reach out her hand under the morning sun. So I had a feeling that if that vampire queen was allowed to continue cultivating, she would eventually become an even more terrifying monster. By then, it was uncertain if anyone could deal with her. So I had to quickly spread the news of the vampire queen’s appearance. But what I never expected was that the vampire queen would appear at my house that very night.

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After news spread throughout the company that the CEO’s fiancée I had risked my life to save was going to marry her true love and have his child, everyone thought I, as the jilted fiancé, would go mad with anger. But even after their child was born, I never caused any trouble. Instead, I focused all my energy on securing projects for the struggling company. My ex-fiancée thought I had finally accepted my role as merely a tool to manage her company. She smugly promised me: “Seeing as you’re so sensible about earning money for me and the baby, I’ll reluctantly keep you at the company, giving you a chance to continue taking care of us.” But she seemed rather presumptuous. I wasn’t working for her and the child, but preparing to take over the company next week. From now on, I won’t compromise by being her behind-the-scenes supportive partner. Instead, I’ll replace her as the new CEO! I had just finished a meeting with a client when I saw Jack changing his and Olivia’s baby’s diaper at my desk. “Mr. Jack, you really have it tough – working and taking care of the baby. Once Ms. Olivia is back from maternity leave, she’ll definitely give you a big promotion and raise!” one colleague gushed. “That’s right, a baby born in the Year of the Snake is destined for greatness. When he grows up, he’ll be just as outstanding as Mr. Jack – a pillar of the company,” another chimed in. The tiny 50 square foot room, which used to be my office, was now crammed full of my project team colleagues. It had been transformed into Jack’s nursery at the office, stuffed with baby supplies. Even the wall that once displayed the awards I’d won for the company had been stripped bare, replaced with photos documenting every day of the baby’s life from birth to one month old. There were plenty of empty rooms in the company due to recent layoffs. But Jack insisted that only my office had the right feng shui for the baby’s growth, according to some fortune teller he’d consulted. Everyone could tell it was just an excuse for Jack to antagonize me. But Olivia, who had always prided herself on being rational and scientific, actually believed it. She even made me move to a tiny cubicle next to the restrooms, claiming I needed to block some sort of negative energy for her and Jack’s baby. She showed not an ounce of guilt for breaking our long-standing engagement to marry and have a child with Jack. Coming back to my senses, I noticed Jack eyeing the freshly signed contract in my hand. He sauntered over with a smarmy smile. “I’m so sorry for the trouble, Lucas,” he said with fake sincerity. “I’ve been busy with the baby lately, and Olivia still needs a few more days of maternity leave. Thank you for handling all the business trips recently. I’ll be sure to tell Olivia about your contributions!” Though Jack’s words were polite, his right hand was already reaching for the contract I was holding. In the year since Jack joined the company, he had been constantly stealing my projects and achievements, relying on Olivia’s blatant favoritism. In the past, I always compromised and tolerated it for the sake of my relationship with Olivia. But now that she had married him, I had no reason to put up with it anymore. I swatted his hand away firmly. “Jack, you’ve already stolen my fiancée. Are you trying to steal the contract I just negotiated too?” Before Jack could respond, my colleagues rushed to defend him: “What do you mean ‘stolen’? Lucas, that’s so rude of you to say!” “Yeah, Mr. Jack is just too busy taking care of the baby to handle projects himself. He had no choice but to hand them over to you. You got an easy win and now you’re complaining? You’re just a freeloader – what right do you have to make a fuss?” I could only laugh bitterly at the irony. It’s true that Jack was the one who initially brought in this project. But to prove himself, he had gotten drunk with the client and rashly promised to do the project for only 60% of our usual price. He may have landed the deal, but he gave no thought to whether we could actually deliver at that price. In the end, I was the one who worked overtime optimizing the technology and even dipped into my own pocket to negotiate with suppliers just to barely bring the costs down enough to make it feasible. And now it had all become Jack’s accomplishment. Seeing that I remained uncompromising, Jack kept a fake smile plastered on his face, saying as long as the company made money it was all good. But when no one was looking, he deliberately pinched the baby hard. The next moment, amid a burst of loud wailing, I found myself splattered with the baby’s poop and pee. Even the freshly signed contract was ruined. “Oh no, I’m so sorry Lucas! I’m a new dad and don’t have much experience yet. My hand slipped – please forgive me,” Jack said with exaggerated concern. Seeing my darkening expression, my colleagues naturally wouldn’t miss this chance to suck up to Jack: “Lucas, are you really going to hold a grudge against a month-old baby? Have you no shame?” “No wonder Olivia broke off the engagement. With that nasty temper, you can’t hold a candle to the gentleman Mr. Jack is.” Hearing them mention the broken engagement, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. Olivia and I had been together for seven years and were already engaged, about to have our wedding. But a year ago, her ex Jack suddenly reappeared. He was hired into the company as an exception, thanks to Olivia. Not long after, Olivia urgently sent me on an overseas business trip. By the time I returned, I heard the news that they had gotten married due to an unplanned pregnancy. Rather than a gentleman, “wolf in sheep’s clothing” seemed a more fitting description for Jack. But I had urgent matters to attend to and no time to argue with them. I calmly took a document from my drawer and tossed Jack’s discarded diaper back at him. “Sorry, I’ve been working too much overtime lately and my eyes are tired. I meant to throw it in the trash can, but my hand slipped. Hope you understand,” I said flatly. A foul stench immediately wafted from Jack’s expensive suit. His face turned green, but I didn’t give them a chance to berate me. I walked out with the document and drove straight to the business registration office, handing the file to the clerk. “Please help me register this change in shareholder information,” I said. It was a share transfer agreement that Olivia had personally signed six months ago, right before I left for my overseas business trip. It transferred all her shares back to me. The company was originally founded by me alone, with my own funding and technology. Naturally all the shares had been in my name at first. It wasn’t until a few years ago when the business took off that I gifted Olivia 51% of the shares as compensation for the hardships she endured with me in the early days. It fulfilled her dream of being the boss. In recent years, with the tough business environment, the company had been struggling. I had planned to buy back all the shares so I could shoulder the risks myself rather than letting Olivia potentially go into debt. I thought it would be a difficult conversation and had prepared a bunch of excuses to convince Olivia, worried she might misunderstand my intentions. But the day before I left, when I approached Olivia about it, she signed without even looking at the document, urging me to hurry up and leave for my trip. I even asked her then if she wasn’t afraid I might be trying to swindle her. But she just smiled and helped me pack, saying we were about to get married anyway, so what was mine was hers and vice versa. At the time, I thought Olivia loved me deeply. I boarded the plane that very night, vowing to secure the deal and save the company. But when I returned successfully with the contract, Olivia had already married Jack and even given birth to a chubby baby boy. Only then did I realize – she hadn’t signed out of trust in me. She was already pregnant and rushing to marry Jack. She signed and pushed me to leave quickly because she was afraid I’d notice something was off if her belly started to show. But it worked out well enough. At least the company was still in my hands. After verifying that the agreement was in order, the clerk suddenly asked: “Mr. Lucas, for such an important matter as a share transfer, why didn’t Ms. Olivia come with you?” I shook my head calmly. “She’s still on maternity leave.” Hearing this, the clerk was taken aback for a moment before congratulating me on becoming a father. He cheerfully went off to process the public notice for the share transfer. But I couldn’t bring myself to smile. Because I wasn’t the baby’s father. Nor was I her husband. As I waited lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang. It was Olivia calling. I had barely answered when a torrent of angry words came through: “Jack just accidentally got some dirt on a contract. You could have just asked the client to sign a new one. Why did you make such a scene at the office? You scared the baby!” Before Olivia could finish her tirade, the clerk had already returned with the paperwork for me to sign. “Sign?” Olivia’s voice came through the phone. “Lucas, it’s still work hours. Why aren’t you at the office? Where did you run off to?!” After signing, I finally explained: “Signing an agreement.” There was a pause on the other end before Olivia’s tone softened considerably. “Well, that’s more like it. Seeing how hard you’re working to make money for me and the baby, I suppose I can graciously keep you at the company and give you a chance to take care of us.” But I barely registered what she was saying. Looking at the new shareholder list showing me as the 91% majority owner and de facto CEO, I couldn’t help but laugh. Olivia on the other end misunderstood, thinking I was grateful. She continued smugly: “Look at how pleased you are. Keep up the good work. When I’m back from maternity leave, I might consider giving you a promotion and raise.” After a few more instructions, Olivia hung up with a laugh. But she had no idea that in just two days, once the review period was over, I would be the company’s new CEO. I wonder if she’ll still be able to laugh then.

