Category: English

After I posted my retirement announcement, everyone applauded. Only Simons, my girlfriend Julia’s rumored boyfriend and rising creative genius, objected. In front of numerous reporters, he put on a show. “It’s all a misunderstanding. Anthony is an indispensable talent. I sincerely hope he can return to the entertainment industry.” I turned off my phone, ignoring his proclamation. In my past life, my work was identical to his original single. Online users accused me of plagiarism and wished death upon my entire family. Unwilling to accept this, I posted all my creative process, but it couldn’t overcome the final publication time of the work. His new song was published ten minutes earlier than mine. Because of those ten minutes, netizens created death photo edits of me, and some even came to my house to throw paint. Over several years, constant cyberbullying gave me depression. My parents spent their entire fortune trying to clear my name, but were burned to death by crazed fans. Finally, on the day his original song won an award, I leaped from a high-rise building. Unexpectedly, when I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn on the day the new song was published.

“Your new song will be released on time at noon today.” “Don’t be nervous. With the quality of this song, you’ll definitely win Best Creator at this year’s Music Awards!” My agent Johnston patted my shoulder, and I gasped for air as if waking from a nightmare. Looking at the familiar living room and the bewildered Johnston in front of me, I finally realized I had been reborn on the day of the new song’s release. “You’ve worked hard staying up late to write songs these past few days. I won’t schedule any announcements for you. Get some good rest.” “Wait!” I called out to Johnston, who had reached the door, my eyes fixed on the wall clock. The second hand ticked forward. When the minute hand pointed to 10, I opened my phone and found Simons’ Twitter. Just like in my previous life, he posted a music website link with the caption: “Original solo single ‘Sunshine in the Ruins’ awaiting your listening.” Opening the link, a male voice flowed from my phone. “What’s going on? Isn’t this your new song!” Johnston stepped forward and grabbed my phone. “The melody, the lyrics—they’re all the same. This is your original work. How could Simons publish it early!” “Could it be someone from the recording studio who stole the song? Wait, I’ll have someone investigate right now!” I stopped Johnston. “Cancel the new song release with the company!” In my past life, because I released the exact same single as Simons, I was branded a plagiarist. To clear my name, I posted my creative process, but no one cared. “Plagiarism is plagiarism—doing it but not daring to admit it!” “Now you’re even faking the process to prove yourself. That must have been exhausting to write, huh?” “Plagiarists deserve to have their whole families die! Support Simons in defending his rights. Sue him until he’s bankrupt!” My agent Johnston and the recording studio teachers spoke up for me, but they were also cursed out by netizens. At that time, my girlfriend Julia, who had won Best Actress, went live. During the livestream, my girlfriend who had always refused to make our relationship public openly declared her love for Simons and strongly condemned my plagiarism. In an instant, I was utterly devastated! I had clearly played my new song for her in advance. To protect Simons, she actually backstabbed me, her legitimate boyfriend! Following her lead, the fans’ anger surged. They flooded my social media, cursing me endlessly. Singers and actors I had worked with avoided me like the plague, eager to distance themselves from me. If anyone didn’t publicly condemn me, they would be attacked by masses of fans. As they wished, I was blacklisted from the industry, expelled from the professional association, and even my previous awards were revoked. Under public pressure, my management company terminated my contract. From that point on, whenever Simons released a song, I would be dragged out and viciously cursed. Netizens sent me funeral wreaths and created death photo edits. Some even came to my house to throw paint. Years of cyberbullying gave me depression. My parents spent their entire fortune trying to clear my name, but were burned to death by crazed fans. On the day Simons’ original song won the Music Award, I leaped from a high-rise building. What I never expected was that when I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn. Heaven gave me a chance to start over. This time, I had to figure out what was really going on.

“The company spent a fortune on this single. You can’t just cancel it like that. I won’t be able to explain this to the higher-ups!” “How about this—I’ll investigate the song theft, and you quickly write another song to turn in.” After Johnston left, I sat alone on the sofa thinking for a long time. Simons was my girlfriend’s childhood friend. They grew up together and had always been very close. After graduating from a music academy abroad, Simons entered the entertainment industry through Julia’s connections. With the seasoned Julia as his backer, he signed directly with SKY Entertainment, the largest entertainment company in the country. Right from his debut, he sang the theme song for an international director’s film. These were all privileges I, the legitimate boyfriend, had never enjoyed. Because Julia treated him so well, I was always jealous and resentful. But Julia said her family and Simons’ family were old friends, and it would look bad if she didn’t help him. Not wanting to make things difficult for her, I turned a blind eye. Little did I know that Simons had always been the one she desired but couldn’t have in her youth. My hands kept moving as I continued searching through Simons’ Twitter for clues. Finally, I discovered something suspicious in a post from a month ago. On August 26th, Simons posted a photo with the caption: Creative inspiration flowing. I enlarged the photo and examined it carefully. Suddenly, my head buzzed! The draft paper on his desk showed the same creative thought process as mine. Even the lyrics I had deleted were identical, word for word! I wrote the lyrics based on my personal experiences. There was absolutely no possibility of plagiarism or borrowing. Could it be that Simons, like me, had experienced that earthquake? No, impossible! Simons and Julia were both from the north. How could they have been living on that southern island? But how else could I explain our identical manuscripts? While I was racking my brain unable to figure this out, Johnston called again. Unsurprisingly, there were no leads on the song theft. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Johnston was right. The company had spent big money promoting this new song. Besides Twitter trending topics, there were LED screen advertisements in major shopping districts. The upfront investment was at least several million. To minimize the company’s losses, I could only work harder to create another new song. Rushing into my studio and picking up my long-absent guitar, my hands trembled involuntarily. This time, let me become Nemesis and write about the injustice I suffered in my past life. I didn’t believe Simons could have the same rebirth experience as me! In two days, I finally finished writing the lyrics and melody for the new song after staying up all night. Using another spare phone, I recorded a simple demo and immediately sent it to Johnston. After listening, Johnston excitedly sent five emojis. “Rock? Anthony, you’re a musical genius! How many more surprises do you have that I don’t know about?” Before I could reply, Johnston sent a voice message: “I’ve booked the recording studio. I’ll pick you up in an hour.” When we left the recording studio, the sky was gradually brightening. Johnston loosened his shoulders. “Christmas break is coming up soon. Your song will probably be released around January 3rd. What do you think?” I didn’t rush to reply to Johnston. Instead, I asked about Simons’ recent situation. “I have a friend at SKY Entertainment. He said Simons hasn’t been to the company lately. No one knows what he’s up to.” After releasing a new song, he should have been touring the country for promotions, but there wasn’t any activity from him. It was too strange. To avoid any more accidents, it was good to observe ahead of time. I took a deep breath and agreed to the company’s proposal to delay the release. After returning home, I finally got the most restful sleep since my rebirth. I was awakened again by Johnston’s knocking. “Anthony, this is bad!” “Simons released another song, and it’s… identical to the new song you recorded early this morning!”

Johnston’s words were like a heavy blow, crushing all the courage I had built up since my rebirth. Why couldn’t I change any of this even with a second chance! Did this mean I could never make music again? Would I have to live forever in Simons’ shadow? To avoid unnecessary trouble, this time I had left my regular phone on the balcony and hadn’t used the computer to arrange the music. How did Simons know about my original song! On Twitter, Simons, who had released two original singles in succession, trended for three consecutive days. The top two spots on all major music charts were Simons’ singles. His popularity even overshadowed a superstar whose secret marriage had been exposed. Some fans asked him in the comments under the new song link why he had changed his style. “My previous new song was plagiarized by someone. Fortunately, I changed the timing and released it early, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to clear my name even if I was right. This new song is a warning to those who steal other people’s work. Talent is a creative artist’s foundation, and I’m someone you’ll never be able to catch up to!” His domineering declaration caused an uproar on social media. Following the company’s previous new song announcement, some people found my Twitter and kept posting comments. “Simons’ plagiarist must be you, right? Didn’t you say you were releasing a song? It’s been so long—where’s your new song?” “And you call yourself an excellent creative artist. Your previous albums must have been ghostwritten too, right?” In this life, I hadn’t released a song, yet I was still branded a plagiarist by Simons. But without solid evidence, my fans weren’t pushovers. How could they let me be slandered? They argued fiercely with those clamoring netizens in the comments section. Simons was a newly debuted artist with mostly casual fans and very few loyal followers. During this controversy, Simons’ reputation fell instead of rising. At this point, Julia couldn’t sit still. “You must come to Simons’ celebration party tomorrow!” Julia’s tone was harsh. I laughed bitterly. “Why should I!” “You have the nerve to ask why! Your fans are cyberbullying Simons. He’s been drowning himself in alcohol these past two days!” “If you still want to be my boyfriend, you must come to the celebration party tomorrow to dispel the rumors!” Simons plagiarized my songs and still wanted me to celebrate with him. Even with ten thousand grievances, I could only grit my teeth and endure. Because I still needed to uncover the secret about Simons. On the day of the celebration party, Julia held Simons’ arm, surrounded by people. “Simons’ two originals broke records directly. They’ve been at number one for a week already!” “Our Simons’ ballads bring people to tears. Who would have thought his rock could be so soul-stirring? He’s truly a creative genius!” The staff around him glanced at me. “Unlike some people who carry the title of genius but engage in theft.” I looked down and smiled. “Simons really is a rare talent. Since that’s the case, can you tell us why you used a minor key for your first original?” Simons didn’t rush to answer. Instead, he exchanged a glance with Julia. “Anthony, that’s enough! Simons graciously invited you to his celebration party, not for you to cause trouble!” Julia’s face flushed red as she defended Simons. In that instant, I had an epiphany—she must know the truth too. “Aren’t you supposed to be a creative genius? Why can’t you even explain the reason!” Simons pushed Julia aside: “There’s nothing I can’t say. Major keys are cheerful, minor keys are sad and gentle. If you play ‘Sunshine in the Ruins’ at 0.75 speed, you’ll discover this isn’t actually a cheerful song at all. Of course a minor key better fits the song’s true meaning.” My heart pounded wildly. Simons’ songwriting thoughts were identical to mine. Especially the 0.75 speed playback—this was a hidden easter egg I had placed in the song. How could he even know about this? I felt darkness before my eyes. “Thank you for the explanation. I have something to attend to. I’m leaving.” As soon as I walked out of the private room, Julia chased after me. “What was the point of that! In front of all those people, did you have to embarrass Simons?” I was thoroughly disappointed in Julia and didn’t want to get entangled with her anymore. “Let’s break up!” “I’m retiring from the industry and going back home. I wish you and Simons all the best!” “What are you doing now! If you go home, what can you do? Move bricks with your incompetent father?” Julia sneered. “Can your father afford your contract termination fee?” I smiled indifferently and left decisively. Julia didn’t know I was a genuine second-generation rich kid. My dad was indeed a contractor over a decade ago, but he caught the right timing and was now a nationally renowned real estate developer. The astronomical termination fee was nothing more than selling a few fewer properties to my dad. Without making music, I could still go home and inherit the family business. I wanted to see how Simons could continue being a rising creative genius without me creating anything!

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I’m an actress, and my boyfriend—who’s also my agent—told me to gain twenty pounds to land a role. But when I arrived on set, the director looked at me with regret and sighed. “Your acting is solid, but you’re too heavy. Didn’t your agent tell you this role requires someone slimmer?” I was about to ask my boyfriend what was going on. But then I saw him smiling as he congratulated my rival, Natasha. Turns out Natasha got the role. When our eyes met, his expression was weary. “She needs this role more than you do. Your acting is too good—to keep you from getting cast, I had to trick you into gaining weight.” “You’ve been pestering me about marriage, right? Perfect timing—now that you’ve gained weight and can’t get any roles, let’s hurry up and get married.” In that moment, I realized that in five years, he’d never forgotten Natasha. I let out a bitter laugh and removed the simple ring engraved with his initials from my finger. “No. We’re breaking up.” The ring rolled under the sofa. Cameron’s expression darkened. “You want me to beg you to stay in front of her, to prove how important you are to me, is that it?” I opened my mouth. “No…” Before I could finish, he raised his hand, impatience in his eyes. “Don’t explain. Whatever. Just don’t come crying to me drunk later, begging to get back together.” I clutched the hem of my clothes, my cheeks burning. It was more humiliating than being slapped in public. Natasha tugged at his sleeve. “I told you not to talk to girls like that… He’s just blunt, he doesn’t mean any harm, don’t take it personally…” Cameron pulled her away. “Don’t waste your breath on her. Don’t you still need to pick out your costume?” The two of them left without hesitation. Their interaction was almost identical to the romantic clips that circulated online years ago—so in sync, as if they’d never broken up at all. Someone caught this moment on camera and posted it online from a burner account. And once again, my figure became negative news. [Oh my God, her body is seriously ugly. Does she even know she’s an actress? Is she planning to play a pig with that weight?] [I can’t believe this. She just gains weight whenever she wants—does she have any professional standards? Can’t she control her eating? Look at Natasha!] I’ve had the kind of body that gains weight from drinking water since I was a kid. The first time I was mass-ridiculed online for looking heavy on camera, I developed depression and had to take hormones to control it. My weight skyrocketed again. Directors rejected me. I was on the verge of giving up my acting dreams. That’s when Cameron pushed through the crowd of people mocking me and took me away. Looking at my tear-streaked makeup, he said, “Everyone already looks down on you—are you going to bully yourself too?” From that moment on, I saw him as my guiding light. I followed him silently, and I fell for him. He knew how hard my journey had been. He knew how much I trusted him. And now, he’d shattered that trust with his own hands. My phone chimed. It wasn’t a message from him—it was several loyal fans privately messaging me on social media, telling me to fire my agent. From the first time I worked with Cameron and got cyberbullied over styling and unflattering roles, they’d been telling me to drop him. But I always believed that as long as my acting was solid, I could play any role well, no matter how thankless. But now, the labels of “most vicious” and “most foolish supporting character” had been nailed to me, even seeping into my real life.

Only now did I realize how laughable my confidence was in the face of the contrast he deliberately created. My assistant sighed. “Stop reading that. I signed you up for a weight loss program.” I took a deep breath, staring out at the rainy weather. “Don’t bother. Doesn’t the company want me to go international? Director Andrew’s project—let’s take it.” My assistant looked at me in shock. “If you take that project, you’ll be working in Europe for two years. What about you and Cameron?” I cut her off calmly. “It doesn’t matter. From now on, my business has nothing to do with him.” When my manager found out I’d agreed to change my development path, he was thrilled. To build momentum for me, he didn’t pull down the online rumors. At least I wasn’t as psychologically fragile as I used to be. But as I was filling out the overseas assignment form, Cameron stormed into the office in a rage. “I told you when I got here not to create rumors about Natasha. Now the internet is full of people calling her manipulative…” He hadn’t expected me to be there. His anger stopped abruptly, replaced by a trace of embarrassment. Rumor had it that after he and Natasha broke up, the company spent a fortune to poach him and agreed to many unfair terms. I just hadn’t expected one of those terms to be about Natasha. Looking back, when he was supposedly trying to make me famous, he ignored positive PR about my professionalism and kindness. Instead, he churned out rumors about me for free—about my looks, my body, my personality, one after another, sometimes trending all day. When crazed fans stalked me, he never showed an ounce of concern or anger. Just like now—both situations involved rumors, but his eyes only held Natasha. I let out an inexplicable laugh. His expression turned ugly. “I knew it. The manager promised me he wouldn’t go after her, so it was you, wasn’t it?” “You’re upset that I lied to you and gave her the role, so you got your fans to call her manipulative, to say she’s using me to suppress and smear you and your roles?” I frowned slightly, about to explain, when Cameron’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID labeled “Natasha,” he answered in seconds. It was treatment I’d never received in five years—not even when stalker fans chased my car and I called him for help. “Cameron, someone leaked photos of you and Priscilla on a date. Now everyone’s saying Natasha is a homewrecker who came between you two.” “She’s crying uncontrollably, threatening to jump off a building to prove her innocence!” In that moment, he panicked so badly his legs went weak. The look he gave me was full of resentment. “You’re ruthless. To destroy her, you’ll even flip over your own meal ticket!” He didn’t give me a chance to speak. He stumbled away. The manager looked at me helplessly. “We didn’t buy those photos. Should I…” I forced a smile. “Don’t bother. Let him think whatever he wants. I’m leaving anyway.” The manager sighed and took the form from my hands. Not even three minutes after I left the office, my phone buzzed with a special notification from social media. I opened it to see Cameron had reposted the most-viewed dating photo. [Not in a relationship. Just colleagues. Natasha and I never broke up. All marketing involving Priscilla was work-related. There is no homewrecking situation.] My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand. When he was first poached by the company to manage me, Natasha’s fans said I’d stolen him away, that I was the catalyst for their breakup. After paparazzi photos of us together surfaced, it confirmed everything. I endured a full year of cyberbullying. At its worst, the company suggested we officially announce our relationship to clear things up.

