Category: English

Zoe and Jack were once the most talked-about couple in our elite social circles. But at my birthday party, he was drawn to another girl. He said she was exactly his type, and even found her little schemes endearing. He broke off our engagement for her. When the media asked about me, his ex-girlfriend, Jack coolly replied: “Zoe is a nice girl, but I want to live for myself for once.” But later, he regretted marrying her. Everyone in our circle said Jack and I were the perfect match. We came from similar backgrounds and looked good together. More importantly, we weren’t bound by family interests. We got together at 16, each other’s first love. Our friends all said Jack and I were so lucky. In high society, true love is the most precious thing, and we had found it at just 16. But when I was ready to marry Jack, another girl appeared. At my birthday party, my childhood friend Olivia brought along a strikingly beautiful girl. “This is my friend Chloe. Her family is in the copper mining business,” Olivia said. I quickly ran through the names in my head. Growing up in these circles, you hear about all the major business families. But I’d never heard of a copper mining family with that surname. … I was a bit annoyed that Olivia had brought an outsider without warning me. To put it bluntly, our circle is exclusive. But at the root of it, we’ve seen too many people with ulterior motives, so we try to avoid trouble. This Chloe was trouble. She wore a bright red dress, flitting around the room like a butterfly. Even more flashy than me, the birthday girl. In one evening, she managed to add almost every guest on SnapChat. When the singer on stage finished a song, Chloe boldly went up, saying she wanted to sing a birthday song for me. I found it bizarre. I didn’t even know her, but she spoke as if we were close friends. She sang well. Her voice was sultry and alluring, her body swaying to the music, showing off her slender waist. My best friend Lucy complained: “Zoe, where did you find this kind of friend?” “She’s not celebrating your birthday, she’s clearly fishing for a rich husband.” I shrugged: “I don’t know her. Olivia brought her.” Lucy scoffed: “You didn’t hear how familiar she acted with you. Anyone would think you two were best friends!” She unlocked her phone and deleted the new SnapChat contact.

I didn’t think much of Chloe. I’d seen too many people trying to use our connections for their own gain. In the future, we’d just have to be stricter about guest lists. There probably wouldn’t be another chance to meet. But I didn’t expect her to actively provoke me. After finishing her song, she came over with her phone, asking to add Jack on SnapChat. Jack smiled noncommittally: “If I add you, my girlfriend won’t be happy.” But Chloe pouted coyly: “You’re kidding, Zoe isn’t that petty.” She turned to me: “Right, Zoe?” I coldly replied: “First, I don’t know you, so don’t act so familiar.” “Second, I didn’t invite you to my birthday, so please leave.” I called security to escort her out of the hall. Jack put his arm around me and chuckled: “I didn’t know my Zoe was so possessive.” It wasn’t really that. I just hated people trying to use my status and connections to climb the social ladder, while treating me like an idiot.

Chloe hadn’t been gone long when Jack’s assistant came and called him out. I thought it was work-related, so I didn’t ask. But he was gone for a long time. When I asked the staff, I found out Jack’s car had been hit – his new Bugatti. The car that hit him was a red Porsche, driven by Chloe. I went outside wearing a coat and saw the girl in her thin dress apologizing profusely to Jack. She was crying, insisting she had to help Jack fix the car no matter what. Jack looked displeased but didn’t give her a hard time, telling her not to worry about it. Chloe bit her lip: “Jack, I know you’re a good person.” “But I caused such big trouble, I can’t let it go without making amends.” “Can I… can I treat you to a meal as an apology? Give me a chance to make it up to you, please?” She took out her phone, wanting to add Jack’s contact. To my surprise, Jack agreed. I walked over to them: “Chloe, you were driving drunk, you should face the consequences.” “Lin, please call the police for me.” Lin was Jack’s assistant. He nodded, looking to Jack for approval. But Jack stopped me: “Let it go, it’s not a big deal.” He said to Chloe: “Call a driver to take you home.” I got angry: “How is it not a big deal? Her red car was parked several rows away from your Bugatti.” “If she wasn’t completely drunk, how could she possibly hit you from so far away?” “She was driving drunk, I’m calling the police. What’s wrong with that?” Seeing Lin not moving, I took out my phone to call myself. Jack was getting impatient: “Do you have to be so aggressive?”

I’ve always been straightforward, and Jack usually indulged me. But this time, he gave me the cold shoulder over a girl he’d just met. Chloe was taken away by the police, looking frail in her thin dress. Jack seemed very disappointed in me and asked: “Was that really necessary?” “Yes.” “Girls who are so domineering aren’t likeable.” I was stunned for a moment, then looked at him seriously: “Jack, I, Zoe, don’t live my life to please anyone.” We parted on bad terms that day. We didn’t contact each other for the next few days. When Lucy met me for lunch, she advised: “I know you’re a spoiled rich girl, but this time you should give Jack a way out!” “He’s under so much pressure at work lately, it’s normal for him to be irritable.” I thought about it and realized she was right. He had just taken over the family business and was struggling. The uncles and senior executives weren’t cooperating, causing him all sorts of headaches. I was about to send him a conciliatory message when I saw a waiter leading a man and woman to the window-side table with the best view. No wonder I couldn’t book that table for lunch today. Chloe’s apology dinner – Jack had kept the appointment after all. I deleted the reconciliation message I’d typed out. Instead, I sent: “Let’s break up.” Send.

Jack put down his phone and looked around as if sensing something, meeting my gaze. I put on my coat and turned to leave, but he caught up with me: “Zoe, don’t be like this.” Chloe chased after us too: “Zoe, don’t misunderstand, we were just…” I snapped at her: “This doesn’t concern you. Stay out of it.” “Jack, I’m not playing around. I really don’t want you anymore.” His expression was very serious. “Zoe, don’t regret this.” … After so many years together, I thought ending it would be harder. But it wasn’t. My parents had always told me I didn’t need to marry for family interests. They hoped I would date and marry someone I truly liked. I used to like Jack. But today in the restaurant, I suddenly realized I didn’t like him that much anymore. Not enough to fight another woman over him.

After that, my family’s company expanded into the French market, and I was abroad for a few months. Jack called me several times, but I didn’t answer. He sent me a message: “I’m going to be with Chloe now. Do you mind?” Looking at my phone, I felt more certain that ending things decisively was the right choice. Better to break up early and be free, than to be disgusted for months. I replied: “Do whatever you want.” But he seemed unwilling to let it go: “Zoe, you really don’t care about me at all, do you?” … A few days later, Jack brought Chloe as his official girlfriend to a social gathering. Lucy was puzzled: “Is Jack an idiot? Can’t he see she’s just a gold-digger?” I said: “Maybe he doesn’t mind. Who knows.” Logically, he should mind. People who approach you for personal gain will eventually harm you for personal gain. But it wasn’t my business anymore. Knowing I had no lingering feelings for Jack, Lucy sent me screenshots of Chloe’s Twitter to gossip about. Scuba diving, baking, afternoon tea, skiing. She perfectly fulfilled netizens’ fantasies of a rich girl’s life. But girls in our circle could tell at a glance – she was just a knockoff socialite. Girls who grew up in luxury don’t post 8 selfies for a $100 afternoon tea. It’s just an ordinary day, nothing worth showing off. But she was genuinely beautiful, with a great figure. Netizens called her a “goddess”. Her influencer friend casually revealed: [The goddess is taken now, her boyfriend is the heir to the J Group.] That’s when netizens realized: [Isn’t the J heir Jack?] [What? He and Zoe broke up???] News spreads fast online. That evening, both my parents and Jack’s parents learned about our breakup from trending topics on Twitter. I was urgently called back to the States.

My family and Jack’s family were old friends. A breakup wasn’t a big deal, but we were already engaged. If Jack had been more sensible, he should have at least informed both sets of parents first, let the families jointly announce the end of the engagement, before going public with his new girlfriend. The way things happened made it look like I’d been abandoned, which made my family lose face. Jack’s father was furious: “Don’t you have any sense? Throwing away basic courtesy for some random woman!” “Apologize to Zoe right now!” “That Chloe girl will never be accepted by our family!” Jack’s mother even slapped him twice to appease me. My parents were extremely angry at first, but seeing Jack’s parents had made their stance clear, and that I didn’t seem heartbroken, they decided not to pursue the matter. After a chaotic afternoon, Jack and I left my family’s house one after another. Chloe was waiting for him outside. Seeing the slap marks on Jack’s face, she suddenly went crazy and slapped me hard. I was stunned for a moment. I, Zoe, had never been hit by anyone in my life. After a few seconds, I finally reacted and was about to strike back. But Jack shielded Chloe behind him. She even shouted: “You can look down on me, but you can’t hurt Jack!” I was shaking with anger: “Jack, get out of the way. I’ll slap her once, and we’ll call it even.” But Jack said: “What’s the point of an eye for an eye? It’s just a misunderstanding, can’t she just apologize?” “If you want to hit someone, you can slap me!” I laughed bitterly: “What? Tired of being useless, now you want to play the hero?” I raised my knee and hit him hard between the legs. With a cry of pain, Jack crumpled to the ground. “A slap isn’t enough. This is more satisfying.”

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I successfully wrapped up a five-year research project, and my girlfriend, who comes from a wealthy family, and I finally decided to get engaged. While sampling dishes at the hotel, I happened to run into my ex-girlfriend Esme and a group of old classmates who were also celebrating an engagement party. So much has changed over the years. I had long since let go of any past grievances and was ready to offer Esme my congratulations and catch up with old friends. Esme, on the arm of her affluent fiancé Declan, pointed at my simple clothes with a finger adorned by a five-carat diamond ring, and with a smug look, mocked me as someone who could only afford verbal blessings. Laughter erupted from the wealthy guests and old classmates as Esme tossed her hair with exaggerated confidence. Fingering the black card in my pocket, I thought she might be in for a surprise. 0 “Declan, this is Caspian, our class president from high school. Look at his thrift store outfit; I wonder how he’s been managing all these years. Let’s just take his blessings as a token of goodwill.” Esme, dressed in an extravagant haute couture gown, wore a smile full of undisguised contempt, casually displaying the five-carat diamond ring on her finger while holding her fiancé’s hand. A few mocking laughs echoed around, and disdainful glances swept over me, making me frown with discomfort. These past years, I’ve been dedicated to my project, working tirelessly day and night, often re-wearing the same clothes for convenience, my mind focused solely on work, leaving little room for fashion. I came straight from the research institute today and didn’t have time to change. Despite their education, these people still judge by appearances. I suppressed my annoyance. After all, we’ve been classmates for many years; I didn’t want to argue with them. And since it’s an engagement, a joyful occasion, I should show some courtesy. I touched the black card in my pocket, feeling it might be impolite to just use it, and they might not even have a card machine. Scanning the crowd, I saw my good high school buddy Jude winking at me. “Jude, I didn’t bring my phone today. Could you lend me some money?” As soon as I finished speaking, laughter erupted. “Hahaha, really, Caspian? You’re actually asking for money?” “Look at him, so pathetic. Can he even pay it back?” “If you can’t offer anything, just say so. Don’t give me the ‘I didn’t bring my phone today’ excuse, it’s hilarious.” Jude jumped in front of me, glaring angrily at everyone, speaking harshly. “What’s wrong with you? Caspian just forgot his phone; it’s no big deal.” I patted Jude’s shoulder, ready to take out the black card, but Esme, covering her mouth with a light laugh, interrupted me. “Caspian, it’s clear you’re having a tough time. Don’t pretend to be wealthy; Declan and I aren’t concerned with your token gifts.” Declan arrogantly scrutinized me, sneering with disdain in his eyes. “Forget it, Esme. Today’s our big day. Later, let the kitchen pack up some food for him.” Esme smugly raised her eyebrows at me, then turned with a face full of affection, playfully teasing Declan. “Declan, you’re so kind-hearted.” The people around them fawned and echoed, bowing and scraping so much that calling them lapdogs would be an insult to dogs. Declan chuckled, not caring, but his words had a pointed tone. “I’m used to doing charity with my mom. It’s no trouble at all.” Jude, unable to stand it, wanted to argue with them, but I held him back. I coldly scoffed, finally seeing Esme for who she really was. Thinking she had snagged a rich guy, she wanted to flaunt and belittle her ex to satisfy her pitiful vanity. And her wealthy fiancé wasn’t any better; his refined appearance couldn’t hide his vulgar roots. “Did you throw this engagement party just to collect money?” 0

Esme’s face turned sour quickly. “Caspian, do you have to be so harsh? I kindly invited you to my engagement party and even worried about your financial difficulties. Is this how you repay those who help you, with malicious speculation?” She sure knows how to twist the truth. I was too lazy to argue with them any further, and with a nod to Jude, I planned to leave, but Esme stepped forward and grabbed me. I shook off her hand with some disgust, her face twisted in embarrassment. “What? You’re feeling guilty and admitting it? Sneaking away with your tail between your legs is really your style.” I couldn’t help but laugh at their antics. “Is hooking up with a wealthy guy not enough to satisfy your vanity? Do you have to step on me to show your superiority? You really need to work on that mindset.” “The value of life isn’t measured solely by money. Instead of stirring up trouble here, why not do something meaningful with your time?” Out of respect for old classmates, I decided to offer them some advice. My colleagues exhaust themselves daily for research, thinking of ways to contribute more to the country and its people. Their worldview, however, is truly baffling. Declan’s face also turned ugly, looking at me as if to say, “Who do you think you are to lecture me?” Esme, no need to mention, her face was so dark it could almost drip water. I respect others’ fate, just giving a kind reminder. Whether they listen or not is up to them. I shrugged indifferently, turning to leave. Behind me, Esme let out a malicious laugh. When I turned around, I saw her with tear-filled eyes, looking pitiful. “Caspian, all these years, I’ve kept quiet to protect your dignity. I was wholeheartedly devoted to you, but you dumped me for a better future, afraid I’d hold you back. Who’s more vain between us?” Her words made Esme start sobbing uncontrollably. Declan comforted her, and whispers grew louder around us. “Really? Caspian turned out to be like this? I was silently rooting for him just now.” “No wonder they broke up without warning; so that’s what happened…” “Scumbag! Pfft!” When Esme and I dated, she pursued me. Three months into the relationship, a handsome and wealthy transfer student joined our class, and since then, Esme became distant. After seeing her with the transfer student, I decided to talk to her, but she took the opportunity to break up with me. “What do you have compared to him? Can you give me money or fame? If not, stop wasting my time. Honestly, being with you is embarrassing.” Thinking of this, I’m suddenly grateful for the breakup back then. “Weren’t you the one who disliked me for not giving you money or fame? Wasn’t it you who wanted to break up to be with the transfer student?” Now playing the victim, what’s the point? Angered by her twisting the truth, I couldn’t hold back and revealed the facts. Declan, comforting the sobbing Esme, glared at me with furrowed brows. “Esme was the prom queen back then, lots of people chased her. You were broke and couldn’t give her security, what’s wrong with her leaving you?” Esme spoke between sobs. “I just wanted a stable future with someone I liked…” As I explained the truth, some people’s angry faces switched to mocking expressions. “Bottom line, you were just incompetent, couldn’t even keep a girlfriend.” “Girls are sensitive, you know? If you can’t provide basic security, what’s the point of dating?” “Caspian, seeing you like this, I bet you still don’t have a girlfriend.” “Esme was right to leave him back then. Being with him would only lead to hardship.” As the crowd discussed, all attacking me, Esme couldn’t help but smile, and Declan arrogantly raised his head, looking like he was enjoying the show. 0