After firmly regaining control of my own company, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I headed home first, planning to pack up my belongings and make a clean break from Olivia. But as soon as I opened the door, a musty smell assaulted my senses. Olivia had been in the hospital for the latter part of her pregnancy, then went straight to a postpartum care center after giving birth. I had been away on business trips. This home probably hadn’t been tidied in nearly half a year. I was about to open a window to air things out when I suddenly tripped over something in the living room. Looking down, I realized it was a large picture frame that had been tossed on the floor. Picking it up, I saw it was the wedding photo Olivia and I had taken after getting engaged. Come to think of it, it was Olivia who had insisted on going to the photo studio for a pre-wedding shoot back then. She had me try on dozens of suits, never quite satisfied, spending an entire afternoon before finally choosing a white suit she liked. Though it wasn’t really my style, I accepted it happily, touched by how much effort Olivia had put into choosing it for me. The earnestness in her eyes that day was still vivid in my memory. Snapping back to the present, I wiped the dust off the frame, feeling confused. I had always kept our wedding photo hanging in the bedroom. Why was it thrown on the living room floor? It wasn’t until I walked into the bedroom that I understood. Above the headboard now hung a wedding photo of Olivia and Jack. In the picture, a visibly pregnant Olivia was wrapped in Jack’s arms, smiling like she had won the whole world. And they were wearing the exact wedding dress and suit that Olivia had so carefully selected that day. Suddenly it all made sense. No wonder Olivia wasn’t satisfied no matter how many suits I tried on that afternoon. No wonder she ended up choosing a stark white suit that didn’t suit me at all. It was never meant for me in the first place. Over the years, my skin had gotten quite tanned from all the business trips and time spent outdoors. A pure white suit looked odd and out of place on me. But Jack, who had been cooped up in the office as Olivia’s assistant, was pale and delicate. The white suit made him look like a prince charming straight out of a fairytale. I let out a bitter laugh and started to pack up my things, planning to sell the house afterwards. This apartment was originally prepared by my parents as our marital home. Since the marriage wasn’t happening anymore, there was no point keeping it. Might as well sell it to ease the company’s tight cash flow. But when I opened the closet, my fists clenched involuntarily. All my belongings were gone, replaced by Jack’s dress shirts that he often wore. I immediately messaged Olivia, demanding to know what happened to my clothes. It was a good 15 minutes before she replied: “Of course I threw them all out. Jack’s old apartment was too far from the office, so I had him move in here.” “He’s a germaphobe and couldn’t use your things, so I got rid of them.” “Besides, you bought all that stuff with the salary I paid you. It was my money to begin with, so I can do whatever I want with it. I don’t need your permission, do I?” I had to admit, Olivia had always had a talent for twisted logic and self-justification. Seeing I didn’t respond, she sent another message: “What, are you upset about losing your old junk?” “I heard about what happened at the office this morning. If you quietly hand over the project to Jack, I’ll buy you a new set of designer clothes. I’ll even let you keep a storage room to rest in.” “No need,” I replied curtly. Before Olivia could type anything else, I blocked her on all messaging apps and called a junk collector to clear out everything in the apartment. Then I listed the property for sale with a real estate agency and checked into a hotel. Early the next morning, the junk collector transferred me some money. Though he only paid 30 cents per pound as scrap, it still added up to a decent sum. Clearly Olivia had spared no expense in buying things for Jack, as if she wanted to give him the whole world. I was about to get up and wash up when Olivia suddenly called. “Lucas! Who gave you permission to sell our marital home?! Where are Jack and the baby supposed to live now?!” “And what about all his designer suits and gaming consoles? Where did you throw them?!” Olivia was so angry she could barely catch her breath. I found it darkly amusing. My belongings could be tossed out without a second thought, but Jack’s things were suddenly precious treasures. “Oh, so you do remember it was supposed to be our marital home?” I replied calmly. “Since you’ve married Jack now, what’s wrong with me selling it?” “As for the stuff in the house, it’s all been sold for scrap, of course.” There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end. But Olivia quickly recovered, letting out a contemptuous laugh. “Lucas, do you think selling the house means I’m out of options? Don’t tell me you’re trying to play hard to get, using these petty tricks to get my attention.” “Know your place. You’re just a tool I hired to work for me. Don’t go imagining things that will never happen!” With that, Olivia hung up. Almost simultaneously, Jack posted an update on social media. It was a photo of him signing purchase documents at a real estate office. The caption read: “Finally have a place to call my own in this city.” Jack’s assistant position at the company didn’t pay much, and given his extravagant spending habits, there was no way he could afford to buy property on his own. Obviously, Olivia had footed the bill, buying back the house I had just put on the market. Jack’s post was clearly meant to show off and rub it in my face. But far from being upset, I could barely hold back my laughter. Though housing prices had dropped in recent years, I had bought early enough that I still made a profit overall. If anything, Olivia had essentially handed over all the company’s earnings from the past two years to me. And Jack was treating a depreciating asset like some precious treasure. I treated myself to a lavish meal to celebrate for the first time in ages. The business registration office also sent a text notifying me that the change in shareholding had been approved. I was in high spirits as I prepared to go take over the company. But as soon as I walked through the doors, I ran into Olivia. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be—” Before I could finish, Olivia’s palm connected sharply with my cheek.

“Lucas, is this how a senior employee sets an example?” Olivia’s voice dripped with disdain. “Skipping work for two consecutive days – you’re nothing but a bad influence!” “I didn’t build this company so you could slack off and collect a paycheck!” “Starting tomorrow, your performance bonuses for the next year are canceled. And you can forget about being a director anymore. Go be Jack’s assistant and learn how to be a proper employee!” Hearing Olivia’s harsh punishment, my colleagues didn’t even try to hide their mockery. Given the company’s small size and Jack’s embellishments, I had long since become everyone’s scapegoat. But Olivia’s accusation of absenteeism was completely baseless. Last month, I had already applied for and been approved for a week of external business trips that didn’t require clocking in at the office. She had personally signed off on it herself. In reality, this was just an excuse Olivia had concocted to help Jack get revenge. Seeing me lower my head silently, Olivia’s brows furrowed. “Lucas, I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” “The baby just had an accident. Hurry up and help Jack clean up unless you want the whole office to stink!” But I remained motionless. After all, I was now the true owner of this company. Before I could speak, Jack jumped in, putting on an act of being the good guy. “Olivia, don’t be angry. Lucas must be exhausted from his business trips the past couple days.” “I’m young and energetic. I can handle working and taking care of the baby at the same time.” But before he could make a move, Olivia stopped him worriedly. “No need. You’ve been so busy these past few months with the birth and childcare. You’ve gotten so thin!” “Besides, you just got promoted and took over that big project. Focus on preparing your presentation for the upcoming press conference.” “As for him, if he still wants to keep his job here, let him do some grunt work. It’ll cure his laziness and show him how tough you’ve had it taking care of the baby.” I watched the concern in Olivia’s eyes as she looked at Jack, finding the whole situation absurd. Jack was nothing but a smooth talker. At work, he pawned off both childcare and his actual job responsibilities to suck-up colleagues while he hid in his office eating fried chicken and playing video games. Meanwhile, I had been running all over securing deals these past few years as the company struggled. I even rushed to sign a contract with a client right after a car accident instead of going to the hospital. Even the client was moved by my dedication. But in Olivia’s eyes, I had somehow become a lazy freeloader. The difference in how she treated us couldn’t be more stark. Coming back to my senses, I stared directly at Olivia and spoke evenly: “Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the company handbook explicitly prohibit bringing infants to the office as it disrupts work?” “And I had already applied for and been approved for external business trips that don’t require clocking in. You have no grounds to punish me.” This was probably the first time in seven years that I had openly contradicted Olivia. She was momentarily stunned. But she quickly recovered, letting out a scornful laugh. “Lucas, I’ll admit, you’ve gotten my attention. But you’re going about it all wrong.” “I am the CEO of this company. If I say you were absent without leave, then you were absent without leave!” “As for those projects and client files you’re working on, I’ve already had everything backed up. Did you really think you were irreplaceable?” “HR, draft up his termination papers. And notify all our partner companies to blacklist him from future employment.” As HR was about to comply, I stopped them. “No need. I’ve already prepared the termination papers myself.” Jack’s face lit up with glee, though he still put on a show of reluctance. “Lucas, why are you being so stubborn?” “Why don’t you just apologize to Olivia? She’s so kindhearted, I’m sure she’d let you keep a job cleaning toilets or something, given how you used to take care of her.” Meanwhile, Olivia’s chin lifted even higher seeing me stop HR. “I didn’t expect you to be so self-aware.” “How about this – seeing as you’ve been a useful dog, if you voluntarily give up…” Before Olivia could finish, I cut her off and tossed two termination letters to her and Jack. “Enough with the nonsense. You can both get out now.” Looking at her own termination letter, Olivia froze for a moment before letting out a contemptuous laugh. “What authority do you have as an employee to fire me?” I smiled coldly and pulled out the official notice of shareholding transfer. “Ms. Olivia – no, make that just Olivia – you seem to have a very selective memory.” “Take a good look. I am now the CEO and controlling shareholder of this company.” “As for you and Jack, you’re both fired effective immediately for violating company policies and attempting to steal confidential information. I’ve already given you your termination letters!”