But he always used the excuse that I needed to focus on my career, refusing again and again, watching me get cursed at in public. And now he’d given the official announcement that should’ve been mine to his ex. He still let the “homewrecker” label follow me. Only now did I understand—true love has no obstacles. The only obstacle was that he never loved me. The company couldn’t do anything about him, so they assigned me a new agent and rushed to officially clear up the relationship. But when it came time to transfer responsibilities, he refused. “I’ve managed her for so many years—no one knows better than me how she should develop!” His sudden change in attitude was laughable, and it only confirmed my role as a stepping stone, a foil. I looked at him quietly, my eyes filled with unfathomable numbness and sorrow. “No. I know what’s best for myself.” He stiffened, as if he’d never expected me to talk to him this way. In the past, the company had also suggested changing agents. But he never even had to object—I’d refuse on my own, wanting any excuse to spend more time with him. But now that I was standing firm, he was completely powerless. As the tension peaked, the manager pulled out my overseas assignment form. “Actually, it’s because Priscilla is leaving…” Cameron frowned, reaching for the document. I moved in front of him immediately. “I decide my own career path. If not me, then the company will. If you won’t transfer your duties, I’ll do it myself.” With that, I folded the form and handed it to the manager, shaking my head gently. As I turned to leave, Cameron reached out to grab my wrist, but I dodged him. After the unpleasant confrontation, I went home and started packing. As I was organizing, my phone buzzed with a rare message from him. [She’s psychologically fragile. I was just comforting her. Don’t overthink it.] This was the first time in a month he’d voluntarily talked to me about something unrelated to work—and it was still about Natasha. But when I’d acted cute, asked for support, complained, or sought comfort, his most common response was [Be strong.] I didn’t call him immediately like I used to, acting cute and vulnerable, expressing my relationship needs and asking him to care more about me. After all, what was the point? Soon, the password lock at my door beeped with several failed attempts. My heart jumped. I opened the security camera to see him at the door. My heart settled, and along with it, my expectations of him. A simple anniversary password—in five years, he’d never successfully opened this door. But the social media login password he hadn’t used in two years, the one based on Natasha’s birthday, took him less than a minute to remember this afternoon. I put down what I was holding and let him in. His eyes held a trace of concern. “Why didn’t you open the door? I thought something happened to you.” I found it ridiculous. “What could happen? I have a very strong mental state.” He frowned slightly. The guilt in his eyes disappeared. “The rumors and gossip were released by her own company. I didn’t get the full story before I verbally attacked you—that’s my fault.” “But you don’t need to be so passive-aggressive about her. She and I only broke up because of the company. There’s nothing between us.” “That statement was also posted from my account by her. By the time I noticed, there was no way to clarify. I already told you we can get married right now. You don’t need to keep harping on this.” Seeing the barely concealed impatience in his eyes,

I suddenly spoke up. “So if you two hadn’t broken up, would you talk to her like this too? Demanding she marry you without even proposing?” He looked irritated. “That’s not important. Right now you’re in the rising phase of your career, you can’t…” My heart clenched suddenly. Before he could finish, I slapped him across the face, my voice terrifyingly calm. “You know I’m in my rising phase, but you still tricked me into gaining weight!” “Yes, none of it matters. Whether your excuses were for my good or because you can’t forget her—none of it matters. What matters is we’ve already broken up.” “Now get out of my house immediately! I don’t want to see you!” His eyes reddened with anger and a trace of shock at being kicked out for the first time. He slammed the door on his way out, leaving behind a vicious parting shot. “You’ll regret this!” In five years, I’d always accommodated him. We’d never had this kind of hostile atmosphere. So when he realized I was no longer easy to control, no longer compliant, he pulled out all the dirty tricks he’d kept hidden. My new agent, Livingston, said there was a charity gala to attend that evening. But when I arrived, I discovered it was a low-end commercial drinking party. Cameron and Natasha sat on either side of the boss. Livingston gently pushed me inside. “Your resources have been downgraded and you’re not making money. Cameron said if you can help Natasha handle this event, he’ll get the director to give you a good role.” When I was a newcomer working with Cameron, I couldn’t land good roles or get paid, which dragged down his performance bonuses and evaluations. To avoid being a burden to him, I secretly accepted a commercial dinner reception. At first it was just drinking. Then several people started forcing drinks on me. I tried to run, but the door was locked. They groped me lewdly all over. Just as I was losing hope, Cameron kicked the door open, holding an axe, and split the round table in half. His eyes bloodshot, he pulled me into his arms protectively. He took me back and scolded me the whole way, saying I had no brains. He said these drinking parties almost always ended in sleeping with clients. By the end of his lecture, I’d gone silent, blood flowing from my mouth like water. That time, his face showed a panic I’d never seen before. After that, I almost never attended events that required drinking. Seeing me frozen in place, Natasha walked over with a smile. “It’s my fault. I said I couldn’t drink much but didn’t want to refuse the investor’s goodwill, so he said you could drink and called you over.” “You don’t mind, right? After all, we’re just trying to get you roles.” Seeing the triumph mixed with provocation in her eyes, I was surprisingly calm. Fine. I’d drink tonight. After tomorrow, all grudges would end. I raised my glass, meeting his surprised and slightly nervous gaze. “Thank you all for this opportunity.” The cheap alcohol burned down my esophagus into my stomach. I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and poured another glass. “But this time…” Before I could finish, Cameron frowned and snatched the glass from my hand. His voice was low. “If you can’t drink, don’t! Do you have to be so stubborn? Is it that hard to give in?” I smiled. Just as I was about to speak, a clattering sound came from overhead. Before we could look up, the room began shaking violently.

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Evelyn lay in the hospital, struggling through a life-threatening childbirth, while Adrian Caldwell set off a spectacular fireworks display worth 7.45 million for his first love, Claire Sullivan. That very night, a video of the billionaire heir passionately kissing his first love beneath the fireworks flooded the internet. The next day, Claire sent Evelyn a photo. In it, Adrian held her close, her body covered in marks of his kisses. She said, “Now that the real one is back, when will you, the stand-in, fuck off?” Evelyn let out a bitter smile. Claire was right. After three years as a substitute, risking her life to give birth to his child, she had finally completed her role. She could leave now. “Evelyn, here’s the five million dollar check I promised you, and a plane ticket to Paris for two weeks from today.” Evelyn Sterling took the envelope and bowed slightly to Adrian Caldwell’s father, Charles. “Thank you for taking care of me these past three years, Mr. Caldwell.” Charles sighed. “Evelyn, you just gave birth. Do you really have to leave so soon?” A bitter smile crossed Evelyn’s face. “Adrian doesn’t have feelings for me. Now that his first love, Miss Sullivan, has returned, I’ve been put back in my place.” Charles let out a long sigh. “Evelyn, I have a heart. That’s your own flesh and blood. I know we signed a contract, but I’ve seen who you really are. You can come back and see the child anytime.” Evelyn waved her hand dismissively. “Mr. Caldwell, holding onto ties that are already broken only leads to endless pain.” It wasn’t that Evelyn didn’t love her child. She knew she was never meant to be the real lady of the Caldwell household. That place belonged to Claire Sullivan, Adrian’s first love. Claire and Adrian both came from wealthy families. They had known each other since childhood, so it was natural for them to be together. Unexpectedly, Claire suddenly went abroad and disappeared without a trace. When Adrian finally heard from her again, there was already another tall, handsome man by her side. The abrupt breakup combined with her immediate new relationship sent Adrian into severe depression. Seeing his son in such a state, Charles found Evelyn, who resembled Claire. Charles covered all of Evelyn’s mother’s medical expenses and promised to take care of all her future educational needs. But the condition was that Evelyn had to help Adrian get over his heartbreak and give him a grandson. From that day on, a persistent shadow appeared behind Adrian Caldwell. When he worked until he fainted from stomach pain, Evelyn always appeared in time to drive him home, even washing his clothes and placing warm porridge on his nightstand before he woke up. When he had business difficulties, Evelyn stepped in to help smooth over relationships. Everyone at the company greeted Evelyn warmly the moment they saw her. No one disliked Evelyn, except Adrian Caldwell. It wasn’t until Adrian got drunk at a celebration party and slept with Evelyn that he reluctantly gave her a title. Later, Evelyn learned that the reason he got drunk was because Claire was getting engaged. Even knowing she was Claire’s replacement, Evelyn never showed any dissatisfaction. She followed the contract and took care of the Caldwell household inside and out with dedication. After marriage, her relationship with Adrian slowly improved. She even got pregnant quickly. For a while, Evelyn mistakenly thought Adrian had truly fallen in love with her and that life would go on like this forever. Then Claire divorced her foreign husband and returned to the country to see Adrian. The day Claire came back, Evelyn was thirty-two weeks pregnant, in her third trimester. That evening, to celebrate Claire’s return, Adrian threw a lavish banquet in the city center, booking an entire hotel to make her happy. He even set off seven million four hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of brilliant fireworks on the golden beach of the East Coast waterfront for Claire. That night, when Evelyn heard the news, she suddenly went into contractions and had to be admitted to the hospital. Following Charles’s orders, Evelyn couldn’t have a C-section. She had to give birth naturally without anesthesia. When her contractions made it feel like someone was tearing at her internal organs, she finally heard a familiar voice. Outside the door, Charles asked Adrian, “Your wife is giving birth, why are you only arriving now!” Adrian explained somewhat sheepishly, “Dad, I got held up with some work matters. I’m doing this for our family, aren’t I?” Even though Evelyn’s love for Adrian began with a contract, after three years together, her heart had long been filled with him. She even began to fantasize about whether her existence had gained some significance to Adrian. Suddenly, the nurse turned up the volume on the fetal heart monitor, and Evelyn heard Claire’s voice from outside the door. “Adrian, I had no choice but to go abroad back then. I just needed treatment…” The heart rate instantly spiked to one hundred and eighty. Evelyn bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood, just to keep herself from crying out loud. So even when she was giving birth to Adrian’s child, she still couldn’t catch his eye as a mere replacement. Adrian’s love had been fully invested in Claire from the very beginning. He came to the hospital not for her. Only for his biological son. Evelyn covered her mouth to keep from crying out. But she let tears flow freely down her cheeks. As the baby let out its first cry, Evelyn shed tears for Adrian for the last time. Fourteen more days, and we’ll have nothing to do with each other.

When Evelyn returned to the company, Claire was already sitting at her desk. “Miss Sterling, hasn’t Adrian told you that he’s given me the Executive Director position?” Evelyn frowned. “I haven’t even done a handover. What gives you the right to say that so confidently?” Claire smiled and twirled her hair, her tone full of mockery. “If your abilities can’t keep you in this position, don’t blame others for taking it. If you’re just taking up space, you deserve it.” Claire’s words clearly had a double meaning. As everyone around watched the drama unfold, Adrian heard the commotion and came out, frowning as he beckoned to Evelyn. “Come in for a moment.” Without complaint, Evelyn obediently entered the CEO’s office. “Adrian, I’m not objecting to what you did. I’m just curious why my position was taken by someone else the moment I came back from maternity leave after giving birth?” Even though Evelyn was about to leave, seeing Adrian let this woman take her place so quickly still sent a dense, needle-like pain through her heart. Hearing this, Adrian was the one who got upset first. His expression darkened. “Evelyn, you talk too much. Don’t forget who you are and who gave you all this!” Evelyn froze for a moment. She opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word. What could she say? She was Adrian’s woman now. Even though everyone knew how hard she worked, Adrian’s gaze had never lingered on her for a moment. “This isn’t my fault either.” Seeing Evelyn’s silence, Adrian spoke indifferently, like giving a slap followed by a sweet treat. “Evelyn, you were gone for so long having the baby. What would happen to your position if no one filled it?” “You can’t expect the whole company to wait for you, can you?” “Besides, it wasn’t just the months you spent having the baby. You stayed in the hospital for so long after giving birth. For the company, that’s all money!” Evelyn felt like her heart was bleeding. She had given Adrian a child, but all Adrian cared about was the company. He was even counting every moment of her maternity leave. “I know you’re resentful. How about this? Tell me what you want, and I’ll get it for you.” Hearing this, Evelyn found it all so ironic. She pulled out a document from her bag. It was her divorce agreement with Adrian. “Then sign this. Let’s get divorced. The child stays with you. I won’t take a penny from you.” But Adrian at this moment seemed not to hear Evelyn’s words at all. His eyes held a smile as his gaze remained fixed on Claire outside the door. Claire was waving at him, apparently wanting to meet with him later. Without even looking, Adrian quickly signed his name on the divorce papers. “I’ll give you whatever you want. Happy now? Okay, Evelyn, don’t bother me anymore. I have a lunch meeting with a client.” Smiling, he grabbed his jacket and left with Claire without looking back. Evelyn watched his retreating figure and waved as well. Goodbye. Let’s never see each other again.

Ten days countdown. Evelyn got up early. Adrian never came home last night. But none of that had anything to do with her anymore. Her ex-husband’s affairs were none of her business. After packing her things, Evelyn arrived at the university campus. As soon as she reached the entrance, the department chair walked over with a smile. “Oh, Evelyn! Long time no see. How have you been lately?” The department chair pointed to a building still under construction in the distance and said with a smile. “The million dollars you donated last time has already been put into our educational programs! From now on, our school will have more support and resources for art students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is all thanks to you. If it weren’t for you, we definitely couldn’t have done this!” Evelyn had been a fortunate art student from a disadvantaged background. Being able to study at this school was her luck, and now she wanted to pass that luck on to others. Hearing the department chair’s words, she waved her hand with a smile. “This is what I should do.” The department chair sighed. “What a shame. Your artistic talent is so high. If you had continued, you might have become nationally renowned. But why did you choose to become some director for the Caldwell family… to go into finance!” Evelyn didn’t want to hear Adrian’s name anymore. She explained. “Please don’t say that, department chair. I’m free now and ready to pursue my own dreams. I’m going to Paris soon.” The department chair immediately became alert. “At this particular time? But if you really go to Paris now, aren’t you afraid that everything you have will be taken by someone else?” The Caldwell family situation was an open secret. Evelyn and Claire were constantly compared by everyone. Hearing the department chair’s words, Evelyn just smiled faintly. The department chair saw this and fell silent for a long while. “Alright. If that’s your decision, then I wish you a safe journey.” Just after leaving the school, someone from the company suddenly called Evelyn. Without any preamble, they started berating her. “When are you going to give us the latest proposal? You still haven’t submitted it?” Evelyn saw it was one of her subordinates calling. She had been mentoring her subordinates for years, but now that she’d been demoted, her subordinates were ordering her around. Ordering her to do work that was the Executive Director’s responsibility. Evelyn didn’t want to be taken advantage of anymore. Hearing the colleague ask this, she replied coldly. “Claire is in that position now. Ask her for whatever proposals you need. What does it have to do with me?” Evelyn had always been well-liked at the company. On one hand, she had a good temper and never got angry. On the other hand, her professional abilities were outstanding. But now that Evelyn was being so assertive, her colleagues were stunned. Evelyn had no intention of continuing to listen. Just as she was about to hang up, she heard Adrian say, “Is that Evelyn? Wait, don’t hang up.” His voice grew from soft to loud as he apparently took the phone. “Evelyn, when you get home, can you let Claire in? She just came back to the country and doesn’t have a place to stay. Claire will be staying at our house for now.”

A bitter smile tugged at Evelyn’s lips. She hadn’t even left yet, and Adrian couldn’t wait to bring Claire home?! Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound. Seeing that Evelyn didn’t immediately agree, Adrian frowned. “Evelyn, what does your silence mean?” “How many times do I have to tell you? Claire and I are just friends, and now we have a work relationship.” “She doesn’t have a place to stay. What’s wrong with her resting at our house tonight? Can you stop being so petty?” Evelyn remained quiet, not saying a single unnecessary word. Adrian’s frown deepened, then he changed his tone. “Claire never cares about what I do outside or how late I work. In my eyes, that’s what a virtuous wife and good mother should be like.” A virtuous wife and good mother? Then I wish you both a hundred years of happiness and many children. Evelyn grumbled internally, then said flatly, “Then open the door for her yourself. If you like her so much, you do it. I have to go to the hospital later. I don’t have time.” Besides, she wasn’t Adrian’s servant. Though in Adrian’s mind right now, that’s probably exactly what he thought of her. Adrian froze. This was the first time in all these years that Evelyn had refused him. Normally, how would Evelyn dare speak to him like this? Even when her period made her feel terrible, she would immediately fulfill whatever he wanted. Adrian’s voice was tinged with anger. “Evelyn, do you think having a child gives you a voice now? Let me tell you, I’m still the one in charge of this house! You’ll do what I tell you to do!” After hearing this, Evelyn replied coolly, “Oh, my stomach hurts, honey. I need to go to the hospital for a checkup. If you think it’s better for a woman who just gave birth with stomach pain to skip the hospital and go home to open the door for someone, then I can do what you say.” Evelyn’s words were particularly cutting. Adrian was a bit stunned. When did she get such a sharp tongue? Though Adrian suspected Evelyn was faking illness, his mind remained rational and courteous. “Fine, then go to the hospital. I’ll come see you there later too.” Evelyn didn’t plan to hear what he’d say next. She hung up and went to the hospital to see the baby. After all, this was her own flesh and blood. Who knew if she’d ever see him again? Looking at her child in the hospital room, gazing at that tender, adorable face, Evelyn felt a wave of grief. Her child had just been born, yet she would never see him again. Suddenly, she heard a nurse’s voice from outside. “Oh my, Mr. Caldwell, is this your wife? Are you both here to see the baby together?”

