Category: English

Boyfriend said he never traveled as a child. I secretly researched travel guides, hoping to share the experience with him. But I unexpectedly discovered his travel account. It turns out he’s a travel blogger with millions of followers. And he’s a couple’s blogger at that. In every video, he’s closely accompanied by his childhood sweetheart, inseparable. His latest video? They’re getting married in three days. In the video, the girl lifts her skirt and runs hand in hand with the guy at dusk. It’s truly passionate and bold. They end up showing a wedding invitation with blissful faces. The invitation says their wedding is in three days, and they will livestream it, inviting all their fans to witness their beautiful moment. The names on the invitation are Jasper and Adeline. The video ends, and the next one auto-plays. They’re visiting famous landmarks. Their account has over a thousand videos, all capturing their beautiful travels together. I stare at the screen, unable to believe my eyes. The Jasper on the invitation is my boyfriend of five years, and Adeline is his childhood friend. Jasper always told me he didn’t like traveling. He said his poor childhood made travel seem unattainable, like a luxury. So for five years, we never traveled, rarely even went out. Once, I wanted to help him get over it and secretly planned for a long time. When he found out, he got furious: “If you want to play, go to an amusement park yourself. Why force me to travel with you? Don’t you ever think about what I want?” I apologized, holding my torn notes, and swore never to bring it up again. But a week ago, I overheard Jasper talking to a friend on the phone. He said he was going to the seaside and asked for recommendations. My heart raced, thinking it was a surprise for me. I happily cooked a feast, opened wine, and bought gifts, waiting for him to announce the good news. But he didn’t even look at me. Just said, “I’m going on a business trip,” and left with his luggage. Now, in the video, they’re embracing by the sea. I finally understand. It’s not that he doesn’t like traveling; he just doesn’t want to travel with me. I obsessively click through all their videos. Jasper talks about those places so fluently and calmly, detailing the history and culture more thoroughly than my week-long research. He doesn’t seem like someone who has a grudge against traveling. The pain stabs my chest, making it hard to breathe. I scroll through quickly. The earlier videos are crude, their outfits less refined, showing the long time span. The first video was posted five years ago, when we just got together. They both look a bit young and innocent. I even remember the first time I met them. Adeline shyly introduced herself in Jasper’s arms, “Hi, I’m Adeline, and this is Jasper.” Jasper smiled and recited a poem: “Old memories often thought of, finally often seen.” It’s a poem made with their names. But what about me? What am I? With trembling hands, I want to forward the video to Jasper and ask why he did this. But then I hear a click. The door opens, and Jasper is home.

He walks in cheerfully, smiling from ear to ear. As if he just experienced something wonderful. “Sorry, Cora, I have to go on a business trip during the holiday again. Can’t be with you.” “Our boss just loves using me for everything, doesn’t even let me spend time with you.” “Help me pack, we need to leave soon.” I scrutinize his expression. Calm and composed, no hint of guilt for lying to me. He’s even urging me to pack his luggage. “Cora, do you remember where you put the suit you bought me last year? I can’t find it.” “And pick a few ties for me, I’ll need them for work.” A strong wave of nausea surges in me, like a tide ready to swallow me whole. He’s going to wear the clothes I bought, with ties I chose, to marry Adeline. For a moment, I don’t know whether I’m more pitiful or Adeline is. Seeing my cold expression, Jasper thinks I’m upset about him leaving, throwing a little tantrum. He sighs, softening his tone slightly, “Cora, be good. I don’t want to leave, but work is important. I’ll be back soon.” His lame excuse makes me want to laugh. I push him away. Jasper’s job is a cultural relics restorer, often going to remote places for large restoration projects. I used to complain about this and his boss. Now, it seems I misjudged. Seeing me still cold, Jasper loses patience, frowning, “Adeline and I are just friends. Do you have to nitpick over something so small?” “It’s been so long, and you still doubt us?” He didn’t need to remind me. A month ago, Jasper said he was on a work trip restoring ancient buildings. That night, I heard there was a landslide, and everyone was out of contact. I immediately bought the nearest flight, worried sick. When I got there, I found Jasper comforting Adeline, who was nestled in his arms. Her eyes were wet, yet there was a challenging glint in them. That led to our most intense fight in five years. Jasper downplayed it, saying they just ran into each other. His colleagues vouched for him, “We can testify, Jasper was just comforting her. Don’t overthink it.” But secretly, I’ve seen them giving Jasper and Adeline knowing looks, as if guarding a shared secret. Since then, Jasper and I have been in a cold war, still ongoing. Jasper sees me silent, compromising, “Cora, I want to be with you, but my job doesn’t allow it. Work is important, you understand, right?” I grip my phone, itching to open their account and ask if this is his idea of work. But reason suppresses the urge. I will expose them, but not here. I’ll do it at their wedding. I’ll lay bare all their past, in front of everyone important to them. I won’t take this lying down.

After Jasper leaves, I start gathering evidence. I make a PowerPoint from our entire history since Jasper pursued me, saved on a USB. Then I mark all his business trip dates against their video uploads. They completely overlap. In the past five years, about 80% of Jasper’s trips were romantic getaways with Adeline. After finishing, there’s one day left before their wedding. I book a stylist for an at-home trial. We choose a black dress. Its sleek cut is sharp, the skirt flaring slightly, like a rose blooming at night. Bright yet dangerous. During my makeup trial, Jasper video calls, checking in as usual. Seeing my look, he’s a bit surprised, “Didn’t you always like a casual style? Why so sharp today?” I answer calmly, “I’m supporting a friend tomorrow, need something to hold its ground. This outfit is perfect. Do you think I look good?” Jasper smiles genuinely, “You look great, my dear looks good in anything.” I smile back. Hope he can say the same tomorrow. Based on the invitation from the video, I locate their wedding hotel. There’s traffic. By the time I arrive, it’s packed. They’ve put a lot into this wedding, inviting not just family and friends, but loads of fellow bloggers and fans. Cameras are set up everywhere, seems they want to record this beautiful moment forever. I smirk, brushing my hair back, and stride in. This wedding is worth recording. I’ll give them an unforgettable surprise. I pay $250 for a gift, then find an inconspicuous corner to sit. Maybe my makeup is too striking, people keep glancing my way, whispering nonstop. The murmurs grow louder, loud enough for Jasper, busy helping Adeline with her dress, to look my way. The moment our eyes meet, his face turns pale. He drops Adeline and rushes over, panicked, “Cora, why are you here? Let me explain, it’s not what you think.” I don’t answer, instead slowly rising and twirling in my dress, “Jasper, you said you liked this yesterday, still like it today?” He bites his lip, nervous, whispering, “You’re mistaken, Adeline and I are nothing. I’m not marrying her.” “She’s a signed influencer with a short video company, I’m just helping her film, there’s nothing between us.” He hurriedly pulls out his phone to show me. The account’s real name is Adeline’s. It’s not his. But what does that prove? I didn’t respond. Instead, I lifted my dress and slowly twirled around. “Jasper, you said you liked this outfit yesterday. Do you still like it today?” He bit his lip, looking tense, and whispered, “You’ve got it wrong. There’s nothing between Adeline and me. I didn’t marry her.”

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Every time my sugar daddy husband spent the night at his female assistant’s place, he would gift me a building. In the two years since our marriage, I had acquired 96 commercial properties scattered throughout the city. It also meant that the man had hurt me 96 times. When the 97th property deed was handed to me, his assistant immediately sent me a gloating video. “So what if Nathan gives you money? I’ve got his heart and body. You may be a supermodel, but you can’t even get your own husband to sleep with you, can you?” I didn’t argue with her. Instead, I graciously sent her a set of new Victoria’s Secret lingerie from my latest runway show. When my husband found out about my generous gift, he rewarded me by allowing me to accompany him to a high-society party. During a party game, his assistant lost three times in a row and was dared to lick whipped cream off a playboy’s thigh. She smashed a bottle and held it to her neck, swearing, “Nathan, I’d rather die than let anyone humiliate me like this!” My usually cold-hearted husband suddenly panicked and begged me to take the punishment in his assistant’s place. “It’s just licking some cream. I promise I’ll spend time with you properly after this.” Everyone was waiting to see me make a fool of myself, but I calmly agreed without making a fuss. He didn’t know that this was the 97th time he had hurt me. And I no longer wanted to be his caged bird. I was just waiting to repay the life debt for saving me, and then we would have no more connection.

“Well, well, looks like the supermodel agreed to lick it after all? Nathan sure knows how to handle women!” “What if she doesn’t lick the cream? Are they really going to make Lauren do it? She’s Nathan’s true love!” The mocking laughter around me was deafening, and I felt utterly humiliated standing there. Amidst this nauseating display of arrogance, Nathan crouched in front of Lauren, carefully placing a band-aid on her neck. Then he turned to me with cold eyes: “Sophia, don’t try anything clever. Lauren’s waiting for you to finish so we can continue the game.” Lauren, Lauren… He only cared about Lauren, never once asking if I was willing. He had completely forgotten that I was his wife. He had also forgotten that just a few days ago, I had miscarried because of her, and I was barely able to stand here today. Seeing me hesitate, someone suddenly pushed me: “What are you standing there for? Go lick it! Don’t tell me you’re backing out now?” I stumbled but managed to steady myself. When I looked at Nathan again, his eyes were completely focused on Lauren. “96 times. This is the ninety-sixth time,” I counted silently in my head as I stiffly walked towards the man with whipped cream on his leg, a notorious playboy in our circle. Just as I bent down to kneel, the playboy suddenly grabbed my chin. He looked at Lauren and said, “Miss Lauren, this isn’t right. She lost to me three times. Licking once isn’t enough.” “How about we play ‘stuff the egg’? If you can persuade her to do it, I’ll forget about the punishment.” Stuff the egg? What’s that?! An unnamed fear suddenly surged through me, and I quickly looked towards Nathan. But in the next second, Lauren was already pleading with Nathan, clinging to his arm and pouting: “Nathan, it’s just a dare. Can’t you let your sister-in-law agree just this once?” Seeing Lauren’s small body trembling, Nathan was left with nothing but pity. He looked at me intently: “Sophia, you were willing to lick the cream. So you wouldn’t mind taking on another dare for Lauren, right?” “Yay! Thank you, Nathan!” Lauren jumped up happily, her face full of smugness. Watching Nathan gently pat Lauren’s head with a doting expression, I couldn’t help but laugh at that moment. My dignity had been trampled on, and I had become nothing more than a toy for them to torment and play with. Nathan, how could you be so heartless? How could you still want me to participate in some kind of performance art and be humiliated for her sake? Oh, right, I almost forgot. Lauren was his unattainable moon. He had pursued her for years without success, and then they were separated by their families. Lauren had left the country overnight. Now that he finally had her, of course he would pamper and indulge her every whim. How could I possibly compete? Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I spoke stiffly: “Can that count as one forgiveness voucher?” Forgiveness voucher? The crowd laughed at my strange request, but Nathan put down the hand that had been pampering Lauren and suddenly looked at me. He knew what I was talking about. After a moment, he nodded: “It counts!” I smiled bitterly: “Alright, I agree.” Eight years ago, when I had just entered the modeling world, I was targeted by a big boss and confined on an island. Along with other girls, I became a tool for men to use at their business gatherings. I was lucky. Nathan was the first man I encountered, and he fell in love with me at first sight. For my sake, he took over those men’s businesses, sent them to prison, and saved my life. Later, I found out that it was because my features strongly resembled Lauren’s. On the night I was rescued, I asked him how I could repay this debt of gratitude. His eyes were sincere: “Then marry me.” I pinched him: “I’m serious.” His breathing became ragged as he entangled with me and said: “Then… give me 99 forgiveness vouchers.” “Forgiveness vouchers?” I curiously clung to his body, not understanding. At that moment, he smiled: “Silly girl, if – and I’m just saying if – if one day I hurt you 99 times, I’ll use these vouchers to make you forgive me 99 times. Once the vouchers are used up, this debt will be settled.” For the next five years, he poured resources into making me a supermodel and loved me like a precious jewel. Until two months ago, when Lauren returned to the country. Everything changed. Now it was the 97th time. Just two more times, and my debt would be repaid. We would have no more connection. Seeing Nathan agree, the playboy took me into his private room, a dimly lit chamber covered in silk. The table was full of hard-boiled eggs, and on the floor lay two or three women with disheveled clothes, a rotten smell emanating from beneath them. A chill ran down my spine as I realized with horror what Lauren meant by “stuffing eggs” – they were going to insert them into my private parts. Nathan, who had followed us in, suddenly narrowed his eyes and turned to ask Lauren: “Wasn’t this supposed to be about eating eggs? What’s going on here?” But Lauren ignored him and pushed me forward. “Mr. Seven, Miss Sophia used to be a dancer. I’m sure her flexibility will satisfy you.” “Don’t you want to try it yourself? Push your limits?” As Lauren finished speaking, I was already trembling in terror. I immediately looked to Nathan for help. At least I was still his wife. He had loved me once. Although he had tormented me a lot for Lauren’s sake, he surely wouldn’t hand me over to a pervert to be tortured, right? But to my surprise, Nathan walked to the bar, poured a glass of wine, and shoved it into my hand. “Why don’t you toast Mr. Seven first to liven things up?” Liven things up? Did he want me to entertain them? He… actually agreed? In a daze, I saw Lauren give me a sinister smile. “Sister! Didn’t you hear what Nathan said?” Just as I was looking at Lauren, not knowing what to do, she suddenly kicked me in the knee. In an instant, I lost my balance, and the wine in my hand spilled on the playboy’s face. Then I fell onto the shattered glass, immediately cutting several bloody gashes on my arm. My eyes met the distorted, pale face of the woman on the floor. Lauren’s shrill accusations rang in my ears: “Sister, if you didn’t want to toast, you could have just said so. There’s no need to pretend to be crazy to anger Mr. Seven. Is this how you act as Nathan’s wife? Are you trying to embarrass Nathan?” The playboy’s expression froze for a moment, then he suddenly realized something and stared at me with wide eyes: “You… you’re Nathan’s legendary wife?” I said nothing, just sat on the ground, my body and heart aching almost to the point of suffocation. The playboy reached out to grab my arm, but Nathan immediately seized his wrist. Nathan glanced at my blood-covered face, his eyes suddenly turning gloomy. He gritted his teeth as he looked at the playboy: “Get out!” The playboy was intimidated and had to leave, grumbling under his breath. “Nathan! Are you crazy? If I had known she was your psycho wife, I wouldn’t have touched her!” As the playboy disappeared, I got up to leave, but my arm was once again gripped by a large hand. “Sophia, aren’t you happy now that you don’t have to be punished? Did those two years on the island not teach you how to behave? You only had to toast a drink, and this would have been over. Why did you have to act crazy? You knew that when I asked you to toast, I was trying to end this, didn’t you? Are you that clueless?” Looking at the angry Nathan, I responded with bloodshot eyes. This time, I finally didn’t hold back and retorted: “Nathan! I’m your wife. If you had just made my identity clear, this would have been over just the same.” My words were clear. It was him, he was the one who wanted to play with my vanity to protect Lauren’s face, which is why he never said anything. Caught off guard by my revelation, Nathan felt a bit guilty. Lauren, seeing this, wanted to defend him. But Nathan frowned and spoke up to stop her: “Enough! Shut up and wait for me in the car.” After her footsteps faded away, he sighed: “I’m sorry, but I still need to explain. I really didn’t know what ‘stuffing eggs’ meant. If I had known, I wouldn’t have agreed from the start.” “As for Lauren, I hope you can understand. After all, she just came back to the country and saw that I was marr-” Nathan stopped abruptly, but I could still guess what he was going to say. He wanted to say that Lauren was in a bad mood because she found out he was married, so she deliberately gave me a hard time, and he wanted me to forgive her. Our eyes met, and Nathan seemed to understand the mockery in mine. He sighed again. “Alright, I see you’re hurt. I’ll have the driver take you to the hospital. Lauren’s not in a good state, so I need to check on her. We’ll talk about this when I get back.” Without waiting for my response, he added: “Although you didn’t complete the task, I’ll allow you to count this as one forgiveness voucher.” With that, he turned and left. Watching his retreating figure, I touched my still-bleeding forehead and burst into laughter. But I didn’t care anymore. Just two more times, and once I’ve repaid my debt, I’ll leave. From now on, I won’t suffer his mistreatment anymore.