You can never wake someone pretending to be asleep, and logic only works on those who understand it. Looking at this group with no basic moral values, I felt powerless. I didn’t want to bother, but thinking of my current girlfriend, such an outstanding and kind girl, I couldn’t let her become their topic of gossip. I had to speak up. “Sorry, I already have a girlfriend. She’s amazing, doesn’t judge by wealth, our relationship is stable, and we’re planning to get engaged soon.” They didn’t believe I had a girlfriend. Even if I spoke the truth, they acted like they couldn’t hear, fixated on the idea that I couldn’t afford a wife. “Anyone can brag. I could say I have a wealthy fiancée too.” But my soon-to-be fiancée, Genevieve, is indeed wealthy, and this hotel we were sampling dishes at belongs to her family’s business. I checked my watch, it was almost time for my meeting with Genevieve. I shouldn’t have stepped into this room today; it brought unnecessary trouble. “Believe it or not, that’s the truth. I have things to do, so I’ll be leaving.” I turned to go, but was blocked a few steps in. “Don’t rush off, Caspian. Since you’re Esme’s old classmate, let me introduce you to someone.” Disregarding my frown and refusal, Declan called his assistant, who soon arrived with a respectful young man. “Young Master Declan, the person is here.” He nodded to Declan, then stepped aside to reveal a cleaning lady who looked about 40 or 50. Declan placed a hand on my shoulder, speaking as if we were good friends. I turned to leave, but after just a few steps, someone stopped me. “Don’t be in such a hurry, Milo. Since you’re an old classmate of Esme’s, let me introduce you to someone.” Despite my frown and refusal, Declan took out his phone and called his assistant. Soon, a young man entered, showing respect and deference. “Mr. Declan, the person is here.” He nodded slightly to Declan and then stepped aside to reveal a cleaning lady who looked to be in her forties or fifties. Declan placed a hand on my shoulder, speaking in a patronizing tone. “This is an employee at this hotel. Don’t be fooled by her age; she has a stable job and probably earns more than you do each month. Plus, she has a son. If you marry her, you’ll have someone to look after you in your old age.” “Hahaha, suddenly becoming a dad is not something everyone gets to experience. Class leader, you’re really lucky. You should thank Mr. Declan.” Jude couldn’t handle it anymore and started cursing at them. He stood up for me today and took quite a bit of heat. I shrugged off Declan’s hand and stepped forward to stop Jude from getting into a fight. I also sent the embarrassed cleaning lady away. “As old classmates, I don’t want to make a fuss with you. But if you keep pushing it, don’t blame me for not being friendly.” “Oh, such big words. We’re so terrified.” “What, are you going to kick us out? Do you even know that Mr. Declan reserved the whole venue today? With your broke look, you probably couldn’t even afford a fraction of the cost.” They weren’t wrong. I did want them to leave. A high-end hotel had been turned into a mess because of them. High-end service sometimes needs high-end guests. “So what if I want to kick you out?” Declan snorted disdainfully at this. “Milo, don’t be ungrateful. Do you even know the status of the Declan’s family around here? You can’t afford to mess with the Declan’s family!” Although I’ve been busy with my projects these past few years, I’m not oblivious to the world. Genevieve’s family, where my girlfriend Genevieve belongs, is truly the leading enterprise locally. I’ve accompanied her to several local business banquets. Although we often just made brief appearances, I never heard of anyone with the last name Declan among those qualified to greet us. “If you can’t afford to mess with the Declan’s family, do you think you can handle Genevieve’s family?” A cool female voice rose behind me. I turned to see my girlfriend standing at the entrance of the private event room in a casual suit. Her bright eyes, behind gold-rimmed glasses, looked coldly at Declan. I’m sorry, it looks like the document you’re referring to is missing. Could you provide the text that needs translation? Genevieve caught my eye and walked over to me, gently entwining her fingers with mine and offering a warm, concerned smile. “I didn’t see you at the door. I only came over when I heard the commotion. Is this person bothering you?” “It’s just a small issue,” I replied, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Genevieve and I met through an introduction by my superior. Although it was a blind date, she genuinely admired my commitment to scientific research and supported me wholeheartedly. I, in turn, respected her decisiveness in business. From the moment we met, we found ourselves kindred spirits, able to talk about anything. “Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend and soon-to-be fiancée, Genevieve, Miss Genevieve.” Genevieve greeted everyone graciously and leaned in to whisper teasingly in my ear, “Oh, big scientist, aren’t you embarrassed to call me that?”

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Liam Anderson and I grew up together, and I’ve had a crush on him for ten years. I always thought that if I gave it enough time, he would eventually notice me. That is, until Liam’s birthday, when he showed up holding hands with my best friend. They kissed in front of everyone’s congratulations. Then Liam said that to him, I was just a convenient maid. Liam has always been incredibly handsome, so he’s had a constant stream of admirers and relationships since we were young. I was the only one who stayed by his side all this time. I always thought I was special to him, carefully hiding my feelings while following his every word. Liam’s friends often joked, “Liam, you’ve got yourself a loyal little sidekick.” Liam never denied it. This year, Liam turned twenty-four. One day, after he sobered up from drowning his sorrows over a breakup, I was cooking in the kitchen when Liam came up behind me and patted my head. “Amber, what would I do without you? I’d probably starve to death, right?” “You know what, maybe we should just get together,” he said casually. His offhand comment nearly stopped my heart. I froze, unable to speak. But Liam laughed first. “Just kidding. You’re not really my type.” I shooed Liam out and continued cooking alone in the kitchen. His two sentences had lifted me up, only to shatter me moments later. When I finished cooking, I left. Liam lazily said goodbye, “Come back soon, Amber.” I didn’t answer, practically fleeing from his place. When I got home, my college roommate Rachel was there, calling me over to eat some strawberries. Looking at Rachel sitting on the couch in just her pajamas, bare-faced yet still breathtakingly beautiful, I couldn’t help but feel dejected. If I were that pretty, maybe Liam would like me. Of course, Liam has always been attracted to beautiful, glamorous, dazzling girls. And me? I’m plain and ordinary, like one of the countless stars in the sky – people probably couldn’t even remember my name if they tried. Seeing me lost in thought, Rachel pinched my cheek. “What are you spacing out for? You’ve been acting weird since you came back from seeing your crush today.” “Did you two have a fight?” Rachel knew I had liked someone for a long time, so she occasionally teased me about it. I shook my head. “What crush? We’re just friends. Don’t make stuff up.” “Oh, come on. If you like him, just admit it. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If you like him, go confess. If he doesn’t like you back, at least you can move on instead of torturing yourself like this.” She was right, but it was hard for me to do. After all, I had liked him for ten years. But this time, I silently told myself that this would be the last time. If it didn’t work out, I’d give up. On my birthday, I invited Liam out for dinner. But I didn’t expect him to come to my rented apartment while I was out. Liam and Rachel ran into each other. They chatted briefly, but to me, they looked like a perfect match – the handsome guy and the beautiful girl. I dug my nails into my palms, telling myself it was nothing. After Rachel left, Liam excitedly bumped my shoulder with his. “Wow, Amber! I can’t believe you never told me you had such a gorgeous friend.” “You never asked,” I replied. It’s true. He never cared about my studies, my life, or my friends. It was always me chasing after him. “Hey, give me her SnapChat. I’ll treat you to something nice,” he said. I shook my head, forcing myself to say, “She doesn’t like guys like you.” “Oh, come on. Just give it to me.” In the end, I gave it to him. But I thought that since Rachel had known me for so long and knew I liked Liam, she wouldn’t agree to go out with him. After that, Liam occasionally came to my rented apartment. He and Rachel didn’t talk much, and they didn’t seem very close, which put my mind at ease. I was planning to confess to Liam at his birthday party a month later. If it didn’t work out, I’d give up. But I was sure it would work. After all this time, he must have noticed me by now. I prepared for a long time, deciding what to wear to the birthday party and even revising my confession speech more than a dozen times. However, I failed to notice Rachel’s increasingly frequent late nights out and the happy smile on her face. On Liam’s birthday, he invited many friends. I wore a beautiful long dress for the occasion. Before I left, Rachel gave me a strange look.

She said something odd, too. “Why are you dressing up so fancy for his birthday? People might think it’s a proposal or something.” I heard a hint of mockery in her words, but when I turned to look at her, she was just staring at her phone. When I arrived at the private room, Liam wasn’t there yet. I knew Liam’s friends, and they sat next to me, teasing, “Amber, you’re all dressed up today. Are you going to confess to Liam?” “Good luck! If it works out, you have to treat us all to drinks!” “Sure,” I agreed with a smile. Liam arrived half an hour later. Everyone was pushing me, ready to shove me in front of Liam as soon as he opened the door. But we didn’t expect him to appear holding Rachel’s hand. The hands pushing me suddenly stopped. The atmosphere instantly became awkward. I stood there holding a bouquet of flowers, completely out of place. Rachel spoke first, “Liam, look at the flowers Amber bought for you. Thank her.” Liam tightened his grip on Rachel’s hand. “You’re so generous.” Then he turned to me and said perfunctorily, “Thanks, Amber.” For the rest of the time, I hid in a corner, staring at my out-of-place dress and feeling utterly foolish. So, the feelings that all his friends knew about – how could he not have known? So, because I wasn’t pretty enough, I was destined not to win his affection, but Rachel, whom he had only known for a short time, could. The couch beside me dipped as Rachel sat down. There was a smile on her face that didn’t reach her eyes as she apologized to me, “I’m sorry, Amber. I didn’t tell you we were together.” “But you can’t control these things. You should face reality.” I looked at her, shocked. I never expected Rachel, whom I’d known for years, to be like this. She dismissed my confusion with disdain. “Don’t you get it? He likes pretty girls.” I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t argue. For the rest of the evening, Liam blew out his candles and then hugged and kissed Rachel under the lights. At that moment, I decided I didn’t want to like Liam anymore, and I didn’t want to be friends with Rachel either. I put Liam’s house key from my pocket into Rachel’s bag. As I was about to leave, Rachel grabbed me. Her beautiful eyes were even more captivating at that moment, and she spoke with a pitiful tone, “Amber, I know you’re mad at me. But I’m sorry, you can’t force someone to like you. I’ll take good care of Liam.” For a moment, I was stunned. Not just me, but Liam’s friends were too. She was doing this on purpose, humiliating me in front of everyone. I wanted to say something, but Liam beat me to it. “What are you talking about? Amber and I are just bros. I don’t like her that way. Right, Amber?” Fighting back tears, I looked at Liam and Rachel in the silent room. “Yes, I used to like Liam. But from today on, I will never like Liam again. If I do, may I drop dead.” After I said this, Liam’s expression changed drastically. “And Rachel, I don’t want to be friends with you anymore. You disgust me.” With that, I left. But as soon as I was out the door, Liam caught up with me. His voice was cold, “Amber, apologize to Rachel.” I shook off his hand. “Apologize my ass. I was an idiot for ever liking you.” Seeing Liam’s shocked expression, I turned and left. This time, he didn’t follow. I walked down the street in my dress, shoulders hunched, sobbing uncontrollably. I cried for a long time before I noticed someone behind me. Through my tear-filled eyes, I saw a guy in a black hoodie standing not far away, watching me. He was pretty handsome. I crouched down, picked up a brick, and pointed it at him. “If you keep following me, I’ll fight you to the death.” My shout made everyone around look at me and the guy. The guy frowned slightly and walked towards me. “Wipe your tears and see who I am.” I didn’t have any tissues, and I had been sniffling back my runny nose. How could I wipe? The guy sighed and rummaged in his pocket, but came up empty.

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On Ethan’s birthday night, I was lured into his bed with a glass of wine. After a wild night, I thought we could finally go public with our relationship. But then I overheard his friend apologizing. “Ethan, I’m sorry, but I have to tell the truth. The drug in Mia’s drink last night, it wasn’t me who put it there.” “I know,” Ethan replied lazily, completely unconcerned. “Aren’t I pursuing Zoe? That little brat actually said my skills in bed were terrible.” “Oh, so you used Mia for practice,” his friend teased. “How was it? Who’s better, Mia or Zoe?” Ethan seemed to reminisce, narrowing his eyes as he thought for a moment. “I still prefer them younger.” I stood outside the room, unable to hold back any longer. I pushed open the door and slapped Ethan hard across the face. He didn’t dodge, leaning casually on the sofa. He touched his cheek with his tongue, smiling faintly. “Heard it all? Good, saves me from wasting more time.” I stared at him intently, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. “Mia, all these years, I really tried, but I realized we’re truly better off as siblings.” “Drugging your ‘sister’ and tricking her into bed,” I laughed coldly, using all my strength not to let tears fall. “Ethan, is this how you treat a sister?” Ethan raised an eyebrow carelessly: “How would I know we’re not compatible if we didn’t sleep together?” “Don’t worry, as long as I’m around as your brother, no one will dare bully you.” “No need,” I forcefully suppressed all my anger and pain, slowly unclenching my fists, trying to smile naturally. “Don’t let your dear Zoe misunderstand.” With that, I turned and left, struggling to maintain my last shred of dignity.