Though Claire’s every movement embodied the bearing of a wealthy heiress, and the brand-name clothes she wore formed a stark contrast with Evelyn’s understated style. Standing beside Adrian now, the two of them looked like a perfect match made in heaven. They looked so much like a real couple that even seasoned onlookers couldn’t tell they weren’t actually married. Evelyn turned to look outside. She saw Claire just lower her head and smile shyly. Adrian wasn’t in a hurry to respond either. Instead, he asked, “How’s my son’s health lately?” The nurse nodded quickly. “Good! Of course he’s good. He has a great appetite. Oh my, it must be because you two clearly have such good physiques, so he is naturally very healthy too.” She smiled at Claire and continued praising. “Ma’am, you’re so beautiful, and Mr. Caldwell, you’re so handsome. When he grows up, he’ll definitely be incredibly handsome! I even think he could start being a child model right now!” Evelyn’s expression remained blank as she simply looked away. She had no intention of getting angry. Or rather, she was angry for just a moment before putting it all behind her. For what? What was the point of being angry now? Adrian was legally her ex-husband now. Whoever her ex-husband was with was his freedom. Seemingly noticing Evelyn, Claire suddenly called out to Adrian. “Hey, your collar is a bit messy. Let me straighten it out. We don’t want the baby to see us looking disheveled.” Claire gave Adrian her brightest smile, her eyes completely drawn to him. She gently placed her hand on Adrian’s collar and carefully folded it properly. “Adrian, thank you for helping me with the work situation. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how many years I’d have to struggle.” She just had to let Evelyn know in front of her that Adrian had orchestrated this whole thing. She wanted Evelyn to know that even if she had a son, so what? After Claire came back, wasn’t she still the first to benefit from everything Adrian had? After straightening his clothes, Claire smiled and stepped back. Suddenly she lost her balance and fell backward. Adrian instinctively caught her waist. People around them looked at the couple’s intimate display with envious glances. This was the newborn area. For a couple who just had a baby to still have this kind of romance. Everyone was quite envious. Looking at Adrian so close to her, Claire lifted her head and kissed him forcefully on the lips. Wolf whistles came from the crowd, but Evelyn found the scene too glaring to watch. Back when Adrian was faithful, no matter how many times she begged, he never accepted her. Evelyn once thought he had some problem in that area. Now it seemed it wasn’t that area that was the problem, but the person. With Claire, he was always ready to go. Evelyn turned her lips down and headed straight for the fire escape exit. Seeing Evelyn’s retreating figure, Adrian quickly steadied Claire. “Was that Evelyn who just walked by?” Claire of course knew it was Evelyn, but she still played dumb. “I don’t know. So what if it was? We were just kissing, we didn’t do anything else. Just friends with benefits.” But Adrian pushed her away and chased after Evelyn’s departing direction. “Evelyn!”

Adrian grabbed Evelyn’s arm, a flash of panic in his eyes. But he didn’t speak, his deep eyes quietly watching Evelyn. Their relationship was always like this. If Evelyn didn’t speak first, he could go a whole day at home without saying a word. “Can I go now?” Evelyn pulled away the arm that was being gripped a bit too tightly. Adrian quickly spoke up. “Evelyn, are you angry? What you just saw, I can explain it all.” Explain? What was there to explain? Everything he’d done these days was real. Him scolding her was real. Even the kiss just now was real. Besides, they would soon have nothing to do with each other. “Okay, I’m not angry. So can I go now? You came to see the baby too, right? You two go see him.” Adrian’s pupils contracted. He had never seen Evelyn look so cold. For a moment, he felt his heart skip a beat. Watching Evelyn’s back, Adrian didn’t quite understand. Why could Evelyn be so magnanimous seeing him with another woman? Had he always thought of her as too petty? After returning home from the hospital, Adrian noticed Evelyn had already gone to her room. “Are you asleep?” Evelyn came out of the room in her pajamas. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Claire clinging to Adrian. “What is it?” Evelyn said coldly. Adrian was about to say something when Claire interrupted directly. “I just wanted to ask if you have any extra pajamas. I didn’t bring many clothes back from abroad.” “If you don’t have your pajamas, you can give me Adrian’s. My frame is just right to fit in his, it’ll cover everything.” She spoke as if she were the lady of the house. Evelyn didn’t want to deal with it and simply returned to her room. But even if she didn’t want to deal with it, she couldn’t sleep peacefully. The knocking continued. “Evelyn, Claire can’t find a towel in the bathroom. Can you get one for her?” “Evelyn, Claire says she wants to change the comforter. Can you find one for her?” “Evelyn…” And so, during the countdown to her departure, Evelyn lived in this twisted arrangement with Claire and Adrian. Even going to the hospital to see the baby, all three went together. Over time, people at the hospital started spreading gossip, saying Evelyn might be a surrogate mother hired by the Caldwell family. Though the baby was healthy, doctors detected he was allergic to pollen. Evelyn called in the gardeners and had them cut down all the rose bushes Adrian had planted in the backyard. When Claire heard the news, she rushed back anxiously. “Evelyn, what are you doing?!”

Looking at the mess in the garden, Claire pointed at Evelyn angrily. “Do you know that Adrian carefully planted all these flowers for me?!” “Even if you resent Adrian for falling in love with me, you can’t take it out on these flowers!” Hearing Claire’s words, Evelyn smiled faintly. “Miss Sullivan, you really are narcissistic.” “I don’t know who Adrian planted these flowers for, and whoever he loves has nothing to do with me.” “My son is allergic to pollen. I can’t keep these roses!” Claire pouted, looking indifferent. “So what if the baby is allergic to pollen?!” “He’ll stay in his room anyway. He won’t be brought out!” “You’re getting rid of these flowers now and still saying you don’t hate me. You’re already so vicious, you know that?!” Then, without caring about anything else, looking at the remaining roses, she started fighting with the gardeners for the pruning shears. “Everyone put down what you’re holding!” Evelyn grabbed Claire. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re scheming. You know Adrian cares a lot about my son, so you want to use this method to make something happen to him, don’t you?!” Claire seemed like her little scheme had been exposed and froze in place. “No… I didn’t!” If Claire was treating her like this when she was still here, what would happen when she wasn’t? Adrian rushed back anxiously. Seeing the messy backyard and the two women standing together, his anger flared up. “Evelyn, what are you freaking out about! The backyard was fine, why did you have to do this? If you have a problem, tell me directly. Take it out on me. There’s no need to vent on these innocent flowers and Claire!” Innocent? Evelyn blurted out. “Innocent? Don’t you know the baby is allergic to pollen! Would you keep such a huge safety hazard at home?!” After hearing this, Adrian said dismissively, “You’ll be taking care of the child anyway. Why worry about it so much?” Why worry about it so much? Evelyn looked at Adrian in disbelief, tears falling unconsciously. “Adrian, no matter what, you can’t treat our child like this. That’s your own flesh and blood.” Adrian had never seen Evelyn cry. A struggle flashed in his eyes. “You…” The vicious words had already risen to Adrian’s throat, but when he met Evelyn’s red, cold eyes, he couldn’t speak them. This Evelyn was too unfamiliar. He was silent for a long time, finally only managing to say, “Evelyn, don’t be impulsive.” Evelyn threw the scissors to the ground and looked at Adrian coldly. “Flowers can be replanted. Buy her whatever she likes. But when it comes to the child, I absolutely cannot back down even half a step, because…” Because that was the child she carried for ten months and gave birth to! That was the only thing she had left from all these years with Adrian! “The child cannot be harmed.”

Though Claire made things difficult in every way, in the end Adrian and the gardeners silently cleared all the roses from the garden. Claire was furious, her tone becoming sharp and bitter. “This is ridiculous. They’re just flowers. The kid won’t always be at home when he comes back. Why did you have to get rid of all these flowers?” Evelyn looked at Claire coolly. “They’re just a few flowers. What, are the dead flowers going to kill you?” Evelyn speaking so harshly left Claire stunned for quite a while. Was this still the Claire who used to be so accommodating to her? Why had she become so assertive? After Evelyn dealt with the biggest threat to the baby, she returned to her room alone. There were 8 hours left until she left this heartbreaking place. Just then, Charles sent a message asking her to come to his evening banquet. “Your new identity documents are ready. Do you have time to come get them?” After Evelyn replied “yes,” she drove straight to the banquet hall entrance. Unexpectedly, she saw a familiar car there. It was Adrian’s car. She didn’t need to think to know that Adrian must have brought Claire to this banquet. At the Caldwell family banquet, Evelyn, as the CEO’s wife, couldn’t attend, yet Claire, who had no official status, appeared on the guest list. Evelyn took a deep breath. She didn’t plan to get angry, but calmly went through the staff entrance toward where Charles was. After just a few steps, she heard people discussing the Caldwell family. “Did you hear? Adrian might be proposing to Claire at this banquet!” “I heard the two of them have been promised to each other since childhood. Later, this perfect couple was torn apart by Evelyn!” “That Evelyn is really awful. What she did to Adrian and Claire is disgusting. People like her don’t deserve to exist!” “I agree. How is Evelyn still showing up at the Caldwell family? She should have the sense to leave this family!” Evelyn acted as if she couldn’t hear them and pushed past. “Excuse me.” As soon as she reached the center of the banquet, Evelyn indeed saw the grand proposal setup in the hall. A joyous atmosphere pervaded every corner. Back then, her own wedding had been quite shabby. Adrian said he didn’t want to waste time on such things. He said his time was precious, worth millions per minute. Actually, Evelyn didn’t occupy much space in Adrian’s heart. Didn’t people always say that a man’s love is where his time is, where his money is? Adrian didn’t lack money, so whoever he gave his time to was who he loved. He didn’t love Evelyn.Thinking back on this, Evelyn looked away. She was about to leave anyway. Why linger on these feelings? When she was just a few steps away from Charles’s room, Claire suddenly appeared with a group of socialites. “Evelyn, I don’t remember you being invited to tonight’s banquet. Why did you have the nerve to come? Don’t you feel ashamed?” “Not like me. I didn’t want to come, but Adrian insisted on bringing me to introduce me to everyone. He insisted I come.” Evelyn simply stepped aside. “Let me through.” Claire noticed Charles’s room behind her and immediately understood. “You’re going to complain to Charles, aren’t you? Evelyn, you’re shameless!” Evelyn could no longer hold back. She didn’t think she deserved to endure baseless criticism, so she pushed Claire aside. “You’ve provoked me again and again. Do you really think I’m a pushover?” Claire didn’t expect Evelyn to finally bite back, and immediately called over the women behind her. “Teach her a good lesson!” Evelyn looked at the people surrounding her and directly smashed the wine glass in her hand. She pointed the broken shard at them. “I’d like to see who dares come closer!” Hearing the commotion, Charles came out. Claire quickly left with the others, but before leaving, she warned Evelyn. “You know who’s in charge of the Caldwell family now, right?” “Adrian only has eyes for me. So if you want to live peacefully in the Caldwell family, you’d better keep your mouth shut!” When Charles walked over, he only saw Evelyn looking disheveled, his eyes full of heartache. “What happened? Evelyn? Were you bullied?” Evelyn glanced at the time and waved her hand. “It’s nothing, Mr. Caldwell. My flight leaves in two hours. After I get my identity documents, I’ll be leaving. In the future, please take care of yourself.”

In his heart, Charles genuinely liked Evelyn. He never imagined he could find such a wonderful daughter-in-law. At this moment, Charles opened his mouth, the words of reluctant goodbye already on his lips. But Evelyn interrupted him. “Mr. Caldwell, I know what you’re thinking. But I’ve completely given up on Adrian. Or rather, it’s not giving up. Our relationship should never have been like this from the start.” Evelyn smiled self-deprecatingly. “I just wanted him to love me.” “But no matter how hard I tried, his eyes never had room for me.” “Mr. Caldwell, I’ve completely let go.” Evelyn bowed deeply to Charles. “I know you’ve truly taken care of me all these years. My flight is about to leave, but I know this place doesn’t belong to me. Staying here would only add to my troubles.” Evelyn was too rational. So rational that even though Charles wanted to make her stay, he didn’t know what to say. After a long silence, Charles took out the documents Evelyn needed, along with a bank card containing an extra ten million dollars. “Take the money in the card. This is my gift to you. Evelyn, take good care of yourself out there. Now we must truly part ways.” Evelyn knew that even if she refused, Charles had the ability to get this money to her, so she didn’t decline again. “Thank you, Mr. Caldwell. Then, I’m leaving.” After seeing Evelyn off, Charles walked back and happened to see Claire and Adrian standing not far away. As soon as Claire saw Charles, she fell directly into Adrian’s arms. “Adrian, do you know how mean Evelyn was to me just now! Why did she treat me like that? I didn’t do anything wrong!” Adrian smiled at her, though his eyes swept over Charles. “Dad.” He knew Charles cared deeply about inappropriate relationships between men and women. Unexpectedly, Charles just looked away, gave a slight nod, and left. Seeing this, Claire thought she had gained Charles’s approval and clung even more eagerly to Adrian. “Adrian, it looks like Dad has accepted me too.” Hearing this, Adrian just nodded slightly. Though he should have been happy, somehow he couldn’t feel any joy. When he returned home, he found Evelyn wasn’t there. For some reason, panic surged in his heart. Claire smiled and hooked her arm around Adrian’s neck, walking toward their bedroom upstairs. “Adrian, can I sleep in your room tonight?” Hearing this, Adrian frowned, forcibly suppressing the panic in his heart, and pushed her away. “Claire, you’re crossing the line.” As the words fell, Claire opened the bedroom door. Adrian was horrified to discover that his and Evelyn’s bedroom was completely empty. All of Evelyn’s things were gone!

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Tristan Cole’s first love, Vanessa Sullivan, returned to the country. I used a sketchbook to record every single instance he hurt me because of her. A hundred points total, and I’d leave when they ran out. He abandoned me on the award ceremony red carpet to pick up Vanessa. Deduct 10 points. He fed me birth control pills disguised as vitamins, just because his first love couldn’t have children. Deduct 20 points. He made excuses about working overtime, but had intense sex with Vanessa in his office. Deduct 20 points. … Until that day, when I was trapped under the collapsed construction site, pregnant and bleeding heavily, and he said on the phone: “Even if you die out there, I wouldn’t spare you a second glance.” The child was gone. All hundred points were deducted. My heart died too. The day I signed the divorce papers, I called my father. “I agree to the arranged marriage you set up.” Leah Sterling POV Camera flashes flooded the red carpet. I wore a custom-made starlit gown, my arm linked with Tristan’s. As the youngest nominee for the country’s highest architecture and design award, tonight should have been the most brilliant moment of my life. Tristan wore a perfectly tailored black custom suit, devastatingly handsome. We were the perfect couple in the media’s eyes. Three years married. The union of the Cole Group CEO and a genius architect made countless people envious. Just as the host smiled and announced, “Next, please welcome Mr. Tristan Cole and Miss Leah Sterling,” Tristan’s phone in his suit pocket began vibrating insistently. His initially indifferent expression shattered the instant he saw the name on the screen. My fingers, linked through his arm, stiffened slightly. I knew this expression too well. Only when it concerned that woman would this eternal iceberg crack with anxious fissures. “Tristan,” I spoke softly, with a trace of pleading, “we’re about to go on stage.” Tristan yanked his arm away in one sharp motion, the force making me stumble. He gripped his phone tightly, speaking rapidly in a cold, unquestionable tone. “Vanessa is back in the country. She’s having a panic attack at the airport. I have to go now.” The name, Vanessa Sullivan, was like a blade dipped in ice, stabbing into my heart. “But tonight is very important to me.” I bit my lower lip hard, my voice trembling in the night wind. “You promised you’d walk this entire path with me.” “Leah, this is just some meaningless award ceremony!” Tristan’s gaze was so cold, like he was looking at an unreasonable stranger. “Vanessa could be in life-threatening danger right now. Can you put away that petty vanity of yours?” He turned coldly without another word and strode toward the Maybach parked in the distance. The wind lifted the hem of his coat. He didn’t even glance back at me once. The surrounding media instantly swarmed forward, countless cameras aimed at me standing alone at the end of the red carpet. “Why did Mr. Cole suddenly leave?” “Is there something more important than your award?” “Rumor has it Mr. Cole has never forgotten a certain woman. Is that true?” Those malicious speculations intertwined with the camera flashes like an impenetrable net, trapping me completely. I don’t know how I walked that red carpet, or how I stood on stage holding that heavy trophy. All I knew was that when I stood on the award platform, looking at the empty seat below that should have belonged to Tristan, my heart turned completely cold. Late night, the villa. This thousand-square-foot mansion felt as empty as a luxurious mausoleum. I removed my painful high heels, walking barefoot across the cold marble floor, step by step up to the second floor. I pushed open the study door and retrieved a black sketchbook from the bottom of the safe. Opening to the last page, it wasn’t an architectural drawing but a countdown scoreboard drawn in red pen. One hundred points total. I picked up the pen, my fingers trembling slightly, and wrote a line on the paper: “At the most important award ceremony of my life, he abandoned me alone on the red carpet to face public ridicule online, all to pick up Vanessa Sullivan. Deduct 10 points.” After writing, I crossed out the number “100” at the bottom and changed it to “90.” I bought this sketchbook on the first day of our marriage. Back then, I naively believed that as long as I was obedient enough, loved him enough, one day I could win Tristan’s heart. But later, I accidentally overheard a conversation between Tristan and his friends. I learned he only married me because Vanessa had left the country in anger to marry someone else. His grandfather had threatened him with his own life. So he randomly picked me, a woman with a docile personality, to be his placeholder. He gave all his deep feelings to Vanessa Sullivan. All he left me was endless coldness and neglect. I touched the glaring “90” on the paper and pulled my lips into a bitter smile. I had set myself a deadline. When all hundred points were deducted, I would finally let go. I would give his wife’s place back to the woman he truly wanted to marry.