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After five years of marriage, Zachary Smith turned our marital home into 99 themed rooms for his affairs. The models he brought back could open a nightclub in our house. I chose to turn a blind eye because of the child in my womb. Later, he personally dressed me in a princess gown and took the dolled-up me to the hospital to shave my head bald. All to make a sick little girl smile. I didn’t cry or make a fuss. Until our anniversary, when the little girl insisted on going skiing. Zachary forced me to be there as a human cushion for Lily. On the slopes, Lily deliberately crashed into me, sending me flying. Blood gushed from beneath me. I begged him to save our child, but he picked up the unharmed Lily and sneered at me: “Claire Johnson, you’ve lied more times than I’ve slept with you.” “If you’re hurt, find the medical staff. Don’t blame me for not acknowledging the child if you delay Lily’s fun!” On the way to the hospital, our baby died in my womb. Yet he let his friends laugh and bet on whether the child would survive. I closed my eyes in despair: “Zachary, let’s stop torturing each other. Let’s get divorced.” 0

When the doctor shook his head, I heard something shatter inside me. With trembling hands, I signed the death certificate. His friends rushed into my hospital room, cursing when they saw my swollen body. “Tch! How unlucky, we lost the bet!” “I told you Zach is a god. Look how bundled up she is, cherishing that child so much.” Hearing this, I forced a smile. With multiple fractures all over my body and my abdomen wrapped in bandages, I looked about five months pregnant. Zachary’s long fingers tapped on the table. He hadn’t looked at me once. Until there was a knock on the door and a document was thrown onto my bed. “Sign it! Just say how much you want!” “You’re a professional skier, not as fragile as Lily. A fall won’t kill you. Stop pretending, it’s getting old!” I looked at the “Voluntary Waiver of Injury Assessment” on the floor and laughed. “Zachary, the baby is dead,” I said, my eyes hollow. “What if I don’t sign?” He froze for only a second before bursting into laughter: “Trying to make me feel guilty? Do you think I’d believe you? Stop wasting time and sign. My dear Lily is waiting for me.” I stared at him, my face ashen. He had sat in the hospital room for half a day without once asking about my wellbeing. He was afraid I would hold Lily responsible. When he knew skiing was dangerous, he once used his life to make me quit the ski team. Now he forced his pregnant wife onto the slopes for Lily’s sake. Zachary’s eyes were cold, flashing with impatience. He dumped a whole package of cash on my head, stinging my face. “Is this enough? If not, I’ll give you more!” My fingers clutched my clothes tightly. Through the money, I saw my own humiliation. “Zachary,” my voice was hoarse, “let’s stop this. Let’s get divorced.” If you asked what my wish was at 22, it would have been to spend a lifetime entangled with Zachary Smith. But now I was truly numb. Zachary’s expression froze for a moment, then burned with anger. “I’ll let you go when I’m dead. You can only endure my torment!” His hand pressed hard on my wound, making me cry out in pain. He didn’t know how many steel pins were in my body, nor that I had nearly died. He certainly didn’t know the baby was already gone. I didn’t dare say it hurt. I couldn’t forget how last time I cried in pain, Zachary called me dramatic. He had switched my allergy medication for vitamins, nearly suffocating me in the elevator. “Claire Johnson, you’re using the wrong tactics. If you want to leave, cut out that child! If you think you can take the baby and run away, dream on.” “If you don’t dare, crawl on your knees to Lily’s room and apologize. Then I’ll forgive you.” I stopped in my tracks. My body felt filled with shattered glass, every movement cutting into my flesh. As soon as he finished speaking, his friends cheered excitedly. Just like years ago when our love was passionate and known to all. We had been through life and death together. Back then, I desperately protected him, nearly not waking up. He, who had never bowed his head, knelt before Buddha and transcribed scriptures in blood. Everything changed on our wedding day. There were no questions, no arguments. We quietly finished the ceremony. From then on, he found new ways to humiliate and torment me. Even our marital home that we designed together was completely transformed into themed rooms for his affairs. Going home felt like entering a sleazy motel. He forced me to clean the toys they had used, to tidy up the mess they left behind. Thinking of this, I looked at him with red eyes, pain overwhelming my reason. “Alright.” I didn’t want to live like this anymore. As I spoke, I shakily unzipped my coat. When I picked up the knife on the table, he stormed out, slamming the door so hard it made my whole body ache. After he left, his assistant came forward. “Mr. Smith instructed that you are to go serve in Miss Evans’ room. Otherwise, he can’t guarantee that person’s grave will remain undisturbed.” 0

I stopped mid-turn, tears welling in my eyes. “Let him do as he pleases.” I went to the cemetery and bought a plot next to his for our child. I knelt there for a long time, until I heard footsteps behind me. Zachary had his arm around Lily as he spoke with fake sincerity: “When you said ‘do as he pleases,’ you meant coming here to protect him yourself? Claire Johnson, what do you take me for? A plaything?” He shoved Lily aside and roughly yanked me up. “Since you’re so keen on protecting him, let’s see if you can.” In the struggle, my wig fell off. Lily screamed, covering her eyes. Zachary grabbed the back of my neck and shoved my face against the tombstone. “With your ghastly appearance, you still think you can be buried with him after death? Would he still love you?” I looked at the scattered tombstone, biting my lip until it bled. I did love him, but he was my brother. On our wedding day, I didn’t run away. I only wanted to see my brother in the hospital one last time. I tried to explain countless times, but in return he locked me in those themed rooms and made me watch as he had sex with others. He ignored me now, gently patting Lily’s back to comfort her. “Lily is so brave, don’t be scared. Doesn’t she look much better when she’s ugly like this?” The mocking laughter cut me to the core. Tears silently rolled down my cheeks as I touched the centipede-like scar on the back of my head. My heart felt like it was being sliced open. To protect him, my skull had been fractured, requiring 18 stitches. I never cried out in pain once. My prized long hair became a bald head, and I didn’t resist. All these sacrifices had become swords piercing my own heart. Noticing my movement, his hand clenched into a fist at his side. Lily stepped forward and hugged me, her eyes brimming with tears: “Sister, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have mocked you. I’m sorry.” After she spoke, she leaned close to my ear and whispered: “I did it on purpose that day skiing. Your child deserved to die!” My mind went blank with ringing. I lunged at her. Lily covered her ears, tears streaming down her face as she accused me of biting her ear to Zachary. But I hadn’t even touched her. Zachary exploded in anger, raising his hand to slap me hard. My ears rang and I tasted blood in my throat. Flames lit up before my eyes as Zachary held our photo in his hand. “Consider this my greeting to him!” He had the entire grave blown up, leaving not even a speck of ashes. I screamed hysterically, burning to ashes in an instant. I lunged forward like a madwoman. Zachary yanked me back hard. “Have you gone insane?!” I collapsed on the ground, all strength to struggle drained from me. That was my fool of a brother who raised me, my only family. Why would he do this to me? I had gone mad. A thousand words couldn’t compare to one sentence from Lily. The truth was right before my eyes. Why wouldn’t he even try to verify it? Did I really deserve to die? My throat burned with pain as I laughed dryly, falling backwards. When I woke up, Zachary was firmly holding down my arm. As the needle pierced my vein, I felt so numb I couldn’t even feel the pain. Then he had the doctor cut a piece of skin from my arm and throw it in the trash. I knew he was punishing me. This was nothing compared to before. He once forced me to buy sex toys for them, putting the hat that hurt Lily on my head. Letting her stab me with needles. Another time when I was pregnant and had a fever, I begged him to take me to the hospital. He thought I was faking illness out of jealousy to ruin their fun. He used the baby to force me to clean up after Lily. I still didn’t understand how two people who once loved each other could become like this. Even my brother, who I had relied on since childhood, was trampled on and slandered after death. With trembling hands, I took out my phone and dialed a long-unused number. “Hello, I’d like to arrange a sand burial.” 0