It was late at night when the driver sent me home. Nathan hadn’t returned, and I didn’t bother to ask. The next day, his assistant brought his gift: two commercial property deeds. He specifically emphasized that one was compensation for forcing me to lick the cream, and the other was an apology for the egg incident. Expressionless, I labeled the deeds with numbers 96 and 97, then carelessly stuffed them into the safe. The maid beside me smiled fondly: “Mr. Nathan really dotes on you, ma’am. He’s been giving gifts more and more frequently.” I smiled without saying a word. She didn’t know that these were just Nathan’s compensations after hurting me each time. Looking at the safe full of property deeds, I knew I would be able to leave soon. But before I left, I just wanted to take one camera with me. It contained things I had to destroy. Nathan was very exploratory when it came to intimate matters, and in the heat of the moment, he would sometimes impulsively record our encounters with a camera. In the past, those videos were just marital intimacy. But now, I didn’t want them to remain. After all, if the videos were leaked, I would be ruined. However, after searching every corner of the room, I couldn’t find that camera. Just as I was about to search again, my agent called, yelling angrily: “Sophia, are you crazy? Look at the internet! Your private photos are everywhere! How dare you accompany other sugar daddies behind Nathan’s back? If you want to die, don’t drag our whole company down with you!” In an instant, my mind exploded, only hearing my agent’s words: “You’d better give me an explanation for the videos online right now! And for Nathan’s fury, or we’ll haunt you even as ghosts!” The call was hung up, and I quickly opened my phone. I saw that the top trending topic was my private video. With bold, explosive text: [Supermodel Sophia Sleeps Her Way to the Top] In it, Nathan’s face was blurred, while mine was clearly visible in the center, flushed with desire. Millions of netizens were online hurling abuse, calling me a slut who slept with multiple sugar daddies for resources, a woman who would sleep with anyone. My legs gave way, and I collapsed to the ground. But in the last moment before I lost strength, I was suddenly caught in Nathan’s strong embrace. “Don’t look at those things. It’s okay, I’ll handle it. Trust me!” The comforting words had barely left his ears when he turned, his face cold, and roared at the room full of people. “Who did this! Tell me! Who did this!” Seeing his unprecedented fury, my eyes suddenly stung with tears. But at the same time, Lauren’s casual voice came from nearby: “Nathan, you mean the videos? I uploaded them!” The arm around my waist suddenly tightened. Nathan and I both looked at Lauren. “Don’t look at me like that! I just happened to see them and thought sister’s body was too amazing to be seen by only you, Nathan. So I took the initiative to share them!” “After all, beautiful things should be enjoyed by everyone, right?” In an instant, blood rushed to my head. I got up to slap Lauren, but Nathan steadily caught my hand. “Sophia! Enough!” I was furious and grief-stricken, shouting: “But she-” Before I could finish, Nathan glanced at the smug Lauren, then turned back to me with a frown: “I’ll help you take down the trending topics. Let’s end this here. Don’t cause trouble for Lauren, okay? You know, after all, she’s also…” “No! Nathan, why should I let it go? She’s ruined my reputation! Why should I let it go?” “I want to sue her for defamation! She must pay the price!” I stared at Nathan with bloodshot eyes, refusing to back down even a little. “Sophia! You-” Nathan took a deep breath, about to persuade me again. But Lauren tugged at Nathan’s sleeve, pretending to sob with reddened eyes: “Nathan! Don’t say anymore. I know I was wrong. Let sister sue me. I shouldn’t have been jealous, jealous that she married you. It was my fault. If only I had persisted back then!” As she spoke, Lauren’s eyes turned red, and she began to cry. “Sister, I really know I was wrong. I’ll kneel and apologize to you. Please don’t make things difficult for Nathan.” “If it makes you happy, I’ll turn myself in right now and help clear your name! At worst, let me be ruined too, but please don’t let this ruin your relationship.” Seeing Lauren about to kneel before me, Nathan’s eyes turned cold again. He said to me in a deep voice: “Sophia! Lauren already knows she was wrong. Let it go.” “Your reputation is already ruined anyway, so why not just quit the industry and enjoy being a rich housewife at home? Isn’t that good?” I was shocked by his blindness, unable to believe he would still indulge her to this extent. I was about to speak again, but in the next second, I received a hard slap across the face, leaving it stinging. His knuckles were red, his breathing rapid, his eyes filled with unprecedented violence. He threw a disclaimer at me: “Be good and sign this. Once the storm blows over, I’ll help you make a comeback.” “But if you dare to report this to the police, don’t even think about stepping out of this door again!” “I won’t sign!” I gritted my teeth, staring at him. But no matter how much I struggled and refused to sign, Nathan forcibly pressed my handprint onto the disclaimer. As I collapsed to the ground, exhausted, A feeling of helplessness and pain that I had never experienced before swept over my entire body, like thousands of needles piercing my heart. They left, but their casual conversation was like poisonous insects crawling into my ears: “Nathan, is sister okay…” “She’s fine. As long as she still wants to make a comeback, she’ll listen to me. At worst…” “I’ll count it as one forgiveness voucher. She still has dozens left, she’ll behave.” No, there aren’t any left. There’s only one more time. Nathan, I won’t be your puppet anymore. After sitting stunned on the ground for a long time, I finally went back to my room and took out my diary. Although everyone says the modeling world isn’t much cleaner than the entertainment industry, I really loved this career. Standing on the runway, bathed in spotlights – that confidence was where I found my value. But now, it had been utterly destroyed. Perhaps even heaven was telling me it was time to go, to not linger anymore. Tears flowing, I wrote down today’s events in the book, ending with the number 98. Every time he hurt me, I would record it in my diary to remind myself not to soften. But Nathan’s voice suddenly came from behind: “What does 98 mean?”

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When I opened my eyes, I found myself kneeling in Ethan’s study. Memories from my past life came flooding back like a tidal wave. The bullet I took for him, his cold smirk as he held his mistress and said “Finally, some peace and quiet” as I lay dying, and the urn of ashes that no one claimed at my cremation. “Sign the divorce papers,” Ethan demanded, tossing the documents in my face. It was the exact same scene from my previous life, but he looked a decade younger now. I lowered my head and chuckled softly, the pen making a decisive arc across the paper. This time, I wouldn’t wait for his driver to run me over before I found my freedom. “Mr. Greene,” I said, pushing the agreement back towards him. I stood up, meeting his shocked gaze. “This time, I’ll be the one to leave you first.” As I turned to go, he suddenly grabbed my wrist with surprising force. “Olivia, what are you—” I pried his fingers off one by one. The touch I had begged for on my knees in my past life now only made me sick. Thunder crashed outside, illuminating the unfamiliar panic in his eyes. How ironic. The glance I would have died for in my previous life came so easily now that I’d been given a second chance.

I strode out of the conference room on the top floor of Greene Enterprises. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of the entire city’s twinkling lights. The pen I’d used to sign the divorce papers was still warm in my hand, the ink barely dry. Ethan sat at the far end of the long table, his long fingers drumming restlessly on the surface as he frowned. “Are you sure about this?” he asked in a low voice, with a hint of hesitation I’d never heard before. I calmly closed the folder, my fingertips trailing over the embossed cover. In my past life, I had knelt right here, begging him for another chance. All I got in return was his look of disgust and the cold words, “Stop embarrassing yourself.” “Absolutely certain,” I said, rising to my feet with a smile. My heels clicked sharply against the marble floor. “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted, Mr. Greene? For me to disappear?” His pupils constricted as he gripped the armrests of his chair. I turned towards the door, but just as I grasped the handle, I heard a chair topple over behind me. “Wait!” Ethan rushed over, his breathing ragged. He reached out as if to grab my wrist, but froze mid-motion. This man, who in my past life wouldn’t even let me touch his sleeve without recoiling, now had a hint of panic in his eyes. “Where…” he swallowed hard. “Where are you going?” I tilted my head, studying him. Suddenly, I found it amusing. In my previous life, he never spared a glance for the dinners I carefully prepared each night. Now he cared about my whereabouts? “To register my own company,” I replied cheerfully. “I’m going to be Greene Enterprises’ newest competitor.” The color drained from his face. I took the opportunity to pull open the conference room door. The secretaries outside immediately lowered their heads, pretending to be busy. Only my assistant Emma hurried over, handing me a file folder. “Ms. Carter, Mr. Zhang from Prosperity Investments has scheduled a meeting with you tomorrow at 10 AM,” she announced loudly. “He says he’s very interested in our new renewable energy project.” I caught Ethan’s head snapping around in my peripheral vision. Feeling pleased, I patted Emma’s shoulder. “Well done.” As the elevator doors closed, I glimpsed Ethan rushing out. His tie was askew and his hair disheveled, a far cry from his usual polished executive look. In my past life, I had loved him so much I was willing to die for him. Now I only felt a bitter irony. In the basement parking garage, my new car was already waiting. A flashy red sports car, completely different from the old sedan he had complained was “too ostentatious” in my previous life. “Take me to Blue Water Bay,” I instructed the driver. It was a villa I had purchased just last week, in a location Ethan knew nothing about. As we pulled out of the underground garage, my phone started buzzing incessantly. Ethan’s name flashed on the screen over and over. I simply turned the device off. Under the night sky, the city’s neon lights streamed past the car windows like flowing water. I opened the window, letting the night breeze blow away the stuffiness in my chest. The scene from my deathbed in my previous life flashed before my eyes again. The harsh white hospital lights, the shrill beeping of the monitors. And Ethan’s smile as he held Sophia, saying “Finally free” with a smirk. My phone suddenly lit up again with a text from an unknown number: “Since when did you start drinking black coffee?” I stared at the seemingly random message, a chill running down my spine. In my past life, I had always pretended to like lattes just like Ethan did, to please him. In this life, I had been drinking only black coffee since the day I was reborn. And the only person who knew about this habit was… Another text popped up: “Last night I dreamed you died.” My fingers trembled uncontrollably. In the distance, the lights on the top floor of Greene Tower were still blazing, like a watchful eye.

I clutched my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white. “Turn around,” I ordered the driver, my voice unnaturally calm. “Back to Harmony Gardens.” That was Ethan’s private villa, a place I never had the privilege of entering in my past life. But this time, I needed to confirm something in person. Had he been reborn too? As the car entered the gated community, rain began pelting the windshield. I had the driver stop by the curb and walked alone towards the familiar building, umbrella in hand. The roses in the garden were in full bloom – the ones I had secretly planted in my past life but never dared to claim credit for. After the third ring of the doorbell, Ethan answered the door himself. His shirt collar was wide open, his hair a mess and dripping wet. He clutched a half-empty bottle of whiskey. The moment he saw me, the bottle crashed to the floor with a loud “thud”, amber liquid seeping into the carpet. “You really came,” he said hoarsely, his eyes swirling with emotions I had never seen before. “Just like in the dream…” Rainwater slid down the umbrella ribs, forming a transparent curtain between us. I met his gaze steadily. “You dreamed I died?” He suddenly gripped my shoulders, his fingers digging in painfully: “It wasn’t just a dream! I remember every second – you jumping in front of the bullet, your blood splattering on my face…” His voice began to shake. “I remember holding Sophia and saying… saying…” “That you were finally free,” I finished calmly, watching the color drain from his face. “So you’ve been reborn too.” Those words seemed to flip a switch. Ethan suddenly collapsed to his knees on the wet ground. The rain soaked through his shirt, outlining his gaunt frame. The ever-lofty Mr. Greene from my past life now looked as wretched as a beggar. “Olivia, I—” “Shut up.” I took a step back, the umbrella rim blocking his pleading gaze. “Ethan Greene, did you think being reborn was your chance for redemption?” Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating his ashen face. I leaned down close to his ear and whispered: “No. This is my chance for revenge.” As I turned to leave, he lunged forward and clung to my legs: “At least tell me, that bullet…” “Didn’t hit any vital organs,” I said, shaking off his hands. “But you had the hospital withdraw my life support.” His wails were drowned out by a clap of thunder. I walked towards the waiting car in the rain, never looking back. My phone lit up then with a message from my assistant: “Ms. Carter, we’ve confirmed that Sophia started transferring Greene Corp funds to offshore accounts last month.” I smirked. Look, Ethan. The woman you protected with your life in the past is already preparing to betray you. And this time, I’ll personally send you both to hell.