Leah Sterling POV The next morning, the sound of fingerprint unlocking came from the villa’s front door. I sat in the dining room watching Tristan Cole walk in, bringing the morning chill and the distinctive smell of hospital disinfectant. His eyes had faint shadows beneath them. Clearly he’d been up all night. He didn’t even glance at me, walking straight to the dining table and slapping a thick stack of documents in front of me with a sharp sound. “Sign it.” Tristan’s voice held no warmth whatsoever. I lowered my eyes, my gaze falling on the document cover. “Moonlight Bay Property Transfer Agreement.” Transferee: Vanessa Sullivan. My breathing hitched sharply, my stomach cramping with acute pain. I looked up at Tristan in disbelief. “You’re giving Moonlight Bay to Vanessa Sullivan?” Moonlight Bay was the most beautiful oceanfront property in New York. On our wedding day, Tristan had given me this land as a wedding gift. For three years, I’d worked countless nights, drawn hundreds of blueprints, wanting to build a home that belonged to us there. “Vanessa’s marriage abroad was very unhappy. She has severe depression.” Tristan pulled out a chair and sat down, his tone matter-of-fact. “The doctor said she needs a quiet place with an ocean view to recuperate. You have so many properties under your name. You don’t lack this one piece of land.” “I won’t sign.” I clenched my fists, nails digging deep into my palms. “That was the wedding gift you gave me! It’s the home I’ve designed stroke by stroke for three years!” Hearing this, Tristan not only showed no guilt but actually let out an extremely cold laugh. “Home? Leah Sterling, are you getting too deep into this role?” He leaned forward with overwhelming pressure, looking at me. “Do you really think a marriage certificate makes you the master here? Anything I’ve given you, I can take back anytime.” My eyes reddened, but I bit my teeth hard to keep the tears from falling. Seeing my resistance, Tristan warned me. “That architectural studio your teacher left behind. Its funding chain broke recently, didn’t it? It’s only surviving on the Cole Group’s capital injection. If you don’t sign today, tomorrow Cole Group will withdraw funding.” My whole body shook. I looked at this cold-blooded man before me in disbelief. To force me to give Vanessa Sullivan this land, he was actually using my most respected teacher’s life work to threaten me! “Tristan Cole, you’re truly despicable.” My voice trembled, and tears finally fell. “Think whatever you want.” Tristan handed me the pen, coldly issuing his second command. “Also, Vanessa really likes your design style. You’ll personally design this oceanfront villa. It must be completely according to her preferences. Understand?” Not only would he take my dream property, but he wanted me, his wife, to personally design a house for his mistress. He knew how to make me suffer. My hand holding the pen shook so badly I could barely grip it. Under Tristan’s cold gaze, I closed my eyes and signed my name on the signature line. Every stroke felt like cutting my own heart. Tristan pulled the documents away with satisfaction, turned and left without even one extra word. Listening to the sports car’s engine roar fade into the distance, I finally couldn’t hold on. I covered my stomach and rushed to the bathroom to vomit violently. My stomach ulcer flared up again from the extreme emotional turmoil. I vomited acidic water mixed with blood. I leaned weakly against the cold tiles, face deathly pale, and pulled out the electronic memo on my phone to sync last night’s scoreboard. “Used my teacher to threaten me, gave my property to Vanessa Sullivan, and made me personally design a house for her. Deduct 10 points.” Seventy points left. I swallowed the bloody taste in my throat, looking at my haggard reflection in the mirror, my eyes gradually becoming lifeless.

Leah Sterling POV The early autumn sea breeze already carried bone-chilling cold. I brought surveying equipment and came alone to the cliff edge at Moonlight Bay. Although I’d signed the transfer agreement, my professional integrity as an architect meant I still had to conduct on-site surveys. Waves crashed heavily against the sharp rocks below, churning up white foam. “Miss Sterling, working on such a cold day. It must be hard on you.” A soft, delicate voice came from behind me. I turned to see Vanessa Sullivan wearing a pure white cashmere coat, approaching with Tristan’s assistant. Vanessa had a beautiful face. She looked so fragile. “I heard this land was originally a wedding gift Tristan gave you?” Vanessa walked to the cliff edge, looking down at the magnificent sea from her superior position, covering her mouth with a light laugh. “I desperately tried to talk Tristan out of giving me this land, but he just wouldn’t listen. He insisted only this place was worthy of me. Miss Sterling, please don’t be angry with me.” I adjusted my equipment expressionlessly, not sparing her even a glance. “Miss Sullivan, if you came to gloat, don’t bother. I have no interest in recycling garbage.” Just then, the harsh sound of car tires scraping pavement came from the distance. Tristan’s Maybach stopped by the roadside. The man pushed open the door and got out, walking this way. Vanessa caught sight of Tristan from the corner of her eye and suddenly gave me a strange smile. The next second, she suddenly stepped backward, her whole body falling toward the cliff edge. “Miss Sterling, why did you push me!” Vanessa let out a shrill scream, tumbling down onto a relatively flat sandy area near the cliff edge. Though she didn’t fall off, it looked extremely dangerous. “Vanessa!” Tristan rushed over like a gust of wind. He didn’t even assess the situation clearly before raising his hand and shoving hard at my shoulder. “Are you insane! How dare you hurt her!” His force was tremendous. Caught off guard, I lost my balance and fell straight toward a pile of rocks nearby. My knees and palms crashed heavily onto the sharp reef rocks. The jagged stones instantly tore through my skin. Blood gushed out, quickly staining my pants. The piercing pain made my vision go black. But Tristan didn’t even glance at me. He knelt on one knee, carefully gathering Vanessa into his arms, his voice so tender it could drip water. “Vanessa, it’s okay now, don’t be scared. I’m here.” Vanessa curled up in his embrace, trembling and crying. “Tristan, don’t blame Miss Sterling. She must be angry because you gave the land to me, so she pushed me…” “She’s asking for death!” Tristan whipped his head around, his deep eyes churning with fury. I trembled all over in pain, supporting myself on my blood-covered palms, struggling to raise my head. “Tristan Cole, I didn’t push her. My leg is bleeding. I can’t stand up…” “Drop that pitiful act!” Tristan cut me off mercilessly, his eyes as cold as if looking at garbage. “If Vanessa loses even one hair, I absolutely won’t let you off! You stay here and reflect. When you’re ready to admit your mistake, then you can crawl back!” With that, he scooped up Vanessa and walked toward the car without looking back. The car door slammed shut. The engine roared. He left with his mistress. The cold seawater gradually rose with the tide, submerging my bleeding knee. The salt water covering my wound hurt so much I nearly passed out. I tilted my head back, looking at the overcast sky, letting tears mix with the icy seawater. I silently recorded in my mind: “He falsely accused me, pushed me for Vanessa Sullivan’s sake, and left me injured on the tidal reef. Deduct 10 points.” Seventy points left.

Leah Sterling POV I don’t know how I dragged my bleeding leg up to the road, or how I got a cab to the hospital. In the emergency room, the doctor cleaned the gravel embedded in my wounds while looking at my blood test results, frowning deeply. “Miss Sterling, you have severe soft tissue damage to your knee and lacerations on your palms. But the most critical issue right now is that you’re pregnant.” My nerves, numb from pain, instantly tensed at the word “pregnant.” “What did you say?” I stared in disbelief, eyes wide. “You’re six weeks pregnant.” The doctor sighed, his tone serious. “But your physical condition is terrible. Severe malnutrition, combined with long-term mental stress, and now physical trauma. Your progesterone is extremely low. You’re showing serious signs of threatened miscarriage. You must rest in bed immediately for fetal protection, or you absolutely cannot keep this child.” I touched my still-flat lower abdomen in a daze. Here, a small life was actually growing? For three years, I’d dreamed of giving Tristan Cole a child. I thought that if we had a child, the layer of ice between us would melt, and he would slowly fall in love with me and return to our family. This unexpected news was like a crack of light torn through my pitch-black, desperate world. Despite the doctor’s advice, after simply bandaging my wounds, I took the ultrasound report and limped to hail a cab straight to Cole Group headquarters. I couldn’t wait to tell Tristan this news. I even fantasized about whether he might show even a trace of a smile when he heard it. The executive floor where the CEO’s office was located was eerily quiet. The secretary wasn’t at her desk. I walked to Tristan’s office door and was about to knock when I realized the door wasn’t closed. Inside, I could hear several men talking. Tristan’s friends. “Tristan, now that Vanessa Sullivan is back, what are you going to do? You and Leah Sterling have been married three years. What if she gets pregnant someday and has a Cole family child? You can’t just divorce her then, can you?” Hearing this, my raised hand froze in mid-air, my heart leaping to my throat. The office fell silent for a few seconds, then came Tristan’s voice, cold to the extreme. “She can’t get pregnant.” That voice held no warmth whatsoever, as if discussing some lifeless object. His friend sounded somewhat surprised. “How are you so sure? Did you…” “I replaced her daily multivitamin with long-acting birth control pills.” I saw Tristan light a cigarette, his tone flat. “Vanessa was in a car accident abroad years ago. Her uterus was damaged. She can never be a mother. I would never let Leah Sterling bear my child and stimulate Vanessa’s fragile nerves.” Boom. My mind went completely blank, as if a heavy hammer had struck my head. Birth control pills. The “imported vitamins” he personally poured water for and insisted I take every day were actually birth control pills! To protect Vanessa Sullivan’s fragile nerves, he had unhesitatingly stripped me of my right as a woman to become a mother. He personally severed all possibilities between us. No wonder I couldn’t conceive despite three years of trying to improve my health. No wonder every time I mentioned children, he looked at me with that mocking expression. Turns out in his eyes, I was just a toy not even worthy of reproductive rights! The ultrasound report in my hand silently slipped away, falling onto the thick carpet without making a sound. I covered my mouth, desperately suppressing the sob about to break from my throat. I didn’t push the door open to confront him, because I knew that before that man’s absolute cruelty, my breakdown would only be a joke. I dragged my broken body away from Cole Group, step by step.

Leah Sterling POV Back at the villa, I locked myself in the dark bedroom. I didn’t turn on the lights, just sat on the floor and took out that black sketchbook. The pen tip scratched across the paper with such force it nearly tore through the page: “To avoid upsetting Vanessa Sullivan, he gave me long-term birth control pills, stripping me of my right to be a mother. Deduct 20 points.” Twenty points deducted at once. Fifty points left. At eleven that night, a heavy door slam echoed from downstairs. Tristan Cole, reeking of alcohol, kicked open the bedroom door. He strode toward me, grabbed my wrist, and roughly yanked me up from the floor. “Leah Sterling, how dare you do that! You pushed Vanessa at the beach this afternoon and had the nerve to run away?” Tristan’s eyes were like poisoned knives. “Vanessa was frightened and caught in the sea breeze. Now she has a fever of 102 degrees, crying in her dreams, begging you not to push her!” My wrist felt like the bones were being crushed. I looked at this hateful man before me, feeling only endless desolation. “I didn’t push her. She fell down herself.” “You still dare to argue!” Tristan laughed in extreme anger. “Vanessa wouldn’t even step on an ant. Would she risk her own life to frame you? Leah Sterling, you’re too malicious.” He violently released my hand and pointed at the door. “Now, immediately go to Vanessa’s apartment and kneel by her bed to apologize. Don’t come back until her fever breaks and she forgives you!” I stepped back twice, my spine against the cold wall. I looked at Tristan, my heart strangely calm. “What if I don’t go?” “Won’t go?” Tristan sneered, then dragged me by my hair like dragging a lifeless object all the way down the stairs, throwing me directly into the villa’s cold, damp basement. With a “bang,” the heavy iron door closed mercilessly and was locked. “Stay here and reflect properly! Without my permission, no one is allowed to bring her food or water!” Tristan’s voice came through the iron door like a judgment from hell. There was no heating in the basement. On a late autumn night, the temperature approached freezing. I was already injured, and having gone a whole day without eating, the cramping in my stomach and the dragging pain in my lower abdomen struck simultaneously. I curled up on the cold cement floor in agony, drenched in cold sweat. I bit my lip hard until I tasted blood, both hands tightly protecting my lower abdomen. “Baby… I’m sorry… you’re all Mommy has left… you must be strong…” I murmured desperately in the deathly silent darkness. The physical pain wasn’t even one ten-thousandth of what was in my heart. I had loved him so much. Yet he was torturing me nearly to death while I was pregnant with his child. All for another woman’s few tears. The next morning, the iron door was finally opened. I was already in so much pain I’d nearly lost consciousness, my lips cracked and dry. A servant helped me back to my room. I forced myself to hold onto my last thread of consciousness and wrote in the sketchbook: “Forced me to kneel to Vanessa Sullivan and locked sick me in the basement overnight. Deduct 10 points.” Forty points left. Almost done. Almost over.

Leah Sterling POV I lay in bed for three full days. Only by secretly buying medication did I barely stabilize the condition of the fetus in my womb. On the fourth day, I received a call from Tristan’s secretary telling me to come to the CEO’s office at Cole Group immediately. When I pushed open the office door, I saw Vanessa Sullivan sitting on Tristan’s lap, their posture intimate. Seeing me enter, not only did Vanessa not get off his lap, but she provocatively tightened her arms around Tristan’s neck. Tristan patted Vanessa’s waist, signaling her to get up, then tossed a document onto the wide office desk. “Sign it.” This seemed to have become the sentence he said to me most often. I walked forward, my eyes scanning the document header. “New York Public Library Project Lead Designer Change Consent Form.” My pupils constricted sharply. The Public Library project was the last national-level key project my teacher had accepted before his death. On his deathbed, my teacher entrusted this project to me. It was the most important milestone in my architectural career and the achievement I’d worked so hard for. And now, the document clearly stated changing the lead designer’s name to “Vanessa Sullivan.” “What do you mean?” My voice couldn’t help trembling. “Vanessa Sullivan didn’t even graduate from college. Does she know what a load-bearing wall is? What spatial mechanics is? You want to put the Public Library in her hands?!” “She doesn’t need to know.” Tristan’s tone was indifferent, as if discussing some insignificant toy. “Vanessa wants to establish herself in New York’s socialite circle. She needs a presentable identity and title. The genius architect title suits her well.” “So you want me to give up my achievement?” I found it absurdly ridiculous. “I draw the plans, I supervise the construction, and her name goes on it in the end?” “This isn’t difficult for you.” Tristan’s eyes were cruel. “You’re already my wife. These things are meaningless to you. Give this title to Vanessa as compensation for pushing her off the cliff the other day.” “I absolutely won’t agree!” I grabbed the document and tore it in half. “This is my teacher’s work. I absolutely won’t allow anyone to defile it!” Tristan’s expression instantly darkened. “Leah Sterling, I’m not discussing this with you.” He stood up, advancing step by step. “If you don’t sign, Cole Group will not only immediately withdraw funding from your teacher’s studio, I’ll also use all media outlets to expose fake news about your teacher taking bribes before his death. Your teacher is already dead anyway. Who do you think the public will believe?” I froze in place, the blood in my body seeming to flow backward in an instant. He knew too well where my weaknesses were. He was using the reputation of the person I most respected to pave the way for his mistress. Looking at Tristan’s cold, merciless face, I suddenly laughed until tears streamed down my face. I bent down, picked up the torn document from the floor with trembling hands, pieced it together, and signed my name on the last page. “Are you satisfied now?” I slammed the pen heavily on the desk and turned to leave. Back home, I opened the sketchbook. “For Vanessa Sullivan’s vanity, you stole my teacher’s work and took my achievement. Deduct 15 points.” Twenty-five points left. Tristan Cole, there’s really nothing left between us.

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I had agreed to meet my boyfriend Marcus at City Hall to register our marriage, but he never showed up. I called him—no answer. I texted him—no response. Finally, I had no choice but to call his childhood sweetheart Lily. Marcus finally picked up. “Emma, can you stop being so annoying? Lily twisted her ankle, and I need to take care of her today. We’ll reschedule getting our marriage certificate.” I bit my lip lightly. “Including this time, you’ve already rescheduled seven times.” “So what? Lily needs me to massage her foot. I’m hanging up!” My face remained expressionless, but my heart felt like it was being stabbed. The staff member asked sympathetically if I still wanted to proceed. I nodded and pulled out my phone to call my best friend Maya’s brother, who was a race car driver. “That fake marriage you proposed—I agree.” Marcus always explained that he only saw his childhood sweetheart Lily as a little sister. But just now on the phone, I clearly heard their abnormal rhythmic sounds. I could even vaguely hear Lily’s suppressed moans. While I was still in a daze, my best friend Maya’s brother, Ethan Chase, arrived. He rode in on a flashy motorcycle. The moment he took off his helmet and walked in, he immediately attracted quite a bit of attention. Ethan walked straight up to me and sat in the chair beside me, crossing his legs casually, smiling playfully as he spoke. “Changed your mind? You agree to fake marry me to deal with family pressure?” I nodded lightly. Actually, it wasn’t just about dealing with family pressure. The most important reason for this marriage was to give my grandfather peace of mind before he passed. Six months ago, my grandfather’s health had deteriorated rapidly. He stayed in the hospital every day, and each time he saw me, he would ask when I was getting married. He wanted to see me in a wedding dress. He wanted to see me enter the halls of matrimony. He said that way, even when he was gone, there would still be someone to love me. So six months ago, I started urging Marcus to get married. I’d come to City Hall seven times intermittently, but each time ended in failure for various reasons. Last time, it was because Lily got her period and was in so much pain that Marcus had to go home and rub her stomach. The time before that, Lily lost her keys and couldn’t get home, so he had to go let her in. The time before that, Lily was hungry and wanted donuts, so he had to rush to a trendy shop to wait in line. All seven times, it was because of Lily. Each time, Marcus abandoned me without a second thought. The ironic part was, I gave him seven chances. Yet he wasn’t even willing to spare me the time to take one photo. Actually this time, when Marcus left, I wasn’t too devastated. Perhaps I’d gotten used to it, or perhaps I’d expected it all along. It’s just that my mind suddenly flashed back to what my grandfather told me a while ago. “Emma, I’m afraid I don’t have much time left. I might not see you in your wedding dress, but even if you’re alone in the future, you must live bravely. Don’t let people bully you.” I promised my grandfather I would be brave. So this time, I won’t keep compromising. Marcus, I gave you a chance. Seven chances, in fact. Registering the marriage with Ethan went smoothly. Just as Ethan and I were about to take our marriage photo, my phone suddenly buzzed. Marcus had sent a message. “Emma, don’t be mad. I really couldn’t get away this time, but I already made your favorite food at home. Waiting for you to come back~” Ethan glanced over at me, raised an eyebrow, and asked. “Still want to continue?” I took a deep breath and said expressionlessly. “Continue!” Hearing this, he smiled, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me closer to him. “Then get closer. We’re taking a photo now. My bride, smile.” Our arms pressed tightly together with almost no gap between them. His pleasant aftershave scent invaded my senses. I couldn’t help but blush. After completing the marriage registration, I walked out of City Hall holding our marriage certificate. Before leaving, I turned to Ethan. “Are you free tomorrow? There’s something I’d like you to come with me to.” Ethan straddled his motorcycle with his long legs. “Call me if you need anything. In a couple days, I might need you to help me out with my parents too.” With that, he rode off. I felt like fate was unpredictable. My seven-year relationship with Marcus, from college until now, ultimately didn’t make it to the end. Yet I married my best friend’s brother after meeting him only once. On the way back, Marcus sent me another message with an attached photo. The dining table was densely covered with delicious dishes. “Why aren’t you back yet? The food’s ready. If you come too late, it’ll be gone!”