In our most carefree year, Zachary once said he wanted to become the most beautiful legend in an uninhabited desert. We decided on our final resting place at the most inappropriate age. But now… At the front door, the whole mansion glowed with colorful lights. I knew they were trying different themes again. I sat numbly on the steps, almost dozing off. A jacket that didn’t smell like Zachary was draped over me. “Why are you sitting here? Is Zachary misbehaving again?” When I looked up, I realized the distinguished man before me was Zachary’s uncle, Ian. I smiled bitterly and said: “Uncle Ian, can you help expedite my visa application?” The man just gave a low “Mm” in response. Early the next morning, Lily stood by my bed with her hands on her hips. She dumped a bucket of cold water on my face, her expression twisted and hideous. “Enjoy eavesdropping last night? Zach and I tried several new positions. He praised me for doing well and gave me this ‘Eternal Love’ jade bracelet. Last night we even used it to…” I suddenly looked up at her wrist. Tears fell uncontrollably. My brother had saved money for years, refusing treatment to buy that bracelet as my wedding gift. The thought of how they desecrated it made my mind explode. “Give it to me…” Lily narrowed her eyes and smirked, leaning close to my ear, “Want to bet?” The next second, she grabbed my hand and shoved her into the toilet, screaming dramatically. “Help! I won’t dare again!” Zachary rushed in and held me underwater in the bathtub until I nearly suffocated. Then he carefully took Lily into his arms, treasuring her. I watched as he gently kissed Lily, who was covered in dirty water. My pupils dilated. “Zach, this bracelet must be from someone important to Claire. If it could lead to death, I don’t want it anymore.” Lily burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Zachary said nothing, just glared at me viciously. He carried Lily and rushed to the hospital. I swallowed the nausea rising in my stomach, my eyes stinging. Soon after, Zachary’s bodyguards took me to the hospital by force. They poured medicine into my mouth over and over, then pumped my stomach again and again. It was repeated over a dozen times until I collapsed in agony. Tears streamed uncontrollably as I vomited until I passed out. Next door, Zachary was telling stories to entertain Lily as she got an IV drip, making her giggle constantly. To coax her into getting her stomach pumped, he had all the world’s jewels brought to the hospital. I closed my eyes. He had once spent a year nursing my stomach back to health. Now it was completely ruined. Zachary came over with cold eyes. Seeing my reddened eyes, he clenched his fists tightly. “Claire Johnson, don’t think I won’t touch you. It’s just a stupid bracelet. I can buy you thousands to replace it.” I coughed up blood, letting the tears fall. “Zachary, would you only be happy if I died?” Hearing this, Zachary’s body froze for a moment. Then he looked at my abdomen and sneered: “Could you bear it? The child you schemed so hard to keep, could you bear to part with it?” I looked at the man before me who was impervious to reason. I no longer wanted to explain. Ignoring his furious rage, I pulled out the gastric lavage tube and left. Outside the hospital, Lily invited me into the car with a beaming smile. Zachary held Lily’s hand tightly, not sparing me a glance. The car reeked of tangerine peels. He didn’t give me a chance to get out. I opened the window. Zachary said coldly: “Close it. Lily’s pregnant and afraid of the wind.” My fingertips trembled. He knew how severe my allergies were. I stared at my phone expressionlessly. Zachary’s face darkened. Lily giggled coyly: “Don’t blame me, sister. I wasn’t feeling well so I asked Zach to set this up.” I replied to messages, occasionally rubbing my arm covered in red spots. As soon as we got out of the car, I clutched my stomach and retched violently until I was utterly exhausted.

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Aria Collins had a secret that everyone knew – she was in love with her adoptive uncle, Ethan Foster. At eight years old, when she was nearly strangled to death by bullies at school, it was Ethan who saved her and insisted on severely punishing the wealthy troublemakers. At twelve, when she got her first period, Ethan mistakenly thought she was sick or injured. He frantically abandoned a multi-million dollar business deal to rush back and take her to the hospital, where they both awkwardly received an impromptu sex ed lesson from the doctor. At fifteen, Aria ran away from home and accepted a classmate’s confession when Ethan didn’t make it back in time for her birthday party. Ethan found her at a hotel and flew into a rage, smashing expensive decor in a frenzy. On her eighteenth birthday, Aria confessed her feelings to Ethan. He responded by darkly remaining silent. The next day, he called a press conference and publicly broadcast a video of her confession on a big screen, condemning her for disregarding moral ethics and family values. After Aria was viciously attacked on social media for three days straight, Ethan coldly sent her to a behavioral reform school. After enduring a year of hellish conditions that made her wish she was dead, Aria had barely been released when Ethan demanded she donate a kidney to his fiancée. The same Aria who had once thrown the entire Foster family into chaos over Ethan’s scandalous affairs now quietly nodded in agreement. She thought to herself, “Now we’re even.”

“I’ll do it,” Aria said softly. A glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Ethan’s eyes as he nodded approvingly. “It seems this past year has indeed taught you to be more sensible. Very well, it’s decided then.” Beside him, Sophia smiled. “Thank you, Aria.” Aria stared intently at the woman in front of her. It was because of Sophia’s instigation that she had struggled through a year of hell. And now she was expected to donate a kidney to her? She gritted her teeth, barely able to speak after a long moment. “However, I have two conditions.” Ethan’s expression immediately darkened. He instinctively moved to shield Sophia behind him. “If you have any grievances, take them out on me. Don’t hurt Sophia. And if you’re thinking I’ll marry you, forget it!” Aria let out a bitter laugh, cutting him off. “My first condition is that I want to change rooms, to the guest room on the second floor. As for the second condition…I’ll tell you in three days.” In three days was the dance competition preliminary round. The winner would get a scholarship, and Ethan was one of the judges. Ethan looked suspicious, but since Sophia’s condition was urgent, he ultimately agreed. Aria signed the donation agreement. Ethan quickly made arrangements for the surgery. But just as everything was ready, the doctor came running over with the test results. “Mr. Foster, Miss Collins has too many wounds on her body. She’s weak and severely malnourished. None of her health indicators meet the standards for surgery.” Ethan frowned, only now noticing how battered Aria’s body was. After looking her up and down, he said coldly: “I understand. You may go.” After the doctor left, he deigned to give Aria a glance. “Aria Collins, put your silly tricks away. Get your body healthy. You must have the surgery in seven days!” Aria watched Ethan walk away with his arm around Sophia. Her heart clenched painfully. He actually thought her inability to have surgery was some kind of ploy. But weren’t all these injuries inflicted because of him? The year in reform school, they made her sleep next to the toilet, eat food mixed with excrement. When they were in a bad mood, they would beat and verbally abuse her at will. Slamming her head against the wall was a common occurrence. There was hardly an uninjured spot left on her body. As soon as she got out of reform school, she was roughly shoved into a car by a group of bodyguards and taken to the hospital. Not only did she learn Ethan had a fiancée, but she was also told to donate a kidney to Sophia. In the end, it was all her fault. Aria thought that perhaps she really had been wrong. She shouldn’t have fallen in love with Ethan Foster. She took off the filthy, stinking reform uniform covered in blood stains, and changed into the clean clothes the nurse gave her. Under the scorching sun, she walked for a full three hours before reaching home. When she opened the door, she was greeted by endless coldness. The Foster family’s servants and security guards had all been replaced with new ones. Seeing her arrive, they were all startled. Then they immediately picked up weapons and aimed them at her. “Where did this beggar come from? This is the Foster residence. Go beg somewhere else.” Aria was being pushed out the door when Ethan happened to hear the commotion and poked his head out from upstairs. The head of security respectfully explained: “Young Master, it’s our fault for being careless and disturbing you and Miss Evans. We’ll get rid of this beggar right away.” With that, he shoved Aria hard. Caught off guard, Aria’s foot slipped and she tumbled down the stairs. Ethan acted as if he hadn’t seen anything, his face showing irritation at being disturbed. “Let her in. She’s a girl I adopted years ago. She’ll be living here from now on.” Ethan arranged everything for her from his lofty position, but his gaze never once landed on her. Aria silently got up from the ground and followed the servant to the guest room across the hall. This room was the farthest from Ethan’s, which was why she had asked to be moved here. After showering, Aria made a phone call. “Teacher, I agree to go abroad as a dance exchange student.”