I sat in the car, raindrops blurring the windows. Ethan’s figure grew smaller in the rain, eventually disappearing from view. The driver glanced at me cautiously in the rearview mirror. “Where to now, Ms. Carter?” “The office,” I said, scrolling through the files my assistant had sent. A cold smile played on my lips. “And set up a meeting with Sophia for me.” At 2 AM, the lights in my office were still on. On the computer screen: Sophia’s bank statements for the past three months, photos of her secret meetings, even email exchanges with Greene Corp’s competitors – everything was laid out clearly before me. This woman who had caused my miserable death in my past life was now walking step by step into the trap I had set. “Ms. Carter, Miss Evans has arrived,” my assistant knocked and announced. I closed my laptop and looked up towards the door. Sophia wore a white sundress, her makeup impeccable, her eyes carrying that same air of innocence and vulnerability as always. She bit her lower lip, timidly speaking up: “Olivia, you wanted to see me?” In my past life, it was this exact damsel-in-distress act that had Ethan wrapped around her finger. I smiled faintly, gesturing for her to sit. “I hear you and Ethan have been getting quite close lately?” A flash of pride crossed her eyes before she quickly concealed it. “Ethan just… looks out for me, that’s all.” “Is that so?” I slid a folder across the desk to her. “Then do you know he’s been investigating your transfer of company funds?” The color drained from Sophia’s face in an instant. She abruptly stood up, her chair scraping harshly against the floor. “What are you talking about?!” I calmly flipped open the folder, my finger tapping on the numbers: “Thirty million, transferred to offshore accounts. What do you think Ethan’s reaction would be if he found out?” Her fingers clutched her skirt tightly, knuckles turning white. “What… what do you want?” I stood up, looking down at her: “It’s simple,” I said softly. “I want you to continue.” Three days later, Greene Enterprises’ stock price plummeted. Following my plan, Sophia frantically cashed out Greene Corp assets, even going so far as to forge Ethan’s signature. Meanwhile, Ethan, the man who had been so cold and heartless in my past life, was now frantically searching for me like a madman. My phone was flooded with his calls, his car perpetually parked outside my office building. He even started sending flowers to my office every day, with cards that simply read “I’m sorry.” Too little, too late. “Ms. Carter, Greene Corp has applied for emergency loans from the banks,” my assistant reported. “But regarding Sophia…” “Keep going,” I said, not looking up as I signed documents. “Have her transfer that final sum as well.” My assistant hesitated for a moment: “But… if Greene Corp really goes bankrupt, the shares you still hold…” I chuckled softly: “Who cares about that bit of money?” What I wanted was for Ethan to lose everything. Just like I had in my past life. A month later, Greene Enterprises officially announced the breakdown of its capital chain. I stood in a coffee shop across from Greene Tower, watching as Ethan was surrounded by reporters. He had lost a lot of weight, his suit hanging loosely on his frame, dark circles prominent under his eyes. A reporter asked sharply: “Mr. Greene, we’ve heard this crisis is related to your fiancée, Sophia Evans?” Ethan’s head snapped up, his gaze fierce: “She is not my fiancée.” “Then was your divorce from Olivia Carter also for Miss Evans’ sake?” His expression crumbled instantly. I set down my coffee cup and turned to leave. Suddenly, a commotion broke out behind me, followed by Ethan’s heart-wrenching cry: “Olivia!” I didn’t look back. It started to rain. I opened my umbrella and walked into the crowd. In this life, I had finally learned to leave without a backward glance.

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My husband’s rehabilitation center went bankrupt, and we owe millions in penalties for breach of contract. I left my kids with my parents and started working two jobs every day. Three years later, when I finally saved enough to pay off the penalty and went to the hospital, I saw Ezra nonchalantly sitting in the director’s chair. The director and head nurse, who always targeted me, were flattering him: “Director, Dr. Nora has been working extremely hard lately. She just completed a 48-hour shift without sleep.” “She mentioned taking a vacation yesterday, saying she was unwell. Should we approve it?” Ezra’s voice was lazy and indifferent: “Isn’t she obsessed with money? How can she even think about taking a break?” “We just admitted a few patients today. Let her take care of them.” Adeline raised her eyebrows, acting playfully: “Honey~ I booked tickets for you and our son. How about going to the Maldives next week?” Ezra pulled her into his arms, kissed her hair, and instructed: “Schedule all of Adeline’s surgeries for the next couple of days to Nora. Don’t let her have any downtime.” I shakily pulled out the late-stage stomach cancer diagnosis from my pocket, tears streaming down. — After Ezra’s rehabilitation center went bankrupt, I gave up a stable director position and chose the hospital that was Ezra’s biggest creditor. Because I needed money, I converted all my benefits into salary and performed intense surgeries every day. After work, I took on extra shifts as a hospital orderly. But I never expected Ezra to be the director of this private hospital. The realization hit me, and despair almost swallowed me whole. The Mediterranean Fake Director flattered: “Director, you’re really good with women, even someone as stubborn as Nora is compliant under your influence!” The head nurse rolled her eyes: “What nonsense! Our director only has eyes for Dr. Adeline. Nora’s like a clingy plaster that can’t be removed!” Adeline, hearing this, leaned into Ezra’s embrace, acting all aggrieved: “Ezra, if it weren’t for my mom forcing me to marry that old man, you wouldn’t have married someone else out of spite and had two kids with her.” Ezra and I were both graduate students under the same mentor. Many girls pursued Ezra, but he chose me. He was gentle and attentive, treating me like a princess. Whenever I couldn’t handle the high workload, it was those memories that kept me going. Later, I secured a position at a public hospital, and he inherited the family rehabilitation center. After the center went bankrupt, we shared the debt. While he smoked and drank at home, I endured the director’s anger and humiliation at the hospital. He once messaged me about ending his life, and I rushed home, covered in patient waste, to save him. I used my shoulder to support our crumbling home. But now, I feel like a walking joke. In my despair, a former colleague called: “Nora, did you come to the hospital today?” I forced a smile, harder than crying: “Just felt like visiting old friends.” His voice was as loud as ever: “Nora! You’re still so stubborn! You were like this in school, and still are. Why didn’t you tell me you have cancer? I have the latest technology here! Get everything arranged and come here for treatment!” I paused, then softly replied: “Okay.” I stood up, adjusted myself, and opened the door. Ezra had already taken off his lab coat, revealing a cheap shirt underneath. Seeing me, he looked guilty. “Nora, I’m sorry. You’ve worked so hard on surgeries, but this money ended up filling an endless pit for me.” The fake director sneered: “Your rehabilitation project cost us so much. If it weren’t for Dr. Nora, we wouldn’t have let you drag it out this long!” The head nurse praised me: “There aren’t many wives like Dr. Nora who can share hardships these days!” Adeline looked me up and down: “Dr. Nora, I admire how energetic you are. Surgeries by day, patient care by night, and still looking so satisfied.” She gasped, covering her mouth with a laugh: “The senior ward patients are all fighting for Dr. Nora’s service. I heard some sell themselves for dirty money. Dr. Nora, are you one of those?” I stared at Adeline, shocked at her slander. Ezra’s face turned grim, pointing at me and shouting: “Nora! You didn’t really do that for money, did you?” — A metallic taste rose in my throat, and I couldn’t help but spit out blood. The disdain in Ezra’s eyes shattered my heart. Trembling, I handed him a bank card, hoping he would at least treat our children well after my death. Our issues don’t matter, but the kids are innocent. Ezra snatched the card from me and handed it to the fake director. “Director, check this. Nora said there’s a million in it. While we’ve paid back a third, we still owe two million. We’ll pay it next year.” I was stunned. Ezra had told me we only owed a million. How did it suddenly become three million? And all due in a year—does he think I’m a miracle worker? After a look from Ezra, the fake director passed the card to Adeline. “Dr. Nora, didn’t you know? Our hospital’s big boss is actually Dr. Adeline. I’ve heard you’ve argued with her over trivial matters. If you apologize, maybe your request for a raise will go through.” Adeline smirked: “Dr. Nora is a pillar of our hospital. I wouldn’t dare ask her to apologize.” “But I heard an old man, Mr. Lin, in the senior ward is looking for a woman to have his child for a high price. Since you’re so short on money, why not give it a try?” Ezra’s urging and their mockery filled my ears. My heart ached unbearably. Ezra’s past care and love weren’t fake. He even gave up a chance for a position for me. The Ezra family is a prestigious one with complex relations. His mother died early, and his father married a woman only ten years older than him. In anger, he left home. It was only on our wedding day that I met his father. Feeling Ezra’s affection for him, I spent months mending their relationship. After graduation, he worked at the rehabilitation center. During that time, Ezra was busy with work, and his patience with me waned. I met Adeline at a business banquet. She was Ezra’s stepmother’s daughter’s friend. The two, arm in arm, drew everyone’s attention. Ezra’s stepsister was like a radiant rose, thorny yet alluring. Adeline, true to her name, was soft and pure, like a little angel. When she learned I was a medical student with a position at the third hospital, her admiring eyes softened me. But as we interacted, I sensed something off between her and Ezra. She stayed over at our place but would come out in the middle of the night undressed for water. When I complained to Ezra, he looked helpless: “Adeline’s just like that. But she’s pure-hearted, no ill intentions.” At a birthday party, she accidentally fell into the water, and he pushed me aside to give her CPR. Even after she regained consciousness, they kissed and embraced, ignoring everyone. Seeing Ezra’s growing obsession with her, I stopped taking birth control, gave up promotion opportunities, and had twins for him. I thought this would keep him by my side. My father-in-law was thrilled, promising a two-million reward. Ezra was busy with work, only returning home for the kids’ full moon celebration. After that, he came home daily, thinking of the kids. Later, when my father-in-law passed, the rehabilitation center went bankrupt, and our lives hit rock bottom. Only today did I realize everything was by Ezra’s design. At this moment, Ezra whispered, trying to retreat strategically: “Nora, maybe I should go to prison. I’ve seen your struggles over the years, but two million is no small sum… I owe you and the kids.” In the past, I’d have encouraged him like a little sun. But today, I remained silent. He panicked, tightly gripping my hand: “Nora, maybe you should beg Adeline. I don’t mind going to prison, but you’re already thirty-five. Once you leave this hospital, no one will want you.” “Even if not for yourself, think of the kids. Kneeling is just a gesture. Pride doesn’t fill your stomach.” Kneeling? Tears streamed uncontrollably. To him, am I just a plaything or a beast without dignity? Wiping my tears, I turned and left. When Ezra and I first came to the hospital, laden with debt, we couldn’t afford rent. The hospital kindly assigned me a single dorm. Passing by Adeline’s room, I suddenly remembered accidentally entering it before and seeing familiar items. — Ezra is obsessive about certain things. His razors, skincare products, and other personal items are always the same brand. To ease the awkwardness, I casually chatted with Adeline: “Didn’t expect your husband to like these brands too, just like Ezra.” She laughed: “Yeah, I gave those to him when we were dating. He said it wouldn’t be the same with other brands.” Passing by Adeline’s dorm, I was suddenly reminded of the time I mistakenly entered the wrong room and saw those all-too-familiar items. Ezra has a peculiar attachment to certain brands. His razor, skincare products, and other personal items are always from the same line. To break the ice back then, I started chatting with Adeline: “I didn’t realize your husband likes these brands too, just like Ezra.” She laughed, “Yes, I gave them to him when we were dating, and he’s been a fan ever since. He says nothing else feels quite right.” Now, putting everything together, my composure was shattered. Because the dorm bed was too small, he would only sleep with me once a week. Sometimes, after performing a surgery, I’d see him emerge from the shower with a lingering look of desire, and I’d feel guilty. They deliberately left things unspoken, perhaps for the thrill of it all, or maybe waiting to see when I’d catch on! Ezra came back to the dorm just as I was about to leave. His face was conflicted, “Nora, I’m sorry for all you’ve been through.” “But remember how kind Adeline and the others have been to you. You shouldn’t be ungrateful.” I laughed bitterly and pushed him hard, “Ezra, stop pretending. Do you enjoy making a fool of me?” He was startled, then chuckled softly, “You finally figured it out? I thought you’d only realize when Adeline and I were right in front of you. Nora, are you really that naive, or are you just playing dumb?” He grabbed my chin and forced me against the wall, “Aren’t you supposed to be a little ray of sunshine? Can you still shine now? Nora, you make me sick!” I stared at him blankly, unable to grasp his words. He bit my lip harshly and whispered, “Aren’t you the saint who loves saving the world? The hospital needs funds now, so why not offer your body to help?” I was already humiliated, but his words cut even deeper. I grew up in a traditional setting, always obedient and never causing trouble for my parents or teachers. Every setback, I overcame on my own. I was always strong, confident, sunny, and kind. But hearing “saint,” “saving the world,” and “angel” from Ezra felt incredibly ironic. When he was bullied, I stood up for him. When his father passed away, I supported him like a pillar. I encouraged him, even treating him like a child. And this is what I get? I struggled desperately to break free from his hold. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder, and then everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a VIP hospital room. As Mr. Lin leered at me, I heard Ezra and Adeline talking outside the door. “Ezra, are we really doing the right thing? Nora is still your wife.” Ezra replied coldly, “Adeline, don’t you know who she is by now? She’s greedy, jealous, selfish, and manipulative. She’s brought this on herself.” “Isn’t she the saint who loves to help? The hospital is in trouble, so she should help.” Suddenly, a sharp pain hit my stomach, and I uncontrollably vomited blood. My heart sank, and my life was slipping away. “Ezra, if there’s a next life, I never want to meet you again.” My vomiting scared Mr. Lin. “Doctor! Nurse! Someone’s vomiting blood!” Ezra heard the commotion and instinctively pushed the door open. He anxiously approached Mr. Lin, asking if he was unwell. Mr. Lin gestured for him to look at me. The blood on the white sheets made him frown. “Nora, did you steal blood bags from the hospital?” I laughed bitterly at his accusation, “Ezra, is it really that hard to confirm I’m vomiting blood?” He seemed to find it laughable, “You’re trying to imitate Adeline again? With your health, saying you have a terminal illness would be more believable. Stop pretending!” Adeline was frail, frequently falling ill. When we were on good terms, I accompanied her to the hospital during my breaks. She said it was a congenital issue, and I even learned some traditional medicine to help her. Adeline was grateful, saying I treated her better than her own mother and promised to always be friends. But how did she repay me? By repaying my husband with her body? Adeline reminded Mr. Lin, “Mr. Lin, you’re in the late stages of stomach cancer. Time is running out. Don’t you want to have a child soon? Don’t waste time.” Mr. Lin’s face wrinkled into a frown. “Dr. Adeline, I do like Dr. Nora, but she’s in such poor health now, and she’s unwilling. Maybe we should drop it.” Ezra wrapped an arm around Adeline’s waist, indifferent, “Dr. Nora always acts. When she says no, she means yes. When she says she doesn’t want it, she wants it. Mr. Lin, you won’t get another chance like this.” Adeline placed Mr. Lin’s hand on my chest, persuading him, “Mr. Lin, Dr. Nora’s family has twins. Don’t you want a boy and a girl at once?” Listening to their conversation, I felt like I was in an icehouse. I tried to run but Ezra shoved me hard, and I hit the wall with my head. My already weak body had no strength to fight back. I could only watch as my clothes were torn, Mr. Lin’s body blocking my view. “What are you doing?” Before losing consciousness, I heard a familiar voice. In my daze, I saw my former colleague, Jasper, punch Ezra to the ground. Ezra hadn’t even reacted when Jasper cursed, “You scumbag! Heartless jerk! Nora marrying you was the worst luck. She must owe you from a past life to deserve this! Get lost, I’m taking her away!” Ezra’s voice was filled with anger, “Jasper! Nora is my wife. What right do you have to take her?” Jasper replied furiously, word by word, “Because I’m her attending physician. The patient entrusted me with treating her cancer. Is that reason enough for you?” I’m sorry, but the text you want translated isn’t available. Could you please provide the text you need translated? Upon noticing Ezra’s changing expression, Jasper continued: “I knew Nora wouldn’t tell you about her health! She’s been sacrificing her sleep for years just to make money. I warned her that health is the real wealth, but she wouldn’t listen. She wanted you to move on quickly so your burden would lessen.” “Your beloved is in your arms, but she only has a few days left due to her terminal illness. Does that make you happy?” Ezra’s face turned dark. Then, sarcastically clapping, he mocked: “Nora, isn’t it enough for you to put on a show alone? Now you’re bringing in your lover to help? Are you paying him, or did you sell yourself to make him perform so eagerly?”