He truly meant what he said. The message he just sent said if I came late, the food would be gone. Sure enough, when I got home, the dining table was already a mess, with every dish completely cleaned out. Lily beside him put on an innocent expression and said pitifully to me. “I’m so sorry, I was just too hungry, so I couldn’t help eating first.” She sure could eat—she’d rather stuff herself than leave anything for me. Even I, slow as I was, could tell she was provoking me. In that instant, I felt my blood boiling, my hands clenched into fists, sharp nails digging deep into my palms. Lily and Marcus were childhood sweethearts. So in Marcus’s eyes, she was always his top priority. Actually, in the beginning, the journey of getting to know, falling in love with, and loving Marcus had all gone smoothly. We didn’t argue much. Even when we did, Marcus was always the first to apologize and comfort me. Regardless of whose fault it was, he would immediately take all the responsibility. Even Maya envied me more than once for finding a man like Marcus who doted on me so much. But that envy ended half a year ago. Ever since Lily appeared, his affection shifted to another person. “Emma, why are you only getting back now? Didn’t I remind you early on?” Marcus walked out of the kitchen. When he saw me, he frowned. In his memory, as soon as I received his messages, I would rush home desperately. “Something came up on the road. I got back late.” “What was so important that you missed dinner?” His tone was flat, but carried a hint of interrogation. I wasn’t planning to tell him anything about the marriage. Since I’d already decided to leave, from now on Marcus was just a stranger to me. I came back this time mainly for my belongings. “Nothing much. The company asked me to go on a business trip. I came back to pack.” Without waiting for Marcus’s reaction, I walked straight toward the bedroom. But the moment I opened the bedroom door, I was shocked by what I saw. The bed I’d neatly made before leaving was now messy, with dried white stains and water marks on it. The closet had also been rummaged through. Since I was leaving anyway, I could actually not care about all this. But on the nightstand, the handmade high-rise building toy my grandfather had given me was broken in half. Scattered fragments covered the floor. I couldn’t hold back anymore and called out Marcus’s name directly. “Who came into this bedroom? Who knocked over my things!” Marcus walked in, first frowning, then quickly relaxing. He spoke in a completely indifferent tone. “It’s just a handmade item. I’ll have someone put it back together for you later.” I froze for a moment. That indifferent tone made it clear I didn’t matter to him at all. And because of that sentence, I knew it was definitely Lily who broke it. Only she deserved Marcus’s desperate protection. “It was Lily who broke it, wasn’t it?” My plain statement was like igniting Marcus’s powder keg. He immediately glared at me, then questioned me. “Do you have proof it was Lily? Maybe it just wasn’t installed properly and fell down by itself!” “Emma, don’t just open your mouth and falsely accuse people. Before you say it was Lily, at least show some evidence, or I’ll sue you for defamation!” The soft flesh in my mouth was nearly bitten through. A strong taste of blood filled my entire mouth. He really could protect her. Just one sentence from me, and I was charged with defamation. But Marcus from six months ago wasn’t like this. The day I truly fell in love with him was on a rainy night. I’d been in a car accident. He ran all the way to the accident site without even carrying an umbrella. That day, this man who was always polite and proper shed all his restraints for me, shouting on the roadside and getting into a fistfight with the driver who hit me. So why has this person changed now?

I didn’t continue arguing. Just as Marcus said, I had absolutely no evidence to prove Lily broke it. I could only carefully squat down to collect the fragments, also picking up the two halves of the fallen building. Outside the door, Lily’s pitiful voice rang out. She limped in. “Marcus, don’t fight with Emma anymore!” “Even though I didn’t break it, if Emma wants to blame me, then blame me. No one’s liked me since I was little. It’s normal that Emma doesn’t like me either.” As she spoke, she deliberately walked a few steps and squatted in front of me. She stepped on one of the fragments and deliberately twisted hard. At the same time, she whispered in a very low voice. “I did break it. So what!” Rage instantly rushed to my head. I pushed Lily away directly. But before I even touched her, she conveniently fell to the ground. That foot wrapped in white gauze even precisely hit the nightstand. The next second, Lily’s tearful voice came out. “Emma, I just wanted to help you.” Before I could react, Marcus grabbed my hair. I’d never seen him like this before. His face was twisted with rage, his eyes sharp, as if he wanted to kill me. “Even if you don’t like Lily, you don’t need to hurt her like this. Besides, she’s injured!” With Marcus pulling my hair, I had no choice but to tilt my head back and look at them. A bitter taste spread from the tip of my tongue. My heart was riddled with wounds. “I didn’t even touch her!” Marcus’s slap landed directly on my face. A red handprint instantly appeared on my cheek. “You’re still lying? Emma, do you think I’m blind? I was right behind you. I saw it with my own eyes!” “First you falsely accused Lily, now you pushed her down. I never knew you were such a ruthless woman. You’re absolutely vicious!” My breath caught. I couldn’t even say anything in my defense. In this situation, no matter what I said, Marcus wouldn’t believe me anyway. He let go of me and looked down at me coldly. “Can’t find an excuse, can you? Emma, you’re a truly poisonous woman!” Marcus looked at me with disappointment. But I felt relieved. If before I still held the last thread of hope for him, now everything had finally returned to calm. I no longer defended myself, no longer struggled to explain. Lily, being carried by Marcus, looked at me smugly and mouthed some words. But I understood them. “You think you’re worthy of competing with me for Marcus!” Since you like him, I’ll give him to you. Because Lily’s injured ankle had just been bumped, Marcus nervously carried her to the hospital. I swayed as I stood up. In the mirror before me, my burning red cheek was reflected. The handprint was still clearly visible. You could imagine how angry Marcus was at the time, how much force he used. I couldn’t help but smile bitterly, reaching up to wipe away the blood slowly seeping from the corner of my mouth. This slap also shattered all my former illusions. Taking this opportunity, I gathered all my clothes from the house and packed them in my suitcase. I took everything I could carry and threw what I couldn’t into the trash. Before leaving, I found a real estate agent and listed the house online. This house was mine. My grandfather bought it for me with his money. It was originally meant to be my wedding house. Now it seems there’s no need to keep it. Dirty things disgust me.

I wheeled my suitcase to a hotel and stayed for the night. For the time being, I planned to spend all my remaining time with my grandfather through his final days. Early in the morning, I called Ethan. He seemed to still be asleep, his voice hazy and muffled. Only after I urged him several times and called Maya to have her keep an eye on him did this man finally get up. When going to the hospital, Ethan and I prepared our story in advance to handle my grandfather. Because I’d previously brought Marcus to meet my grandfather, my grandfather knew Marcus was my intended husband. To keep my grandfather from worrying, I planned to have Ethan help me get through this without revealing his real identity. But I didn’t expect him and my grandfather to hit it off so well. They talked about everything from the poverty of their generation to today’s artificial intelligence. Even when we were about to leave, my grandfather was still somewhat reluctant. He held my hand and patted the back of it gently. “Emma, this one’s good. Much more reliable than that Marcus fellow.” I felt a bit embarrassed. I didn’t want my grandfather to know I’d randomly pulled someone to marry. So I could only say stiffly. “Grandpa, did you remember wrong? He is Marcus.” “I’m not senile yet. I still know if it’s the same person or not. I just don’t know if I can hold on until your wedding day…” I quickly took out our marriage certificate from my bag and handed it to my grandfather. “Don’t worry, Grandpa. We’re already married. The wedding is being prepared. You’ll definitely make it.” Unexpectedly, my grandfather opened the marriage certificate and examined it carefully with his magnifying glass. Only then did he nod with satisfaction. “I knew it! Not that Marcus boy. This one’s called Ethan Chase, right? Good name!” I glared at my grandfather in exasperation before finally leaving the hospital room. Ethan was waiting for me in the corridor. It looked like he’d gotten into an argument with someone. When I got closer, I discovered the people arguing with him were Marcus and Lily. I didn’t know what started it. But one sentence from Marcus made my throat tighten, leaving me breathless for a long time. “Whatever my girlfriend did wrong, I apologize on her behalf. But you’re a grown man—bullying a woman like this, have you no shame?” In his heart, Lily was his girlfriend. So what was I? A substitute? “When you do something wrong, you should admit it. If everyone was like you, what would we need laws for? Being a woman means you can do whatever you want?” Marcus and Lily were left speechless. Just then, Marcus saw me appear. A flash of panic and unease suddenly appeared in his eyes. But he quickly suppressed it, pretending nothing was wrong as he rushed up to grab me, speaking first. “Emma, perfect timing. Lily accidentally spilled coffee on him just now, and he’s saying this outfit is worth tens of thousands. Isn’t that extortion?” “Don’t you have a best friend who’s a lawyer? Let’s sue him for extortion!” Lily nodded matter-of-factly, showing no sign of remorse. “Exactly! Sue him for extortion, and make him pay us emotional damages!” Ethan looked at me with a smiling expression. I couldn’t help but blush. “Your friends?” I immediately shook my head. “Not anymore.” Before Marcus could react, I continued. “This outfit really is worth tens of thousands. And the lawyer you mentioned is his sister.” With that, I quickly left the hospital. I didn’t want any more interaction with Marcus. As for how they negotiated, it had nothing to do with me. In the following days, Ethan kept arranging our wedding. I originally wanted to just casually wear a wedding dress and let my grandfather see it, then be done with it. But Ethan said that wouldn’t match his status and insisted on making it bigger. Besides being a famous race car driver, Ethan was also a wealthy heir. These kinds of families had many requirements for weddings. Since I couldn’t persuade him, I could only compromise. Meanwhile, Marcus asked me every day when I’d return from my business trip. I don’t know if he noticed that I’d been contacting him less and less these days. For the first time, he said he’d set a date to register our marriage. Too bad I didn’t need it anymore. Each time I made an excuse about being busy on the business trip and hung up. The wedding day came quickly. I appeared at the venue in my wedding dress. A familiar voice came from behind me, very surprised, with a hint of panic. “Emma, aren’t you on a business trip? Why are you here in a wedding dress?”

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After remarrying, I started renting out my husband Ethan Sterling. When his first love, Melissa Parker, called him away from my side, I stopped crying and making scenes. Instead, I started charging by the hour. Daytime: $100,000 per hour. Nighttime: $200,000 per hour. Holidays: triple rate. After three months of this arrangement, nearly $20 million appeared in my account. He’d promised to help me pick out an evening gown, but Melissa called crying that she’d cut her finger while chopping vegetables. Without looking up, I simply held out my payment QR code to him. Late one night, when I spiked a high fever and Ethan was driving me to the hospital, his first love called saying the thunder was too loud and she couldn’t sleep. I skillfully pulled out an umbrella and asked Ethan to drop me off at the next intersection. He hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something. I just smiled. “Don’t forget to transfer the money.” When it came time for our daughter Mia’s routine hospital checkup, Melissa called again. “My son wants to go to the amusement park. I hope you can take him…” After hanging up, Ethan turned around, about to crouch down and explain to our daughter. Mia mimicked me, holding out her hand toward him. “It’s okay, Dad. Just send the money. Today should be triple rate.”

Hearing this, the apologetic look on Ethan’s face instantly vanished. He stood up and pointed at our daughter, questioning me with righteous indignation. “Charlotte Bennett, is this how you’ve been raising our child?” I calmly pulled our daughter behind me. “What’s wrong with it? If she can’t get love, at least she gets money. Better than me—it took a divorce for me to learn that lesson.” Ethan was instantly speechless. The phone rang again. Melissa’s son’s voice came through. “Uncle Ethan, hurry up! You promised to ride the Tiger Coaster with me a hundred times!” My daughter gripped my clothes tightly. Noticing her gesture, Ethan, for once, didn’t immediately agree. He reached out, wanting to pat our daughter’s head. “Be good. Today you go to the hospital with Mom first.” “After you get better, Dad will take you to the amusement park, okay?” Our daughter dodged his hand, blinking her big eyes as she repeated, “It’s okay, Dad. Just send me the money.” Ethan’s expression completely darkened. Before leaving, he threw out angrily, “Charlotte, you and your daughter can keep this up all you want!” “Absolutely ridiculous!” The front door slammed shut heavily, and my heart shook along with it. My daughter tugged at my arm, holding up her phone watch to show me. “Mom, Dad sent over so many zeros.” “Is this enough money for my surgery?” Looking at my daughter’s face, I held back my sobs and hugged her tightly. “Yes. After your surgery, Mom will take you away from here.” While waiting for my daughter’s examination, several push notifications popped up on my phone. Paparazzi had secretly photographed Ethan and Melissa with her son at an amusement park. The caption read: “Mr. Sterling spotted with new flame at amusement park—young child already calling him Dad!” I enlarged the photo, looking at Ethan’s relaxed, carefree smile. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled like that in front of me and our daughter. My hand trembled as I exited. When I refreshed, the post showed as deleted. The next second, Ethan’s call came through. “Charlotte, don’t be upset. That’s just unscrupulous media making things up.” “I already paid to have all those articles taken down.” I paused, then realized he was talking about Oliver calling him Dad. “I’m not upset. Kids say things without thinking.” “Since I’ve already rented you out to them, you should spend quality time with them.” Without waiting for his response, I hung up decisively. My daughter’s test results came back. The doctor said her condition was well-controlled. Next month they could schedule the heart bypass surgery. My whole body went weak, and I nearly collapsed to my knees. When we divorced, Ethan had found the best lawyer to forcibly rule that I leave with nothing, just to teach me a lesson about Melissa and her son. The very next day, my daughter was diagnosed with myocardial ischemia and was at constant risk of sudden cardiac death. Because of Ethan’s influence, not a single company dared hire me. Not a single relative or friend was willing to lend me money. Watching my daughter’s condition deteriorate day by day, I finally bowed my head to Ethan. And now, finally, my daughter was out of danger. After confirming the surgery date, I also submitted applications to an agency for visas for me and my daughter. A message from Ethan popped up. “When are you coming home? I made your favorite dishes.” I didn’t reply. An hour later, I pushed open the front door. Ethan was serving food to Melissa and her son.

The harmonious atmosphere made it seem like my daughter and I had mistakenly entered someone else’s home. “Charlotte…” Ethan stood up abruptly, striding to the door to take my bag. “Melissa’s landlord suddenly sold the house and kicked them out.” “They couldn’t find a place to stay on short notice. Do you think they could stay here temporarily…” I didn’t respond. I just watched as the servants moved my and my daughter’s belongings, item by item, into the storage room. Melissa spoke weakly, though her expression couldn’t hide her smugness. “Sorry, Charlotte. My health isn’t great, so I can only stay in rooms with good lighting and ventilation. Ethan gave me the master bedroom.” My daughter’s room had also been taken over by Oliver. Her favorite doll had been thrown out by Oliver, its arms and legs broken off. Ethan suddenly looked a bit guilty. “Charlotte, if you don’t agree, I can also find them another place…” “I agree.” I held out my hand to him. “The rent is the same as before, but the rental fee for living in my house and your companionship tax need to be calculated separately.” “Smack.” Ethan hurled my bag violently to the floor, his face dark as ink. “Charlotte, have you lost your mind?” “What kind of crazy talk is this in front of the children?” I could only laugh coldly. He was the one who brought another woman and her child into this house, yet he blamed me for being shameless for pointing it out. Ethan pulled Melissa and her son toward the door. As he passed me, he threw a bank card at my face. “Five million! Is that enough?” “Too proud to accept kindness—you might as well just marry money!” After the house finally quieted down, my daughter dabbed at my face with tissues, sniffling. Only then did I realize the bank card had cut my cheek, drawing blood. “Mom, it’s all because I’m sick. That’s why Dad treats you badly every day.” I held my daughter tightly. “Mom’s not upset. Once you’re better after surgery, Mom will be happy…” My daughter, who always insisted on bedtime stories from her father, fell asleep in my arms with tears still on her face. Looking at her furrowed brow, my heart ached as if it had been run over. When had our once happy family of three become like this? Was it after Melissa’s husband died, when Ethan went over night after night to comfort her, afraid she might do something drastic? He went so frequently that paparazzi mistook his own home for an affair location. Was it when Ethan worried that Oliver would be bullied at school for not having a father, and attended every single one of his parent-teacher conferences without fail? He never missed Children’s Day or birthday parties either. This caused my daughter to be treated as a mistress’s child, bullied relentlessly at school. Was it when my daughter had her first heart attack and fainted, and I called Ethan countless times but the line was always busy? When I finally rushed to the hospital, I was told all the doctors had been reassigned to treat Oliver’s scraped knee. My daughter’s heart stopped three times. I bowed until my head bled before finally stopping a doctor who barely managed to save her life. I took a deep breath and packed our belongings. Holding my sleeping daughter, I left that unrecognizable home without any attachment. After settling into our new place for a week, Ethan hadn’t sent a single message. But Melissa’s messages kept coming. All of them forwarded news reports about their outings, as if afraid I wouldn’t see them. Expressionless, I clicked them open. They’d gone to every place my daughter and I had wanted to visit. Even the media outlet reporting on them was the same one that had covered my and Ethan’s wedding of the century. “Sorry, Charlotte. I told Ethan to pay the paparazzi to take down the news, but he insisted you have plenty of money.” “Since this started because of me, how about I sell the jewelry and bags Ethan bought me to help you take down the news?” Melissa sneakily photographed the gifts Ethan had given her, trying to provoke me. After all, in the past, seeing these things would have sent me rushing to Melissa’s place to smash and shred everything. Now I simply replied lightly, “I’d appreciate that.” Melissa’s typing indicator showed for a long time, but no new message came. Just when I thought they might finally quiet down, ten million dollars suddenly appeared in my account. The moment I saw the note attached, all the blood in my body seemed to flow backward!