Back home, I soaked in the bathtub for over two hours, until my skin was slightly swollen before I got out. When I went to the walk-in closet to change, seeing half the closet filled with clothes, bags, and jewelry Ethan had given me, I called the owner of a luxury consignment store without hesitation. Ethan and I had practically grown up together. Over the years, he would give me gifts for my birthday and various holidays, big and small, each one expensive. Mrs. Parker had even mentioned wanting me as a daughter-in-law years ago. Because of this, I had devoted all my attention to Ethan for so many years. I thought he must have liked me too. But in the end, I was just deluding myself. From jewelry worth hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, down to the lingerie Ethan had given me last Valentine’s Day. Anything that could be resold, I had the consignment store owner pack up and take away. What couldn’t be resold, I threw away as trash. After doing all this, I booked a flight for a business trip that evening. As I finished packing and was about to leave, I saw Zoe’s announcement on social media. Two intertwined hands, with a pair of simple band rings that were all too familiar. Those rings – I had helped Ethan pick them out. At the time, I was overjoyed, thinking Ethan was going to propose to me and give them to me. Now it just seemed laughable! Looking at the constant stream of congratulatory messages mentioning @Ethan and @Zoe, calling Zoe “sister-in-law” over and over. I’d be lying if I said my heart didn’t ache. After all, for so many years, I had been eagerly waiting for Ethan to propose to me, to marry him and become his wife. Suddenly, Zoe tagged me: “@Mia Johnson, Mia, are you free tonight? Want to come hang out?” The group chat suddenly went quiet. After a long while, Ethan chimed in, tagging me: “If you truly wish us well, then come. Otherwise, don’t bother showing up and upsetting Zoe.” “Ethan, how can you say that about Mia? She’s not that kind of person,” Zoe protested. “Babe, she’s not as open-minded and reasonable as you. She’s quite petty!” Ethan replied. Watching Ethan and Zoe flirt shamelessly in the group chat, I smiled. Forcing back the tears welling up in my eyes, I left the group chat and blocked both Ethan and Zoe on all platforms.

I’m a wedding planner, fairly well-known in the industry. This time, my business trip was to Newport, Rhode Island, one of the wealthiest areas in the country. The bride was my college classmate, and like the groom, came from an extremely wealthy Newport family. The bride and groom personally came to pick me up at the airport. The next two weeks were a whirlwind of busy work. I was so exhausted that I would fall asleep as soon as I got back to the hotel each night. On the wedding day, all the big shots from the East Coast gathered at the venue. I was responsible for on-site execution and supervision, ensuring everything went according to plan, running around like crazy. At one point, I accidentally stepped on someone’s foot and nearly fell. Luckily, the person caught me in time. “I’m so sorry, are you okay?” I quickly apologized. “I think ‘thank you’ would be more appropriate,” a low, magnetic male voice sounded above my head. I looked up to see a mature, handsome face suddenly filling my vision. The man smiled at me, his eyes deep and sparkling like stars. The scene felt oddly familiar. “Mia, the bride is ready to enter,” my assistant suddenly reminded me. “Okay,” I responded, then said another quick “thank you” to the man before hurrying off.

After the wedding, I slept for a day and a night straight. In the evening, my classmate came knocking, inviting me to join her, her husband, and some friends for a party. I got dressed up and went out. “Do you know Jack Collins?” my classmate asked. I shook my head. She looked surprised. “The heir to the biggest family business conglomerate in New England? You don’t know him?” I was also surprised: “I really don’t.” “But he says he knows you!” “He’s my husband’s friend. Like my husband, he basically grew up abroad and just recently came back to take over the family business.” I was even more surprised: “Did he say how he knows me?” My classmate shook her head. At the venue, after introductions from my classmate and her husband, I finally realized who Jack Collins was. He was the man whose foot I had stepped on at the wedding, the one who told me to say thank you. “Mr. Collins, it’s an honor to meet you!” I said politely. “How can it be an honor when you don’t even know me?” he replied. “…” I imperceptibly raised an eyebrow, then tactfully turned away with my drink. Afterwards, I constantly felt two burning gazes fixed on me, unwilling to move away. My classmate finished socializing and came over to tease me: “I bet Jack Collins has taken a liking to you.” Hearing this, I casually glanced over at Jack Collins. To my surprise, he happened to be looking my way too. Our eyes met, and I suddenly felt my breath catch, an inexplicable sense of embarrassment washing over me. I forced myself to control my emotions, raising my glass in a distant toast to Jack Collins. But he ignored me, turning his head away. I: “…” How ungentlemanly. I drank quite a bit that night, almost to the point of drunkenness. When Jack Collins was about to leave, my classmate stopped him, supporting my unsteady steps as she brought me in front of him. “Mr. Collins, we can’t get a car home. Would you mind giving Mia a ride?” she asked. I mumbled “No need.” My classmate quickly said “Yes, please,” then smiled at Jack Collins and added, “I’d feel uneasy letting anyone else take such a beautiful girl home.” Jack Collins’ face was expressionless as he looked me over coolly, then said in a deep voice, “Alright, help Miss Johnson into my car then.”

The road from the party venue to the hotel wasn’t great, with quite a few bumps. My stomach was already feeling awful, and after all the jostling, I felt like I was going to be sick. “Stop the car,” Jack Collins suddenly ordered. Hearing this, the driver immediately pulled over to the side of the road. The car hadn’t even come to a complete stop when I turned to push open the door. But before I could open it, Jack Collins yanked me back. “Urgh—” Caught off guard, I fell into Jack Collins’ arms and immediately threw up. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I vomited all over Jack Collins’ chest. The confined space of the car was instantly filled with an acrid smell. Jack Collins’ long eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked down at me with dark eyes, ordering in a low voice, “Keep driving.” “Yes, sir,” the driver responded, holding his breath as he pulled back onto the road. After I finished throwing up, I was so embarrassed I wanted to disappear on the spot. Thank goodness the car lights weren’t on. I snuck a glance up at Jack Collins. He had his eyes closed, leaning back against the seat, completely motionless as if asleep. The streetlights flickered through the windows, dancing across his chiseled, handsome face. He had a high, straight nose and thin, sexy lips. His eyebrows were long and sharp like swords, his eyelashes thick and dark like brushes. Few men had eyelashes as lush as his. Staring at the face before me, I felt like I had seen it somewhere before. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Collins! Why don’t you drop me off here and head home? I’ll transfer you money for cleaning the car and your clothes.” “What, you make a mess of me and don’t plan to take responsibility?” Jack Collins spoke, his voice low and unreadable. I: “…”

When Jack Collins stood at the door of my hotel room, I still couldn’t believe he had demanded to come up to shower. My hand shook slightly as I took out the keycard to open the door. While I was still hesitating whether to let Jack Collins in, his large hand reached out and grasped mine. The next second, there was a “beep” and the door opened. I was still in a daze when Jack Collins pushed past me into the room, heading straight for the bathroom. Hearing the bathroom door slam shut, I finally let out a sigh of relief. The sound of running water soon came from the shower. I took the opportunity to quickly change my clothes. I had just finished undressing when Jack Collins called out from the bathroom. “Where are the towels?” Huh?! I looked around. Both towels were lying on the nearby sofa, used earlier before I went out. It was already past midnight, obviously too late to call room service to bring up more. “They’re out here, I’ll bring them to you,” I called back. I hurriedly grabbed the towels to take to the bathroom, then realized I wasn’t wearing anything myself. Not wanting to keep Jack Collins waiting, I quickly threw on a loose maxi dress, then went to knock on the bathroom door. “I’ve hung the towel on the doorknob, you can—” get it yourself. “Click!” “Ah!” Before I could finish speaking, the bathroom door suddenly opened from the inside. Then a muscular arm reached out, precisely grabbing my hand holding the towel, and yanked me into the bathroom. I was pushed up against the bathroom door. The man’s body was dripping wet, but burning hot. I only dared to take one glance before my cheeks felt like they were on fire. “Empty handed on purpose?” Jack Collins asked, one hand gripping my waist, the other lifting the hem of my dress. His voice was dark and sexy enough to drive anyone crazy. I didn’t know where to look, so I closed my eyes and turned my head away, my voice shaking as I answered, “Mr. Collins, you misunderstand, I—” “Mmph!” Before I could explain, Jack Collins sealed my lips with his own.

My mind went completely blank, unable to process what was happening. Before I could fully react, Jack Collins’ lips and tongue had already begun moving lower. I opened my eyes, looking down at the man buried in my chest, and tried to push him away with all my strength. “Jack… Mr. Collins…” My voice shook even more than before: “If you touch me, you have to take responsibility.” Hearing this, Jack Collins stopped all movement and looked up at me. Our eyes met, and in the flickering fire of his gaze, I seemed to see his determination. The next second, the loose dress slipped off my body to pool at my feet as he buried his head even deeper. My body began to tremble uncontrollably. I grabbed his short black hair with one hand, trying to push him away with the other. My voice sounded like I was crying and laughing at the same time as I kept calling his name, saying “No.” But Jack Collins was relentless. Just when I thought my legs would give out, he finally supported me and lifted his head. In the bright light, the moisture glistening on his lips looked dazzling and incredibly alluring. “Did that feel good?” he asked. He stood up, pressing tightly against me as he leaned down to kiss me again. My whole body had gone soft, my breathing completely erratic. Thinking of what his mouth had just done, I instinctively turned my head away. But he just laughed: “Disgusted by your own taste?” I ignored him. He forcefully turned my face back and pried open my lips. “You’ve had your pleasure, now it’s my turn!” Somehow we had moved from the bathroom to the bed. The phone I had tossed on the bed suddenly started ringing incessantly, but we were too caught up in each other to pay any attention. Until the call was accidentally answered and put on speakerphone. “Mia Johnson, how dare you block me!” an angry voice demanded. That all too familiar voice made my whole body instantly freeze up. “Ouch~” “Mia, baby, relax!” Jack Collins caressed my face, but increased his intensity. Suddenly turning somewhat fierce. I couldn’t hold back the sounds escaping my throat. “Mia Johnson, what are you doing? Are you actually in bed with another man—” Just as Ethan’s shout was about to finish, Jack Collins, without stopping his movements, reached out to grab the phone. With a low, mocking laugh, he cut Ethan off. “Parker, how old are you? If you want milk, go find your mom. Stop harassing my girlfriend, she’s really busy right now.”

Ethan listened to the dial tone coming from the phone, taking it away from his ear to see the screen had gone black. He suddenly exploded in rage, hurling his friend’s phone across the room. With a loud crash, the phone screen instantly shattered into a spiderweb pattern. Everyone in the private room looked at each other in shock, not daring to make a sound. Zoe carefully moved closer, placing her hand on Ethan’s leg. “Ethan—” “Get lost!” Ethan roared. “Ah!” Zoe cried out as Ethan flung her away, sending her tumbling off the sofa. “Ethan… what happened?” one of his friends ventured to ask. Ethan swept his murderous gaze over them, gritting out, “Where did Mia Johnson go? Does anyone know?” “I think Newport, Rhode Island.” “That super high-profile wedding for the Newport heir that’s been all over social media lately – I think Mia Johnson planned it.” “Ethan, how come you weren’t invited to the Newport heir’s wedding?” Ethan ground his back teeth, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room one by one. The next second, he abruptly stood up and strode towards the door. “Ethan, where are you going?” Zoe quickly scrambled after him, grabbing his arm. Ethan looked down, seeing the ring Mia had picked out still on Zoe’s right ring finger. He roughly grabbed her hand and forcefully yanked the ring off. No matter how Zoe cried and struggled, it was useless. “Our relationship ends here. Don’t ever show your face in front of me again, and don’t you dare try to mess with Mia, or you know what will happen,” Ethan snarled. With that, he shoved Zoe away again and stormed out.

When I woke up, it was already late morning. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. I got out of bed, wincing at the soreness. I opened the curtains to bright sunlight streaming in. I sat down at the desk, lit a cigarette, then took out my checkbook. As Jack Collins came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, I was carefully filling out a check. For $100,000. He walked over just as I finished writing it. I tore out the check and held it out to him. Jack Collins glanced at the check with lowered eyes, the corner of his mouth curling in an ambiguous smile. “Is this to buy me for one time, or for the whole night?” I shook my head, not quite daring to look at him. Before he pulled me into the bathroom last night, I hadn’t thought his physique or stamina was anything special. He was tall, but looked a bit thin. But after last night, I realized how terribly wrong I’d been. The clearly defined six-pack abs and V-line in front of me now were a strong assault on my visual senses. And the lingering ache between my legs was an even clearer testament to his impressive stamina. Apart from finishing quickly the first time due to pent-up desire, every time after that had me begging for mercy. “This is for cleaning the car and your clothes,” I said with a light laugh, mustering up the courage to look at him. “As for you, I can’t afford to buy you.” Jack Collins’ dark eyes gazed at me without any emotion. He didn’t take the check from my hand, but instead plucked the cigarette from my mouth and took a long drag. “Too light. Don’t smoke these anymore.” After one puff, he stubbed out the cigarette in the water glass on the desk, then came around to stand in front of me. He bent down slightly and lifted me onto the desk, then pulled my legs to wrap around his narrow waist. As he leaned in, I placed my hands on his chest to stop him. “Jack, shouldn’t you be leaving?” Jack Collins ignored my protests, removing my hands and cupping the back of my head. Completely changing the subject, he asked, “Why do you smoke? Too much stress, or feeling down?” I looked at him, opening and closing my mouth, suddenly at a loss for words. “Whether it’s stress or feeling down, I can help you deal with it from now on.” With that, he leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head away. “We’re both adults, it was just a fling. Don’t tell me Mr. Collins has gotten addicted?” Jack Collins pressed his forehead against mine. “What, didn’t I satisfy you last night? Left you unsatisfied?” I laughed helplessly: “Jack, don’t you understand? I don’t like the feeling of sex without love.” “Who says I don’t love you?” “Knock knock—” “Knock knock—” Just as Jack Collins finished speaking and I thought I must have heard wrong, staring at him in shock with wide eyes, loud banging came from the door.