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Married to the Boston Monk for three years, he has always been gentle and considerate, but he won’t break his vows to consummate our marriage. Until his adopted daughter, Annie, ten years younger than him, fell seriously ill and urgently needed a kidney transplant. The usually aloof and proud man knelt before me, pleading. “As long as you’re willing to donate a kidney to Annie, I’ll agree to anything you want!” My heart felt like it was being torn apart, yet I smiled and pinched his chin. “I’ll give you the kidney you need, but what will you give me in return?” He stood up, embraced me, and pushed me onto the bed, closing his eyes as if he were making a noble sacrifice, and kissed my lips. What I had longed for was now within reach, yet I found it utterly uninteresting. I pushed away his strong chest. “Gideon, who are you doing this for? I’m not that desperate!” I irritably lit a cigarette, adjusted my slipping lace strap, and parted my red lips slightly: “Let’s get a divorce, Gideon. I’m tired.” “And honestly, your kissing skills are terrible. I’m not satisfied at all!” Gideon looked at me, speechless and shocked. Just then, I received a message from my nemesis, Phoenix, on my phone. “How did it go? Did you succeed?” “You win. Once I’m divorced, I’ll go abroad with you!” 0

A week ago, Gideon’s adopted daughter, Cora, fainted from heatstroke after surfing and urgently needed a kidney transplant. The little girl clung to Gideon, tearfully pleading: “Uncle, please let me have the surgery right away. I don’t want to become ugly. If I do, I’d rather die immediately!” The usually composed Gideon was shaken, almost losing his balance: “What nonsense are you talking about? As long as I’m here, nothing will happen to you. Don’t say such things again.” But Cora has an extremely rare blood type, making it nearly impossible to find a suitable kidney donor. Cora’s eyes turned to me, scheming: “Auntie, aren’t you also a rare blood type? Can’t you give me a kidney?” She said it so lightly, as if she were asking for a common toy. I looked up at Gideon, expecting him to dissuade her from making such an unreasonable request. But he didn’t even glance at me; he just gently caressed Cora’s head with gentle eyes. “Don’t worry, leave everything to me.” I never expected he would get me drunk and forcibly conduct a compatibility test. That day was my birthday, and Cora dragged him to Disneyland early in the morning for a Halloween event. I didn’t expect Gideon to come back to celebrate my birthday with me. Just because Annie loves Halloween the most, I lost the right to celebrate my birthday. But who knew he would come home early and even brought me a pair of diamond earrings. He took the wine glass from my hand, opened a bottle of red wine with a pop, and under the light, the man looked as gentle as jade, his deep eyes filled with tenderness. He poured another glass of wine, drank it from where my lip print was on the glass. “Happy birthday, Lydia!” My heart pounded, staring at his lips and the movement of his Adam’s apple, my thoughts scattered. Then his warm hand touched my earlobe, putting the diamond earrings on me. He looked at me seriously, “Lydia, you’re really beautiful!” I don’t remember much of what happened after that. I only remember that although I could drink a lot without getting drunk, I passed out after just two with him. When I woke up again, I was in the hospital, and the stark white surroundings filled me with panic. I remembered Cora’s covetous eyes and her words, “Can’t you give me a kidney?” With trembling fingers, I touched my abdomen, and only when I felt my smooth skin did my heart settle back into my chest. Gideon was at my bedside, gently touching my head when he saw I was awake. “Thank goodness, you’re awake.” “I made you some hangover soup and pork congee with century egg. Alcohol is hard on the stomach, you need to take care of your body for Annie.” I lowered my eyes to the congee, which didn’t even have a shred of ginger, feeling more and more irritated. He remembered all my preferences, but only for Annie! He picked up the bowl to feed me, as if he hadn’t been the one to drug me. I pushed the bowl away, smashing it, and removed the earrings, tossing them aside. With red eyes, I questioned the man before me, “Isn’t there anything you want to say to me? Is this your birthday gift to me?” He looked down guiltily, avoiding my gaze. “You know I can’t refuse Annie.” “Her mother saved my life, Annie only has me.” So, you can’t refuse Annie, and you’re prepared to sacrifice me? My voice trembled, unwilling to give in as I pressed on, “Don’t I have any life-saving grace for you?” I touched a scar on my arm, “Did you forget? When the Wesley Family home caught fire, it was me who saved you!” “Annie only has you, but don’t I also only have you?” Last year, when my mother passed away, he made a vow in front of her shrine, promising never to let me down. But now? I trembled as I walked towards Gideon. “What next? If the match is successful, are you going to take my kidney without my consent?” “Gideon, what do you take me for?” 0

He clutched his prayer beads tightly, a flicker of guilt crossing his eyes before returning to normal. “Your match with Annie is perfect, the transplant can be done immediately, Annie can’t wait any longer.” “I’ll hire the best doctors, you won’t feel any pain.” “I know this is cruel to you, tell me, what do you want? I’ll give you anything, just agree to give Annie a kidney…” “I’ll compensate you for your kindness to me.” He seemed to realize how excessive his request was, lowering his head, his voice getting softer. I let out a bitter laugh, Annie, it’s always Annie. Out of spite, I said, “Alright, if you’re willing to go to such lengths for your little adopted daughter, will you also agree to spend a night with me?” Hearing my words, his chest heaved violently, his previously emotionless eyes filled with shock. He sighed helplessly, “Lydia, don’t be unreasonable. The three-year vow isn’t up yet, I can’t break it. I’ll give you three days to think it over.” He turned and walked away, hesitating at the door: “Except for that, I can give you anything else.” But, Gideon, I don’t want anything else. I just want your love. Don’t you really know that? With a bang, the door closed, separating Gideon and me into two worlds. Like this three-year marriage, always respectful but never close, I never entered his heart. After leaving the hospital, I had nowhere to go, so I called some girlfriends to go to a bar. Since marrying Gideon, he said he was devoted to Buddhism, promising his mentor to return to secular life in three years. So everything at home followed the monastery’s rules, and I too followed a vegetarian diet for three years, never stepping into a place of entertainment, just to make him happy. But now, I feel like none of it matters anymore, I took off the light purple linen dress that suited Gideon’s taste. I changed into a wine-red sequin dress, painted on my favorite bright red lipstick, like a red rose blooming in the dark. My girlfriends surrounded me, teasing: “Oh, isn’t this our darling Lydia? How do you have time to join us today?” “Is Wesley letting you off the hook?” “It’s been ages since we last met, you better treat us today!” … I laughed and agreed, but inside, there was a bitter taste. Back then, I pursued Gideon passionately, finally marrying him, living a secluded life with him after marriage. Outsiders thought we were deeply in love, but little did they know he never touched me, and now he wants to forcibly take my kidney for his adopted daughter. I bitterly downed the whiskey in my glass, the alcohol burning my throat as past scenes replayed in my mind. When did I start liking Gideon? Maybe it was when I was 18, when the Nelson Family and Wesley Family elders planned a lake outing together. Phoenix and I were playfully fighting on the boat and accidentally fell into the water, he saved me in his white clothes. When my mother scolded me, he stood up for me, “Kids are bound to be playful, don’t scold her.” Or maybe it was when he happened to pass by and saved my little cat, Buddy, carefully wiping its blood with a handkerchief. Or maybe because every time he saw me, he would smile and call me Lydia with the gentlest eyes… I lost my father young, and my mother became more and more fierce and aggressive to support the vast Nelson Corporation, being very strict with me too. In my life, I had never met someone so gentle. But this gentle and respectful Gideon would become unprincipled and ruthless when it came to Cora. Even I wouldn’t be an exception. At this moment, my phone chimed with a message from Gideon, repeatedly asking where I was. As if he really cared about me. Does he care about me, or is he caring about my kidney for Cora? 0 Feeling restless, I grabbed a friend’s hand and headed to the center of the dance floor. The lights shone on my red dress as I danced, and for a moment, I became the center of attention. Many eyes watched me, exclamations echoing around. Voices shouted enthusiastically, “Sister, look at me!” “Sister, look at me!” … Just then, my gaze was drawn to a man in black casual wear not far away. He was wearing sunglasses and a mask, looking towards the dance floor. After three years of living together, I recognized him instantly, it was Gideon. But why would he, who always preferred quiet, come to a place like this? I thought of the concerned messages on my phone, a hint of joy in my heart, and was about to call his name. But then I saw him walk straight to a spot behind me. There, in the booth, dressed provocatively, Cora was with three male models. “Sis, look at me!”

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I have been married to Declan for three years, but he refuses to sleep in the same bed as me. This is all because his female friend, Daphne, cannot have children. “Daphne’s health is poor. Do you really want her to watch us live happily as a family of three? That’s too cruel!” I kept compromising until Daphne’s birthday, when Declan, after drinking, suggested we sleep together. I was overjoyed, and for three whole days and nights, my body bore the marks of our passion. Not long after, I discovered I was pregnant. Excitedly, I took the report to show him, only to find them watching a short video, and the woman in the video was me! “Declan, how could you be so callous?” “Declan, you’re unbelievably generous.” This was all part of a bet proposed by Daphne. Whoever’s child I conceived first would have to buy her a diamond ring worth millions. Their attitude made me furious. The next day, Declan received a letter. I’m pregnant. Looking at the ultrasound report, I was overwhelmed with joy. This was our first child after three years of marriage. Declan had never wanted to share a bed with me, let alone have a child. Now that we had this love’s fruit, I thought he’d be happy too. I quickly dialed his number, but it was busy. As I wondered why, the phone rang again. When I answered, I heard Declan’s slightly breathless voice. “What’s up?” He sounded displeased, as if I had interrupted something important. “I just left the hospital. I have good news to share.” “Whatever it is, tell me at home.” He was in a hurry, and I could hear a soft female voice in the background. “Are you with Daphne?” I frowned and asked. A long silence followed, and then Declan finally responded. “No, Theo and the others are here.” I let out a small “oh,” feeling somewhat annoyed. Declan didn’t seem to care about my matters, not even asking why I went to the hospital. “Alright, I’ve got to go. We have something to discuss.” Before I could say more, he hastily hung up. Gripping the report, I skeptically took a cab to his company. Before marrying me, Declan had a close-knit circle of friends for ten years, from high school till now. Theo and Daphne were part of it. I remember Daphne well because Declan wouldn’t have kids with me because of her. Daphne, due to her reckless youth and multiple abortions, was nearly infertile. The group vowed not to have kids to accommodate her. I vaguely recall arguing with Declan about kids, and he always mentioned her. “I don’t understand. Why does Daphne’s inability to have kids concern you?” “Daphne’s health is poor. Do you really want her to watch us live happily as a family of three? That’s too cruel!” Declan spoke firmly and decisively. No matter how much I pleased him after marriage, he remained indifferent, even sleeping in separate rooms from me. As a woman, I understood Daphne’s feelings. She liked Declan. Because of her poor background and unclean past, the Declan family would never allow her in, so she was jealous and even hated me. I only learned this after marrying Declan. I loved him, so I chose to compromise for our marriage. “Ma’am, we’ve arrived,” the driver’s gentle voice brought me back to reality. I protected my belly and prepared to get out. Before reaching Declan’s office, I heard laughter inside. “Look at this part. It’s too intense, like she’s trying to please us.” “You don’t get it. The best part is when she’s on top. The way she moves is incredible.” I frowned, listening to their banter, and heard faint moans mixed in their laughter. My ears burned with anger. In broad daylight, they were watching short videos in the office! I was about to push the door open when a clear voice interrupted. “Stop watching. It’s just Genevieve. What’s so interesting?” I stopped. It was Daphne’s voice, familiar because she often called Declan late at night. “You have to admit, Genevieve has a great figure! No wonder so many chased after her.” “So what? In the end, she still ended up with us. But Declan, you’re generous to share your wife.” My expression froze, mouth agape in disbelief, like a plaster statue struck by lightning, even my eyelashes trembling in shock. I stiffly turned my eyes, peeking through the blinds. The woman in the video they played was me!

I stumbled back, hitting the wall, my fingers digging into the plaster unconsciously. How could this be happening? How could I be in the video? My head throbbed, the video like invisible hands draining my strength, making my legs weak. “Declan, you’re so indifferent, holding back for so long!” “Declan, you’re generous to share her with us.” “Gotta admit, Genevieve’s something else.” Declan only bowed his head, smiling faintly at their praise. “As long as everyone’s having fun.” Daphne giggled, her voice sharp and cutting. “She wanted to sleep with Declan, didn’t she? If she’s so desperate for men, she should be satisfied.” Daphne’s words hit like a bolt from the blue, making it clear to me. During those three days and nights, they switched people! I remembered clearly; it was Declan’s first time not holding back. For the sake of the child, to please him, I did everything I could to satisfy him. Midway, he blindfolded me with a red silk ribbon. I thought he was seeking thrills, not realizing it was then they switched! I gasped, clutching my collar to release some of the suffocating pressure. “Don’t forget our bet.” Daphne’s tinkling laughter came again, her boneless wrist resting on Declan’s shoulder. “Whoever’s child is in her belly must buy me that diamond ring worth millions.” She cooed, while the men waved their hands, saying millions were nothing, they’d buy it for their group favorite, even if it cost billions. Their raucous laughter was deafening. I leaned against the wall, my stomach suddenly convulsing, retching on the floor. Saliva mixed with bile dripped onto the tiles. My fingers twitched uncontrollably, unable to hold the report. The door suddenly opened, and Daphne exclaimed. “Genevieve! What are you doing here!”