I stumbled to my mother’s grave, where Ethan was directing workers to dig it up. “Stop!!” I threw myself forward, shoving the two workers aside hard, grabbing a hoe to guard my mother’s grave. Ethan pulled Melissa and her son behind him, sneering. “Charlotte, didn’t you say you’d rent out anything as long as I paid?” “I already transferred the rental fee for your mother’s burial plot. What scene are you making now?” I was shaking with rage, even my jaw trembling. “Ethan Sterling, are you even human?” Ethan shrugged indifferently. “I’m clearly following your rules. How does that make me inhuman?” “Or is it that in your heart, every emotion is sacred except our marriage, which is so base it can be traded for money?” My nails dug deep into my palms. I was so full of hate I barely felt the pain. I couldn’t understand how the man who once knelt at my mother’s sickbed, swearing he’d never betray me for the rest of his life, could have become this. Melissa held a framed photo of a deceased dog, tears streaming down her face. “Forget it, Ethan. Even though Max was like family to Oliver and me, at the end of the day a pet is just a pet. It’s not right to take Charlotte’s mother’s burial plot.” Seeing her tears, Ethan’s voice turned ice cold. “Charlotte, move aside.” I gritted my teeth. “In your dreams!” He walked to my side, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “Mia’s surgery is next month. You’d better behave during this time.” My whole body went cold. “Isn’t Mia your daughter?” “You’re threatening me with your own daughter’s life?” Ethan tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. “Yes, but Oliver is also my biological son.” “The night before our wedding, Melissa came to reminisce with me. I drank too much and accidentally made a mistake…” “You and Mia have money and status. You should be more understanding.” I was nearly drenched in cold sweat. Images of my daughter collapsing from a heart attack flashed through my mind over and over. I slowly lowered the hoe in my hands. My legs felt like they were filled with lead as I stiffly stepped aside. Oliver rushed right over. “Yay! The old hag made room for my Max!” He yanked down the black and white photo from my mother’s headstone and grabbed the urn, about to smash it! “No!” My mind went blank as I lunged forward. To protect the urn, my head slammed hard into the headstone. The world spun, and my vision turned blood red. “Charlotte!” Ethan rushed to help me up, his hands trembling as he tried to wipe the blood from my forehead. “Does it hurt? Are you dizzy?” I shoved him away and thrust the documents from my bag in his face. “Your rental fee isn’t enough.” “Sign it.” Seeing the words “Property Transfer Agreement” on the document, Ethan’s face turned cold. “Fine, Charlotte. Just fine!” He pulled out a pen decisively and scrawled his signature across it. Then he hurled both the pen and documents to the ground, sweeping Melissa and her son into his arms as he strode away. The pen broke in half. It was the gift I’d given him for our third anniversary. The first document he’d signed with that pen was our marriage certificate. I picked up the documents, pulling out the divorce agreement hidden behind the transfer contract. Looking at the bold signature across it, I cried and laughed at the same time, clutching my mother’s urn as I staggered to my feet. Once my daughter’s surgery was over, everything between us would be completely finished. I barely made it to the day of the surgery. Watching my daughter being wheeled into the operating room, I let out a sigh of relief and knelt by the door, praying constantly. I begged heaven to have mercy and let my daughter’s surgery go smoothly. But before the surgery was even over, another deposit notification popped up on my phone. Before I could read the note, the operating room doors suddenly burst open. The doctors, still wearing bloodied gloves, rushed out without even removing them. My hands and feet went numb. I grabbed the last doctor’s white coat desperately. “My daughter’s surgery isn’t finished yet. Where are you going?”

I looked into the room. My daughter’s chest cavity was already open. The heart monitor showed only weak fluctuations. The doctor struggled free from my grip. “Mr. Sterling’s son suddenly had an allergic reaction. Our entire hospital has been called to the emergency, so the surgery must be paused.” “You can’t leave!” My voice was thick with tears as I fumbled for my bank card with shaking hands. “However much he’s paying you, I’ll pay double! Just finish my daughter’s surgery!” Afraid they’d think it wasn’t enough, I pulled out my phone to transfer money immediately. That’s when I finally saw the note on that deposit notification. It was Ethan’s rental fee for the doctors. “Ma’am, this isn’t about money.” “We’re afraid of losing our jobs.” No matter how much I begged, the doctors pried my fingers loose one by one and left. My daughter lay alone on the operating table. Just half an hour more and she would have had a new lease on life. But now, because of her own father, she lay there with her chest open, waiting to die. A message from Melissa popped up. In the photo, Oliver only had a slight rash. Yet the hospital room was surrounded by layers of doctors. Ethan sat by the bed, feeding Oliver my daughter’s favorite strawberry cake. Melissa’s tone was full of triumph. “Charlotte, didn’t you act so magnanimous, wanting only money, not people?” “How does it feel watching your daughter die right in front of you?” “If you hadn’t remarried, I might have even given you some money.” “You can only blame yourself for being so presumptuous—for that certificate and that pitiful title, you’ve cost your daughter her life.” I nearly crushed my phone in my grip. Time ticked by second by second. If this continued, when my daughter’s anesthesia wore off, she’d be in agony. I dialed Ethan’s number over and over again. Not once did he answer. Watching my daughter’s heartbeat line grow weaker and weaker, I opened my phone’s video camera and cried into it. “Melissa, I’ll give Ethan to you. Please just let the doctors come back, okay?” “I’ll give you all the money he transferred to me too!” “Once my daughter’s surgery is done, I promise to disappear far away and never bother your family of three again!” The moment I sent the video, Ethan’s call came through. As soon as I answered, he raged on the other end. “Charlotte! I only called away two assistant doctors. What are you pretending for!” “To frame Melissa, you don’t even care about your own daughter’s life?” Melissa sobbed beside him. “Ethan, it’s all Oliver’s fault for having an allergic reaction during Mia’s surgery. That’s why you couldn’t stay by Charlotte’s side.” Ethan had a sudden realization. “Charlotte, is this performance to remind me I haven’t paid you my rental fee?” “You shouldn’t be Mrs. Sterling—you should change your name to Mrs. Money!” The call was abruptly disconnected. Along with the deposit notification came an avalanche of news reports. “Mrs. Sterling Money-Obsessed: Husband and Daughter’s Lives Both Available for Rent!” “Unconscionable: Halted Daughter’s Open-Heart Surgery Just to Film Framing Video for Money?” With trembling hands, I dialed 911, trying to call doctors from another hospital. But the ambulance was blocked by the swarm of media rushing to film. I grabbed a surgical knife from nearby and swung it wildly. Just to clear a path to survival for my daughter. Meanwhile, Ethan was getting restless. He kept clicking on the news reports, somewhat hesitant. “Mia is still in surgery. Was I too harsh?” Seeing Oliver bouncing energetically on the hospital bed, he still got up and headed toward the operating room. When he arrived, the scene before him nearly brought him to his knees…

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The day I discovered my husband, Grimshade Pack Alpha Elias, cheating for the first time, I proposed rejecting the mate bond. But he locked me in the bedroom for five days and four nights, going through two boxes of condoms. Afterwards, he looked at me helplessly and explained: “Violet, someone slipped me a heat drug. I only had sex with Fiona because of that. You have to forgive me.” The second time, I witnessed him accompanying Fiona to her prenatal checkup at the hospital. I proposed rejection again. He slammed me against the wall, eyes blazing with fury: “You want to break the mate bond? Over my dead body. You have to trust me—Fiona is a spy sent by the Dubois pack. I have to keep her close. It’s part of my plan. Once she has the baby, I’ll send her away immediately.” But later, Fiona had a miscarriage, and everyone suspected I was behind it. Fiona grabbed my throat like a madwoman: “If you hate someone, hate me! Why did you harm my child?!” Even Elias looked at me with disappointment: “I told you to wait a little longer. Why did you go after my child?” With that, he ordered me locked in the torture chamber. “You can come out when you’ve repented.” I curled up in the corner and sent a message to a professional agency on my phone: [Help me destroy all my birth records. Once the paperwork is done, get me and my child out of here.]

The blood-soaked torture chamber was finally opened just as I was about to lose consciousness. Elias scooped me up and held me tight, his voice full of remorse: “Violet, you almost ruined our pack’s entire plan. I had to punish you like this to give the pack an explanation.” “You know I love you most. Once my strategy with Fiona succeeds, we can go back to how things were.” And his so-called strategy with Fiona was to get her pregnant with his child again. He claimed it was the only way to secure Fiona’s loyalty, turn her to his side, and have her feed false intelligence to the Dubois pack. I watched coldly as he performed his touching act of devotion, my heart utterly desolate. But Elias, we can’t go back to how things were. There will be no future for us. And he would never know—he had another child. A child that was mine and his. The day he became Grimshade Pack’s Alpha, he witnessed his Beta’s child being held hostage by Rogues. The Beta’s wife, driven by maternal instinct to protect her child, died tragically under gunfire. From that day on, he would tell me fearfully: “Violet, let’s not have children in the future. I don’t want a child to become your weakness, and I can’t bear the cost of losing you.” I agreed. But whenever I saw him looking at other people’s children with eyes full of joy, I wanted to secretly give him a surprise. That year, Elias went to the pack border to fight off Rogues—a mission lasting one year. Not long after he left, I discovered I was pregnant with his child. Afraid he would worry, I never told him from the pregnancy all the way to giving birth. Later, the baby was born premature and weak, so he stayed at the hospital. This was when Elias returned—and brought Fiona to me. I never got to give him my surprise. Instead, Elias gave me a big one first. Elias said: “I know Fiona is a spy sent by our enemy, the Dubois pack. I’m only keeping her close as part of my next plan of action against them.” But the affection in his eyes when he looked at Fiona couldn’t lie. My phone buzzed. The agency handling my forced divorce sent a message, pulling me from my thoughts: [Currently finding a witch to forcibly break the mate bond. Divorce paperwork is being expedited. In one week, once everything’s complete, we’ll get you and your child out.] I smiled faintly. Good. In one week, Elias and I would have nothing to do with each other. After that, Elias began juggling between Fiona and me. Afraid I’d be upset, truckloads of gifts arrived. The latest jewelry, limited edition handbags—all things I used to like. “Violet, trust me. We’ll be back to normal soon. I love you.” I’d lost count of how many times he knelt before me, declaring his love and helplessness. How ridiculous—he spent every night at Fiona’s place, yet still feared I’d be hurt. Four days before the mate bond termination agreement took effect, Fiona brought me a bouquet of flowers, apologizing for Elias always staying at her place instead of coming home. There was something in the flowers that triggered a severe allergic reaction. I was rushed to the hospital. When Elias found out, he harshly scolded Fiona. “Do that again and get out!” Fiona apologized with reddened eyes, then ran out covering her face. That night, Fiona disappeared. Elias searched all night with his men before finding her. When they found her, she was covered in injuries. She kept her eyes down, not daring to look at me, only saying timidly: “This punishment is what I deserve, since I accidentally hurt Luna Violet.” I looked confused, but Elias gave me a meaningful glance. It wasn’t until I overheard his private conversation with the doctor that I understood. “Add some wolfsbane to Violet’s IV. Wait until tomorrow night before treating her.” “She made Fiona suffer, so she needs to suffer too.” I froze instantly. My heart felt like it had been smashed to the ground and crushed repeatedly. I couldn’t breathe from the pain. Elias was my fated mate. Back then, we fell in love at first sight. I immediately broke up with my first love Soren and threw myself into Elias’s arms without hesitation. When we married, Soren said he would protect me for life and never let me get hurt. But just a few years later, Elias was personally hurting me for another woman.

The next day, Fiona and I were discharged together. Elias drove to pick us up. I didn’t want to ride with them, but Elias forced me into the car. Not long after we got home, a fire suddenly broke out. The flames were fierce. A burning wardrobe tilted and fell straight toward me. In that critical moment, Fiona suddenly rushed over and pushed me aside. She was struck hard by the burning wardrobe herself. When Elias reacted, he saw Fiona lying there after being hit while protecting me. He instinctively rushed toward Fiona, but when his eyes met mine, he seemed to snap back to reality. “Violet, thank god you’re okay.” Even as the ambulance took Fiona away, he never looked at her again. But in the empty hospital room, Elias pinned her beneath him, his eyes suppressing anger. “Who told you to block it? Do you know you’re pregnant?” “Do you have to torture yourself to death before you’re satisfied?” The next second, Elias kissed her fiercely. She was pregnant again. I felt inevitable pain in body and soul, but deep inside I was numb. I quietly withdrew. Elias didn’t come home that night. It wasn’t until the next morning that he stood by my bed, eyes full of disappointment: “I investigated the fire. Someone deliberately set it.” I looked up in disbelief: “You suspect me?” Elias sighed: “I told you, I’m only using Fiona. Once I’m done with her, I’ll send her away. She’s no threat to you. She even risked her life to protect you. Why can’t you tolerate her?” In the middle of summer, I felt ice cold all over. Elias truly didn’t believe me. In the days that followed, he deliberately gave me the cold shoulder. But I didn’t care anymore, because in two days, I would take my son Jack and leave for good. The day before I was to leave was our fifth wedding anniversary. I thought he would still ignore me, but he chartered a luxury yacht to celebrate. Yet the moment we boarded, his subordinate told him Fiona had disappeared again. That night, Elias practically turned the entire Grimshade pack upside down but still couldn’t find any trace of Fiona. He smashed a vase, shards scattering near my feet. “Violet, tell me—where is Fiona?” I shook my head: “I don’t know… I really don’t know…” This wasn’t the first time he’d suspected me because of Fiona, but my chest still felt like it was being torn open. Someone handed over Fiona’s phone. Her last call before disappearing was to me. Elias rubbed his throbbing temples: “Violet, the evidence is right here. Are you still going to deny it?” I laughed coldly: “Just because of one phone call, you’ve decided I had someone kidnap Fiona?” I remembered the call Fiona made before she disappeared— “I hurt myself all over. I deliberately started the fire too. I knew it wouldn’t really hurt me, so I threw myself at you to put on a show.” “A man’s heartache and guilt are the strongest chains. I want Elias to soften toward me bit by bit, to compensate me, until I completely replace you.” Her ambition was crystal clear on that call. “Luna Violet, I know you and Elias have a child together. Want to make a bet?” “Let’s bet on whether Elias cares more about you and your child, or me and the baby in my belly.” So Fiona’s disappearance was completely staged by herself, but Elias didn’t believe a word I said. He looked at me with disappointment: “Violet, Fiona is crucial to the pack’s plan. Can you stop making a scene?!”

Time passed minute by minute. The search parties had no news, and Elias completely lost patience. “I heard from Fiona that you adopted a child from an orphanage.” My spine went rigid. Elias raised his hand in signal. Someone dragged in a burlap sack with something struggling inside. He picked up a steel pipe nearby, his expression vicious: “Violet, last chance. If you don’t tell me where Fiona is, this child won’t make it.” “Jack!” My eyes instantly turned red. I lunged forward but was held back firmly. Elias raised the steel pipe high and brought it down hard. “No!!” My pupils contracted sharply. Everything went blood red, as if the pipe had struck my own body. A whimper came from inside the sack. The person inside was beaten so hard they bounced up, then fell heavily and went still. A pool of blood seeped from the opening. “Ahhh!!” I completely broke down. The whole world turned red. The second blow was raised again. “Stop! That’s your child! That’s your biological son!” I was being dragged, screaming until my voice went hoarse. Tears mixed with blood drops rolled down my face, my eyes full of desperate collapse. Elias’s hand holding the pipe paused: “Violet, stop joking around. We agreed not to have children. Why lie to me about this?” I couldn’t care about anything else. I struggled and crawled to his feet, face covered in tears, begging: “He really is your child. Jack really is your son… Please… let him go quickly, call a doctor, save him…” Elias bent down and gripped my chin: “Be good. Tell me where Fiona is, and I’ll let him go.” I shook my head desperately, tears flying: “I don’t know! I really don’t know! Let Jack go, please let him go!” Elias’s eyes suddenly turned cold. The second blow struck down hard. A muffled grunt from the sack, then complete silence. “Ah… no…” I suddenly coughed up blood, my body convulsing violently. The third blow, the fourth blow… A full ten blows. The sack made no more sound. “Jack…” Watching the sack go still, the ground stained bright red with blood, I collapsed kneeling on the ground, my body rigid as if electrocuted, yet trembling uncontrollably. I vomited another mouthful of blood, staining the ground in front of me red. Elias walked forward, his black leather shoes stepping into the pool of blood, grinding hard on the sack: “Violet, still won’t talk?” He stomped down hard again. The sound of bones shattering was clearly audible. “Jack!!” I screamed in complete breakdown, crawling forward but held back firmly. I roared hoarsely: “Elias, I curse you to never have children again in this lifetime!” Elias’s body jerked rigid. Just then someone rushed in: “Alpha, we found Fiona.” Elias’s hand stroking my hair paused: “Quick, tell me the exact location!” He immediately stood up and rushed out without looking back. Not long after Elias left, two people came in to snatch Jack from my arms. I seemed to suddenly wake up, clutching Jack tightly: “What are you doing?” “Alpha Elias ordered us to throw him in the ocean to feed the sharks.” Without mercy, they forcibly took Jack from my arms, stuffed him into the sack with disgust, and turned to leave. “Jack!!!” I chased after them with a heart-wrenching scream, but was locked firmly in the cabin. When Elias returned with Fiona, he only saw me slumped on the ground in a daze. “You had someone throw Jack’s body into the ocean to feed the sharks?”