“Aria, are you sure you want to go? Although it’s officially an exchange program for dance students, it’s actually a three-year closed training known as the ‘dance world’s reform school’! Every year people drop out because they can’t handle it.” “Once I submit your name to the school, it can’t be withdrawn. Think it over carefully.” Faced with her teacher’s questioning, Aria still nodded firmly. “Teacher, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go.” As long as she could get away from Ethan Foster, she would go through fire and water. How could it be worse than a year in prison? The teacher sighed lightly. “Alright then, you’ll leave in seven days.” Seven days? Aria was taken aback. “By the way, does your uncle know about this? He used to handle all your affairs with me. Is he going abroad with you this time?” She didn’t know how to respond to that. After a long silence, she finally replied in a low voice. “He can’t go.” Just as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open. Aria quickly hung up the phone and met Ethan’s gaze. He came in carrying a glass of warm milk and dinner, which he set down on the coffee table. “I can’t go? Go where?” Aria flipped her phone face down, startled as she stood up. But when she saw the food, she reflexively rushed over and knelt down, pouring the milk into the bowl and then dumping it all into her pocket. Then she kowtowed to Ethan three times, saying over and over: “Please don’t hit me, I haven’t eaten in a week.” Ethan was shocked by this scene, disgust evident in his voice. “Aria Collins! What are you doing now!” “If it wasn’t to get your body healthy so you can donate a kidney to Sophia as soon as possible, I absolutely wouldn’t have let you out in your current state!” “Do you want to go back in there?” Ethan stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The anger surging through him nearly broke through his self-control. Actually, the first moment he saw Aria today, his heart ached terribly. The little girl he once cherished and protected had been tortured to skin and bones, completely losing her former adorable appearance. But he couldn’t allow that kind of immoral relationship to happen, so he hardened his heart to teach her a lesson. He thought that after he married Sophia and everything was settled, she would still be his most precious girl. After Ethan left, Aria gradually came back to her senses. This wasn’t the reform school. She was back home. Aria went through her nightly routine mechanically. From time to time, the sound of a woman’s gasps and moans could be heard from the room across the hall. Without thinking, she knew how intense it must be in there. Perhaps they were deliberately letting her hear. The woman’s voice became increasingly clear. But Aria hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in so long that she fell into a deep slumber within minutes. The next morning when she woke up, she smelled the aroma of delicious food wafting up from downstairs. She had just sat down at the dining table when Sophia smiled and poured a glass of wine. Then under Aria’s gaze, she downed it in one gulp. Sophia’s body immediately began turning red at an alarming rate, breaking out in hives all over. Aria looked at her with concern. “Don’t you know you’re allergic to alcohol? I’ll go call the family doctor.” Sophia gave her an inscrutable smile, then suddenly cried out. “Ethan, help!” Ethan rushed over. Sophia’s tears immediately began falling. “Aria, I don’t know why you forced me to drink. I clearly said I’m allergic to alcohol and can’t have even a drop.” Aria opened her mouth to explain, but was angrily cut off by Ethan. “I warned you last night to keep your dirty thoughts to yourself! If anything happens to Sophia, I absolutely won’t let you off!” “Keep an eye on her until I get back!” Ethan anxiously picked Sophia up and rushed out the door. Everything happened so fast that Aria had no time to react. It wasn’t until she met Sophia’s provocative gaze that she realized she had fallen into Sophia’s trap. Sophia was certain Ethan wouldn’t listen to any of her explanations right now, and she was right. Aria’s eyes darkened, a hint of self-mockery in them. Just how confident and fearless must Sophia be to drink that glass of wine without hesitation? In the year she spent in reform school, Ethan had completely become another woman’s man. Aria no longer harbored any lingering attachment. She got up and went upstairs to pack her bags.

It took Aria all afternoon to move everything related to Ethan to the empty lot outside the villa. On top was a storybook, the first gift Ethan ever gave her. When she first came to the Foster home, she had nightmares every night. It was Ethan who cradled this storybook, reading stories to lull her to sleep. She could recite every story in it by heart. Next to it was the little bicycle Ethan gave her as an apology after making her angry. Ethan thought the bicycle took up too much space and suggested throwing it away, but she insisted on keeping it in her room. Ethan had joked, “I’ll probably have to buy another villa soon, just to store all these gifts.” Aria’s eyes reddened as she thought about it. The bicycle held too many of their memories. Ethan teaching her to ride, her never fearing falls because his hands were always there to catch her. When she was finally able to ride on the road, Ethan would drive his car slowly right next to the bike lane to protect her. At her feet was a ceramic mug Ethan had made himself, next to a portrait she had drawn of him, and beside that an unsent love letter. Eleven years of companionship had occupied most of her life. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t attached, but Aria knew that clinging on would only hurt herself in the end. She and Ethan could never be together. Thinking of this, she wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes and tossed a lit match onto the pile. The flames grew higher and higher, the past turning to ash and scattering in the wind. Ethan, who had just returned with some soup for Sophia, happened to witness this scene. The fire blazed higher than Aria herself, as if it would consume her whole. Seeing this, Ethan rushed over and pulled Aria into his arms. “Aria Collins! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” Falling into that familiar broad chest, Aria was jolted out of her reverie. The next second, Ethan roughly pushed her away, his face cold. “You really are good at manipulation. I can’t believe I fell for your tricks again! If you continue to be so stubborn, I’ll send you right back where you came from!” As Ethan turned to leave, Aria saw his eyes were as cold as ice. Back in the villa, Aria went upstairs to practice dancing. Tomorrow was the dance competition preliminary round. To get the scholarship, she had to win first place. Ignoring the pain from her wounds, she danced gracefully in the studio. Time passed, night fell. Finishing practice, Aria collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. Her body ached all over, but she felt every second was full of hope. “I’ll take you there tomorrow.” It wasn’t until Ethan spoke that she realized someone was standing in the doorway. “I agreed to your request, but if your body can’t handle it, I’ll call it off immediately.” Aria’s eyes dimmed slightly as she nodded. Then she put the painkiller syringe she had prepared into her bag. She didn’t realize this small action would end up helping her in a big way. The next day at the competition venue, Ethan was present as a judge. Before the competition, he stood in the center of the crowd with his arm around Sophia, basking in everyone’s flattery. “My goodness! What a perfect match! Miss Evans was a dance prodigy in her youth, winning countless awards. She’s sure to take first place this time!” “Is she also competing for the exchange student spot? If so, she could just bat her eyelashes at Mr. Foster and go as a regular student. That way she wouldn’t have to suffer through being an exchange student!” “Miss Evans is too upright for such underhanded methods. If she wanted to study abroad, top schools would be fighting over her.” Sophia smiled charmingly in Ethan’s arms. Aria silently watched all of this. She had to admit, Sophia was naturally talented at dance. It was after watching one of Sophia’s classical dance performances that Ethan had first taken notice of her. The two grew closer and eventually became a couple. Ethan thought Aria’s insistence on learning dance was an attempt to emulate Sophia and win his heart. On her 18th birthday, Aria happened to choose the same classical dance piece Sophia had performed when Ethan first saw her. So Ethan flew into a rage and sent her to reform school. How laughable that such a vicious woman had made Ethan believe he’d found true love. Ten minutes before the competition, Aria secretly hid in a corner and gave herself a shot of painkillers. Then she returned to the dressing room and put on her dance costume. When it was her turn to go on stage, the medication had taken effect and she felt no pain, allowing her to give a stable performance. As the dance ended, Aria bowed and prepared to leave the stage. But a searing pain suddenly shot through her foot. The next second, she gasped and collapsed to the ground. Looking down, she saw her dance shoe had been dyed red with blood. She took it off to find a needle sticking out of the sole of her foot!

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My fiancé became infatuated with the nanny’s daughter, and to elevate her status, he trampled over me. On our engagement day, 99 potential brides each received a tablet. Whoever was fastest would become his wife, a supposed method to find his soulmate. Yet, I knew the tablets had been tampered with. This absurd engagement ceremony was engineered to ensure a single, predetermined bride. In my previous life, I presented the family agreement and halted this charade, severing any opportunity for others to ascend. The following day, the nanny’s daughter took her own life, leaving no intact body behind. On the wedding day, my fiancé held her urn and set our bridal suite ablaze, with me trapped inside. Glaring into the flames, he declared with rage, “Cora, I’ve avenged you.” “You didn’t have a complete body, so I won’t leave her with even ashes.” “I’ll make her pray for you here for eternity!” He hired a Feng Shui master to bind my soul to the bridal suite, never to reincarnate. Yet perhaps the gods of the underworld could not bear my unjust death, and I was reborn on the day he chose his supposed soulmate.

“Congratulations to Cora for winning with a speed of 0.09 seconds and becoming Jasper’s chosen one.” The host’s fervent announcement brought a smile to Jasper’s face on stage. Today should have been our engagement celebration, yet to be with Cora, he staged a “fastest fingers first” event. Ninety-nine women each with a tablet; the fastest would join the Jasper Family as a wealthy wife. This move clearly disregarded our previous engagement. In my past life, I desperately stopped this spectacle with the agreement between my late parents and the Jasper Family, forcing him to honor the engagement. But it ended in tragedy for me. Now, with a new lease on life, amidst the mocking gazes, I stepped forward, took Cora’s hand, and placed it in Jasper’s. “Congratulations.” With that, I turned and left the stage. Jasper seemed taken aback by how smoothly things went and only after a long pause did he remember to pick up the microphone, announcing, “Thank you all for witnessing the moment I chose my destined one.” Hearing his words, I merely curled my lips in irony. The term “destined” was truly galling when applied to them. The tablet’s program had been preset; no matter how fast the other candidates were, they were doomed to lose. I sat below the stage, witnessing their entire ceremony. Throughout, Jasper’s gaze frequently glanced my way, unsure if I truly agreed to the annulment so easily. I certainly wouldn’t let it go. Having been reborn, I intended to make them pay dearly for their wrongs. As the ceremony concluded and Jasper and Cora exited, I stepped forward to block Mr. Jasper’s path. “Uncle, isn’t your family being too oppressive?” Guests were leaving, but my voice was loud enough for those in the front rows to pause. “Ah, this Lark Family girl is truly pitiful. Lost her parents early, and now a nanny’s daughter has stolen her fiancé.” “With no one left in the Lark Family, is she still a lady?” “The Jasper Family is bullying Maeve because she’s all alone.” “Even lost her job at the hospital because of them… poor girl!” … With murmurs behind me, I stood straight. “Uncle, though my parents are gone, the marriage agreement with the Jasper Family is signed.” “It was only because of that agreement that my mother handed over the pharmaceutical company to you, and now you’re breaking it…” Before I could finish, a sharp voice interrupted. “You little brat, how two-faced can you be?” “In front of guests, you pretended to congratulate Cora and Jasper, now you’re playing dirty behind their backs.” I looked at the familiar face holding a newborn, sneering. It was Nora, my former nanny and Cora’s mother. A year ago, she had a son with a small businessman in the capital, not marrying him but living as a wealthy woman, no longer needing to serve others. Now that Cora had latched onto the Jasper Family, she was in her prime. Those who once looked down on her had to call her Mrs. Nora. Now, holding a child, she had no filter. “Look at yourself, cursed by fate, killing your parents and even Jasper’s grandmother because of you.” “You still want to marry Jasper? Aren’t you afraid of cursing him to death?” I scoffed at her, as if I’d snatch her golden goose, and said, “Who says fulfilling the marriage agreement means marrying Jasper? Doesn’t the Jasper Family have another son?”