Declan was the first to run out, seeing me in distress, retching on the floor, without a word of concern. “When did you get here?” I glared at him with hatred, my eyes red. Just seeing them made me feel sick, and without a word, I stood and ran out. I didn’t know how I got home, my face streaked with dried tears. Once home, I continued retching over the toilet. I knelt, crying my heart out, recalling Declan’s promises on our wedding day. Now they seemed like a joke. He could ignore me for Daphne, and to please her, let his friends humiliate me like this! Treating me like an object to be given away. Exhausted from crying, I dragged my weak body to the bedroom. I knew only my parents could help me now. They initially opposed my marriage to Declan, thinking his family only wanted our power. I ignored their objections and insisted on marrying this devil. After the wedding, though they complained, they still helped Declan’s family. Without me, Declan wouldn’t be as successful as he is now. I clenched my fists, hatred searing through my veins, burning my insides. I gritted my teeth and called my parents. “How dare he treat you like this! That bastard!” My mom was furious but immediately comforted me. “Don’t worry, Genevieve. Mom and Dad will make him pay, we’ll get justice for you!” Tears streamed from my eyes, regretting my poor judgment. After calming me, my parents sent a divorce agreement to my email. The terms would make Declan’s life miserable, but it still didn’t satisfy me. It wasn’t enough; none of them could get away with this. Suddenly, I heard a noise at the entrance. I quickly closed the email. “Genevieve.” Declan called coldly, throwing the pregnancy report on the floor. “Why did you come back alone after finding out you’re pregnant? Don’t you know how dangerous that is? What if something happened to the child…” “Are you worried about the child, or worried your bet might not go through?” I cut off his self-righteous lecture, smirking as I looked up at him. “So you heard. Well, let’s be clear. If the child is mine, I’ll take responsibility. If not, don’t blame me for being ruthless. After all, you willingly threw yourself at us.” His tone was impatient, his face showing disgust, as if he found me dirty. “Declan, you’ll regret this.” I said through clenched teeth, my knuckles white. “I don’t have time to argue with you. Now that you know, let’s go to the hospital for a paternity test.” With that, he ignored my weakened state, dragging me toward the hospital. “Are you crazy!” “I see you’ve heard everything, so let’s get straight to the point. If the child you’re carrying is mine, I’ll naturally take responsibility. But if it’s not, you have only yourself to blame for what’s to come.” His tone was impatient, his face twisted with disgust, as if I was something dirty. “Declan, you’ll regret this.” I said through gritted teeth, my knuckles whitening as I clenched my fists. “I don’t have time for arguments. Since you know the situation, let’s go to the hospital for a paternity test now.” Ignoring my weakened state, he dragged me towards the hospital. “Are you insane?” I struggled desperately to break free, but the difference in strength was too great. I was forcibly dragged to the hospital by him. “Doctor, we’re here for a paternity test.” The doctor looked at Declan with concern, kindly advising, “I see your wife is newly pregnant. A paternity test this early could harm the fetus. Even if you’re anxious, you should wait at least six months.” Declan ignored the doctor’s advice, insisting firmly, “I want it done now. If your hospital can’t do it, then it might as well close down.” Declan’s family was an emerging power, aided by our family, and many feared him. The doctor, trembling, couldn’t oppose Declan and instructed the on-duty nurse to take me to the relevant department. “Hold on.” Declan suddenly interrupted. “Test these two brothers as well. The child in her belly could belong to any of us.” The doctor was stunned, unsure how to respond. Declan spoke about it so casually, as if discussing something mundane. “Damn, this woman gets around.” “Slut, shameless!” “How much do you think she charges? Is five hundred enough?” “Forget it, she might even pay you instead!” The middle-aged men in the hospital leered at me, their lewd stares making me nauseous. I leaned against the wall, retching. “Stop pretending.” Daphne walked over, arms crossed, arrogantly pulling my hair. “You bitch, hurry up and get the paternity test done. Don’t make Declan wait.” Daphne laughed triumphantly, seeing me humiliated was her favorite thing. “You’re so filthy. Let’s see if Declan’s family will accept you as a daughter-in-law. By then, the position of Declan’s wife will be mine.” She whispered disdainfully in my ear. I smirked, straightening up. “Daphne, you’re pathetic. Even if Declan and I divorce, you’ll never get your chance. After all, Declan’s family won’t accept a woman who can’t have children.” “Genevieve!” Daphne’s eyes turned vicious, enraged by my words. She yanked my hair back hard and punched me in the stomach. “You can give birth, so what? You’ve been with so many men, and this child is a bastard. Declan won’t let a bastard into his family!” I no longer felt pain, just laughed madly like a lunatic. “Daphne, you’re just jealous of me. Even if you plot against me, I still have a chance to bear Declan’s child, but you can only be a hidden mistress your whole life!” Daphne stomped in frustration, her eyes like blades trying to pierce me. “You’re just a lapdog! Just wait, I’ll show you how much Declan loves me!” With that, I slapped myself and pretended to fall to the ground. “Daphne!” Three people rushed over to anxiously care for Daphne. I watched and found it laughable—three fools being played by a scheming woman. “Genevieve, you wicked woman! How can you treat Daphne like this? You’re the dirty one, what’s wrong with Daphne saying something?” Declan glared at me, his brow furrowed. “I say this, thanks to who? Declan, if it weren’t for you…” “Ow!” Daphne interrupted my questioning, crying with a tear-stained face. “My arm hurts, Declan, look, I don’t think I can lift it.” Daphne wailed, trying to save face. “Just you wait!” Declan shot me a fierce look, angrily saying, “If anything happens to Daphne, I won’t hesitate to show everyone your video!” With that, he rushed over to pick up Daphne. She lay in his arms, winking at me smugly. I laughed bitterly, getting up from the ground. Around me were still unbearable comments and taunts, with men whistling, their eyes like they wanted to skin me alive. Declan, since you’re so obsessed with the test results, I’ll give you what you want. It would take a day to get the paternity results. Declan didn’t come home that night. I knew he was with Daphne. The next morning, I received a text from an unfamiliar number. It was a few photos. “Genevieve, see this? I’m Declan’s true love. He’s so gentle with me in bed, something you’ll never experience, you slut!” Attached were photos of them in bed. Her bragging held no power over me; I’d already given up on Declan. I saved the photos and contacted the lawyer my parents sent me. “Are the results out?” “They are.” I smiled faintly, hatred boiling in my eyes. “Send it all over.” Declan, to make up for Daphne’s harm because of me, took her to buy the diamond ring used as a bet. Just as they arrived at the venue, the secretary hurried over. “Madam asked me to give you this.” Declan took it, puzzled, while Daphne laughed first, “Is it a divorce agreement because she knows the child isn’t yours?” The four of them laughed, ready to see the results. But when they opened the envelope, they froze. “This is a court summons!” The four of them looked shocked, as the designer approached. “Excuse me, sir, the diamond ring you wanted has been bought by a lady.” “What! Didn’t we choose it first?” Daphne was displeased, shouting. The designer smiled politely, nodding slightly, “That lady offered a higher price, so naturally, we chose the better buyer.” “Additionally, that lady asked me to tell you, Mr. Declan, don’t forget your identity. Without Genevieve, there would be no Declan’s family in Jacksonville.” With a crash, Declan angrily smashed what he was holding to the ground. “That bitch Genevieve dares to provoke us! We can’t just sit back and do nothing!” Theo clenched his fists in anger. “We should upload those videos online and see how arrogant she is then!” Another man in their group, Luke, suggested bitterly. “Shut up!” Declan clenched his fists in frustration, the sound of his knuckles cracking. “You fools, don’t you get it? She wants to ruin us! If we dare upload those videos now, we’ll be facing jail time!” “What do we do? We can’t just let that bitch provoke us!” Daphne pouted, shaking Declan’s arm, “Yeah, Declan, that ring was clearly mine first. You have to stand up for me. She put a green hat on you and is still so arrogant. We can sue her for adultery, anyway, we have video evidence.” Daphne had many bad ideas, and those two liked to support her, whispering bad advice to Declan. “Genevieve!” I was sitting at home, admiring the diamond ring in the box, when I heard an angry shout from downstairs. I adjusted my clothes and looked down from the second floor. “What’s up? Did you get the result you wanted from the document I sent?” I smiled at them, a hint of threat in my eyes. “Genevieve, don’t push your luck! Being with us was a blessing for you. How dare you sue us!” “Yeah! You begged us to be with you. Don’t forget we have evidence. Do you want the Aiden family’s reputation to be ruined?” “Sister, didn’t you always want to be with Declan? Now that we’ve fulfilled your wish, you’re still not happy? Also, taking someone else’s beloved thing is wrong. I advise you to give the ring back before Declan gets mad!” They warned me one after another, only Declan remained silent, his eyes dark and unclear as he looked at me. I raised an eyebrow and smiled, walking down the stairs with my lawyer. “You humiliated me when I wasn’t conscious and now want to threaten me? You have some nerve.” I sat on the sofa, resting my chin on my hand, my tone leisurely, my smile wide, my eyes full of unhidden defiance, even my fingers twitched with provocation. “Also, uploading such a video online is illegal, right? Declan might not be afraid because he has Declan’s family, but what about you?” I pretended to think, frowning, “You small-time families dare to challenge me, really don’t know your place!” To make them pay, the first step was to break their clique. Interests are the best way to break them. I don’t believe the other two will sit still. “You know nothing! We brothers are close, Declan will find a way to protect us, but your reputation isn’t guaranteed! Soon everyone will know you’re a whore!” “Also, isn’t it illegal to upload such videos online? Declan might not be afraid because he has his family to back him, but what about you?” I pretended to ponder, frowning. “Do you really think you can challenge me? You have no idea what you’re up against!”

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My wife is a flight attendant, currently undergoing training at Qatar Airways. I’m the one bearing all the expenses. But I’ve heard various unsettling rumors. To get to the bottom of it, I went straight to Qatar during the World Cup. To my utter disbelief, I discovered my wife was involved with a Black man! After witnessing the truth, I quickly divorced her. She went to Africa with him. Yet, unexpectedly, she called me in the middle of the night, crying for help… My wife, Chloe, is a flight attendant. To further her career, I sent her to train at Qatar Airways. Recognized as the best airline globally, experience there would mean a promotion and salary increase back home. Qatar is a land of affluence, with high living expenses. Chloe’s monthly costs are between 40,000 to 50,000, forcing me to save every penny to support her. My monthly expenses are only 1,000, and I’ve even sold my car, riding shared bikes to and from work daily. One evening, Chloe’s cousin, Emily, came to see me. “Brother-in-law, there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you. My sister is a cheating woman, and she’s been unfaithful countless times! You’re such a good man; it’s unfair for you to be married to someone like my cousin. You’ve sacrificed so much for her, always scrimping, yet she’s never stopped cheating on you!” Emily was visibly upset. To be honest, Emily is stunning, even more attractive than my flight attendant wife. At the moment, she’s wearing a beige trench coat over a light blue dress, looking captivating despite the cold weather. Her long legs, wrapped in black stockings, are alluring, her calves slim and elegant, standing tall in red high heels. Her usual work involves modeling products like stockings and lingerie, with her ads showcased on various e-commerce websites. Men are drawn to beautiful women. If I weren’t already married to Chloe, I’d likely be attracted to Emily too. However, I sternly told Emily, “Emily, how can you speak about your cousin like that? I know you have feelings for me, but I’m your brother-in-law. I’m not a man who takes things lightly, and our relationship is strong. Please don’t come between us!” I’m not conceited, but I’ve long noticed Emily’s interest in me. She often gives me flirtatious looks. Especially after Chloe went abroad, Emily frequently visited, using the excuse that no woman was taking care of me. She’d do my laundry, clean the house, and manage chores, even washing my underwear by hand without complaint and cooking meals for me, saying my diet was lacking. There’s no way I, Ethan, would let anything happen with Emily in reality. I won’t do anything immoral! Chloe is a virtuous woman, and I can’t betray our relationship. She said she went to train with Qatar Airways for career development, to contribute to our family. Hearing my blunt words, Emily blushed, looking a bit hurt. She bit her lip, “Brother-in-law, to be honest, I do like you. I had feelings for you before my cousin did, but she acted faster. But I’m not an immoral homewrecker! If you and my cousin are happy, I’ll only wish you well and not destroy your family. But that’s not the case! My cousin’s been playing with your emotions! Spending your money while making a fool of you! I can’t bear to watch! I feel you’re being mistreated, and it’s not worth it!” Emily’s voice was loud. Fearing I wouldn’t believe her, she handed me her phone. “This is their internal group chat. Besides the flight attendants, it’s filled with VIP guests they’ve targeted! Some guest leaked the chat records! Look at what my cousin said in there!” I was dumbfounded when I saw the screenshots. It was a conversation between Emily and a first-class passenger! They were flirting, and it was explicit!

“Brother-in-law, do you remember the morning you went to pick up my cousin and found two pairs of shoes?” Emily asked. I was taken aback. That did happen! We have a wedding tradition where the bride’s friends and family hide her shoes for the groom to find. To get the shoes, the groom must give the bride a red envelope. That day, when I went to pick up Chloe, I found two pairs of shoes! I handed out two extra red envelopes! At the time, I thought Chloe’s family wanted more red envelopes, so they put in an extra pair of shoes. Is there another hidden truth here? Emily’s next words made my eyes nearly pop out of my head! She said they have another tradition. If a woman known as unfaithful gets married, her lover gives her a new pair of shoes. It signifies a double blessing. So, one of the pairs of shoes I found that morning was from Chloe’s lover! What a humiliation! I married a cheating woman with fanfare! “Brother-in-law, I know you’re angry, but it’s not worth it for such a woman. I’ve always been single, waiting for you! I know you have a fire burning inside, and it’s hard to hold back.” Emily gently took my hand. I looked at the charming Emily and gritted my teeth, “Seeing is believing! A chat record alone doesn’t prove anything. What if it was faked with Photoshop? I want to confront her! If it’s true, I’ll divorce her! But if it’s fake, then we shouldn’t contact each other anymore!” Even then, I didn’t want to believe my gentle and virtuous wife was so awful! It happened to be during the Qatar World Cup. The TV was showing halftime, and the cameras were sweeping over the stands. Fans caught on camera would be shown on the big screen at the stadium. People are open; if they see themselves on camera, they’ll wave and dance, and if they’re a couple, they’ll kiss publicly. I saw Emily on TV! Emily was at the game with a Black man! They were caught on camera! They kissed in public! “Brother-in-law, did you see that? My cousin is like a public bus! Entertaining foreign friends too!” Emily continued to provoke me! “Enough!” I stopped Emily’s taunts and called Chloe! The chat records might be fake, but kissing a Black man in public isn’t! I called Chloe dozens of times and finally got through in the middle of the night, Qatar time! “Where are you?” “I’m at the hotel!” “I saw the TV broadcast. What’s with the kiss with that Black man?” I asked, suppressing my anger. “Oh, that? That Black man is just a VIP client of our airline. We’re innocent… As for the kiss, it’s just a foreign tradition, okay? Don’t be so old-fashioned!” Chloe mocked my outdated views. I was about to say more, but she hung up in a hurry. Though I didn’t hear clearly, my instincts told me Chloe was definitely up to something!