I slowly stood up, my eyes filled with bone-deep hatred. Elias’s face darkened: “Do you know that because you kidnapped her, Fiona had a miscarriage? The baby couldn’t be saved.” I suddenly burst into wild laughter, the sound as shrill as a ghost’s wail: “Elias, I curse you and Fiona to the eighteenth level of hell!” Elias’s expression changed abruptly: “If you hadn’t sent people to kidnap Fiona and had a group of wolves force themselves on her, how would she have lost the child!” His eyes stared at me coldly: “Since you like having people violate others so much, you should taste what it’s like to be violated!” My pupils contracted sharply. All the blood in my body seemed to freeze in an instant. I tried to explain, but Elias wouldn’t listen. He brought those wolves and locked me in with them. Facing my pleas, he only said: “They’re the people you found. What could go wrong?” Then he left with Fiona without looking back. After Elias left, the wolves swarmed over me. Soon the cabin filled with sounds of tearing fabric, struggling, and desperate screaming. My body was like a rag doll, toyed with at will by them. The next morning, the wolves finally pulled up their pants and left me, walking out of the room with satisfaction. I lay sprawled on the ground, my soul seemingly stripped away. Jack was dead. And I had been violated by these beasts… I suddenly stood up, staggering to the deck. Without hesitation, I climbed over the railing and jumped decisively. A splash—the sea surface erupted in huge waves. But soon, it returned to calm, as if nothing had happened. At that moment, a phone lying on the deck buzzed with a message I would never see: [Luna Violet, the mate bond has been dissolved. All paperwork is complete. At noon today, we’ll pick you and Jack up to leave.] Unfortunately, Jack and I would never be able to leave.

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After I was severely injured by a Rogue and fell into a coma, my Alpha mate Liam took the opportunity to dissolve our mate bond, which led to me developing intermittent amnesia. On the surface, after I lost my memory, he stayed by my side the whole time. Until the third year, I overheard Alpha Liam chatting with his friends. “Liam, Evelyn loses her memory every few months. You keep having us pretend to be you and date Evelyn. Aren’t you afraid one day we’ll actually fall for her?” “Afraid of what?” Liam laughed cheerfully. “Evelyn isn’t interested in sex. As long as you don’t actively provoke her, she won’t have any needs.” “But I’m warning you, you can’t actually sleep with her, and definitely can’t Mark her. When I’m done having my fun, I still need to go back to her.” For the past three years, every time I lost my memory, the men holding my hand and embracing me weren’t the real Liam. Three years. I lost my memory nine times. Nine different men played the role of my husband. But what they didn’t know was that my amnesia actually got better two years ago.

When my ninth “husband” came home, I was sitting on the couch, lost in thought. A clear voice interrupted my thoughts. “Eve, I’m home.” I turned my head and looked at the man in the doorway. “Who are you?” I furrowed my brow, pretending to be confused. “Are you my partner? I remember my partner’s name is Liam.” The man froze for a moment, then immediately objected. “No! Um… I’m your partner’s friend! Evelyn, don’t panic. I’ll call your partner to come back right now!” After speaking, the man pulled out his phone and hurried toward the balcony. “Liam, Evelyn’s lost her memory again! Whose turn is it? Get over here and switch with me!” I hid by the window and heard the voices of Liam’s friends making excuses through the speakerphone. “Liam, Evelyn is too clingy. We have to watch her 24 hours a day. We can’t handle it!” “Yeah, Evelyn is great and all, but she’s too controlling. We’re Alphas. Can’t we have a few lovers?” “How about you come back yourself, Liam?” “No way.” Liam’s lazy voice came through the speaker. “I’m not done having fun yet. I don’t want to go home. Which one of you will take my place? Come on, we’re friends. If you won’t even help with this, that’s pretty cold.” Amid the excuses, a cool voice spoke up. “I’ll go.” I recognized it. This was Liam’s best friend, Alpha Sean. The Alpha of Shadow Fang Pack. They said he still hadn’t found his mate and had been single for thirty years. When Liam first proposed having someone impersonate him as my partner, Sean was the first to object. But now he was interested in playing this absurd impersonation game too? Half an hour later, the front door clicked open. Sean walked in against the light. “Eve, I’m home.” His cool voice had a magnetic quality to it. I stood up and stared at the tall, handsome man before me. “Are you my partner, Liam?” “Mm.” Sean coughed lightly, covering his lips. “Sorry, I had some work to handle. I came back late.” As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. Sean made an apologetic gesture and went to the balcony with his phone. Through the receiver came Liam’s casual voice. “Oh right, Sean, I forgot to remind you. At most, hold her hand and hug her. Don’t sleep with her, and definitely don’t Mark her. No matter how far you play this game, she’s still my partner.” “Got it.” Sean’s voice was low. For the past three years, no matter how those men pretended to be Liam, they only held my hand and hugged me at most. They never crossed the line. For three years, there were never any photos in the house, nor any identification documents belonging to any man. And Liam had dissolved our mate bond. Until my second chance mate appeared, all these men were the same to me. Plus, I was an orphan. Because of my memory loss, I had no friends to speak of. They naturally assumed I wouldn’t find out. And I pretended not to know anything. After all, I was just an Omega. I had no way to refuse their game. But this time, I wanted to do something different. I walked over and actively hugged Sean’s waist. “Honey, even though I lost my memory, the moment I saw you, I felt you were so familiar. You must be my mate. I’m sure of it.” I tightly held Sean’s waist, and my hand couldn’t help but feel his firm abs. Sean’s body stiffened. He pushed me away in panic. “What’s wrong?” I asked innocently. “Honey, I lost my memory. Don’t you like me anymore?” “No,” Sean’s eyes flickered with evasion, his voice hoarse. “…I like you.” I reached out to unbutton his shirt and touched his chest muscles. “Honey, it’s so cold today. Let’s go to bed and warm up together, okay?” Sean’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “…Okay.” That night, Sean and I shared a bed. But by tacit agreement, we didn’t say much to each other.

The next day, Sean took me to a bar, saying he wanted to reintroduce me to his friends. As soon as we entered the private area, I saw Liam holding a woman and kissing her passionately. Sean coughed lightly, interrupting them. Liam saw the two of us and froze for a moment, then slowly stood up. “Hello, I’m Liam’s childhood friend, Sean.” Liam extended his hand to me unhurriedly and introduced, “This is my girlfriend, Hannah.” “Oh.” I nodded but didn’t shake his hand. Hannah. Of course I recognized her. Liam’s first love. When Liam first found me and learned we were destined mates, he broke up with her. Later, he got back together with her when I had amnesia. The reason Liam didn’t want to shoulder his responsibilities as a partner for three years was all because of her. There were many of Liam’s friends in the private area. Several of them had pretended to be my partner. Now they all acted nonchalant and teased me: “Evelyn, you lost your memory again? Our Liam is such a dedicated partner. No matter how many times you lose your memory, he’s always by your side!” “Yeah, Evelyn, such a good man. You should cherish him!” I sarcastically curved my lips and said nothing. Sean put his arm around me and sat down on the couch. As soon as we sat down, I picked up a piece of fruit and fed it to him. “Honey, eat more.” In the dim light, I caught Liam glancing our way. I leaned close to Sean’s ear and deliberately bit his earlobe. “Honey, you were so rough last night. You made me uncomfortable all night. It hurt so much~” Sean’s face stiffened. He pinched my hand awkwardly. “Stop fooling around.” Liam gripped his glass tightly, his expression unpleasant. Hannah sat beside him and said with fake sweetness and veiled barbs, “Evelyn, you’re amazing. The coldest person in our friend circle has been charmed by you like a young man experiencing his first love.” As soon as she said this, Liam’s friends, afraid I’d discover the truth, all laughed awkwardly to smooth things over: “Haha, that just proves Evelyn and Liam have a good relationship!” “Yeah, even if she loses her memory, it doesn’t affect their relationship at all!” From the corner of my eye, I saw Liam pick up his glass and take a sip, but his expression became extremely unpleasant. A wave of vengeful satisfaction surged in my heart. I got up and went to the restroom. When I came out of the restroom, Hannah walked toward me. The moment we passed each other, she suddenly reached out and pushed me hard. “Sorry, it was an accident.” I reacted quickly and wasn’t pushed down. “Slap!” I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to either.” As soon as I finished speaking, a stern rebuke came from behind me. “Evelyn, what are you doing!” Liam strode over. Hannah immediately threw herself into his arms, crying pitifully. “Honey, I just accidentally bumped into Evelyn, and she got angry and hit me. My head is so dizzy now.” Liam’s expression darkened, clearly displeased. “Apologize to Hannah!” I sneered coldly. “Who are you to boss me around?” “Evelyn!” Liam’s eyes were dark and vicious, his face frighteningly grim. “Why did you become so arrogant and domineering after losing your memory?” “What I’ve become has nothing to do with you.” I was too lazy to deal with him anymore. Just as I was about to turn around, Liam kicked me down. “Evelyn, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you lost your memory. Apologize to Hannah right now!” Looking at the furious man before me, even though we were no longer mates, the lingering emotions still made me feel intense pain. I was originally an orphan. In this huge, unfamiliar pack, Liam was my only support. We’d known each other since we were eighteen. We’d been together for ten years. When he proposed to me, he swore he would always protect and love me, that he could never betray me in this lifetime. But now, not only did he betray our mate bond, he was hitting me for another woman. All those sweet words and vows from back then had become a joke. Amid my grief and anger, Sean’s cold voice came from behind. “Don’t touch her!” I endured the pain and stood up, quickly slapped Liam across the face, then hid in Sean’s arms to complain. “Honey, your friend is so rude. He bullied me!” Sean’s expression was displeased, his eyes full of shadows, looking at Liam with warning. “Don’t bully Eve.” Liam clenched his jaw, his solemn face radiating violent energy. As the two confronted each other tensely, Hannah suddenly shrank into Liam’s arms and sneered disdainfully. “A bitch and an idiot who likes bitches. What’s there to be proud of?” “Shut up!” Liam and Sean’s voices rang out simultaneously.

“Hannah, Evelyn was wrong, but you can’t insult her like that.” Liam’s tone was cold and hard. Sean frowned, looking at Hannah with cold eyes. “From now on, don’t let me hear you say anything to slander Evelyn.” After speaking, he held me and strode away. We went straight home. As soon as we entered, I hugged Sean’s waist, my hand rubbing his firm abs a few times. “Honey, you looked so handsome protecting me just now. I love it!” Sean’s ears turned slightly red. He coughed. “I’m glad you like it.” I reached out to unbuckle his belt. “Honey, it’s too cold. Let’s go to bed and exercise to warm up, okay?” “…It’s still early.” “Who says we can only go to bed at a certain time?” I kissed his Adam’s apple and coaxed in a low voice, “Honey, I lost my memory. I can’t remember what intimacy feels like… Can you help me remember?” Sean’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was extremely hoarse. “Eve… stop fooling around.” I simply pushed him down onto the couch. Sean struggled for two seconds, then finally flipped over and pressed me beneath him. From afternoon to late night, after Sean got a taste, he became insatiable. I was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. In my daze, I heard Sean bite my neck and ask hoarsely, “Eve, have you really lost your memory?” I opened my mouth but said nothing. Did it matter whether I had or not? Actually, I wanted to ask Sean too. You clearly rejected this absurd game of pretending to be someone’s partner. Why did you join in at the end? … The next day, Sean took me to the hospital for a follow-up on my amnesia. Unexpectedly, we ran into Liam and Hannah. Hannah called out to us first. “Evelyn, Alpha Se… Liam, what a coincidence.” She touched her belly and said boastfully, “I’m pregnant. I came for a prenatal checkup. What about you two?” Sean glanced at her lightly, his tone cold. “Bringing Eve for a follow-up.” Liam didn’t speak, but his gaze fell on my and Sean’s tightly clasped hands. Suddenly, his eyes moved up and saw the dense love bites on my neck. “What happened to your neck?” His voice rose. I looked at Sean shyly. “You’d have to ask my partner about that.” Liam turned to look at Sean, his solemn eyes filled with gloom. I took the opportunity to leave. “I still need to get a CT scan. You guys talk first.” After I left, Hannah also entered the ultrasound examination room. After things quieted down, Liam stared coldly at Sean, his voice as cold as frost. “Sean, did you sleep with her?”

Sean lit a cigarette. Through the curling smoke, he spoke vaguely. “No.” “Then what are those red marks on her neck?” Sean paused for two seconds. “Mosquito bites, I guess.” Liam frowned, half-believing. Sean blew out a smoke ring and scoffed. “Besides, what if I did touch her? You already rejected her. Although you’re not legally divorced yet… you might as well divorce.” Liam’s reaction was agitated. “No divorce! Eve and I have known each other for so many years. We still have feelings. It’s just… Hannah is pregnant now. I can’t leave her at this critical moment.” “Heh.” Sean sneered disdainfully. “You just want to have both. Liam, you’re such a scumbag.” Liam was silent for a moment, then spoke as if he’d made a decision. “Sean, next time Eve loses her memory, let’s switch back.” “We’ll talk about it when she loses her memory next time.” Not getting a definitive answer, Liam felt increasingly uneasy. He stared at Sean intently, his face solemn. “I feel like something’s off between you and Eve. Sean, promise me you absolutely won’t touch her!” Sean stubbed out his cigarette. Just as he was about to speak, I walked over with my CT scan report, interrupting their conversation. “Honey, I have good news. The doctor just said my brain nerves have healed. I won’t lose my memory anymore!” Liam froze immediately, as shocked as if struck by lightning. “How is that possible?” But Sean was very happy, his eyes full of joy. “Really? That’s wonderful! Let’s go home and celebrate!” I took Sean’s arm to leave. But Liam grabbed my hand. “Eve, don’t go! Actually, I…” I impatiently interrupted him. “Alpha Sean, even though you’re my partner’s friend, touching me without permission is really rude.” I shook off his hand in disgust and left without looking back. After arriving home, before even turning on the lights, Sean couldn’t wait to carry me into the bedroom. His kisses came fierce and urgent, falling densely on my neck. A blurred voice sounded beside my ear. “Eve… let’s never be apart again, okay?” In the darkness, I murmured, “Okay.” Hearing this, Sean was like a wild beast, taking from me. I went limp in his arms like seaweed, yet clung tightly to him. He was like a fierce wild beast, ferociously and tirelessly taking. Just as we were about to reach climax, the bedroom light suddenly turned on. Liam stood in the doorway with a dark, vicious expression, fists clenched tight, his eyes red as if bloodthirsty.

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Six years after divorcing Hugh Shaw, I ran into him again at the corporation’s charity gala. The moment our eyes met, shock flashed across Hugh Shaw’s face: “Claire Winston, what are you doing here? You’re not Mrs. Shaw anymore. This isn’t where you belong.” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and turned to leave, but unexpectedly, he reached out to grab me. “Fine, considering you gave me a son, just stand quietly behind me and no one will give you trouble.” I stepped aside to avoid him and refused flatly: “No, thank you.” But he stared in shock at the child beside me, his voice trembling: “This filthy child—is she my daughter?” I nearly laughed in disbelief. Had he lost his mind? Nora was only three and a half years old. I’d been divorced from him for six years. There was no way she could be his. I pulled Nora behind me, my tone icy: “Hugh Shaw, this is my daughter. She has nothing to do with you!” With that, I grabbed Nora’s hand and turned to leave, but Hugh Shaw blocked my way, his brows furrowed as he looked me over. “Claire Winston, you snuck in here with a child to mooch food and drink. You must have had it rough all these years, haven’t you?” He let out a cold laugh, his gaze falling on Nora with undisguised disgust: “Little beggar, how old are you?” Nora put her hands on her hips, glaring at him indignantly: “I’m three and a half, and I’m not a little beggar!” Beggar? I looked down at my and Nora’s clothes. We’d just been helping disaster victims outside the city. Covered in dust with no time to change, we did look rather disheveled. Hugh Shaw’s expression instantly turned cold. “Nonsense! You lie just like your mother! With your height, how could you possibly be three years old?” I glanced down at Nora. She was indeed much taller and sturdier than children her age. It was all her father’s fault, spoiling her endlessly. I pulled Nora protectively behind me, a frosty look crossing my face: “Hugh Shaw, I’ll say this one more time—Nora is not your child!” But Hugh Shaw acted like he’d heard the world’s funniest joke, scoffing: “Claire Winston, you’re lying again. If she’s not mine, whose could she be? Besides me, who would want a divorced woman?” “Come on, stop pretending. You deliberately snuck into this gala just to see me, didn’t you?” I rolled my eyes. Six years later, and he was still this arrogant. “Get out of my way!” But Hugh Shaw didn’t budge. Instead, he adopted a condescending tone: “Seeing you in such a pitiful state, I can’t help but feel sorry for you. Tell you what—come back home with me and work as a household assistant. Rowena is kind-hearted. She definitely won’t make things difficult for you.” With that, he waved to someone behind him. “Ethan, take your sister away. Find a lounge for her to wait in. Don’t let her embarrass us here and offend the important guests!” Only then did I notice Ethan Shaw standing behind him. The son I’d carried for ten months and nearly died giving birth to. Six years had passed. He’d grown into a handsome young man, but his eyes held a coldness that didn’t match his age. Ethan had a stony expression, his brows furrowed: “I don’t want some little beggar as my sister! My only sister is Chloe!” My grip on Nora’s hand tightened. The Chloe he mentioned must be Rowena’s daughter. Years ago, I’d caught Hugh Shaw and Rowena having an affair. Before I could confront them, Rowena struck first, accusing me of drugging her to ruin her reputation. Hugh Shaw had also blamed me, and even my own biological son Ethan had taken Rowena’s side. Heartbroken and disillusioned, I’d signed the divorce papers on the spot. When I left the Shaw household, Rowena had stroked her belly and told me she was already pregnant with Hugh Shaw’s child. And that day—she’d let me see them together on purpose. Past humiliations and betrayals churned in my heart, my fingers unconsciously digging into my palms. Nora tugged at my clothes, her voice indignant: “Mom, I don’t want this ugly guy as my brother either! He’s nowhere near as good as Asher!” Hearing this, Ethan’s expression darkened further. He sneered: “An ordinary person like that dares to compare himself to me?” Looking at the father and son’s identical faces, my heart gradually turned cold. Fine. I’d just pretend I never had this son. I took Nora’s hand and moved to walk around them when a sweet voice suddenly called from behind: “Claire?”