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After a year of studying abroad, I returned home with high hopes, only to uncover a shocking secret that left me speechless. My husband, who had always insisted on remaining childless, had fathered a child with another woman behind my back. To add insult to injury, he had the audacity to bring this woman into our home under the guise of a nanny, forcing me to live with her. My mother-in-law’s attitude towards the situation was even more disheartening. She boasted proudly, “My son is truly successful now. He has two wives – one who earns money and another who takes care of the baby.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly to myself. Just wait and see how I’ll shatter this absurd fantasy of yours! As soon as I stepped through the door, James thrust a baby into my arms. “Honey, look! I adopted him. Isn’t he adorable?” Caught off guard, I awkwardly held the crying infant, a sense of unease washing over me. Just then, the bedroom door slowly opened, and a young, attractive woman emerged. With a smile playing on her lips, she said softly, “Let me take him. You don’t seem to know how to hold a baby properly.” She expertly took the child from me, cooing and soothing him. Within moments, his cries subsided. James grinned proudly. “Alex, I know you’re new to this, so I hired an experienced nanny to help out.” I stood there, stone-faced, my gaze darting between them as my mind raced. Not long ago, I had accidentally become pregnant and was overjoyed at the prospect of starting a family. But James had been adamant about remaining childless, ignoring my pleas and even threatening divorce. Heartbroken, I had no choice but to give up that child. Now, he suddenly brings home a baby? What was this all about? My thoughts were interrupted by the baby’s cries. The nanny, Sophia, said softly, “The little one must be hungry.” Before I could react, Sophia casually lifted her shirt, exposing her skin to breastfeed the baby right in front of James and me. James stood nearby, his eyes fixed on the scene. Anger flared within me. “How can you do that in front of my husband?” I snapped. Sophia looked up at me, her eyes brimming with tears, her lips trembling but no words coming out. James grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, chastising me, “You’ve never been a mother. When a baby’s hungry, nothing else matters.” I scoffed, “Then why are you staring so intently?” “What’s wrong with watching my son eat?” James retorted, shooting me an irritated glance. We stood there in tense silence, the air thick with unspoken hostility. As the room quieted, I could hear Sophia’s soft sobs. “I’m sorry, James. It’s all my fault. I don’t understand city ways,” Sophia whimpered. “Now that your wife is back, I should leave early.” She started to get up. James quickly grabbed her arm. “Don’t be silly. If you leave, who will take care of my son?” He turned to me, seemingly seeking my approval. Watching their little act, I felt a surge of anger and frustration building in my chest. Without another glance at them, I turned and walked into the bedroom. However, the sight that greeted me there only fueled my rage further. Women’s underwear was strewn across the bed, and my closet had been ransacked. My expensive dresses, which I rarely wore, were now stained and crumpled. Furious, I grabbed the underwear and stormed out of the bedroom, flinging it at James’s face. “You’d better explain what the hell is going on here!” My voice shook with anger. James’s face tensed, and he raised his voice, trying to mask his unease. “Alex, you’re being completely unreasonable! When did you become so arrogant and irrational?” His words nearly made me laugh in disbelief. Who was really being unreasonable and arrogant here? He had adopted a child without my consent and now allowed this nanny to invade my personal space so shamelessly. “I’m being unreasonable? James, is this nanny here for your son or for you? Why is her underwear on our bed?” I demanded. James’s face flushed, then paled. He opened his mouth but couldn’t form a response. Suddenly, Sophia fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she begged for forgiveness. “I’m so sorry, Alex. It’s all my fault…”

James shot me a withering glare before moving to help Sophia up. But she stubbornly remained on her knees, lifting her tear-filled eyes to James and shaking her head. “James, I really messed up,” Sophia said. “Alex has been away working hard for so long, and now she’s come home to find us causing trouble. If my kneeling can make her feel better, I’m willing to stay like this.” Her body trembled slightly as she lowered her head, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. James’s eyes filled with concern for Sophia. He turned to me, his gaze cold and hard. “Do you have to push Sophia this far? Do you have any idea how exhausting it is for her to take care of the baby every day? She can’t even get a full night’s sleep.” I let out a derisive laugh. “She’s exhausted? And I’m not?” For the past year, I had been studying abroad, not only adapting to a foreign language environment but also juggling a heavy course load. To save money, I even took on two part-time jobs. I slept only 4-5 hours a night, all to successfully obtain my certification. And all of this was because our family suddenly had an additional monthly mortgage payment of nearly $4,000 – the result of James insisting on upgrading to a 3,200 square foot luxury apartment. I had thought that a happier life awaited me upon my return, but now everything was in chaos. Irritated, I looked at Sophia, still kneeling on the floor, and suddenly realized they were trying to shift the focus of the conversation. This wasn’t about who was more tired; it was about why the nanny was sleeping in my bedroom. Just as I was about to question them, James roughly pushed me aside. “Alex, how long are you going to make Sophia kneel? I told her to sleep in your room. She needs to feed the baby at night, and the other rooms are too small for her to be comfortable.” I stared at him intently. “And where do you sleep?” James’s expression immediately darkened. “What are you implying? I sleep in the study, of course!” At this, Sophia, still kneeling, began to cry even harder. “Alex, I may come from a poor background, but I’m not that kind of woman. I would never do anything so disgraceful.” With that, she got up and rushed into the bedroom to pack her things. James glared at me furiously. “Are you satisfied now? You’re so determined to drive Sophia away that you’d stoop to slandering her. Not only have you insulted her integrity, but you’ve also insulted your husband.” He shoved me aside and went to the bedroom to console Sophia, gently taking the clothes from her hands and carefully folding them before putting them back in the closet. In all our years of marriage, I had never seen him be so gentle. I had always handled all the household chores. Forget about folding clothes – even when I asked him to hang up the laundry while I was working late, he would ignore my request. I’d come home in the early hours of the morning to find the clothes still sitting in the washing machine. As I watched them and the sleeping baby, they looked like a real family of three, while I stood there feeling like an outsider. James turned back to me and shouted, “What are you still standing there for? Come and apologize to Sophia right now! Are you only happy when you’ve driven her away?” Sophia tugged at his sleeve and shook her head timidly. “It’s okay, Alex. You don’t need to apologize. I’m used to being mistreated. I’ll go make dinner for you all.” But James held her back firmly. “Honey, now that you’re back, you can cook for us from now on. Sophia is already exhausted from taking care of the baby.” His words hit me like a bolt of lightning, leaving me numb and unable to move.

I trembled with rage, my voice quivering with barely contained fury: “James, what exactly are you saying? Am I the hired nanny here?” Sophia gently pushed James aside and looked at me apologetically, explaining, “Alex, you might not be familiar with how things work in our industry. A nanny’s main responsibility is to take care of the baby. We don’t usually handle other household tasks because the baby’s safety is our top priority.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, then turned to Sophia and asked, “How much do you make per month?” Her demeanor changed instantly, a smug smile replacing her previous meekness. “I’m the agency’s top nanny. My monthly salary is $3,500.” I scoffed inwardly. That figure matched James’s monthly salary perfectly. He had been constantly complaining about financial pressure and the company’s poor performance, but it turned out he had dumped the entire burden of the mortgage on me while using his money to pay for this so-called top nanny. My gaze turned icy. “We can’t afford such an expensive nanny. Today is the 10th, so I’ll pay you for the full month. Thank you for your hard work during this time.” Sophia looked at me in shock, her voice choked with tears. “Alex, are you… are you firing me?” She clung to James’s sleeve, her pitiful appearance instantly triggering his protective instincts. James shielded her behind him and glared at me darkly. “Do I need your permission to hire a nanny with my own money? Who do you think you are, Alex?” I shook with anger. After we got married, most of our major purchases – the house, the car, the appliances, and the renovations – were largely funded by my salary. I worked late into the night every day, only to come home to find James either sprawled on the couch watching TV or playing video games in his study, leaving the house a mess for me to clean up. I had foolishly believed that at least his feelings for me were genuine, but now I realized it was all just wishful thinking on my part. I was about to retort when the doorbell suddenly rang. I was surprised to see my mother-in-law, Mrs. Parker, at the door. She pushed past me and went straight to the baby’s crib, her face beaming with joy. “Oh, my precious grandson! Let grandma see if you’ve gotten chubbier!” Sophia attentively catered to Mrs. Parker, regaling her with amusing anecdotes about the baby, which had her roaring with laughter. To my astonishment, Mrs. Parker removed the jade bracelet from her wrist and placed it on Sophia’s. “You’re a true blessing to our family, dear.” I stared at the scene in disbelief. “Mom, how can you give such a precious bracelet to an outsider?” That bracelet was part of my dowry from my own mother and held great sentimental value. Mrs. Parker shot me a disdainful look. “It was given to me, so I can do whatever I want with it. Don’t tell me you want it back now?” She then berated me for not having lunch ready and made a snide remark about my inability to bear children after all these years. Struggling to control my emotions, I said firmly, “That bracelet cannot be given to Sophia.” I stepped forward to retrieve the bracelet, but Sophia roughly pushed me away.

I stumbled, nearly losing my balance. Suddenly, James lunged forward, grabbing my hair and slapping me hard across the face. “Alex, have I been too lenient with you?” he roared. “It’s just a stupid bracelet, and you dare to lay hands on Sophia!” I cupped my stinging cheek, collapsing to the floor. Looking up, I saw the three of them towering over me. Their lips were moving, but all I could hear was a sharp ringing in my ears. Fighting back tears, I struggled to my feet. I grabbed a nearby glass and smashed it on the ground, sending shards flying everywhere. Trying to keep my voice from trembling, I fixed them with an icy stare and said slowly and deliberately: “If that’s how it is, then let’s get a divorce.” Upon hearing this, Mrs. Parker burst into shrill laughter as if she’d just heard a hilarious joke. “Alex, you really think too highly of yourself! Divorce? That’s for my son to decide, not you!” “What right does a woman like you have to ask for a divorce?” she continued, her voice dripping with contempt. “So what if my son hired a nanny? He’s such an outstanding man, he deserves to have eight women serving him if he wants!” She shot James a meaningful glance. “Son, your wife is so petty. Haven’t you been disciplining her properly?” James sneered, his face contorting with anger as he approached me. He grabbed my hair again, ignoring my struggles as he dragged me into the bedroom. I stared at him, my eyes unfocused, letting out a blood-curdling scream. Tears streamed down my face as I felt myself on the verge of a breakdown. I curled up in the corner, hugging my knees to my chest, listening to their laughter and cheerful conversation outside. My heart was filled with rage and despair. “I’ve always said we shouldn’t be too nice to Alex, or she’ll get ideas above her station,” Mrs. Parker’s voice drifted in. “You taught her a good lesson today. She’ll definitely be more obedient from now on,” Sophia chimed in. James laughed heartily, nodding in agreement. “Mom, you’re still the wisest of us all.” I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure. I realized that their refusal to divorce was simply because they wanted me to continue earning money for them. Moreover, I currently had no concrete evidence against them. If I were to divorce now, I’d lose at least half of our assets, which would be a significant loss for me. With this in mind, I gradually calmed down. I straightened my disheveled clothes and walked out of the bedroom, forcing a smile onto my face. “You must be hungry. I’ll go make lunch for everyone,” I said, trying to keep my voice as natural as possible. Mrs. Parker snorted coldly. “It’s about time! Why did you have to make such a fuss earlier?” Sophia stood nearby, demurely peeling grapes for Mrs. Parker. “Don’t be upset with Alex, Mrs. Parker. It’s not worth ruining your mood over her.” I rolled my eyes, thinking to myself: Enjoy your smugness while you can. It won’t last much longer. After preparing the meal, Mrs. Parker knocked the chopsticks out of my hand and glared at me. “Go buy two bottles of juice. Sophia likes orange juice.” She turned to Sophia with a smile, their expressions full of triumph and challenge. I let out a cold laugh and left the house without a word. I dawdled downstairs while buying the drinks, deliberately giving them enough time. As I left, I intentionally left the door slightly ajar. In the elevator, I pressed the button for one floor below ours, then slowly made my way up the stairs to our front door. I pressed myself against the wall, listening to the cheerful voices and Mrs. Parker’s nauseating laughter coming from inside. My heart was filled with anger and disgust. “My son is truly capable!” Mrs. Parker’s voice rang out. “Now Sophia has given you a son and can live here as a nanny. Let that little bitch Alex go out and earn money for us while you enjoy the best of both worlds at home!”