“You mean Jasper’s bedridden, comatose brother, Finn?” Nora froze, then vehemently opposed, “No, I disagree.” I glanced at her, then spoke with a tearful tone, “Aunt Nora, can’t you tolerate me? Your daughter stole my engagement, can’t I marry someone else?” The guests, mostly genuine socialites, abhorred mistresses. Hearing my words, they began to criticize. “Some people should know their place. Who is she to speak here?” “What’s that smell? Do you smell it? A fox’s stink?” … Nora remained unfazed by the snide remarks. To reach her current status, she’d long discarded shame. Realizing her overreaction, she tried to cozy up to me. “Maeve, I watched you grow up.” “How could Aunt let you suffer?” “You don’t know how hard it is to care for a bedridden person…” She kept persuading me not to marry, forgetting Mr. Jasper beside her. No father likes hearing others speak ill of his son. He cleared his throat, casting a cold glance. Realizing her mistake, Nora quickly fell silent, blending into the crowd. Mr. Jasper focused on me, asking sincerely, “Maeve, are you serious about what you just said?” Finn had always been groomed as the successor, but a year ago, a car accident left him paralyzed and semi-conscious. The blow was hard for Mr. Jasper, but he had to shift focus to Jasper, as the family needed an heir. He’d planned to care for Finn in the hospital for life, but hearing my willingness to marry him brought tears to his eyes. I nodded, and he promptly agreed, “I’ll arrange it, and we’ll have the wedding with Jasper.” I didn’t expect Mr. Jasper to plan it this way, but the wedding date didn’t matter. What mattered was the leverage Finn had over Cora. I initially guessed, but Nora’s attitude confirmed that Finn’s injury was suspicious. … With my goal achieved, I returned home. Jasper’s wedding was set for a week later; I needed to prepare. Unexpectedly, my long-empty Lark Family villa was filled with laughter. “Come catch me, Jasper…” “Nope, I’m not there…” I rushed to the second floor, following the sound. Through the door crack, I saw Cora’s “Jasper brother” had caught her in my bedroom. They were laughing, playing. Jasper’s hand was under Cora’s clothes, and fearing they’d escalate on my bed, I kicked the door open. “Can’t you pick a place to fool around? Get out.” Jasper withdrew his hand, coughing, while Cora showed no embarrassment at being caught. Instead, she tearfully nestled into Jasper’s arms. “Jasper, she used to drive me away like this.” “If not for her, would we have missed so many years?” When Nora first came to work, she brought newborn Cora. No one wanted a nanny with a child, but my parents took them in, thinking I’d have a playmate. The Lark Family and Jasper Family were close, so young Jasper often visited. We were the best playmates. Who knew we’d grow to be like this? Cora’s voice was sorrowful, seemingly heartbroken. “Jasper, I’m so afraid of losing you again.” Jasper comforted her, “It’s okay, Cora. We’re getting married soon. We’ll be together forever.” Then, looking at me, his eyes were filled with disdain. “Maeve, do you think I care about coming to this cursed Lark place?” “If Cora didn’t want to relive childhood memories, who’d come?” He spoke with disdain, as if he wanted no connection with me. Yet, as a child, in the same place, he said only I could be his bride. Those days were gone. He was now a stranger. I didn’t want to waste words and directly grabbed Cora from the bed. “Get off my bed.” I used great force, so even as Jasper held her, I pulled her down. I dragged her to the door, but Cora suddenly hooked her foot on a bookshelf. The shelf wobbled, and the books tumbled down.

Certainly, here is the adapted translation: — As a child, in that very same place, he confidently declared that only I was worthy to be his bride. But those days are long gone, and now he is just a stranger to me. I didn’t want to waste any more words on them, so I reached out and pulled Cora off my bed. “Get off my bed.” I used all my strength, and even though Jasper held onto Cora, I managed to pull her down. I dragged her toward the door, but just as we reached it, Cora suddenly stuck out her foot and hooked the bookshelf by the entrance. The bookshelf wobbled, and ancient books came crashing down. 3 I couldn’t spare a thought for Cora. Letting go of her, I used both hands to try to catch the falling ancient books. There were too many, thick and heavy, and I only managed to catch one. The rest fell directly onto Cora. Cora cried out in pain and ran to Jasper to accuse me, but I was only worried about the scattered ancient medical books on the floor. These were unique copies left to me by Grandma Jasper, her treasured possessions while she was alive. She entrusted them to me for safekeeping, and I had failed to protect them. For a moment, I was overwhelmed with guilt. But just as I was anxiously trying to gather the books, a large hand suddenly snatched the book from my grasp. Jasper, with a dark expression, said, “Didn’t you see your books hit Cora? Apologize.” I clenched my fists tightly. “She tripped the bookshelf herself.” If she hadn’t hooked the bookshelf with her foot, it wouldn’t have fallen. Hearing this, Cora’s eyes shone with cunning. “Jasper, the books really hurt me. How about we burn them?” Jasper frowned slightly but, after glancing at the old and worn cover of the book, immediately agreed. “Sure, these old books dared to hurt my baby; we might as well burn them.” Saying this, he actually took out a lighter from his pocket and headed toward the balcony outside my room. “These are the books your grandma left me,” I tried to appeal to Jasper’s conscience. The hatred in Jasper’s eyes deepened. “My grandma died because of you. What right do you have to keep her things? Why not burn them for her!” Grandma Jasper’s death is a lifelong sorrow in my heart. I’ve explained many times, but no one believes me. Right now, I just want to keep the last things Grandma Jasper left me. “No,” I followed them to the balcony, jogging. “I apologize. I’m sorry, Cora, I shouldn’t have pulled you.” Cora looked down at me with mockery. “Kneel.” Kneel to her? I’ve never even knelt to my parents. Seeing my reluctance, Cora snatched the lighter from Jasper’s hand. With a “whoosh,” the flame flickered, just a centimeter away from the ancient books. “No…” My eyes widened as I reached out to grab them. Cora stepped back, bringing the flame even closer to the books. “Kneel!” she commanded. Watching the ancient books get closer to the flame, I had no choice but to kneel in humiliation before Cora. “Hahaha… Maeve, you finally got what you deserve!” Cora laughed heartily and urged Jasper to take a picture. I couldn’t avoid the camera, squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth, “The books… can I have them now?” “Of course, I always keep my word.” Saying this, Cora smiled maliciously, and suddenly brought her hands together, letting the flames engulf the ancient books. “Stop!” I frantically tried to snatch them away. She disdainfully threw the burning books at me and then retreated into Jasper’s arms, feigning fear. “Jasper, the fire is so big, I’m scared.” “Do you think I’m cruel? I’m just mad at her for making us miss so many years.” Jasper consoled her, “Of course not. It’s just a few old books. Who cares if they hurt my baby?” “Does it still hurt? Let me get you some ointment.” Saying this, Jasper took Cora and left my room. I was left alone, desperately facing the ancient books about to be consumed by flames. I frantically grabbed the nearby garden hose and sprayed the half-height flames. But paper is flammable, and by the time I put out the fire, the ancient books were unrecognizable. I was afraid a gust of wind would scatter what little was left of the books. So, ignoring the heat from the charred remains, I picked up the remaining pages one by one. By the time I brought all the ancient books back inside, my fingers were covered in blisters. I went to the living room to find a first aid kit for bandaging, but Jasper and Cora were nowhere to be seen. After a simple bandage, I took my phone and left. With the wedding approaching, I needed to visit my bedridden fiancé at the hospital.