I turned to see Rowena walking over, holding a little girl dressed in designer children’s clothing. Her gaze swept over me before she covered her face and shrieked: “Claire, it really is you! Why are you dressed like this?” Her deliberately shocked exclamation drew countless stares. Among the crowd, several wealthy women who’d never liked me recognized me first and immediately mocked: “Oh my, isn’t this Mrs. Shaw? Haven’t seen you in years—why do you look so shabby? Oh wait, my mistake—Mr. Shaw divorced you ages ago. No wonder you’ve fallen so far.” Rowena sighed, feigning sympathy: “Claire, let me have the maid bring you some clothes. They’re servant’s clothes, but they’re a hundred times better than what you’re wearing.” Hugh Shaw pulled her into his embrace, his tone gentle: “Rowena, you’re always so kind.” Watching their coordinated performance, I couldn’t help but scoff. Six years later, Rowena was still this fake. I looked up, my tone cold and hard: “No need. I can’t accept anything from you.” The wealthy woman who’d mocked me earlier actually called security: “How can just anyone get in here? Guards, throw these two beggars out! They’re an eyesore!” Several security guards strode forward, their expressions serious as they moved to escort Nora and me away. My eyes flashed coldly as I pulled the invitation from my purse. “I was invited to attend this gala.” The guard took the invitation and verified it, momentarily unsure how to proceed. Rowena stepped forward, feigning surprise: “Claire, you didn’t steal that invitation, did you? After all, six years ago you were kicked out of the Shaw family for stealing. I didn’t expect you to still be at it—even daring to steal an invitation to a charity gala.” My whole body trembled as towering rage surged in my heart. So after I left, they’d actually accused me of being a thief. I stared hard at Rowena, my voice cold: “I steal things? Why don’t you talk about how you steal men?” Rowena’s face instantly darkened, her eyes full of venom. Whispers began circulating around us, and the looks people gave Rowena changed. Just then, a reprimanding voice suddenly rang out: “You wretch! What are you doing back here?” The crowd parted as two people pushed through—my adoptive parents. My adoptive father’s face was livid. He raised his hand to slap me across the face, shouting: “You worthless thing! Stop spouting nonsense and ruining Rowena’s reputation!” Caught off guard, I was struck and turned my head, my ears ringing. “Mom!” Nora rushed to my side, her voice tearful. I forced a weak smile and gently comforted her: “I’m fine.” My adoptive mother immediately stepped forward, pointing at my nose and cursing: “Claire Winston, you ungrateful wretch! Mrs. Shaw’s position was always meant for Rowena. You, a fake who stole what wasn’t yours—what right do you have to slander her here? If we hadn’t adopted you, you would have died on the streets long ago, and yet you dare frame our precious daughter!” Adopted? I laughed bitterly inside. Years ago, when I went out with my birth parents, I accidentally got separated from my family and happened to be found by my adoptive mother, who had just lost her own child. Seeing no one around, she’d hurriedly carried me away and used me as a replacement for her biological daughter. If not for them, I wouldn’t have been separated from my birth parents for so many years. Fortunately, after the divorce, through a series of coincidences, I found my birth parents and finally learned the truth about my origins. I held Nora tightly and snatched the invitation back from the guard, my voice cold: “Get out of my way!” Rowena glanced at the name on the invitation and immediately laughed mockingly: “Claire is really bold—stealing from Pierce Ashford himself.” A busybody leaned in, and after seeing the signature, exclaimed dramatically: “Everyone knows Mr. Ashford is the most valued successor of the board’s senior members, and he heads the corporation’s technology division with countless teams under him. You actually dared to steal from him—you’re done for!” Mocking voices surrounded me, but I remained unusually calm. Meeting everyone’s gaze, I said each word deliberately: “He is my husband.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the entire hall fell silent for a moment before erupting in roaring laughter. “That’s hilarious! Everyone knows Mr. Ashford married a daughter from a prestigious medical family—beautiful, brilliant, and accomplished. You, an ordinary woman, dare impersonate Mrs. Ashford? You’ve got some nerve!” “Exactly! Look in a mirror—you even have a kid in tow. How dare you mention Mr. Ashford?” Nora’s little face flushed red with anger at the crowd’s mockery. She put her hands on her hips and shouted back: “Don’t talk about my mom like that! My mom is a medical doctor!” Seeing this, the crowd laughed even more brazenly: “Like mother, like daughter—look what she’s taught the child!” “Just like her mother—both pathological liars! Shameless!” Rowena grabbed Hugh Shaw’s sleeve, her face full of alarm: “Huai’an, is Claire trying to destroy the Shaw family? Impersonating Mrs. Ashford—if word gets out, our entire Shaw family will be ruined!” Provoked by her words, Hugh Shaw angrily ordered those behind him: “Someone, teach this arrogant woman a lesson!” Several ill-intentioned attendants immediately rushed forward and began groping me without hesitation. To avoid hurting Nora, I held her tightly in my arms. Slaps landed hard, and a metallic taste rose in my throat. “Mom!” Nora broke down crying, her small hands clutching my clothes tightly. Chloe Shaw, who’d been standing beside Rowena, suddenly pointed at Nora and screamed: “My brooch is missing! It was her! That little beggar! She stole my brooch!” My gaze turned cold as I clearly saw a flash of jealousy in Chloe’s eyes. Ethan immediately stepped forward, grabbed the necklace around Nora’s neck, and yanked it hard. The necklace was torn off, and he shoved Nora to the ground in the process. “Little beggar, how dare you steal my sister’s necklace? Shameless!” Nora fell to the ground, her eyes red as she shouted back: “I didn’t steal it! Dad gave it to me! You big meanie! Give it back!” My heart clenched. I stumbled forward to help Nora up and saw a vivid red mark on her delicate neck from being strangled. I trembled with rage and glared at Ethan: “Give the necklace back to her!” But Ethan completely ignored me and handed the necklace directly to Chloe. Chloe happily put the necklace around her own neck and smugly lifted her chin at Nora. Hugh Shaw looked at me with a dark expression, his tone disgusted: “Unrepentant! Teaching a child to be a thief like you! No—I won’t let Shaw family blood be ruined by you! She must come back with me!” A flash of malice crossed Rowena’s eyes before she stepped forward gently: “Huai’an, perhaps we should investigate first. What if she’s someone else’s illegitimate child with another man? We can’t let an outsider taint the Shaw family bloodline.” Hugh Shaw nodded and immediately barked: “Someone get me a paternity test kit!” Several assistant-like figures rushed forward like wolves, reaching out to snatch Nora away. One of them was holding a sampling swab. I held Nora tightly and backed away, screaming: “Don’t come near us! I’ll say it one more time—she has nothing to do with the Shaw family! She is Pierce Ashford’s daughter!” But those people only followed Hugh Shaw’s orders. They ignored my cries and kept pressing forward. In the chaos, the sampling swab jabbed viciously toward Nora. I instinctively raised my arm to block it. The sharp plastic rod pierced straight into my arm. Blood immediately gushed out, staining my sleeve red. “Mom!” Nora cried out in terror, her small body trembling. I endured the piercing pain and still held Nora tightly in my arms. Hugh Shaw impatiently barked: “Pull her away!” Several attendants immediately stepped forward, roughly twisting my arms behind my back with such force it felt like they’d break my bones. Just as the sampling swab was about to jab Nora, a figure suddenly broke through the crowd and grabbed the man’s wrist, twisting it sharply. A scream instantly echoed through the hall. The next second, a cold voice laced with fury shook the entire venue into silence: “You dare touch my daughter? Who gave you that nerve?”

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The new intern, Vivian, reported me for slacking off for the third time: “Mr. Hayes said no one is allowed to eat snacks, drink water, or use their phones at their desks. You did all three, so you’re getting fined three thousand dollars—a whole month’s salary.” Looking at her young, refined face, I smiled. With CEO Sebastian Hayes backing her, she ran rampant throughout the company. But she didn’t know that I was the largest shareholder. What right did she have to report me? My name is Laura, and I’m thirty-eight years old. Ten years ago, I founded this interior design company. Now I’ve stepped back from the frontlines, handing daily management over to CEO Sebastian Hayes, whom I personally promoted. Sebastian was the successor I had the most faith in. Now, I just kept a desk for myself in a corner of the office, with flexible work hours. My colleagues only thought I was some powerless old-timer. Until half a month ago, when Vivian appeared. She was personally escorted into the design department by Sebastian. “This is Vivian, an honors graduate from an Ivy League school. She’ll be joining our design department from now on. Everyone, please help her get up to speed.” Sebastian’s tone was full of admiration. Vivian smiled as she greeted everyone, her gaze sweeping across the entire office. When it finally landed on me, her eyes held scrutiny and contempt. But from her very first day, she didn’t act like an intern at all. She complained the company-issued computer was outdated and demanded the latest model. She complained the coffee beans in the break room weren’t good enough, and the next day had a colleague go buy freshly ground Blue Mountain coffee. When people whispered about it, she heard them and just smiled faintly: “Mr. Hayes says good ideas need a good environment. We can’t cut costs on these small things.” She really was quite clever. She quickly gathered a group of young designers as arrogant as herself. Toward us “old employees,” she showed nothing but disdain. In front of everyone, she said my design philosophy was “too outdated, can’t keep up with the times.” She would also, during the director’s project review meetings, bluntly point out “the color scheme is too old-fashioned, doesn’t fit mainstream aesthetics.” At first, I didn’t pay much attention. I even helped her once. One time, there was an urgent project. Vivian volunteered, saying she could handle it. But with only an hour left before the deadline, she’d only finished half. She was nearly in tears. It was me who sent the design proposal to the client at the last moment. She looked at me then, her eyes filled with gratitude and shock. I thought that after this incident, she would at least change her attitude somewhat. I was wrong. The next day, I overheard her conversation with someone else. “That Laura is nothing special. Just has a bit more experience, that’s all.” The other person chimed in: “Exactly. I heard she’s just an old employee coasting by. Relies on her seniority and slacks off at work all day.” Vivian laughed lightly, her tone full of superiority. “Don’t worry. The company won’t keep supporting deadweight like that forever. Mr. Hayes said the future belongs to us young people. Those who can’t keep up with the company’s development will be eliminated sooner or later.”

The “cleanup” targeting me began soon after. First, the administrative department approached me with a tactful tone: “Ms. Laura, Mr. Hayes has recently been implementing a new attendance system requiring everyone to clock in strictly. Could you please…?” In my ten years at the company, I’d never clocked in once. This was one of my privileges as founder. I looked at the conflicted administrative manager and nodded. “Alright, I understand.” The next day, HR called me in for a talk. “Ms. Laura, a colleague reported that you browse websites unrelated to work during work hours. This… doesn’t look very good.” I looked at the screenshot HR handed me. It showed me browsing a home design forum. That was a habit I’d maintained for ten years to find inspiration. “Who told you that?” I asked. HR hedged: “Well… we’re obligated to protect the reporter’s identity.” “Fine. I’ll be more careful in the future.” I didn’t take it seriously. But I underestimated Sebastian’s indulgence of her. A week later, the company issued a new “Employee Conduct Guidelines,” hundreds of rules covering everything from how to arrange files on your desk, what cups to use for drinking water, to not being allowed to sleep at your desk during lunch breaks. At the bottom was Sebastian’s personal signature. And the drafter of these guidelines was none other than Vivian. Sebastian had promoted her ahead of schedule to CEO Assistant. Her desk also moved from the design department’s open floor to an independent partition next to the CEO’s office. From then on, she patrolled the company daily, notebook in hand, constantly recording what she deemed “violations.” Sarah was written up for taking a call when her child was sick. Mark was publicly criticized for eating a sandwich at his desk while rushing a project. The entire company was full of complaints. The work atmosphere became extremely oppressive. And I became her primary target. The first time was because I had a cactus on my desk. “Ms. Laura, company policy states no personal items may be displayed in work areas. It affects the company’s overall image.” The second time was because I used my personal laptop to handle private emails. “Ms. Laura, company computers are for work only. If you need to handle personal matters, please do so after work hours.” The third time was today. Because of a glass of water, a plate of crackers, and me using my phone to check feedback from the homeowner of a project we’d just completed. She stood before me, looking down like a judge. “Three thousand dollar fine, deducted from this month’s salary. Do you have any objections?” I looked at her and slowly turned my phone screen toward her. It showed a thank-you letter from the homeowner, specifically praising the entire project team, including her as an intern. “I was working,” I said. She glanced at it and sneered. “Don’t make excuses. Everyone knows you slack off during work hours all day and talk back to your superiors. What do you think the company should do with you?” “Talk back to my superiors?” My gaze moved past her to scan the entire design department. “I’d like to ask everyone here—who exactly is my superior?”

Dead silence. Vivian’s expression turned ugly. She hadn’t expected that not a single person would stand up to support her. She bit her lip and stubbornly said: “My position is Executive Assistant to the CEO, responsible for supervising all employees. Of course I’m your superior! If you don’t accept it, you can go find Mr. Hayes!” “Good idea.” I nodded and picked up my phone. “I’ll call him over right now.” A chorus of sharp intakes of breath rippled through the room. Everyone thought I’d lost my mind. An old employee “coasting by” actually daring to challenge the CEO’s authority. Vivian’s face lit up with a victorious smile. Ignoring her expression, I found Sebastian in my contacts and dialed. The phone rang twice before connecting. “Hello?” Sebastian’s voice was steady as always. “Sebastian, come to the design department.” My tone was calm, without honorifics or unnecessary explanation, as if giving instructions to a subordinate. There was a second of silence on the other end, then: “Alright, I’ll be right there.” I hung up and gently placed my phone on the desk. Vivian crossed her arms and sneered. “Playing games. Let’s see how you handle this when Mr. Hayes gets here.” I said nothing, just pulled out my chair, sat back down, and looked at her leisurely. In less than three minutes, Sebastian’s tall figure appeared at the design department entrance. As the manager I’d personally promoted, he now carried a sufficiently powerful presence. The air in the entire office became even thinner. Vivian immediately rushed up to him, her tone filled with grievance and complaint. “Mr. Hayes, you’re finally here! Laura openly violated company regulations, eating and playing on her phone at her desk. I fined her three thousand dollars according to the new system, but not only did she refuse, she talked back to me, and even dared to call you directly! She has absolutely no respect for you or company rules!” As she spoke, she shot me challenging glances from the corner of her eye. Sebastian’s gaze fell on me, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. His expression was complex—impatience, scrutiny, and an emotion I couldn’t quite read. Over these three years, he’d become more and more like a competent businessman—calm and decisive. “Laura, what’s going on?” he asked, his voice cold and emotionless. I raised my eyes and met his gaze calmly. “Just like Vivian said. I drank half a glass of water, ate one soda cracker, and looked at my phone for three minutes.” I paused, picked up the plate of crackers from my desk, and pushed it toward him. “Mr. Hayes probably doesn’t know that I have hypoglycemia. I had administration specially stock these at the office for me.” “As for the phone,” I waved the screen, “Mr. Williams from Willow Creek Properties just posted a thank-you letter in the group chat and said he wants to refer us a new client. I wonder if that counts as playing on my phone?” Sebastian’s expression darkened. Seeing this, Vivian immediately added fuel to the fire. “Mr. Hayes, don’t listen to her excuses! Company rules are company rules. We can’t make exceptions for one person! She’s relying on seniority to challenge your authority! If you don’t punish her severely today, how can we enforce company policies in the future?”

I knew that in the three years since Sebastian had taken over the company, what he most wanted to do was prove himself, escape my shadow, and establish his own absolute authority. Vivian’s appearance was just a knife he was using to reorganize the company and eliminate “dissenters.” Sure enough, Sebastian’s gaze turned completely cold. He looked at me and said word by word: “Rules are rules. Since they’ve been set, everyone must follow them. Laura, as a senior employee of the company, you should set an example. Vivian was following protocol. She did nothing wrong.” “So?” I asked. “So, the three thousand dollar fine stands. Additionally, you publicly defied a superior and refused to comply with management. This month’s bonus is completely canceled. Write a thousand-word self-criticism and submit it to my office tomorrow morning.” Sebastian delivered his final judgment, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. The office was completely silent. Everyone was shocked by this outcome. This wasn’t just punishment—it was humiliation. Vivian’s face showed undisguised triumph and satisfaction. I looked at this man I had once trusted completely. The last bit of sentiment in my heart dissipated in this cold verdict. I sneered: “Sebastian, what if I don’t write it?” “Then submit your resignation yourself.” He said without courtesy. “Fire me? Sebastian, are you certain you have that authority?” “As the company’s CEO, don’t I have the authority to fire an employee?” My attitude had angered him, and his voice rose several notches. “It seems after three years as CEO, you’ve forgotten whose company this really is.” I said mockingly. Sebastian’s pupils contracted sharply. The smile on Vivian’s face froze as well. I turned to face all the employees: “I’m now notifying you in my capacity as founder and chairman of DreamBuild—Sebastian Hayes, and Vivian, you’re both fired.”

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