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After five years apart, I reunited with Lucas Thorne. His business was thriving, and his love life flourishing. He toured the mall arm in arm with his fiancée, surrounded by admirers. Seeing me in my plain work uniform, he smiled with a hint of mockery: “Evelyn Shaw, your retribution has finally come.” To seek revenge and torment me, he stopped at nothing. But later, with bloodshot eyes and hands covered in scars, he knelt before me crying: “Can we go back to the way things were?” I swayed my high heels and replied, “Of course not.” Lucas Thorne is now the most prominent figure in Ocean City’s business circle, wielding immense power and influence. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new shopping mall, Lucas’s handsome face stands out strikingly. Tall and slender, impeccably dressed in a suit, his cold eyes sweep across the crowd. His fiancée, Olivia White, clings to his arm, flashing a gracious smile at the reporters. She’s wearing an elegant white dress, the epitome of a refined beauty. Suddenly, Lucas’s gaze fixes on me, his eyes piercing and cold. He walks towards me, his voice low and calm: “Long time no see, Evelyn.” His voice isn’t loud, but my heart still skips a beat. I keep my head down and say, “Welcome, Mr. Thorne.” Olivia leans on his shoulder, asking gently, “Lucas, is this your friend?” “Evelyn Shaw, heiress to the Shaw Group, once a top socialite. She was the princess of the entire Capital City, no one dared to cross her back then.” He pauses, letting out a brief, cold laugh. “But now, the Shaw Group has gone bankrupt. Her pride and status are gone.” “Oh, I see.” Olivia nods in understanding, not pursuing the topic further. She changes the subject, “Lucas, shall we go for Japanese cuisine?” “You go ahead, I’ll join you shortly.” Lucas and Olivia kiss goodbye in front of me. After everyone around has been cleared away by Lucas’s security, he suddenly pins me against the hard wall. “Come, let me have a look at you.” “Lucas, let go…” My weak struggle causes my collarbone to form a deep hollow. Lucas’s fingers slide down from my shoulder, leaving a trail of fire wherever they touch. He asks me meaningfully: “How have you been, Evelyn? Where’s that Miss Shaw who used to humiliate me with her money? Thanks to you, I’m doing very well now.” My eyes sting, and I slowly clench my fists. “Actually, back then I…” “Are you showing up in front of me now just to disgust me?” The sarcasm in his words makes my heart tremble, and I can’t utter another word. I never told him that back then, I was in debt of hundreds of millions, attempted suicide, and broke up with him because I didn’t want to drag him down.

Lucas’s gaze falls back on my face. “The Shaw Group collapsed, your father died in his office, and you have no source of income. If you need money, I can help you. As much as you want. But on the condition that it’s kept secret, no commitments, just to satisfy physical needs.” He shamelessly looks me up and down, his words direct. My breathing tightens slightly as I look at this man who grew up with me but has now changed beyond recognition. I firmly refuse: “Impossible!” All these years, I’ve struggled to live, just so that when I meet Lucas again one day, I won’t be so miserable. Yet he wants me to sell myself, to be his mistress! Lucas lets out a light laugh, showing impatience. He leans close to my ear: “How noble of you. Evelyn, don’t think about running away. I can catch you no matter where you go, even to the ends of the earth.” “You want… revenge on me?” “Heh.” Lucas seems to laugh at my obvious question. Just then, his phone rings. He lets go of me and walks to the side to answer it, his tone gentle: “I’m coming now. Bring her? Alright, got it.” Hanging up the phone, Lucas’s cold gaze falls on me. “Olivia wants to see you. If you don’t want to lose this job, you know what to say and what not to say.” He says this without a trace of mercy. I lower my eyes and say, “Mr. Thorne and I have no relationship.” I arrive at the entrance of the Japanese restaurant. Olivia waves me over: “Come in.” As I walk over, I hear Lucas pointing at a wedding photo on his phone saying, “This one.” Olivia rests her cheek on Lucas’s shoulder, saying softly, “I want to tell Dad that the man I love most has fulfilled all his promises to me!” After sending the message, she unhurriedly raises her head to scrutinize me: “So beautiful. Lucas, is this the type of woman you men like best?” “What type?” “Good figure, youthful looks.” “It’s nothing special.” “If she were willing to be with you now, would I still be Mrs. Thorne today?” Lucas doesn’t want to discuss this topic, his brows furrowing. Unexpectedly, Olivia suddenly asks: “Have you two slept together?” Her gaze is fixed intently on Lucas, not missing the slightest change in his expression. Lucas takes a sip of wine, his expression indifferent: “No.” I also say: “No. Mr. Thorne and I have no relationship.” Olivia frowns as she looks us both over. “Then I’ll go back to work.” Just as I’m about to leave, Olivia suddenly calls out to me: “Wait a moment.” “That outfit you’re wearing looks like the H brand’s classic limited edition? Over a hundred thousand dollars. There are only two in Ocean City, one with me and the other with my cousin. Where did you get yours?” “Mine is a replica, just a few hundred dollars.” Olivia smiles, speaking slowly: “You’re so vain. If you met someone who didn’t know better, they might actually believe you could afford a hundred-thousand-dollar outfit. What level are you to wear the same as me? Even fakes are not allowed!” She takes out five hundred dollars in cash from her bag and places it on the table. “I’ll give you money, you cut up this outfit.” As she speaks, two people come up to strip off my clothes. When they’re about to cut with scissors, one of them suddenly trembles, “Miss White, this… is the one from Capital City. It’s genuine.” Olivia’s expression changes. Lucas, however, remains calm. He takes out a blank check from his pocket, signs a number, then throws it on the ground. “Miss Shaw doesn’t have occasions to wear such clothes anymore. It’s better to exchange it for money. I’ll buy this outfit.” I bend down to pick up the check, my fingertips pressing slightly. Ten thousand. Lucas looks at Olivia, his tone indulgent: “Cut it.” “Aren’t we bullying her?” Olivia asks. “How could we? We’ve paid for it.” I remain silent, my nails digging into my palm, painfully. Behind me comes the sound of fabric being torn. The top-quality hand-woven fabric turns into shreds under the scissors. Pearls scatter, covering the ground. Coincidentally, at this moment, several of Olivia’s acquaintances enter the restaurant, amusedly looking at my disheveled state. Then they pass by me, saying: “You two are engaged, right? If there’s good news, remember to let us know.” Olivia smiles shyly, “Lucas says the baby is already in his plans, so there should be good news soon.” Their conversation is joyful, no one noticing me in the middle, wearing thin clothes and freezing cold.

Lucas hates me so much, I thought yesterday would be our last interaction. The next day, as soon as the mall’s closing time arrived, I quickly changed clothes, put on lipstick, and prepared to go to the KTV for my night shift. Suddenly my phone rang, a message came in: “7 PM, parking lot, space F0888.” I vaguely felt it was Lucas, and went to the parking lot with a nervous heart. Unexpectedly, a pair of silver high heels walked out from around the corner, the tone unfriendly: “So it’s you. Are you still pining for my fiancé?” “Miss White, you misunderstand.” Olivia snorted, “Misunderstand? He told me, you were his first love. Now you’re short on money, and he’s rich. It’s hard for me not to suspect you have ulterior motives appearing around him.” “But let me tell you, you can’t squeeze in. He bought an island named after me, his first words after ringing the bell at the NYSE were about marrying me. He eats the food I like, wears the clothes I like.” “Do you know how long he comforted me the night you appeared?” Just then, a Rolls-Royce drove up, the window lowered, and a deep male voice came: “Olivia, who are you talking to?” Olivia put away her scornful expression and switched to a gentle face: “Miss Shaw somehow knows your parking spot. Is she looking for you?” Lucas got out of the car, his gaze falling on me, “How did you know about this place?” I was about to say: You sent a message telling me to come. But seeing Olivia looking at us, I ultimately didn’t say it out loud, only saying, “I was passing by.” “You can come up with such a low-level excuse?” Lucas frowned, he’s tall, looking down at me with lowered eyelids, “In the future, appear less in front of Olivia, she’ll overthink things.” Olivia leaned against the car door, arms folded, casually saying, “Who knows if she’s doing it on purpose, deliberately flaunting in front of me. She was just telling me about your past.” “I didn’t!” Suddenly a large hand tightened around my neck. “Evelyn, how dare you, aren’t you ashamed.” The next second, Lucas released me, throwing me to the side. I gasped for air, the corners of my eyes tinged with blood red, the pain in my chest coming in waves. “You’ve changed a lot over the years, deaf and blind.” My words struck Lucas to the core, his face stiffening. Olivia spoke up: “Lucas, fire her.” I dug my fingertips into my palm. Lucas was silent for a moment before answering: “Alright.” I pulled a self-mocking smile at the corners of my mouth: “You clearly know I need this job.” He replied coldly: “What does that have to do with me?” He and Olivia got in the car, not even glancing at me, throwing down a sentence: “Evelyn, this is your retribution.” Those two intimate silhouettes were a perfect couple that no one could come between. Heh, I let out a light sneer. I suddenly realized that in Lucas’s eyes, my dignity didn’t matter. I was just a little toy for him to use to please his sweetheart. The car lights came on, and as it started, I also turned away. I took out my phone and swiftly blocked the number that had sent the message.

I finished my night shift absent-mindedly, feeling empty when I walked out the door. Lily would bring breakfast and wait for me at the entrance of White Night every day. When the Shaw family went bankrupt, all my friends in the circle avoided me. Only Lily stood by me in my most difficult time, accompanying me through the hardest first three years. I finished the breakfast, closed the lunch box, and handed it back to her, “Thank your mom for me.” “You only eat one meal a day… if my mom knew, she’d definitely scold me. You don’t earn little from that daytime job, can’t you afford to eat lunch?” “It’s gone.” “What?” “That daytime job is gone.” I took a deep breath, “Lily, I met Lucas.” With a “clang”, the lunch box fell to the ground. Lily’s lips trembled violently, “How could you two still cross paths? Evelyn… you should leave Ocean City quickly.” “I know him, there’s no escaping.” The Shaw Group’s competitors had once spread word in Capital City, forbidding large companies from hiring me, and small companies were even more afraid to be associated with me. I had no choice but to come to Ocean City, only to run into Lucas as soon as I arrived. Finding a job became very difficult. I had to go to the gate of an international elementary school to hand out business cards, “I graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts, I can tutor children in painting. Please contact me if needed.” Not far away, a figure came running, a pink skirt flying in the air, opening a black luxury car and climbing in. Someone by the car took the schoolbag. I looked up. My gaze met with that person looking over. That face was stunningly handsome. Slightly upturned eyes, a cold yet passionate eye shape. A black sweater covered his Adam’s apple, supported by broad shoulders. The ascetic outfit gave him an unapproachable nobility. I handed him a business card. This person’s car was very expensive. His watch, also very expensive. So families like this are willing to pay for useless yet expensive hobbies. That slender hand with distinct knuckles played with my business card, his lazy and casual gaze looking at me, “My sister doesn’t like painting. Sorry.” I turned to leave. At this moment, a doll-like little girl popped her head out of the car window, “It’s not that I don’t like painting, I just don’t like that teacher.” I turned back to meet those slightly upturned passionate eyes, pleading, “I can give a free trial lesson.” Half an hour later, I was sitting in the living room of a mansion waiting for the final result. The man walked down the spiral staircase leisurely with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a coffee cup, “Ava likes you very much. Let’s start from next week then.” After walking out of this house, I finally learned the identity of this employer. Ethan Hawke, from the Hawke family, a famous aristocratic family in the financial circle, with countless capital alliances behind them, their financial empire as solid as a fortress. He was temporarily residing in Ocean City to accompany his sister Ava’s studies.

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As I walked out of the office, I could feel the shocked stares of my colleagues burning into my back. But I didn’t care. I had bigger plans. What James didn’t know was that I had been secretly recording our conversations for months. I had evidence of his embezzlement, his affairs, and his illegal business practices. I had already sent copies to the board of directors and the authorities. As I stepped into the elevator, my phone buzzed. It was a message from the head of HR: “Emily, the board wants to see you immediately. Don’t leave the building.” I smiled to myself. The game was just beginning. As soon as I finished speaking, Mia rushed to interject. “Emily, how can you resign over such a small matter?” she said, her voice dripping with fake concern. “You’ve been with the company for so long, and James has always treated you so well. If you resign at this critical moment, what will everyone think of him?” “James, please, talk some sense into Emily,” Mia pleaded, turning to him with wide eyes. James might have intended to persuade me earlier, but after hearing Mia’s words, his anger flared up. “What’s there to persuade? If she wants to leave, let her leave. I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. I don’t care what anyone says,” he snapped. He snatched my resignation letter, signed it hastily, and then threw it in my face. The onlooking colleagues watched me, waiting for the drama to unfold. But instead of arguing as I used to, I remained calm, picking up the resignation letter from the floor. “I’ll finish handing over my work before I leave,” I said quietly. “No need for handover. If you want to leave, leave now,” James barked, pointing at the door. Then, as if remembering something, he added coldly, “Voluntary resignation means no compensation.” Seeing this, colleagues who were close to me tried to persuade me to apologize and not act on impulse. They all knew that I had helped James build this company from scratch. When the company was short on funds, I drank until I vomited blood to secure investments. When projects were behind schedule, I led the team in working three days straight without sleep. I had poured my heart and soul into every aspect of the business. Leaving now meant giving up everything. But my mind was made up. After thanking them, I packed my things and turned to leave. Before I left, I clearly saw a flicker of complexity in James’s eyes. I knew he thought I wouldn’t leave. We had argued many times before because of Mia, with the worst incident being when James publicly berated me and gave my entire year’s bonus to her. I was so angry that I threatened to quit, but when it came time to leave, I swallowed my pride. I went back to him, speaking softly as if nothing had happened, and continued working as usual, pretending the incident never occurred. He thought I would convince myself to stay this time too. But what he didn’t know was that my patience with him had finally run out. Just as I walked out of the company, a text message came through. I opened it to see a transfer from my friend, Sophie. Earlier that morning, when James said the company wasn’t doing well and wanted to cut my salary, my first reaction was to worry about his stress. I immediately contacted Sophie to borrow half a million dollars. I had originally intended to give it to him, but then I accidentally saw Mia’s Instagram post. That’s when I finally understood James’s intentions. Surprisingly, I felt unexpectedly calm at that moment, neither sad nor jealous to the point of madness. Perhaps because it had happened too many times. James had done so many outrageous things for Mia that I could hardly tell who his girlfriend was anymore – me or Mia. I returned the money to Sophie, thanked her, and walked to the parking garage. I found my old car that I had been driving for ten years, its paint chipped in several places. Next to it was parked a brand new Porsche, the one James had just given to Mia today. There were many empty spaces in the garage, yet she chose to park right here. It was clearly a provocation towards me. I had been with James for ten years, yet I didn’t compare to Mia who had only been with the company for ten months. I laughed bitterly at myself. Without further hesitation, I started the engine and left the company I had worked at for years. However, just as I exited the company gates, someone rear-ended me. I got out of the car, only to see James and Mia emerging from the car behind. “Emily, why did you stop so suddenly? I didn’t have time to react,” Mia said, walking up to inspect her car’s dented front with a pained expression. “What a shame, James picked this out so carefully for me.” James’s face grew increasingly dark. “Emily, I saw you staring at Mia’s car in the garage earlier. Tell me the truth, was this intentional? Did you know Mia was behind you and deliberately brake to get revenge?” he accused. I almost laughed at the absurdity of his accusation. It was always like this. He would push all the blame onto me without distinguishing right from wrong. Mia sighed. “Let it go, James. We shouldn’t blame Emily,” she said with feigned generosity. “She lost her job because of me, so it’s natural for her to be angry at me.” “In the end, it’s all my fault. If only I had been more careful,” she added, letting out a regretful sigh. It was an obvious act. But James couldn’t see through it. He gently rubbed her shoulder, saying indulgently, “It has nothing to do with you. Don’t take everything on yourself.” Then he turned to me and flicked my forehead hard. “Emily, can’t you learn from Mia?” he scolded. “She knows how to be humble. You’ve worked for so many years, why are you still so petty and immature?” I stumbled from his push, and when I regained my balance, I found the situation somewhat amusing. For the past year, it had been Mia constantly stealing my achievements, playing mind games, and pinning blame on me. Now suddenly, she was humble and responsible, while I was petty and immature. Knowing that further conversation would be futile, I didn’t bother saying anything more and turned to leave. But James blocked my path again. I thought he was going to endlessly defend Mia again, but to my surprise, he pulled me aside. He spoke to me in a serious tone. “Emily, I have high expectations for you, that’s why I’m so strict with you,” he said. “Why can’t you understand my good intentions?” Hearing his gentle words, I was momentarily confused. However, I soon understood his intentions. James patted my shoulder. “I’ll withdraw your resignation letter. Think about apologizing to Mia,” he said. “Also, you’re fully responsible for this rear-end collision. Transfer whatever amount is necessary to Mia for repairs.” I finally understood. I looked up at Mia. She had probably known what James was going to say all along. Her face was full of smugness as she rolled her eyes at me provocatively. I let out a derisive laugh. “I won’t pay for anything. If you want to know who’s responsible for the rear-end collision, check for yourself. If you really can’t figure it out, call the police,” I said firmly. “I have other matters to attend to. I’m leaving now.” I turned and walked away. James’s face darkened behind me, his voice turning cold: “I’ve already given you a chance. Don’t regret it!” Regret? I won’t regret it. I got back into my car and sent a message to Sophie. “I’ve resigned. I can start working at your company tomorrow.” 截断点