When I arrived, the nurse was changing the medication. I immediately noticed the color was off and asked the nurse to show it to me. The nurse handed it to me, saying, “This is a new drug from Jasper Corporation, said to be twice as effective as before.” “Is that so?” I examined the medicine closely. “Did your doctors also tell you the toxins are several times higher than before?” The nurse looked alarmed. “Miss Maeve, you shouldn’t say such things. This is the Jasper family hospital. How could we harm the eldest young master?” I knew this drug was not something a small nurse could procure, so I waved her off without causing trouble. Unexpectedly, as soon as she left, Cora walked in. “Maeve, you have quite the reach, don’t you? Meddling with what drugs Finn uses?” “Do you really think you’re a miracle doctor? Why didn’t you save Grandma Jasper back then?” She had just burned Grandma Jasper’s keepsakes, and hearing her mention Grandma Jasper now made me want to tear her apart. Back then, she insisted she saw me have a conflict with Grandma Jasper, claiming it was my fault Grandma had a stroke. But I hadn’t even seen Grandma Jasper that day. Yet, Jasper only believed her. Seeing me ignore her, Cora snatched the bottle from my hand to continue Finn’s treatment. “Maeve, it’s best not to meddle in others’ affairs.” I blocked Finn with all my might. “Who’s meddling now?” “You, about to marry Jasper, yet appearing in Finn’s room, aren’t you afraid of rumors?” Cora was at a loss for words. “You…” I quickly snatched the bottle and smashed it to the ground, shattering glass and medicine everywhere. The commotion drew attention from outside. Soon, a crowd gathered, and someone called Jasper. Within ten minutes, Jasper appeared in the room. Cora, seeing him like a savior, tearfully ran into his arms. “Jasper, I heard Maeve wouldn’t let brother change his medicine, so I came to check.” “I was afraid of delaying brother’s treatment, but she smashed the medicine bottle.” “I know she’s upset about me marrying you, but she shouldn’t take it out on brother…” With each accusation, Jasper’s anger grew more intense. He grabbed my collar and flung me aside in a rage. Instinctively, I caught myself with my hands, and the shards of glass pierced my freshly bandaged fingers. The pain was excruciating. Jasper’s accusation rang in my ears. “Maeve, it wasn’t enough that you killed my grandma, now you want to kill my brother too?” Saying this, he ordered someone to drag me out like a dead dog. Through the glass, I saw Finn still being administered the medicine. Supporting my battered body, I went to see Mr. Jasper. He was shocked by my appearance and even more startled by my words. He said, fearing problems with the marriage, he hadn’t told Jasper about me marrying Finn. But since I was to spend my life with Finn, he could arrange for me to work as Finn’s personal caregiver at the hospital. I could oversee his medication. Having already lost one son, he couldn’t afford to fall out with Jasper. This was the best he could do. I thanked him and left. … A week later. The whole city was filled with a sweet atmosphere. Today was the wedding day of the Jasper family’s second young master. Every seat on public transportation had a rose. Everyone assumed it was the doing of the Jasper family’s second young master, unaware that Jasper was puzzled, wondering who could outdo his grand gestures. Mr. Jasper had said our wedding would be on the same day as Jasper’s, but not so shabby as to share the same hotel. The top two banquet halls in Kyoto, one in the west and one in the east. By coincidence, the wedding processions met on the road. It could have been uneventful, but Cora insisted on swapping bouquets with me. The window rolled down, and in my bright red wedding attire, I held up my golden bouquet. “Sorry, sister-in-law, my bouquet is made of pure gold, can’t swap it with yours!” Sitting beside her, Jasper’s eyes widened. “You’re getting married today? Who are you marrying?” Finn, who had been resting with his eyes closed, leaned forward slightly. “Marrying me, brother.” “Hey, you’re awake?” Jasper was taken aback, completely missing the fact that Cora beside him had turned pale. Finn ignored him and instructed the driver to start the car, so as not to miss the auspicious time. The car started moving again, but at some point, the car behind us had changed.

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I knew that when the power went out in the ICU at midnight, 200 elderly patients on ventilators would slowly suffocate to death. But at 12:01 AM, when my daughter Emily frantically asked me what to do, I calmly played on my phone, completely unconcerned. That’s because in my previous life, as soon as the power went out, I immediately went to connect the backup power supply and checked on each elderly patient one by one. After finishing, I passed out from exhaustion. At some point, Emily burst in with her colleagues and forcibly dragged me up. “Dad, isn’t saving lives your sacred duty? How could you cruelly murder those elderly patients?” That’s when I learned that all the elderly patients in the ICU had suffocated to death without exception. The police arrested me, saying I was the only one inside and my fingerprints were found on the power switch. Emily produced a video to actively assist the investigation: “My dad often complained that the elderly patients in the ICU were troublesome and wished they would all die.” My wife Linda bitterly accused me, “You killed so many elderly people – you don’t deserve to be a doctor!” Enraged family members of the patients swarmed and beat me to death. I died not understanding – the ventilators were working normally, so how did those elderly patients suffocate? Why did my own daughter produce a fake video to frame me? When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment the power went out.

The lights suddenly went dark, and the beeping of the monitors stopped. “Oh no, the power’s out,” I blurted out. Emily pretended to ask anxiously, “Dad, what do we do now?” I calmly turned on my phone’s flashlight and looked around. Emily had just started her medical residency at the hospital where I worked after getting her master’s degree. I had been supervising her. In my previous life, the power also went out at this time. She told me to stay and connect the backup power while she went to report to the hospital director. But she never came back until everything went wrong. “Dad!” Emily stomped her foot impatiently when she saw me not reacting. “What do we do now? If all these elderly patients die, we’re finished!” She knew how serious the situation was, so why did she disappear without a trace last time? Some of the more lucid elderly patients noticed the monitors had gone silent and started calling for help. The patients relying on ventilators to stay alive were struggling to breathe, their faces turning red. I felt terrible for them, but I knew they wouldn’t be in immediate danger, so I continued to feign calm. Emily was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, yelling at me: “You’re the head of the ICU, these are all your patients. Are you really going to just let them die?” In my previous life, I would have rushed to check on the patients and sternly scolded her. But after going through that experience, I was no longer so panicked. I noticed that although she seemed anxious on the surface, her eyes couldn’t hide her malicious intent. I suddenly wondered – could the power outage be related to her? I shrugged and snapped back irritably: “How am I supposed to save them? There are nearly 200 elderly patients in the ICU. Do you expect me to push them all out one by one?” Emily was suddenly at a loss for words, looking very displeased. She spoke even more harshly: “So you’re just going to watch them all die here? Are you even human?” I sat down helplessly and glanced at the elderly patients. “What can I do? It would take over three hours to get all these elderly patients out. This one might die before I can save that one. Whether one dies or a hundred die, I’m screwed either way. Might as well stay here and watch them all die. I’ll take whatever punishment comes.” As I spoke, I gently stroked her face and smiled resignedly. “At least my daughter will be by my father’s side when he dies. I guess my love for you wasn’t wasted after all.” Emily violently pulled her hand away and screamed at me like a madwoman: “You’re insane! You want to drag me down with you? I don’t have a father like you.” With that, she ran away like crazy, looking back as if afraid I would chase after her and implicate her. Watching her fleeing figure, my mood instantly plummeted. I had cherished and doted on her since she was little, but now when trouble came, she abandoned me without a second thought and even said she didn’t have a father like me. More and more elderly patients were calling for help, their voices rising and falling. The situation was growing dire. Looking at the closed door, I smiled bitterly. For a full ten hours, not a single person came from the hospital. It was as if we had been completely abandoned. At 10 AM the next day, family members coming to visit all gathered outside the ICU. Seeing it pitch black inside, they instantly panicked and started shouting. “Why are there no lights at all? Don’t tell me the power’s out?” “Shit, don’t scare me. My dad’s 90 years old and relies entirely on a ventilator. If the power’s out, what will happen to him?” “Let’s break down the door and push the elderly patients out. Maybe we can still save them.” The other family members thought this was a good idea and were about to do it. Just as they were about to break down the door, I opened it from the inside and walked out. “Oh, Dr. James, you’re inside. Then we have nothing to worry about.” “That’s right, I was just about to tell you all. Dr. James has impeccable ethics. With him there, everything will be fine.” “Dr. James, I haven’t had any news about my dad for 7-8 days. How is he doing? Can I see him?” The family members’ eyes were filled with tears. The elderly patients in the ICU were all critically ill. The only filial duty they could fulfill was the weekly visit. Seeing their pleading eyes, I was about to speak when suddenly someone pushed through the crowd and publicly accused me. “James, even if you’re my dad, I absolutely won’t be your accomplice.” “You knew that after the power went out, those 200 elderly patients could die at any moment. Yet you did nothing and watched them suffocate to death with your own eyes. You even wanted to drag me down with you!” “You’re not fit to be a doctor, let alone a father! I’m ashamed of you!” Emily glared at me furiously, as if we had some deep, irreconcilable grudge. She was my own daughter. With her coming forward to accuse me, the family members instantly broke down. Several women collapsed to the ground in despair, covering their faces and wailing loudly. Some men gritted their teeth and glared at me as if they wanted to tear me to pieces. Others had already pushed past me to kick at the door, hoping to save their parents. But it was a steel airtight door with a passcode lock. Only I could open it. Before I could say anything, another person squeezed into the crowd. It was my wife Linda. In my previous life, if I hadn’t drunk the coffee she bought me, I wouldn’t have slept so deeply, and those elderly patients wouldn’t have died so mysteriously. Things were becoming clear. Fine, since you want to frame me, I’ll make sure everyone knows about it.