I know there’s a popular story online recently. It talks about a man who, upon learning his wife was having an affair at school, couldn’t accept it and biked to the school to get the truth. For three days and nights, he rode a bike from Qingdao to Tai’an, covering 300 kilometers! Riding day and night, scaling tall gates alone. Fighting for love, facing five enemies alone. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a hoax. But now, I’m rushing to Qatar for love too! I used PayPal credit card to buy the next available flight, heading straight to Doha, Qatar. To catch her off guard, I didn’t call Chloe. I first went to her company dorm, only to find out a frustrating truth! Chloe never stayed at the dorm! So where has she been living for the past six months? I asked her colleagues where Chloe was. Those glamorous flight attendants claimed they didn’t know, but I could see in their eyes they pitied me. They must think I’m a poor fool, a cuckold! I could hear their mocking behind my back as I left. “Well, Chloe’s going to get it now!” “Yeah, serves her right for always trying to show off!” “Right, always flirting with the Indian instructor.” In the end, a security guard, an Indian guy, took pity on me and secretly told me. During the Qatar World Cup, if they had free time, Chloe and many flight attendants liked to visit bars near the athlete’s village. Their intentions weren’t just for drinks. Many World Cup players, coaches, family members, and FIFA officials frequented those bars. Although their skin colors and nationalities varied, they shared one common trait—they were all rich. Especially the players, all strong and athletic, were the favorites of these gold digger women! They could earn money and enjoy themselves! I was furious and took a cab to the bar area they mentioned! At the bar entrance, I tried to get in, but the bouncer asked for my ID. He said this was a leisure spot for World Cup personnel, and outsiders weren’t allowed. I pointed to a few blonde beauties heading inside, “Why aren’t you stopping them? Do they need IDs too?” These individuals, regardless of their skin color or nationality, have one thing in common: they’re all wealthy. Especially those athletes, each one strong and fit. They’re the favorites of these gold-digging women! They earn money and enjoy life! When I heard this, I was furious and immediately took a cab to the bar district they mentioned! Upon arriving at the bar entrance, I tried to go in, but the security guard asked for my ID. They explained that this was a leisure spot for World Cup personnel, and outsiders weren’t allowed. I pointed to a few blonde beauties walking in and asked, “Then why don’t you stop them? Do they need IDs too?” The security guard gave me a knowing look. “Heh, heh, men aren’t allowed, but women can go in freely.” I had no choice but to wait outside. An hour later, I saw my wife walking out of the bar, arm in arm with a black man, heading into a small alley! It was clear they weren’t up to anything good! I clenched my teeth and followed them. Once in the alley, I looked around and finally found them behind a trash can, exchanging flirtatious banter. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I picked up a brick from the ground and rushed forward, striking the man on the head with it! He fell forward, taking Chloe down with him. When the cheating woman turned around, she finally noticed me! “Ethan, why are you here?” Chloe asked in surprise. I was shaking with anger. “How dare you ask me that? Look at what you’ve been doing! Aren’t you afraid of getting AIDS with these black men?” Chloe’s face turned cold. “Watch your mouth! What do you mean by ‘black men’? He’s a VIP client of our company! I’m working hard for our family, you know. Times have changed, and everyone is more open-minded now. Don’t be so unsophisticated, okay?” “VIP? You’re a flight attendant, not a hooker! I’m so disappointed in you! Let’s get a divorce!” When she heard me mention divorce, Chloe laughed. “Divorce? Sure! I was planning to keep milking you for living expenses! Now that you know everything, I won’t hide it anymore! Let me tell you, from the day I left the country, I never planned to come back! My dream is to immigrate abroad! Marrying you was just a temporary plan to settle for now! You fool, supporting me, working tirelessly for me! Luckily, I met Jack in Qatar! Jack is not only the younger brother of the captain of the Cameroon national team, but he’s also a professional player. His father is a tribe chief! Do you know he’s an African prince? He’s already proposed to me! You’re of no use to me anymore! Remember, I’m the one dumping you!” “Hehe, I was tired of playing the dutiful wife and mother in front of you. I’m done pretending, I’m free now!” I’m sorry, it seems that the text you wanted translated is missing. Could you provide the text you’d like me to translate?

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Rocky Mountains expedition met with severe weather. In a life-and-death situation, my boyfriend Nolan and my best friend Adeline took my gear and supplies, leaving me to survive on my own. Just when I was isolated and desperate, Adeline’s uncle Asher arrived by helicopter to save me. My frostbitten fingers required amputation, and he tenderly cared for me as I healed. As we spent time together, our connection deepened, leading to marriage. In the fourth year of our marriage, I unexpectedly overheard a conversation between Asher and his Trusted Assistant. “Keep investigating if Madam has any evidence against Adeline.” “Mr. Fu, Madam has been in the Fu family for a long time now; she even has a child. Miss Adeline is already the Orchestra’s Principal Violinist. Do we still need to be cautious of her?” “Of course, marrying her was to prevent the Rocky Mountains incident from coming to light. I’ve put up with those amputated fingers of hers for so long, I can’t afford to slip up.” Asher’s expression was one of tenderness I had never seen before: “I absolutely cannot let Adeline face any risk of disgrace. Even if the world disapproves, I will protect her for life.” 1 My world seemed to crumble all at once. I never imagined that my proud and happy marriage had been built on lies from the very beginning. What I thought was my lifeline, a true love by my side, was actually filled with deceit. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen, the bond between mother and child. Instinctively, I bit my incomplete hand, stifling a groan of pain. In the office, Asher gently caressed Adeline’s face in a family photo. “Since my love can’t be publicly declared, clearing obstacles for her is the only thing I can do. As for Cora… I’ll ensure her life is comfortable, that should be enough…” The assistant hesitated: “Mr. Fu, you tricked Madam into believing her frostbitten hand needed amputation so that Miss Adeline could become Principal. Aren’t you afraid Madam will leave if she finds out?” Asher paused, then let out a mocking laugh. “Then I’ll keep it from her forever.” “Besides, where can a disabled person go if she leaves me? Once the child is born, she’ll be even more bound to me.” The assistant looked uneasy: “But Miss Adeline and Mr. Nolan’s actions on the Rocky Mountains were premeditated murder, and you’re covering for her—” “Enough!” Asher interrupted angrily. “You’re too bold! I don’t want to hear this again! Adeline and I grew up together; I know her better than anyone. She wouldn’t harm an ant, let alone intentionally hurt Cora.” “I’ve already sacrificed my life for her, what more does she need to be content with?” The assistant sighed and took his leave. “Mr. Fu, Madam doesn’t know that Miss Adeline is not related to you by blood. She hasn’t targeted Miss Adeline because she doesn’t want to trouble you. She loves you deeply; don’t wait until it’s too late to regret it!” Tears blurred my vision. Despite my limited mobility, I managed to put on a nonchalant smile. The assistant left awkwardly. When Asher saw me at the door, his expression froze. He quickly got up and walked to my side. “Cora, why are you here? How long have you been here? Why didn’t you come in?” His gaze fell on my incomplete hand, a flash of disgust crossing his face before he put his arm around my shoulder. I quietly hid my hand in my sleeve. “I just got here. I came to pick you up after my Prenatal Checkup.” “Don’t push yourself next time. You’re pregnant; what if you get bumped into while running around?” He said, then pressed his lips to mine, kissing intently. His lips were warm, but my heart was cold. The truth poured over me, and I realized how laughable I was. Caught in the web of his gentle lies, mistaking the bait he threw as love. Asher helped me sit on the couch, offering my favorite snacks. “By the way, Adeline is returning from her Tour soon. With Nolan gone and our Eldest Brother and Sister-in-Law on a World Tour, it’s unsafe for her to be home alone. I wanted to discuss having her stay with us.” “I know you still have reservations about what happened back then. I’ve explained many times; Adeline was misled by Nolan. I know her true nature—” “Mm, I know,” I interrupted Asher, “We’re family.” Asher seemed pleased, his smile more genuine. “Tonight, I’m hosting a welcome party for Adeline at the Clubhouse. Everyone will be there. If you don’t come, people will say you’re not on good terms…” I nodded perfunctorily. Lowering my eyes to hide the bitterness and despair. 2 Asher wanted the driver to take me to the Clubhouse, while he went to the airport to pick up Adeline himself. The guests had all arrived by the time they showed up. I watched as Asher and Adeline held hands tightly, looking down at my own incomplete fingers. Asher treated me well but never touched my hand. I used to think he was avoiding making me feel self-conscious, but now I realized it was disdain. Adeline wore a white gown, like a proud white swan. She dragged Asher to me, her smile pure but her eyes challenging: “Aunt Cora, Asher insisted on throwing such a grand party for me. You didn’t stop him?” I suppressed my emotions, barely managing a polite smile. She never called Asher “Uncle,” only affectionately “Asher.” Asher affectionately ruffled her hair. “I just wanted to show off. I want everyone to know the world’s best violinist is right at home!” Others chimed in: “Yes, indeed, a great artist! It’s hard to get tickets to your Orchestra’s concerts. Give us a taste of your art!” Like a scene from a drama. Even the ballroom lights seemed to focus on them. Asher wore a gentle, proud smile. He carefully led Adeline to the stage. Standing in the center, he bent slightly, adjusting her violin with practiced ease. As if he’d done it a thousand times before. As the music played, guests whispered around me: “Adeline truly deserves to be Principal Violinist, talented and beautiful! If she wasn’t Mr. Fu’s niece, I’d think she and Mr. Fu were meant to be. Don’t know why Mr. Fu would marry that disabled wife of his.” “This Mrs. Fu was the original Orchestra Principal. A few years ago, she lost a couple of fingers; what a pity… Why would a man like Mr. Fu marry such a woman?” “Maybe she’s something in bed.” Their words pierced my ears, making me paler. Over the years, I had grown immune to such irrelevant remarks. But today, I felt uncomfortable. Just as Adeline finished playing, applause erupted. Asher hugged her tightly, pride evident in his eyes. Unable to bear it, I grabbed my bag and left. Asher, just offstage with Adeline, saw me and followed, grabbing my arm. “Cora, where are you going?” “I don’t feel well. I want to go home.” I bit my lip, holding back my feelings of injustice. Asher frowned, suppressing his temper: “Cora, don’t be unreasonable. This is the Fu family’s event. Leaving now looks bad.” “I’m really not feeling well.” He turned dark, losing patience. “If you want to leave, go. You’re spoiled. I think you just feel sick seeing Adeline…” He let go of me, turning back to the party. 3 Stepping out of the Clubhouse, rain was falling. The fine rain soaked me instantly. Coldness seeped in, tears silently falling. I called a familiar attorney, asking him to draft divorce papers. I also scheduled an Abortion Procedure on my phone. Returning home, I washed away the rain, opening Asher’s computer. The password was Adeline’s birthday. A folder on the desktop was like a sharp knife, piercing my heart. Asher had meticulously kept every concert ticket of Adeline’s. He lied about business trips, attending every stop on her Tour. Sitting front row, capturing her brightest moments. Tears flowed uncontrollably. I hated Asher and hated my own stupidity. I never questioned his flimsy excuses. Like a fool, I was played. Leaving was my final dignity. After the party, Asher and Adeline returned home together. They stumbled into Adeline’s room, not coming out all night. I put on earplugs, forcing myself not to hear or think about what might happen in that room. The next morning, I found Asher making breakfast. In all our years of marriage, even when I had a 104-degree fever, he’d never cooked. It was clear who this low-fat, loving breakfast was for. Seeing me, he seemed to forget last night’s unhappiness. He came over to kiss me. “Love, I was wrong last night. Let me make it up to you. You’re kind, don’t hold it against me.” His scent was steeped in Adeline’s perfume. I felt nauseous, pushing him away to retch into the trash can. “Love, you’re four or five months in. Why is the morning sickness still so bad?” Asher knelt beside me, patting my back and offering water, overly attentive. But all I felt was chilling disgust. Once the truth was revealed, no amount of tenderness could mask the lies. Adeline, in a lace nightgown, gracefully descended the stairs, placing Asher’s Wedding Ring on the table. “Asher, your ring was on my bed.” One night was enough for Nolan to be engulfed in Adeline’s perfume. The intensity of the scent made me feel sick, and I pushed him away to retch into the trash can. “Asher, I’m four or five months pregnant, yet my morning sickness persists,” I muttered as Asher knelt beside me, patting my back and offering me water with genuine concern. But all I felt was a chilling emptiness inside. Once the truth is unveiled, even the kindest gestures feel hollow. Adeline descended the stairs in a lace nightgown, placing Asher’s wedding ring on the dining table. “Asher, you left your ring in my bed,” she said to him, but her eyes provocatively lingered on me. I let out a dry laugh and slammed my water cup down over the ring with a loud clatter. Asher awkwardly explained, “Cora, please don’t misunderstand… Adeline was scared of the thunder, so I stayed in her room to comfort her.” “Misunderstand? You’re both married adults. Is it really appropriate to share a room?” I retorted. “What’s inappropriate?” Adeline smirked. “Asher and I grew up together. We are the closest to each other. What’s the big deal about sharing a room?” Asher added, “Yeah, Cora, don’t be petty… we’re family. Besides, I was just sitting by her bed to keep her company.” In the past, I might have believed their excuses. But now… I really wanted to drag them to look in the mirror. Fresh red scratches on Asher’s neck. Kiss marks on Adeline’s chest and fingerprints on her thighs. Who’s really being indecent here? Using family ties as a cover to do despicable things. I didn’t argue anymore. I went upstairs, printed out the Divorce Agreement, and signed my name. The scheduled Abortion Procedure is tomorrow. After that, I will completely disappear. Three’s a crowd in love, let alone four. — Adeline flaunted the breakfast Asher made on Facebook. Nolan, who was on a business trip, was upset and called to argue. After hanging up, Adeline felt wronged and lay on Asher’s lap, complaining. Asher’s expression turned cold. “That Nolan, not very capable, but quite the temper. The Fu family doesn’t need him bossing around.” Adeline smiled sweetly and wrapped her arms around Asher’s neck. “Yeah, he’s so annoying! You’re the best to me. How about I divorce him and become your wife?” Asher was startled, pulling her arm down and helping her sit properly. “Don’t say such things. I’m your uncle. If Cora hears, she’ll overthink.” Seeing her pout in dissatisfaction, he coaxed her, “Alright, eat some dragon fruit.” Adeline arrogantly instructed, “I don’t want those tiny black seeds. You have to pick them out for me.” Asher couldn’t refuse her and indulgently agreed. When I came downstairs for water, I saw Asher, who never lifted a finger, using tweezers to pick out each black seed for Adeline. Seeing me, Asher casually asked, “Cora, what fruit do you want? I’ll have Auntie wash it.” Before I could refuse, Adeline playfully nudged Asher with her toe. “You should personally wash it for your wife, or she’ll think you favor me.” Asher always listened to Adeline, immediately getting up to go to the kitchen. I never understood why Asher thought that after the Rocky Mountains incident and him taking my boyfriend, I should still welcome Adeline with open arms. Now I finally understood. It’s because Asher never cared about the harm I suffered. His heart was always with Adeline. With Asher gone, Adeline dropped her facade, quickly switching to another persona. “Cora, weren’t you always proud? Look at you now, as ridiculous as a toad.” She covered her mouth, snickering, deliberately showing off the pink diamond ring on her finger. “You should recognize this ring, right? Asher bought it at an auction. There’s only one in the world. Isn’t it beautiful?” Adeline’s lips curled up, her tone full of bragging. She deliberately shook her hand to make the ring more conspicuous. “Did Asher ever give you a ring? Is your wedding ring this flashy? Oh, I forgot, your finger was amputated. How could Asher give you a ring!” My heart clenched tightly, as if being mercilessly squeezed. I tried to maintain composure but unconsciously hid my hand behind my back. Adeline leaned forward, laughing provocatively. “Cora, Nolan is so boring. How did you ever fall for him? If it weren’t for competing with you, I wouldn’t have seduced him…” “Should I dump him and be with Asher? Oh, and you probably don’t know, Asher and I aren’t related by blood… Here’s a secret only Asher and I know, we dated secretly for a long time, shared all our firsts…” “Asher married you because he was afraid you’d expose the Rocky Mountains incident… You must be so angry now! But so what? It’s been years, and you have no proof!” “Cora, you’re truly pathetic. The two men you loved both love me. You’ll always be my defeated opponent.” My hand trembled slightly. The hand hidden behind my back had already started recording as soon as Adeline opened her mouth. My gaze fell on her smug face. I deliberately provoked her: “So what? Whether Asher loves me or not, I’m the legitimate Mrs. Fu. And you? You’ll always be his niece. If it weren’t for my finger injury, you’d never become the Orchestra’s Principal Violinist. You’re just my replacement!” Adeline’s sore spot hit, she flew into a rage. She stood up and slapped me hard. She used all her strength, and my face quickly swelled red. “You wretched woman! I hate your arrogant face! You think your hand froze and died in the Rocky Mountains, and you had to amputate it?” “Haha! Let me tell you, your hand was fine! I whispered to Asher in bed, saying you always flaunted your skills in front of me. Asher didn’t hesitate to vent for me, amputating your finger!” Adeline’s mockery cut into my nerves like a sharp knife. Seeing her arrogant, mocking face, the fury buried deep in my heart could no longer be contained. Like a long-restrained volcano, it erupted instantly. I stepped forward, full of anger and disgust, and slapped her across the face. Adeline’s face was slapped to one side. She covered it with wide eyes, changing to a pitiful and incredulous expression. “Aunt Cora, why did you suddenly hit me?” I shook my numb hand but hadn’t reacted yet. A shadow rushed out from behind, knocking me aside. My stomach hit the edge of the sofa hard, sending a sharp pain through me. Asher’s eyes were full of anger as he looked at me. “Cora! Are you crazy!” Adeline cried pitifully, sniffling as she explained: “Asher, I don’t know why Aunt Cora hit me. I just wanted to clear up the misunderstanding from back then. I meant to call for help after getting out. I just didn’t explain it clearly…” “Cora, apologize to Adeline! How many times have I told you, Adeline didn’t do it on purpose! Why do you keep holding on!” His gaze was fierce, looking at me with only cold contempt, not even bothering to disguise it. I curled up on the sofa, clutching my belly, even though a bright red handprint was on my face. Asher chose to ignore it. I laughed coldly at him: “Asher, I lost the most precious fingers of a violinist. Don’t I deserve an explanation?” Asher frowned, a hint of panic in his eyes. “What explanation? It was frostbite. If the fingers weren’t amputated, you’d lose your whole hand!” Before I could speak, Adeline raised her hand to cling to his shoulder. “Asher, my head hurts…” Asher didn’t spare me another glance, scooping Adeline up and anxiously heading out. “Don’t worry, Adeline, I’m taking you to the hospital!” All I got was a parting line: “Cora, if anything happens to Adeline, I won’t forgive you.” Watching them leave, the pain surged like a tide, overwhelming me completely. The world before me began to blur, my consciousness fading. But I could still feel my baby slipping away inside me. Maybe my child knew I didn’t want her and chose to leave. Tears flowed uncontrollably, sliding down my cheeks. I called an ambulance for myself. At this moment, all ties between me and Asher were completely severed. The Abortion Procedure went smoothly. After the procedure, I lay weakly on the hospital bed, listening to the nurses gossiping. “Did you see that man with his niece? Over a slap, they did a full-body check-up and booked a whole floor of rooms.” “I saw them. The uncle and niece are so close. If not told, I’d think they were a couple.” I listened, indifferent, and called the nanny at home to give them all a break. I also hired a team of organizers online to pack my belongings and donate them to charity. As for the mementos and photos from my years with Asher, I asked them to destroy them all. Changing into clean clothes sent by a brand, I rescheduled my flight, originally set for tomorrow night, and left the hospital. In the elevator, I impulsively pressed the floor where Adeline stayed. At the door of the only lit room, through the glass, I saw Adeline hugging Asher’s neck, sobbing while kissing his chin, throat. “Asher, please want me… You clearly love me. I’ll stop being a Fu family daughter.” Asher dodged, looking hesitant. As for the keepsakes and photos from my years with Asher, I asked for everything to be destroyed. I changed into the clean clothes provided by the brand, rescheduled my flight originally planned for tomorrow night, and called a car to leave the hospital. On an impulse, I pressed the button for the floor where Adeline was staying. It was the only room with a light on at the end of the hallway. Through the glass on the door, I saw Adeline clinging to Asher’s neck, sobbing and repeatedly kissing his chin and throat. “Asher, please, be with me… You clearly love me. If it comes to it, I won’t be a daughter of the Fu family anymore…” Asher looked evasive, his expression uncertain. “Adeline, don’t do this—aren’t we fine the way we are now? Saying things like that would hurt Eldest Brother and Sister-in-Law, and I swore I’d make it up to Cora for a lifetime.” Adeline shook her head, crying. “This isn’t good at all! I’m no longer satisfied just being with you in secret…” She took Asher’s hand and placed it on her chest. Asher tried to pull his hand away, but eventually couldn’t resist. He tightened his fingers and leaned down to kiss her lips. I touched my now flat stomach, feeling suffocated by the pain engulfing me. I leaned against the wall and turned to leave. Walking out of the hospital, I got into an Uber heading to the airport. After sending one last email to Asher, I canceled my phone number and deleted all my social media accounts. I’m sorry, it looks like you’ve provided placeholder text instead of the specific content you want translated. Could you please share the exact Chinese text that needs translation?