In less than a second, Sophie called back, her voice filled with excitement. “Are you serious?” She sounded a bit unsure and asked, “What about James?” Sophie and James had started their businesses around the same time. Compared to James, who had started from scratch, Sophie’s company had more resources and offered more attractive benefits. Sophie was in desperate need of skilled technicians, so she had promised me higher shares and profits to entice me to help them out. Even after learning about my relationship with James, she had made an exception and offered me a part-time position. But for James’s sake, I had unhesitatingly refused. Back when I was at my lowest point, lying in the snow and nearly freezing to death, it was James who had dragged me into a police station and saved my life. I was deeply grateful to him, so I abandoned everything and devoted myself wholeheartedly to the business, doing everything I could to help James’s company grow step by step. But now it seemed that he didn’t care at all. Besides, after all these years, I had more than repaid my debt of gratitude to him. There was no need for me to keep compromising myself anymore. “No need to worry about him. I can make my own decisions,” I told Sophie. After chatting with her for a bit longer and confirming the time to sign the contract, I drove home to pack my things. Although I had bought this house outright, it was filled with memories of James and me. I no longer wanted to live here. I started by clearing out under the bed and found many scattered drawings. The drawings depicted a young man in various poses – smiling, looking melancholic, peeling an apple with his head down, and applying makeup in front of a mirror. They were all of James, each expression vivid and full of life. I had drawn these sketches of him. He used to love it when I drew quick sketches of him, treating each one as a treasure, framing them and keeping them safe. But ever since Mia appeared, he started to become impatient. He complained that drawing was old-fashioned and a waste of time, saying it was better to just use a camera. He no longer liked me drawing him. Even these drawings had been carelessly thrown under the bed. The paper had turned yellow and old, the portraits faded. I let out a bitter laugh. I took them to the bathroom sink, lit a corner, and watched as the flames consumed the drawings completely, leaving nothing but ashes. Just like our love, which had been unknowingly burned to nothing. After this, I cleared out everything else that could be thrown away. I didn’t have many possessions, but the room still looked noticeably emptier and more spacious. I threw myself onto the couch and took out my phone to look for rental apartments near Sophie’s company. But as soon as I opened my phone, I saw that Mia had posted a picture in the company chat group. It was a photo of her and James together. The background was an arcade, with Mia holding many stuffed animals and smiling at the camera. James was beside her, looking at her with a doting and satisfied smile. I hadn’t seen him smile like that in a long time. I had once taken him to an arcade too, but as soon as we entered and exchanged our coins for game tokens, he turned and left. He accused me of being childish, saying he was too busy to waste time on such boring activities. He had no time for me. But he had time for Mia. I let out a derisive laugh. It wasn’t that he found it childish; he just found me bothersome. In the group chat, many colleagues were quick to flatter Mia, praising her beauty and saying she looked like an angel. Some even complimented the photographer’s skills, and a few jokingly asked if there was good news coming soon for the couple. Of course, they all knew I was James’s girlfriend. But they dared to make such jokes only because James had never tried to hide his intimacy with Mia at work. In the past, I would have gotten angry and called James to tell him to be more discreet. But now, I felt completely calm. I pretended not to see it and continued with what I was doing. However, when I checked again two minutes later, I found that several messages in the group had been deleted, including the earliest photo Mia had posted. I had thought James wouldn’t be back until late at night. But to my surprise, he soon walked into the living room, talking on the phone with Mia, his expression gentle. Seeing me, his face showed a moment of guilt before quickly turning stern. He deliberately walked past me and into the bedroom. I knew he was waiting for me to coax him. Every time we had an unpleasant encounter at work, I would always find ways to apologize to him, begging for his forgiveness. Even when he was the one at fault, I would swallow my pride and admit to being wrong. In the past, I thought this was what I should do, whether it was to repay his kindness or to maintain our relationship. I thought I should always pacify him. But now I just found it tedious. I lowered my head and continued with what I was doing. After a while, he came out of the room with a gloomy face. “Did you see the messages in the group chat?” he asked. “What messages?” I feigned ignorance. I didn’t look up, but I could sense him seemingly relieved: “Nothing, just some work-related messages sent to the wrong group.” I found it amusing but didn’t bother to expose him. I just wondered how many things between him and Mia he had hidden from me. “Mia’s car has been repaired. What about yours?” James asked again. I knew this was his signal of offering me a way out. In the past, I would have thought he had forgiven me and would have eagerly tried to please him. But now, I didn’t even look up as I replied flatly, “It’s just an old car, not worth repairing.” James frowned. “What do you mean by that?” I looked up at him, puzzled, not understanding what he was dissatisfied about. This car had been scratched many times before, and when I said I wanted to repair it, he always said the same thing. I thought he was going to get angry again, but to my surprise, he let out a sigh. “I know you’re still upset about the company issue, but Mia has been doing really well at work lately. I gave her the car to retain her as a talented employee,” he explained. Hearing him say this, I almost laughed. Mia had been hired by James as an exception, bypassing normal procedures. Her work ability was terrible, and she had made countless mistakes. From serving plain water to clients during meetings while getting milk tea for herself, to accidentally sending out the company’s cost sheet instead of the quote sheet to partners, causing the company to lose hundreds of thousands – the list of her blunders was endless. Keeping her was worse than keeping a dog. If I didn’t know the company’s situation so well, I might have actually believed James’s words. I didn’t say anything, and James continued, “You’re my girlfriend, and when we get married in the future, won’t the company be yours too? Why do you have to fuss over salary amounts? Why do you have to compete with her?” “Emily, everything I do is for the company. I don’t want other colleagues to think I’m favoring you.” I knew clearly that these were just excuses. In the company, all the colleagues knew how James treated me and Mia differently. A project that I had spent three sleepless nights completing, he would suddenly hand over to Mia on a whim, and with just a PowerPoint presentation, it would become Mia’s achievement. A client I had spent days negotiating with, just about to sign the contract, he would use my name to take Mia out for a meal with them, and suddenly the contract would become Mia’s accomplishment. There were countless such incidents. Over time, other colleagues only felt that James favored Mia more. They even thought James didn’t like me. Because of this, I endured a lot of cold shoulders and bullying at work. He saw it but pretended not to notice. I didn’t want to explain. Any explanation would just be seen as an excuse by him anyway. “Oh,” I responded indifferently. “You don’t need to tell me these things. I have nothing to do with the company anymore. Do whatever you think is best.” James didn’t say anything. Finally, he sighed and hugged me from behind. “Actually, I have my own reasons. I want you to take a break for a while. You can think about our wedding plans,” he said. “When do you want to get married?” he asked with a smile. But I had brought up marriage many times before. Each time, he complained that marriage meant no freedom and brushed it off, saying we’d talk about it later. Every time we had a fight, he would use marriage to pacify me. Sometimes, I felt less like his girlfriend and more like a dog he was toying with. I didn’t say anything. James ruffled my hair as if he were playing with a dog. “Don’t be angry anymore. Can you smile for me?” he coaxed. As he said this, he leaned in to kiss me, as if deliberately trying to please me. I smelled Mia’s perfume on him again. A wave of nausea hit me. I pushed him away, frowning in disgust as I wiped my fingers with a wet wipe.

James stood there, stunned. “You’re disgusted by me?” he asked, incredulous. “I have to go out later tonight. I’m going to change clothes first,” I said flatly. I turned to go back to the bedroom. James tried to follow, but I closed and locked the door without hesitation. “Fine! Emily, don’t regret this!” James seemed truly angry now. After spitting out these harsh words, he kicked the door hard and stormed off. When I came out of the room, the living room was empty. James had posted a message in the company group chat, saying he wanted to treat everyone to dinner and asking who wanted to join. Everyone remained silent. Only Mia sent three “excited” emojis in quick succession. I knew James was deliberately trying to provoke me. This had happened many times before. Every time, it was the same – other colleagues were reluctant to participate, with only Mia showing enthusiasm. In the past, I would have been jealous and insisted on going along, only to be mocked by them. Now, I couldn’t be bothered. I changed my clothes and went to see the apartment I was planning to rent. After confirming everything was okay, I paid the deposit right away. Then I contacted a real estate agent to help me sell the current house. However, although I had bought this house and had personally overseen all the renovations, I had put James’s name on the property deed. Back then, James and I barely had any money between us. To give James a sense of security, I had used up all my savings to buy this house. Now that the company had grown to its current scale, I guessed this house probably didn’t even catch James’s eye anymore. The agent told me that if I wanted to sell the house, James would need to be present. If he couldn’t make it, he would at least need to sign a power of attorney. I had no choice but to message him again. But when I sent the message, a red exclamation mark appeared in the chat window. He had blocked me. It had been like this before too. When we fought to the point where it seemed irreconcilable, James would angrily block me. Worried about his safety, I would sometimes borrow someone else’s phone and humbly call him, begging him to add me back. And he would ask me from the other end of the line, in a high and mighty tone, if I had realized my mistakes. Now that I think about it, I can’t count how many times I said things against my will just to appease him. After some thought, I still decided to call him. “Come back tonight. There’s something I need to discuss with you,” I said. “What is it? I’m very busy,” James replied, his voice cold. I pressed my lips together. “We’ll talk when you get back.” James let out a cold laugh. “You push me away when you want to, and now you expect me to come back just because you say so? Emily, do I owe you something? Is this how you apologize?” “Have I been too good to you lately? Have you forgotten how to apologize properly?” he taunted. Hearing his sarcastic tone, I still lowered my voice as I used to: “I’m sorry. I was wrong.” After all, I had already apologized insincerely so many times, once more wouldn’t hurt. Moreover, this apology would get me a house. Even though the house was mine, if James really wanted to make trouble and refused to sign, I wouldn’t be able to sell it. Even with proof of my investment, I would still have to go to court. James could afford to make a fuss, but I couldn’t. Sure enough, after hearing my apology, James’s tone became more pleasant. He magnanimously said, “Wait for me then.” With that, he hung up the phone. My inner calm remained unbroken. I listed the house on a website, deliberately lowering the price considerably to sell it quickly. After doing all this, I contacted Sophie and signed the contract. Sophie was extremely excited, repeatedly asking me if she was dreaming. She even specially arranged a celebratory dinner for me. I had planned to go home early, but then I thought that James probably wouldn’t be back for a while anyway. There wasn’t much to do if I went back too early, so I agreed. After a few drinks, when I went to the restroom, I heard a familiar voice coming from the adjacent private room. I instinctively stopped in my tracks. Through the slightly open door, I saw Mia nestled in James’s arms. I don’t know what they said, but James’s previously cold face broke into a smile. Seizing this opportunity, Mia quickly leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

James was momentarily stunned, but he didn’t push her away. “James, when are you going to break up with Emily?” Mia asked, her voice filled with feigned innocence. “I can’t wait to be with you anymore. Do you know how heartbroken I feel every day seeing you with her?” “Or do you still prefer Emily over me?” James moved his lips, seemingly wanting to say something. In the end, he hugged Mia back, patting her back gently as if comforting a child. “How could she compare to you in my heart?” he said softly. “It’s just that now that the company has grown, if I break up with her and get together with you, I’m afraid people will gossip. It might affect you negatively.” “Just wait a little longer.” “It won’t be too long.” “I knew it! I knew you loved me the most, James,” Mia exclaimed, her voice syrupy sweet. Their intimate embrace looked exactly like that of a couple. I couldn’t help but laugh derisively, recalling the conversation I had overheard in the private room that day. In the past, during our worst fights, he had threatened me with breakup too. But I couldn’t bear to let him go. Each time, I would be the first to try to persuade him, speaking softly, and once even kneeling down to beg him pitifully. Because I thought breaking up wasn’t what he truly wanted; it was just his trump card, his way of giving me a chance to back down. It wasn’t until later that I realized the truth. He probably had been planning to break up for a long time, which was why he kept bringing it up at every opportunity. But it’s fine now. After all, I had made up my mind to break up long ago too. Even if he hadn’t brought it up now, I would have. Seeing that I remained silent, James thought I was scared. His tone softened considerably. “You’ve been acting mysteriously these past few days. I guess you’ve been preparing for our wedding, right?” he said. “I know you don’t want to break up either.” “If you apologize to Mia now…” Before James could finish, I interrupted him calmly. “No need. I agree to break up.”