I shrugged helplessly and said with resignation: “Over 200 elderly patients and just one doctor – how could I save them all?” “I can’t be in multiple places at once. How could I possibly get all your parents out at the same time?” “If I save this one, I can’t save that one. Someone was bound to die. Which of you would be willing to let your own parents stay behind to die?” In my previous life, I had wanted to say this. Back then, I desperately went to connect the backup power supply. But each power unit weighed over 150 pounds. After finishing, I collapsed from exhaustion. When I saw the elderly patients were all safe and sleeping peacefully, I felt it was worth all the hardship and fatigue. But when I woke up, everyone was accusing me of causing the elderly patients to suffocate to death. Even these family members who had just been praising my ethics believed it without a doubt. They beat and kicked me without letting me explain, beating me to death. Saving lives was my duty. I didn’t expect gratitude from everyone. But since they all thought I was a murderer, I might as well not bother. Before I finished speaking, the family members completely lost it. They angrily surged towards me, their imposing manner exactly the same as when they beat me to death in my previous life. Linda saw the moment had come and rushed up to slap me. “James, you’re the head of our ICU. You just received an award last month. How can you be so inhumane?” “Your daughter righteously exposed the truth, but not only do you make excuses, you’re here saying cold-hearted things.” “Who would be willing to let their parents die? Even if you only saved a few, at least it would show you tried your best.” “But you didn’t save a single one. You’re worse than an animal!” Seeing the mother and daughter speaking in perfect unison, I sighed softly and didn’t argue. I wanted to see how they would continue to frame me. Linda gave Emily a look. Emily immediately took out a pre-prepared video and played it for everyone at maximum volume. In the video, I was ranting like a madman, spewing complaints and vicious words. “Looking at you old geezers who won’t die makes me sick.” “You’re all 70 or 80 years old. Why don’t you just die already instead of clinging to life? You’re just wasting air and resources.” “What are you looking at? Sooner or later I’m going to shut off your ventilators and let you all suffocate.” In my previous life, Emily posted this video online, causing outrage across the internet. The family members swarmed me, punching and kicking, slapping my face, even stabbing me with knives, beating me to death. The real culprits were this mother and daughter pair. Coming back to my senses, I still felt pain all over my body. At this point, Linda could no longer hide the wild joy in her eyes, but she still put on a righteous act. “James, I’ve been your wife for 20 years, yet I never realized you were a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” “The whole hospital has power except your unit, and it just happens to be during your shift. You’re the murderer!” Emily shook her head in disappointment. “I don’t have a father like you! You taught me to respect the elderly, but now you’ve killed 200 elderly patients with your own hands. You deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces.” Incited by the mother and daughter, the family members now all had bloodshot eyes, like angry beasts ready to tear me to pieces. “Scum! I treated you like a lifesaving benefactor. Ptooey! You’re not even human.” “You butcher! My mom raised me through thick and thin, and you killed her. I’ll make you pay blood for blood!” “We came from far away for you to save lives. But you killed my dad. I want your life!” The family members who had been kicking the door now surrounded me from behind, about to attack. At this critical moment, a stern shout froze everyone. “Stop!” Everyone turned to look. Seven or eight police officers rushed in, separating the crowd. “Someone reported that a doctor at this hospital abused his position to deliberately kill elderly patients. Who is James? Come with us.” The family members glared at me fiercely, their fingers almost jabbing my face. “It’s this butcher who killed my dad! Arrest him and execute him!” “Why waste words on this scum? Kill him!” “A life for a life. Kill him!” The scene from my previous life was playing out again. It all seemed meticulously planned in advance, with everything falling into place. If I hadn’t lived through this once before, I would surely be at a loss now and fall victim to their scheme again. After calming myself, I looked at the police and said calmly: “I didn’t kill anyone.” “You need evidence to accuse me of murder. Otherwise it’s malicious defamation, and I will pursue legal action!” Linda laughed coldly and immediately smiled ingratiatingly at the police. “Officer, I’m the one who called the police. I’m also his wife Linda and a doctor at this hospital.” “I have ironclad evidence that can prove James killed 200 elderly patients!” Hearing this, the police officers instantly became highly alert. “200 elderly patients? This is no joke. Can you take responsibility for what you’re saying?” Linda patted her chest and said, “The ICU has always had an independent power supply. Even if the whole hospital lost power, it shouldn’t be possible here. But last night the power was out for 10 hours. It must have been deliberate. Also, I can guarantee with 100% certainty that James’ fingerprints will be on the power switch!” Seeing her speak so confidently, the gathered family members became even more enraged and tried to rush forward to hit me. If not for the police officers desperately holding them back, I would have been beaten to death already. Instead of retreating, I stepped forward and shouted: “If you kill me, you’ll never know who really murdered your parents.” Linda and Emily exchanged a glance, both looking a bit guilty, before continuing to shout defiantly. “The evidence is irrefutable. Are you still trying to deny it?” “James, I advise you to confess quickly, or it will only get worse for you!” “Officer, don’t believe my dad’s lies. Every time he does something wrong he refuses to admit it. Take him away quickly.” Some family members who had hesitated after hearing my words now all prostrated themselves, weeping bitterly. “Mom, your son is unfilial. I entrusted you to this heartless beast for treatment, causing you to die tragically.” “Officer, my dad had late-stage cancer. His last wish was to see his family again. Now it’s all been ruined by this animal.” “A life for a life. He killed 200 elderly people. We’ll give him 200 stab wounds, not one less!” Looking at the over 100 wailing family members, the police officer angrily grabbed my arm. “So many people are accusing you of being the murderer.” “James, please come with us to cooperate with our investigation and clear things up.” Seeing him take out handcuffs, I calmly blocked his hand. “I didn’t kill anyone. You have no right to arrest me!” Turning around, I entered the passcode on the lock. Beep. The steel door slowly opened. At this moment, I felt incredibly relieved. It was finally time for me to fight back.

All the elderly patients were lying in their beds, breathing rhythmically, completely unharmed. The lucid patients even turned their heads to look at me, their eyes full of kindness and gratitude. Seeing this, my eyes instantly welled up with tears. Sometimes I really don’t need them to thank me verbally or give me honorary banners. Just one grateful look makes me feel that all my efforts were worthwhile. At this moment, a 90-year-old patient reached out his hand, gesturing for me to come over. After a period of treatment, his condition had clearly improved and he could speak clearly and forcefully. “Dr. James, you’ve worked so hard these past days.” “If you hadn’t saved me in time last night, I surely would have died. Thank you, thank you so much.” The family members who had been cursing me just moments ago were now all struck dumb. They stood rooted to the spot, completely motionless. When they came to their senses, they rushed in to find their parents, eyes brimming with tears, overcome with emotion. “Mom, are you alright?” “Dad, I thought I’d never see you again.” After confirming their parents were alive, many family members knelt down and kowtowed to me. “Dr. James, I’m so sorry for wrongly accusing you.” Others slapped themselves and pounded the ground in remorse. “I’m not human.” “Dr. James, you worked so hard to save my mom, but I believed others’ false accusations and was convinced you killed her. I even shouted about killing you. I’m the one who’s worse than an animal!” Seeing so many people apologizing and begging forgiveness, I quickly told them to get up. Although they beat me to death in my previous life, it was because they had seen their parents actually dead and lashed out in extreme grief. Ultimately, it was Linda and Emily’s fault. They were the true culprits. The police officer who had been about to handcuff me now understood the truth and took the initiative to apologize. “Dr. James, we didn’t investigate thoroughly and almost caused a terrible mistake. We wronged you.” “I sincerely apologize to you. I’m so sorry.” I immediately helped them up, smiling. “It’s alright. It was just a misunderstanding. Now that it’s cleared up, everything’s fine.” “Since the elderly patients are all okay, we’ll be leaving now.” I quickly reached out to stop them, glancing at Linda and Emily. “Officer, now that you can prove I didn’t kill those 200 elderly patients, how should we deal with the people who maliciously slandered me and even produced fake evidence?” The police officer followed my gaze to the mother and daughter pair. He immediately went over to question them: “You insisted when you called that Dr. James killed 200 elderly patients. You even incited these family members to nearly cause him bodily harm.” “How do you explain yourself now?” Linda was startled, her face changing dramatically. She unconsciously took a step back. I had thought she would immediately admit her mistake and beg forgiveness, but I didn’t expect her to continue spewing vicious lies. “Officer, don’t believe his nonsense!” The police officer snorted angrily and pointed at Linda, berating her: “You’re still slandering Dr. James as talking nonsense? The elderly patients are all fine now. Who’s really talking nonsense?” “Also, didn’t you say you had evidence proving Dr. James was the murderer? Where’s the evidence?” “If you can’t produce it, I won’t let you escape legal punishment!”

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