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1 After my collision with my boss, Liam Beckett, landed me in the hospital, something felt very wrong. Wait, are these my veiny hands? And this perfectly tailored suit and tie? And, oh, this… noticeable bulge? I think I’ve somehow ended up in the body of a CEO. Not completely sure, better check. Seeing no one around, I discreetly reached for my waistband to confirm my suspicions—only to be interrupted by a shout. “Ava Adeline, stop right there!” I turned to see the person in the next bed pulling back the curtain, glaring at me, and flicking my forehead. That was my body! Oh no, I’ve really switched bodies with the CEO! My name is Ava Adeline, but now I’m in the body of my boss, Liam Beckett. And the person in front of me is Liam Beckett, now in the body of Ava Adeline. The situation is awkward, with my hand hovering in that questionable area of the CEO’s body. Liam, trying to keep me in check, placed his hand on his chest. “Go ahead, feel it, there’s nothing much there,” I said, breaking the tension. Liam lowered his hand, “Looks like you’re quite self-aware.” “Thank you, Mr. Beckett,” I replied with a smile, “Although I’m curious if Mr. Beckett has anything noteworthy.” “Ava Adeline!” Liam glared at me. Honestly, seeing my face from this angle, I never realized how attractive I look! “Glaring won’t help, Mr. Beckett,” I chuckled, “We should focus on how to switch back.” Liam sat on the bed’s edge, “We swapped because we bumped our heads and passed out, right?” “Yeah, that’s right.” “Then theoretically, if we bump our heads again, we should switch back.” Liam leaned forward, tapping his head, “Go on, bump it.” I was incredulous, “You want me to hit myself?!” Liam was puzzled, “What else? You want me to hit myself?” “I’m a girl, what if I damage my face?” At that moment, I used Liam’s commanding voice to express the most delicate thoughts. Liam glared, covering my mouth, “Don’t say things like that using my face! We swapped bodies, and your forehead’s fine, which means you’re tough enough, go ahead and bump it!” “You’re the tough one!” “What’s wrong with being tough?” Our argument was endless, so I rubbed my forehead, “Mr. Beckett, how about this, let’s meet halfway, we’ll bump our heads together on the count of three.” “Alright.” Liam slightly bowed his head, and I leaned in, our foreheads touching in what seemed like an intimate gesture, but we were both filled with animosity. “Three, two, one…” Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the hospital room, and the door swung open. “Mr. Beckett, we’re here to see you…” Company colleagues barged in, and we couldn’t stop the momentum we’d built up. Our foreheads collided sharply, and stars danced before my eyes from the pain. I clutched my forehead and fell back, “That hurt!” The stunned colleagues quickly gathered around my bed. “Mr. Beckett, are you alright?” “Mr. Beckett!” “Mr. Beckett!” … Honestly, I lost myself in the chorus of “Mr. Beckett.” Suddenly, it didn’t seem so bad. So, I looked with interest at the real “Mr. Beckett,” who was pushed aside. He looked aggrieved, receiving a heartfelt lecture from the Sales Director. “Ava, I know you often complain about Mr. Beckett, but he’s already in the hospital bed, and you’re still tormenting him, that’s not fair.” “Liam” frowned, “Ava… I complain a lot?” The Director lowered his voice, “Yes, you complain about Mr. Beckett every day in the office, did you bump your head silly?” Why does this Director talk so much! I cleared my throat and assumed Mr. Beckett’s demeanor, “Thank you, everyone.” “No need to thank us, Mr. Beckett!” I deliberately looked in Liam’s direction, trying to stay calm, “Ava, I know I’ve been a bit hard on you, like only wanting five ice cubes in my iced Americano, using single-sided print paper, entering with the right foot in the morning…” Liam raised an eyebrow. “Here, I promise, and ask everyone to witness, I won’t treat Ava like that anymore!” “Great! Mr. Beckett is so considerate!” “Mr. Beckett is awesome!” Company colleagues applauded, while “Liam” glared at me with a dark expression. “Ava, keep up the good work!” I said cheerfully, going in for a high-five with “Liam.” Liam was furious but couldn’t say anything at that moment, so he forced a smile and high-fived me. It was less a high-five and more like a slap on my hand. I gritted my teeth against the pain and cheerfully dismissed the colleagues. As they left, they murmured that Mr. Beckett seemed more approachable. Once it was just Liam and me in the hospital room, Liam finally exploded, “Ava Adeline! Are you tired of living?!” Looking at my face saying such words, I suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia, “Mr. Beckett, honestly, every day working under you, I felt like I didn’t want to live.” Liam paused. “But now that I’m Mr. Beckett, suddenly life seems a bit interesting.” Liam was at a loss for words. “Mr. Beckett, as a temporary measure, let’s keep it this way, is that alright?” Using Liam’s voice and body, I said the most ordinary, humble words of Ava Adeline. Liam suddenly fell silent. After a while, he spoke, “I guess bumping our heads isn’t a solution right now, so let’s stay this way for a while.” Still the ever-proud Liam finding an escape route for himself. “Okay, Mr. Beckett.” “When we leave the hospital, you’ll move to my place, it’ll be more convenient, and we won’t get caught.” “Alright, Mr. Beckett.” “I have no interest in you,” Liam added. “I know that, of course.” “Since you know, then handle the discharge.” Always so proud, always that high-and-mighty attitude. I silently complained, just about to get up when I suddenly felt the urge to go, “Mr. Beckett, I think I need to use the restroom.” Liam’s face turned red with embarrassment, “Go!” Just around the corner from the hospital room was the men’s restroom, I hesitantly went in and came out with confidence. Back in the room, I threw a suggestive look at Liam. Liam’s twisted expression seemed to tell me to shut up. But I wouldn’t. “Mr. Beckett, quite impressive,” I gave a thumbs up. “Get out!” 2 I first took Liam back to my place to pack up. Liam looked at the somewhat shabby apartment, a hint of disdain in his eyes. “Ava Adeline, you live in this dump?” I opened the wardrobe and suitcase, slowly packing my things. “Yeah, just living in this dump.” “No wonder you have so many complaints, it’s because of your poor quality of life.” I rolled my eyes, “My poor quality of life is because someone won’t give me a raise and keeps docking my bonus.” “Docking pay for mistakes is justified.” “Whatever, suit yourself, now I can give myself, oh no, give you, Ava, a raise.” I stood up, proudly using Liam’s height to look down at “Liam.” Haha, I love how Liam can’t stand me but can’t do anything about it. “When we switch back, I’ll dock your pay in a second.” “Well, say that when we switch back.” I shrugged. Liam silently clenched his fists. While packing, he glanced over again, full of disdain, “You usually rotate between these few ragged clothes? Really shabby.” I was about to retort, but Liam spoke, “Take my card and buy a few outfits later.” “Really, Mr. Beckett!” “Deduct from your bonus.” I was deflated. “Look at you, alright, it’s a reward, but only three outfits,” Liam added. Three outfits are fine, better than nothing. I quickly zipped up the suitcase, “Let’s go, Mr. Beckett.” Liam: “…” So I happily pulled the suitcase out, casually walking into a chic women’s clothing store I never dared enter before. And “Liam,” like a fool, followed behind with a resentful face. “Hello sir, are you buying clothes for your wife here?” the sales associate greeted warmly. The “Liam” behind me said coldly, “I’m not his wife.” “Sorry… then, is it… sister?” I jumped in, “Yes, yes, just a sister, I’m here to buy my sister some clothes.” I forcefully put my arm around Liam’s shoulder, and I must say, using a man’s strength feels great. The sales associate smiled, showing me the latest styles of the season, and I was dazzled. “This white set, that blue set, the pink one over there, and another new style I just saw, and…” I looked around, directing like a general. The sales associate took them down one by one, and I turned to Liam, who was already bulging with veins, grinning brightly, “Sister, what do you think?” Liam gritted his teeth, he wasn’t out of money, he just hated my cheeky attitude. Liam gave me a warning look, making a three with his fingers. I immediately got the hint, “My sister says they’re all okay, wrap them up in size S, and charge it to the card.” When I walked out of the store, satisfied with six shopping bags, Liam was fuming beside me. Ah, this feeling of treating myself is just too satisfying! If you can’t have a CEO husband, then make yourself the CEO! Thinking this, my steps became even more cheerful. As Liam and I were about to leave the mall, I heard a sharp female voice calling “Ava Adeline.” Liam Beckett clenched his jaw. It wasn’t about the money; it was my irritating attitude he couldn’t stand. Liam gave me a warning look and held up three fingers. I quickly caught on: “My sister said everything’s fine. Wrap it all in size S, and I’ll pay with my card.” As I left the clothing store, pleased and burdened with six shopping bags, Liam was beside me, fuming and pacing. Ah, the thrill of maxing out a card is just unbeatable! If I can’t marry a CEO, I’ll become my own! With that in mind, I walked with a spring in my step. Just as Liam and I were about to leave the mall, a sharp female voice shouted, “Ava Adeline.” That voice was all too familiar. It was my mom! Without a second thought, I grabbed Liam and sprinted away. We stopped only when we reached the underground parking, both of us out of breath. I looked around to make sure my mom hadn’t followed us and finally felt relieved. “Someone called your name, why did you run…” Liam panted, annoyed after being dragged for what felt like forever. “I owe some money to a loan shark. Be careful when you go out from now on.” I said, trying to sound serious, as I loaded the shopping bags into the trunk of Liam’s Maybach. “With your timid nature, you dared to take out a loan? You’re a riot.” Liam mocked. “Not worth my time.” The next day at work, I arrived at the company entrance with “Liam Beckett,” only to find it swamped with people. I wanted to push through the crowd but remembered I was now Liam. So, I put my hands in my pockets and cleared my throat twice. No one noticed. I cleared my throat again. Still, no response. Liam almost burst out laughing. I had no choice but to speak loudly: “Why aren’t you all working? Gathered here like this, do you want to lose your attendance and year-end bonuses?” Finally, the crowd reacted and parted, murmuring “Mr. Beckett” as they did. Strangely, they were all whispering among themselves. Curious, I went to see what was happening and found a woman hanging a banner at the company entrance, ignoring the security’s attempts to stop her. That woman was my mom! I halted in my tracks. How did she find the company? Linda Nolan, calling her my mom is an exaggeration; she’s more like a debt collector. She’s never fulfilled her motherly duties, only seeing me as a money-making machine. “Ava!” The voice was the same as in the mall yesterday. Liam instantly reacted and asked me what was going on. Before I could answer, Linda Nolan lunged at “Liam Beckett” like a madwoman: “Ava! You’re so hard to find! Living the high life in the city, have you thought about your mom, or your brother?” Linda Nolan sat at “Liam’s” feet, wailing. “Liam” frowned and stepped back in disgust. Linda Nolan cried even louder: “Ungrateful daughter! Now that you’re doing well, you don’t recognize your countryside mom!” Linda Nolan was even scarier than Betty Wilson’s mom, always exploiting me. My mind nearly shut down; I didn’t know how to handle this scene. It was “Liam” who raised his voice: “What is security doing? Don’t you know to take her to the police station for disturbing public order?” Hearing her daughter being so heartless, Linda Nolan cried even more fiercely: “Everyone hear this? Ungrateful daughter! A daughter wants to send her own mother to jail!” She cried and pounded the ground, while many colleagues started recording. I calmed myself, trembling, and spoke as Liam: “Just say it, what do you want by creating such a scene?” Seeing me speak, Linda Nolan rolled and crawled to my feet: “You’re my daughter’s boss, right? Please judge this! Everyone come judge this! My daughter has a brother who’s about to get married.” “Usually, we don’t ask her for money, but now that her brother’s getting married, we thought of borrowing some from her, but this ungrateful girl blocked me! She even said she’s no longer a daughter of the Adeline family!” Hearing this, it felt like something was stuck in my throat. My vision blurred, and the words “ungrateful daughter” seemed to tear my brain apart, making the world spin. “Enough!” I shouted. Linda Nolan was stunned by my shout. Taking a deep breath, I said, “You said you rarely ask Ava for money? But as far as I know, Ava takes six thousand from me monthly, spends two thousand on rent, one thousand on herself, and gives you three thousand! She’s living tight, and now you want more?” Linda Nolan was momentarily speechless. I was about to continue when “Liam” suddenly spoke: “Did you know about these things? I bet you didn’t care to know, right? And about your brother’s wedding, I heard he just got out of the detention center a few months ago, probably back in and needs money to bail out, right?” How did Liam know that? Linda Nolan’s guilty eyes darted around, trying to come up with an excuse, but her tongue twisted, and she could only rush to “Liam’s” feet, pulling her hair and cursing. “You good-for-nothing Ava! I can’t believe I have such a shameless daughter! Accusing your brother and consorting with shady people!” ———-This is the truncation point———- Liam was seized by the hair, grimacing in pain. The tension in the air was palpable as I stepped forward to pull Linda Nolan away. The security guard, who had been merely observing until then, quickly intervened and restrained Linda. Suppressing my anger, I said, “My employees contribute to my success; they aren’t weaklings to be exploited by parasites like you.”