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After her ex-boyfriend passed away, my wife became obsessed with training an AI. She even spent all of our daughter’s treatment money to buy a 30-year subscription to ChatGPT. She typed tearfully into the chat box: “Now I need you to play the role of my deceased love, Ryan Miller.” “You’re cold to others, but clingy like a puppy to me.” “You love to call me ‘Lily’ in a gentle voice, while being jealous of my husband Jack Thompson, trying to steal me away from him.” I watched the endless stream of payment notifications popping up, begging her to turn back from this dangerous obsession. But she was utterly disappointed in me. “Jack Thompson, can’t you understand? Ryan is dead, why are you still competing with him!” “Instead of wasting time, why don’t you go deliver more food to save your daughter?” But she didn’t know that not only was our daughter dying, but so was I. 0 Emma curled up on the hospital bed, crying in pain. “Daddy, it hurts so much. Emma is afraid she won’t make it until Mommy comes…” The six-year-old child, tortured by illness, had become so thin and weak that you could see her ribs moving as she breathed. My heart ached as I held her burning little hand to comfort her. “Sweetie, how could that be? The doctor said you’ll recover very soon.” “Mommy’s on her way, she said she’ll be here in a bit.” Just as I was about to call my wife to hurry her up, a familiar sobbing voice came from outside the door. Filled with intense sorrow. “Ryan, it’s been 380 days since I last saw you.” “Without you, I’m so miserable…” “If you were still alive, you wouldn’t let me suffer like this, would you?” Through the glass of the hospital room, I could see Lily leaning against the corridor bench, her face pale in the blue light of her phone screen. Her fingers were flying across the screen. Sometimes she cried in sorrow, sometimes she smiled like a girl in love. “Ryan, since you left, I’ve been wearing the citrus perfume you loved so much.” She mumbled into the voice input, her eyes filled with a long-lost coquettishness. “Jack always says this scent is too strong. He just doesn’t understand what class is…” My heart sank. I rushed out and snatched her phone away in an instant. In the chat interface, covered with pink heart bubbles, an AI named Ryan Miller was sending flirtatious messages. [Lily baby, your breath is my special blend perfume.] [Promise me you won’t let Jack Thompson get close to you, okay? Otherwise, I’ll have to kiss you in front of him!] Scrolling up, I found dense records of her training the AI, dating back more than a year! [You are my beloved Ryan Miller.] [We are soulmates, promised to grow old together.] [If you can’t be with me, my life will be meaningless.] … The more I scrolled, the paler my face became, my heart aching uncontrollably. Ryan Miller was her first love who passed away a year ago. Since then, Lily had been absent-minded, staring at her phone all day. I knew she had loved him for many years and only married me because she was of age and obeying her parents. But I never expected her to go so far as to use AI to reminisce about a dead man! I was deeply hurt: “Lily, what are you doing? Ryan has been dead for over a year.” Seeing me appear, her face showed a moment of unease. “You don’t understand, Ryan and I are soulmates.” “This is a special way to commemorate him.” Ryan Miller was an artist, and my wife always praised him for his taste and high EQ in front of me. Unlike me, an ordinary engineer with a good personality but awkward with words. Even after years of marriage, I still couldn’t come up with a romantic line. She said they were soulmates. And I was just her partner, a compromise to reality. Hearts are made of flesh; knowing this reality, how could I not be heartbroken? I swallowed my bitterness and said in an almost pleading tone. “Honey, Emma’s fever has reached 104°F, and she’s waiting for you in the hospital room.” “Please go see her.” Her expression tightened: “She was fine yesterday, how did it get so high today?” I was about to explain that her condition had worsened, but her eyes turned strange. She immediately started berating me. “Jack Thompson, can’t you understand? Ryan is dead, why are you still competing with him?” “You even drag our daughter into this, making up such a low-class excuse to get me to see you.” “If anything happens to Emma, it’s because you cursed her!” After saying this, she ignored me and snatched her phone back. “Give Ryan back to me quick!” “I haven’t replied to his message yet, I can’t keep him waiting.” 0

Our daughter was critically ill, her life hanging by a thread, yet all she cared about was her dear Ryan. In that moment, I clenched my fists, tears welling up in my eyes. “Lily, your daughter’s fever has reached 104°F, she’s been hoping you’d come see her, yet you’re sitting here playing with your phone?” To my surprise, she looked completely indifferent. “It’s just a fever, take some medicine and she’ll be fine! Why make such a fuss?” “I don’t see you making such a big deal when I have a fever.” Making a fuss? Last month when she had a fever of 102°F, I came home late from work and spent hours making porridge for her. But she complained it was too bland and wouldn’t eat it, saying the porcelain bowl was too tacky, unlike the exquisite ones Ryan had given her. In contrast, when Ryan was alive. He once gave her free seaweed soup from the cafeteria, and she was deeply touched, saying it tasted like a three-Michelin-star dish. A wave of bitterness washed over me. “Lily, Emma has leukemia, and now her white blood cell count has dropped dramatically.” “You should know that even a small illness could be fatal for her!” Red-eyed, I showed her the payment slip on my phone. “I only have $15,000, and we still need another $5,000.” “If we can do this surgery, Emma’s chances of survival will greatly increase.” But Lily kept typing on her phone, not even looking at me. “What leukemia? It’s just a small cold.” “Hospitals are all scams, why would she need surgery? Be careful not to get ripped off.” “Rather than wasting so much money on them, why not spend it on something meaningful?” She looked up, a gentle smile appearing on her face. “Honey, to accumulate good karma for you and Emma, I just subscribed to ChatGPT for Ryan.” “This is like extending his life.” “Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, heaven will bless you in the future!” I was stunned, not yet reacting when I felt my phone vibrating frantically in my pocket. It was a new bank card transaction message. “Your ChatGPT membership subscription has been credited, successfully unlocking 30 years.” “Bank card ending in 8863 deducted $150,000, balance $0.82.” In an instant, shock mixed with anger burst through my skull. “You used Emma’s life-saving money?” I felt cold all over, looking at her in disbelief: “Lily! You’ve gone mad! $150,000!” “The medical fees I worked so hard to save! You spent it all on AI?” “How could you spend it all? What about Emma?” Faced with my questioning, she frowned, her beautiful face full of displeasure. “You have the nerve to blame me?” She raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. “Jack Thompson, who told you to be so useless.” “You only saved $15,000 in a year, and you’re breaking down over me spending a little money?” “Instead of wasting time, why don’t you go deliver more food to save your daughter.” I suddenly felt utterly disappointed. In seven years of marriage, Lily had never looked for a job. Daily living expenses, mortgage, and car payments were all my responsibility, leaving basically no savings from my monthly salary. Besides my main job, I would deliver food after work to supplement our household income. All the burdens of life were on my shoulders, yet in Lily’s words, I had become a useless man. Suddenly, I felt that all these years of effort, and the so-called wife and daughter who kept me going through wind and rain, were just a joke. Looking at her, my lips moved. But in the end, I said nothing. Lily, loving you has truly exhausted me. 0

As we stood there in a stalemate, her phone dinged. ChatGPT was sending a new message. “Dear Lily, why aren’t you responding? Did you go find that bastard Jack Thompson?” “Shall we try some roleplay tonight~” “You on top, me on bottom~” I watched as a smile spread across her face, and she typed back: [Don’t be naughty, Jack is still next to me…] I clenched my fists, unable to describe the anger in my heart. But now, the most important thing was Emma’s surgery. Her rapidly deteriorating condition didn’t allow me to waste time arguing with Lily. I said nothing more, turning to contact friends to raise money. Fortunately, I had good relationships, and when they heard I was in trouble, everyone dug into their own pockets to help. This moved me deeply, but also felt ridiculous. In a critical moment, it was my friends who helped me. While my wife, my life partner, turned a deaf ear to it all. Tears blurred my vision. I raised money while running food deliveries day and night in wind and rain. Even at three or four in the morning, I wouldn’t rest. Sometimes when I had too many orders and didn’t notice a restaurant’s mistake, customers would curse at me, pointing at my name. “Are you blind? This isn’t my order.” “You delivery guys are so stupid.” After a few days, I finally raised $20,000. “Emma, Daddy will come to the hospital to see you soon.” That evening, I sat outside a takeout restaurant, taking advantage of a quiet moment to video call my daughter. On the screen, Emma’s small face looked extremely weak, like a withering flower. She was only six years old, at the most innocent age. Yet she didn’t cry or make a fuss, understanding things in a way that broke my heart. “Daddy, I miss you so much.” She forced a smile at the camera. Choking up, I said: “Emma, we can do the surgery soon.” “After the surgery, when you’re better, Daddy will take you to the beach to collect seashells.” But Emma shook her head, solemnly telling me. “Daddy, I only have one wish.” “I want you to take me home, I miss Mommy so much.” Seeing her so understanding, I finally couldn’t hold back my tears. Gently stroking my daughter’s face on the screen. “Okay, Daddy promises you.”

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I am one of Jack Rivers’ many lovers. I handle his work affairs and shoo away those clingy women for him. People say I’m the woman who has stayed by Jack’s side the longest. He even promised to marry me. Until a car accident happened, where I was involved along with another of his lovers. After barely surviving, all I got was a bank card. “This is your payment for these years. Take the money and get lost,” he said. Only then did I realize that Jack had always seen me as nothing more than an amusing caged bird. I went to the cemetery, caressing the photo on the tombstone of a face similar to Jack’s. “Ethan, I miss you so much. I can’t go on anymore.” Jack suddenly went mad, “You’ve always just seen me as his substitute, haven’t you?” After coming out of surgery, I stayed in the ICU for seven days. When I saw Jack again, he was passionately entangled with Emily in his office. “If you treat me so well, won’t Sophia make a fuss when she wakes up?” Emily asked coyly. “What’s there to be afraid of? Even if she wakes up, she wouldn’t dare to make a fuss. She’s just a mistress after all.” I opened my eyes, unable to believe my ears. Jack’s promises had made me believe I was different from the others. My head started to throb violently, every part of my body felt like it was being corroded, every surgical incision aching. Just as I was about to turn and leave, Jack opened the door. Seeing me, he merely glanced, his eyes cold. “Finally back to work? Good, you can take care of entertaining Mr. Wilson this afternoon.” My throat tightened, “Mr. Rivers, don’t you know what kind of person Mr. Wilson is?” “If you don’t go, should I send Emily instead?” Jack looked at me with a gloomy face, full of dissatisfaction. Emily came out of the office, her collar open wide, the flush on her face telling of their recent passion. “Jack said it’s because Mr. Wilson is lecherous that he can’t bear to send me,” she said smugly. She sauntered over to me, eyeing me as if I were something contemptible. Hearing this, Jack smiled indulgently at her and picked her up. “How could I let such a treasure be tainted by others?” As he said this, he held Emily tighter. Emily laughed happily, speaking coquettishly in Jack’s arms. Looking at me again, Jack seemed to have lost all patience, his eyes filled with cruelty. “Mr. Rivers, I’m sorry. I’ll do my best to complete the task you’ve given me.” I apologized softly, tears in my eyes. However, my apology only made Jack’s expression darker. That night, Rivers Corporation held a banquet. In the past, the woman on Jack’s arm was always me. This time, he brought his favorite, Emily. I looked at the old-fashioned dress they sent me, with a heavy smell and even dirty. While Emily’s dress was clearly haute couture. Seeing me, Jack mocked, “This dress suits you well. Today’s star is Emily, so just play your role as the ugly duckling.” “Oh, and Emily can’t drink, so remember to take her drinks for her.” Emily gave me a smug smile. Jack seemed to have forgotten that I had been in a car accident trying to protect his lover. Before I could react, drinks were being handed to me one after another. I leaned against the wall, about to vomit, my body breaking out in a cold sweat. A portly man joked, “I heard Miss Lee could drink quite well. How come you can’t handle just a few drinks?” As he spoke, his hand rested on my waist. My stomach was churning, and I immediately vomited on Mr. Wilson. “Sophia Lee, how dare you vomit on Mr. Wilson! Apologize to him right now!” Emily shrieked. Jack frowned, waiting for my response. “It’s alright, it’s alright. How about this, Miss Lee, why don’t you help me change clothes? Then you can properly apologize to me?” Mr. Wilson suggested with a leer. Clutching my burning stomach, I looked towards Jack. Emily in his arms watched me with amusement, while Jack’s face remained expressionless. “Alright, Mr. Wilson.” Hearing this, Jack crushed the wine glass in his hand. Blood oozed out, frightening Emily, who cried while fussing over Jack. Jack left with a cold face, each step filled with anger. Mr. Wilson extended his hand to me, and I placed my hand in his palm. “I’ll do whatever you want, as long as you’re happy.” As soon as I finished speaking, everything before me seemed to sway, my vision gradually blurring. I fainted on the spot.