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Managing the restaurant for thirty years, I finally had the chance to hand it over to my son and see my grandson start kindergarten. I eagerly asked my husband, “Do you remember the island road trip we talked about thirty years ago?” My husband frowned and shook his head, “Adeline, you’re a grandmother now, and you’re still thinking about having fun. Aren’t you embarrassed?” My son and daughter-in-law also objected, “Mom, how can we run the business without you in the kitchen? Stop dreaming.” But that night, I unexpectedly saw an RV reservation on my husband’s phone. It was booked for five people: my husband, son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and his childhood friend Nora. They were leaving the day after tomorrow. I felt a chill run through me. Before they left, my son reminded me, “Mom, the restaurant relies on you. We’ll bring you some local treats when we return.” Watching them leave with laughter, I turned around, sold the house, and bought a second-hand RV for myself. From then on, I set off on my own journey, free to go wherever I wanted. 0

After closing the restaurant, the sunset’s afterglow streamed through the glass windows, casting a warm glow on the tables and chairs. I wiped the last table with a cloth, my movements familiar but numb. Thirty years, every day the same. I heard footsteps at the door as my husband, Asher, walked in. He was looking down at his phone, slightly frowning, as if dealing with something important. “Why are you back so early today?” I asked casually, not pausing my work. “Finn said he’s ready to take over the restaurant. We’re having dinner at home to celebrate,” Asher said without emotion. My heart skipped a beat, feeling both anticipation and something else. At dinner, my son Finn was exceptionally excited, raising his glass. “Dad, Mom, the restaurant is in my hands now! You two can just relax!” I looked at Asher and mustered the courage to speak. “Asher, since Finn’s taking over, what about that island road trip we talked about thirty years ago? Is it still on?” The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Asher’s brows immediately furrowed, his face showing clear displeasure. “Adeline, you’re a grandmother now, why are you still acting like a child, always thinking about playing?” His tone carried the usual disdain and reproach, “The restaurant just got handed over to Finn. Shouldn’t you help him keep an eye on the kitchen? Be sensible.” My daughter-in-law chimed in immediately, “Yeah, Mom, we can’t do without you in the kitchen.” Finn put down his chopsticks, slightly impatient, “Mom, stop meddling.” “What’s so great about a road trip? It’s costly and tiring. Enjoy peace at home and help me with the kitchen, that’s better than anything.” Their words easily shattered my hopes. I lowered my head, looking at the cold rice in my bowl. Thirty years of dedication seemed only to earn the judgment to “be sensible” and “don’t cause trouble.” The promise of a distant journey was nothing more than an untimely joke to them. 0

A crisp doorbell broke the stalemate. Asher immediately stood, a warm smile on his face, quickly greeting the guest. “Nora, what brings you here? Come in, come in!” A well-dressed figure appeared at the door, accompanied by a sweet perfume. Nora, Asher’s childhood friend, always delicate and in need of care. She held a beautifully wrapped gift box, her face showing the perfect amount of surprise. “Asher, I heard Finn is taking over the restaurant, so I came to congratulate him.” Her gaze lightly swept over me, her smile sweet, with a hint of superiority in her eyes. “Adeline, you’re so lucky. Finn is so capable, you can enjoy life at home now.” Asher laughed heartily, “Isn’t that right?” Nora giggled, “Adeline’s cooking is the best. Finn must learn from her.” “Unlike me, clumsy and only busy outside, clueless about kitchen work.” With a few words, she lightly positioned me as just a cook. Finn enthusiastically welcomed, “Aunt Nora, have a seat! Try this fish my mom made; it’s her specialty.” My daughter-in-law also offered tea, “Aunt Nora, have some tea. My mom made it herself.” The whole family surrounded Nora, chatting happily. I stood aside, feeling like an out-of-place servant. Nora suddenly turned to Asher, speaking coquettishly. “Asher, remember to take me on the road trip next week!” “I’ve never been in an RV. I’m so excited just thinking about it!” Asher looked at her indulgently, “Don’t worry, your spot is reserved.” He turned to me, his tone turning stiff. “Adeline, we’re going out next week for about a week.” “The house and restaurant are in your hands, especially the kitchen. Make sure nothing goes wrong.” I was stunned, my heart like being gripped by an invisible hand. The island road trip? They were going to fulfill the promise I’d waited thirty years for, but without me. “What about me?” I blurted out, my voice dry. Asher frowned, “What would you do there? Someone has to watch the house, right?” “Besides, you get carsick so easily, you’d just suffer.” Nora chimed in, “Yes, Adeline, staying home and enjoying yourself is much better. Road trips are exhausting.” My son and daughter-in-law echoed, as if not taking me along was perfectly reasonable. I watched their joyful demeanor, my throat felt stuffed with cotton, unable to utter a word. 0

After dinner, I quietly cleaned up the mess. In the living room, I heard my grandson, Milo, whining with childishness. “Grandma Nora, are we really going on a big RV trip next week? That’s awesome!” Nora’s voice was so gentle it could melt, “Yes, Milo, are you happy?” “Happy! It’s more fun than going to the market with Grandma!” Nora looked up at me as I came out of the kitchen, her smile unchanged. “Adeline, look how much Milo is looking forward to this trip.” “Take care of yourself at home while we’re gone.” Asher sat on the couch, browsing travel guides without lifting his head. “Adeline, pack our luggage these days, especially the documents, don’t lose them.” “Finn and the others are young, inexperienced, help them pack too.” His tone was matter-of-fact, as if I was their free servant. Thirty years of marriage couldn’t compare to Nora’s coquettishness. The promise of an island road trip turned into a joke. In the days that followed, I moved like a lifeless shell, preparing their travel items according to Asher’s instructions. Buying various daily necessities, checking documents, arranging restaurant affairs… I was like a tireless spinning top, never stopping. Watching them excitedly discuss the trip details, my heart twisted like a knife. They were immersed in anticipation for the journey, sharing the surprises Nora brought. Meanwhile, I, the mistress of this restaurant, the mistress of this house, felt like an outsider. In the evening, after seeing off the last table of guests, I began cleaning. Asher leaned against the doorframe, looking at his phone, suddenly spoke. “Adeline, could you make some braised beef tonight?” His tone was casual, as if he was asking for something insignificant. Braised beef at this hour meant I wouldn’t have any rest tonight. But he wouldn’t care. “Make sure it’s ready by morning, Milo…” He quickly corrected himself, “Milo loves your cooking, so he’ll eat well on the road.” I took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in my throat, “Got it.” 0

The day of departure, dawn was just breaking. I showed up in the kitchen as usual. I opened the fridge, taking out the carefully marinated braised beef. The meat was firm, the sauce rich, a recipe I had perfected through countless trials. I packed them neatly into containers, along with some snacks they liked for the road. Oil pastries, mung bean cakes, all handmade by me. Asher put on the freshly ironed shirt, tying his tie in the mirror. “Adeline, the trash downstairs is full, could you take it out?” He asked without looking up. I nodded, picking up the heavy, full trash bag and heading out. Just as I reached the stairs, Asher’s call came through. “Oh, and Nora said she’s driving over to pick us up. Parking is tight around here, could you go down to the alley and hold a spot for her?” With the phone to my ear, the chilly early spring wind made me shiver. “Alright,” I replied dryly. I stood in the cold, windy alley for nearly half an hour, my hands and feet numb. Nora’s car finally arrived with headlights on. She rolled down the window, her makeup flawless, smile bright. “Oh, Adeline, you’ve been amazing! Parking here is a nightmare!” I forced a stiff smile, watching her expertly park in the spot I had saved with effort. “Asher, Finn, Phoebe, are you all ready?” Her voice was clear, filled with laughter. “Grandma Nora!” Milo immediately ran over. Nora bent down, hugging Milo, affectionately nuzzling his cheek. “Sweet Milo, Grandma brought you lots of treats.” Asher immediately approached, his face openly gentle. Finn and Phoebe also gathered around, warmly greeting her. “Aunt Nora, do you need anything else?” I managed a stiff smile as I watched her expertly park the car into the spot I struggled with. “Asher, Finn, Phoebe, are you all ready?” Her voice was clear and cheerful. “Nora!” Milo immediately rushed over to her. Nora bent down, picking up Milo and affectionately rubbing his cheek. “Good boy, Milo. Grandma brought you lots of treats.” Asher immediately approached, his face showing open gentleness. Finn and Phoebe also gathered around, exchanging warm greetings. “Aunt Nora, do you think we need anything else?” “No need, everything’s ready. Let’s go!” The family surrounded Nora, chatting and laughing as they headed out. Asher lingered behind, pausing as he passed by me. He looked me up and down, frowning slightly. “Adeline, look at your clothes, they’re covered in oil stains.” “Always so sloppy, no femininity at all.” He sighed, his tone filled with helplessness and comparison. I was freezing and just wanted to go into the kitchen to warm my hands with a hot drink. Maybe my hands were numb with cold, but I accidentally knocked over the kettle on the stove! Boiling water splashed onto my hand, and an excruciating pain hit me, making me scream. My hand rapidly swelled and reddened, burning with pain. Hearing the noise, Asher walked over with a frown, glancing at my hand. “What happened? So clumsy! Can’t handle such a small thing!” His voice was full of disgust and impatience, with not a hint of concern. “Quick, rinse it with cold water! Don’t waste time, we need to leave!” Finn and his wife stood at the door with Milo, looking impatient. Milo pouted, “Grandma is so clumsy, now we’re going to be late.” No one asked if I was in pain. No one offered to take me to the hospital. Their only concern was that I wouldn’t delay their trip with Nora. Asher waved his hand irritably, “Alright, alright, take care of it yourself, we’re leaving!” With that, he led his son and family out without looking back. They rolled their luggage, chatting and laughing as they left. I looked up, watching the five of them. Asher walked closely with Nora, talking quietly, intimately. Finn and Phoebe were arm in arm, all smiles. Milo hopped along, holding Nora’s hand. The sun shone on them, creating a scene of perfect happiness. Except it didn’t include me. I felt like an old, forgotten object in the corner, watching someone else’s joy. The RV engine started, slowly driving out of view. The dining room returned to silence, only the hum of the exhaust fan remained. The air was filled with the aroma of food mixed with lingering tobacco and Nora’s strong perfume. In that moment, my heart was completely dead. I turned, walked into the kitchen, and took off my apron, folding it neatly. I no longer needed his promises for my island trip. I should take a journey of my own. 0

Sunlight streamed through the restaurant’s glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The lingering smell of cooking oil seemed to fade a bit. This place had once been where I poured my sweat and soul. Now, it felt cold and unfamiliar. My phone screen lit up, showing a call from “Finn.” The ringtone kept ringing, over and over. I picked up the phone, looking at the familiar name, and swiped to silence it. The screen went dark, and the world returned to peace. I opened my laptop, starting to search for second-hand RVs. Different brands, various configurations, with prices all over the place. Some RVs looked cozy and comfortable, others rugged and off-road. Imagining myself driving one on endless highways, a long-lost excitement stirred in me. The phone vibrated again, this time it was “Phoebe.” I glanced at it, ignored it, and continued browsing RV forums. I read about road trip tips, modification experiences, and precautions from fellow travelers. A whole new world was slowly opening up to me. The phone rang persistently again. The caller ID showed “Asher.” After a moment’s hesitation, I answered. His slightly impatient voice came through the receiver. “Adeline, where did you go? Why isn’t anyone answering the restaurant phone?” “Did you count the new batch of seafood in the freezer? Where’s the receipt?” He ordered me around as usual, just like countless times over the past thirty years. “Also, Old Wang said the air conditioner in his reserved room is broken, get someone to fix it.” “Did you hear me? I’m talking to you!” I held the phone, slowly exhaling three words. “I’m not there.” I hung up before he could react. Almost immediately, Finn’s call came through again. I answered once more. “Mom! What’s going on? Dad said you’re not at the restaurant? Where did you go?” His voice was anxious, with a hint of blame. “The exhaust fan in the kitchen seems off, you should check it out!” “And the payment for Zhang’s order needs settling, the receipt’s in your drawer, right?” He fired off questions rapidly, laying out what I should do. I’m sorry, but it looks like the text for translation is missing. Please provide the text you’d like me to translate.

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