When I regained consciousness, I was in a storage room. A cleaner told me that everyone had been scared away by my fainting. I curved my lips into a self-mocking smile. Even if I had fainted, no one would care whether I lived or died. Checking the time, I slowly got up and called a cab to head back to the Rivers’ mansion. Leaning against the car window, the uncomfortable pain tugged at me, and my tears fell in large drops. “Ethan, I miss you so much.” When I returned to the mansion, Jack was holding Emily, drinking from intertwined glasses. He slowly looked at me after hearing the noise, “Back so soon? Did you take good care of Mr. Wilson?” I remained silent. If he had stayed a moment longer, he might have seen what happened. Never mind, he wouldn’t care about me anyway. “Since you couldn’t serve Mr. Wilson well, then kneel down and clean everything inside and out.” Jack’s cold voice came, and a rag was thrown mercilessly at my feet. I crouched down, picked up the rag, and started scrubbing the floor on my knees. Just as I was about to faint again from the darkness before my eyes, Jack instinctively moved forward. Emily’s mocking voice came, “Jack, look at her. Mr. Wilson wasn’t satisfied, but she seems very pleased. She’s so cheap.” Jack paused in place, his hand suspended in mid-air, then withdrew with a look of disgust. I started gasping for breath, my head throbbing violently. Biting my lower lip hard, I barely managed to stand up. But Emily hooked Jack’s arm, “Jack, I want to eat brownies. Can you make her bake some for me?” “Get to it, now!” Jack roared at me, his eyes full of undisguised disgust. I dragged my body step by step to the kitchen, enduring excruciating pain while preparing the elaborate brownie cake for her. When I brought the brownies to the table, Jack directly knocked over the plate. “What the hell is this? Even a dog wouldn’t eat this crap.” As he spoke, the pastry chef Jack had called arrived with the finest ingredients. Jack paid attention to Emily’s every need, even hiring several pastry chefs. I stood frozen in place, unable to move. “Seeing me treat Emily so well, how does it feel? Like a knife to your heart?” Jack smirked, his eyes scanning my entire body. I calmly replied, “It’s my fault for not doing well. I’m sorry.” I apologized again, but it only brought displeasure to Jack’s eyes. “So you admit you’re jealous of how I treat Emily, right?” “I’m going to marry her. You’ve been by my side for so many years and got nothing. You must feel very disappointed, right?” His tone was urgent, needing my confirmation. I turned my head away, answering carelessly, “Jack, seeing you happy makes me happy.” I didn’t dare say that this was Ethan’s wish. So it was also my wish. Hearing this, Jack’s eyes reddened, and he punched the wall behind me. His eyes were filled with anger and restraint, but more than that, unwillingness. “Jack, the pastry chef you hired for me made such delicious cakes, you should try some too.” Emily came out of the kitchen, feeding a bite of cake to his lips. Jack mechanically opened his mouth, while Emily persuaded him not to be angry because of me. Jack’s gaze moved away from me, and he remained silent for a long time. Emily froze, then shot me a vicious glare. The next day, a post suddenly appeared in the company group chat. It vividly described, with text and pictures, the news of me spending the night with Mr. Wilson. Colleagues also started discussing boldly in the group. [Sophia Lee has been with Mr. Rivers for so many years, and suddenly she’s willing to be with an old man. Has she been abandoned by Mr. Rivers?] [Is she still in the company because she’s clinging to Mr. Rivers? How cheap.] [To be honest, with Sophia Lee’s dead fish face, of course she can’t compare to Emily’s goddess face. It’s normal for Mr. Rivers to fall for someone else.] Seeing this, I turned off my phone. I took a painkiller and took a cab to the company. Placing my resignation letter on Jack’s desk, I suddenly felt as if struck by lightning, frozen in place. Why choose Lakeside City to hold the wedding? That day, Ethan left us forever there. And his tombstone was also in Lakeside City.

“I was thinking of sending you an invitation, but I didn’t expect you to have already seen it.” Jack’s voice came from behind me, and I turned to look at him with tears in my eyes. Jack was clearly dissatisfied with my current expression, frowning as he looked at me. “It’s just asking you to take care of Emily in Lakeside City, why are you putting on such a disgusting face again?” I lowered my head and bit my lower lip. Jack was about to say something more, but hearing my sobs, he slowly closed the door. “What are you crying about?” His tone was unusually gentle. “Don’t cry. If you don’t want to do this, I won’t force you.” He looked at me helplessly, with a hint of concern in his eyes. In the years I’ve been by Jack’s side, I’ve driven away many women for him. No matter what happened, I never shed a tear. But I couldn’t accept Jack marrying someone else in Lakeside City. That place held my memories with Ethan, and it was also the pain in my heart. Coming to my senses, I raised my head and asked Jack, “Can I leave after the wedding is over?” Jack’s breathing slowed, and he looked at me like a trapped beast. “You want to leave that badly?” I nodded, pointing to the wedding date on the invitation, confirming with Jack. As long as Jack got married, my mission would be complete. Returning home, I started packing my things and headed straight for Lakeside City. I carried several suitcases, following behind Jack and Emily. Jack suddenly turned back to look at me, “Didn’t you go to college in Lakeside City? If there’s anyone you want to visit, feel free.” His tone was like he was granting me a great favor. But he forgot, I wasn’t close to anyone. Except for Ethan. But he was already dead. I returned to my room in silence, falling asleep with tears in my eyes. Early the next morning, I heard the voices of Jack’s close friends. “Sophia Lee is still following you, Mr. Rivers. Your charm is quite something.” “What are you talking about? It’s just because Sophia Lee is a lapdog.” They joked, and Jack didn’t refute. I got up and opened the door, coming out of the room, pretending not to see anyone. Jack squinted at me, slowly exhaling a smoke ring. “Seeing people and not greeting them? Where are your manners?” I greeted everyone according to Jack’s request, and he finally showed a satisfied smile. “Jack, you’ve really trained Sophia Lee well.” “She can’t leave me,” he said with certainty. Yes, I had given Jack so many years, given him my all. I didn’t even care about my own life. I lowered my eyes, and when I was about to leave, Jack suddenly grabbed my hand. The wound felt like it was tearing open again, and I cried out in pain. Jack was startled and suddenly withdrew his hand. “Mr. Wilson can touch you, but you’re so repulsed when I touch you?” He gritted his teeth, this time not even willing to show a look of disgust. Looking at his eyes, I fell into confusion. Didn’t he know that my injuries were from the car accident? But wasn’t it him who told the doctors to save Emily first?

The scene became awkward, and Jack’s group of friends shooed me away. I hadn’t walked a few steps before their voices came again. “Jack, what’s so interesting about this woman? Just give her some money and send her away.” “Don’t give her too much. She’s been used by old men, she’s not worth the price.” I walked expressionlessly in front of them, and Jack’s loud voice came: “You’re right. A woman like her who’s been used by old men is worthless.” The wedding proceeded as scheduled. On the beach of Lakeside City, even the sea breeze seemed to bring blessings for their love. The ground was covered with roses and red carpets, and the air seemed filled with sweetness. On the stage, Jack and Emily were exchanging rings. My hand unconsciously went to my wrist. Ethan, I’ve fulfilled your wish for you. The smile on my face could no longer be suppressed, and my eyes became bright. But Jack froze on the stage, his face gloomy. He was wondering why I was smiling, and at the same time, he panicked. Seeing the light in my eyes, Jack felt something indescribable in his heart. Jack hesitated to put the ring on Emily’s finger. She turned her head and looked at me. Understanding what had happened, Emily could no longer bear it. She threw the bouquet on the ground, “Sophia Lee, today is my wedding day. How dare you still try to seduce Jack? Can’t you live without a man?” People in the audience started discussing, blaming me for being inappropriate. Emily called security to drive me out of the wedding venue. I hadn’t walked two steps when I realized my bracelet seemed to have fallen on the ground. I struggled free and crawled on the ground, searching. Jack frowned, but Emily suddenly rushed down from the stage, holding up my bracelet. “Are you looking for this?” I carefully begged her, “Please give it back to me.” “If that’s the case, then kneel down and beg me. If you kowtow and admit your mistake, I’ll give it back to you.” I knelt down without hesitation, and Emily smiled triumphantly. She played with the bracelet, not understanding why I could be so shameless for this thing. This was Ethan’s keepsake. I begged her again, but Emily turned towards the sea and threw the bracelet into it. “Since you’re leaving anyway, don’t think about taking anything Jack bought, including this bracelet.” Before she finished speaking, I had already jumped into the sea. I couldn’t lose this bracelet; it was Ethan’s keepsake. Focused only on retrieving the bracelet, I completely forgot that I couldn’t swim. I struggled in the water, and Jack had someone drag me back to shore. I tried to dive back into the sea, but the security guard grabbed my hand, reopening my wounds. The seawater turned red with my blood, and I lost all support, crying helplessly. I couldn’t find the bracelet. I was going to lose Ethan. In a daze, I came to Ethan’s grave. I hugged the tombstone, crying loudly. “Ethan, I miss you so much.” “I’ve fulfilled your wish for you. Can I come to you now? Let’s never be apart again.” A pair of large hands pulled me away from Ethan’s tombstone. Jack’s cold face and bloodshot eyes suddenly appeared before me. He asked, enunciating each word, “Sophia Lee, in your heart, am I not even as good as a dead man?”

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I tutored Adam, a low-income student, and his grades improved. But his mother immediately fired me. “Miss Lily, my child has been taking lessons for so long and still hasn’t gotten first place. This shows your teaching skills are inadequate,” she said. “And you charge so much! I see Jessica only asks for $6 a day. How dare you make money off us poor people?” The Jessica she mentioned is my roommate, who has never gotten along with me. Jessica is willing to tutor at such a low price only to win the school’s “Top 10 Outstanding Students” award. Adam’s mother eagerly drove me away, not knowing that once Jessica’s dream of winning the award shatters, she won’t care about them anymore. I’d like to see if Adam can get into high school without my tailored study plan. [Lily, you don’t need to come to our house anymore.] [We can’t afford such a big shot like you!] After finishing this week’s review with Adam, I was exhausted. As soon as I squeezed onto the subway after leaving his house, I received these messages from Mrs. Wilson, Adam’s mom. I almost thought I had misread it. I rubbed my eyes and read it carefully again. No mistake, Mrs. Wilson had unilaterally fired me! Why? I was utterly confused. Since I started tutoring Adam, I had broken down the knowledge points and spoon-fed them to him, helping him sort out concepts he didn’t understand before, cultivating good study habits, and tailoring a study plan for him. Adam’s grades had improved significantly. Previously, he was at the bottom of his class, but in the recent monthly exam, he had leaped to ninth place! Today, when I saw his report card, I was genuinely happy for Adam. But his mom had been frowning the whole time, apparently having already decided to fire me. [Why, Mrs. Wilson? You should at least give me a reason.] I asked, not understanding. I had been diligent and conscientious, and Adam’s progress was evident. Moreover, I knew their family was struggling financially, so my fee was already very low, only charging $10 for a whole day of tutoring. Before each tutoring session, I would spend a lot of time preparing exercises and content, just to truly help Adam improve. I knew that in such an impoverished family, education was the only way out. So I did my best, wanting to help Adam change his life. [You have the nerve to ask?] [You’re not serious in your teaching, what’s with all this heart-to-heart talk with Adam? Isn’t that just wasting lesson time?] [And my Adam is so smart, but he still hasn’t gotten first in his grade. Are you not teaching wholeheartedly? Are you afraid that if Adam gets first in the school, we won’t need you anymore?] [And your price is so expensive. Others only charge $6 a day. How dare you make money off us poor people? I thought you were the cheapest before, but it turns out you’re still profiting. College students are so scheming!] [I’m telling you, people like you with bad intentions will face karma!] I only sent one question, but Mrs. Wilson bombarded me with several 60-second voice messages, like a flood gate opening. Her tone was very hostile. I could almost imagine her furrowed brows and angry glare. I hadn’t done anything wrong, but now I was being misunderstood and even having the results of my teaching denied. During the time I tutored Adam, I would buy some milk and fruit to bring over every time I went to his house. It was because he was from a single-parent family, living in poverty, and always looked thin and malnourished. “Teacher, I don’t want these. I’m just happy you’re tutoring me,” Adam would refuse, pushing the food away. “Your money doesn’t grow on trees either.” “It’s okay, teacher has enough money. Take these to supplement your nutrition. You’re at a critical stage of growth,” I would say. I felt warm inside, feeling that all my efforts were meaningful. I was proud that I could help a good kid. Although Mrs. Wilson often dragged her feet on paying the tutoring fee, I didn’t rush to ask for it. After all, for me, this was preparation for becoming a formal teacher after college graduation, and it was also my initiative to help someone in need. I never expected that now I would be used and discarded, directly fired. [Every child has their limit. Adam and I both tried our best in this exam.] [During the learning process, psychological counseling and encouragement are necessary. This isn’t so-called wasting time.] [Adam’s improvement over this period is evident. Saying I’m not serious in my teaching is simply slander. And about the price, I dare say no teacher charges less than me for tutoring! I even bring milk and fruit for Adam every time, the tutoring fee isn’t even enough to cover that. How am I making money off you?] My hands were shaking with anger as I typed. This was blatant slander. I couldn’t let Mrs. Wilson casually smear me like this. I argued based on reason, but I didn’t expect Mrs. Wilson to hit me with a bombshell— [You’re still denying it? Adam said you don’t teach during lessons. Can a child lie?]

At this point, I was stunned. My first reaction was that Mrs. Wilson was making it up. In my eyes, Adam was a good kid who was poor but ambitious. He studied hard, wanting to change his fate. He was also very respectful to me, always politely calling me “Miss Lily” whenever I came to tutor. He wasn’t one to just take without giving back. Every time I brought him milk and fruit, he would blush and refuse, even washing them clean and insisting I eat some too. Adam and I got along very well. Otherwise, given how often Mrs. Wilson delayed paying the tutoring fee, I wouldn’t have stayed on. Or you could say, the reason I persisted in tutoring him all this time was entirely for Adam’s sake. [Don’t use the child as an excuse. I want to talk to Adam.] I replied to Mrs. Wilson like this, and the next second, a video call came through from the other side. Adam’s face appeared on the screen. “Adam, is what your mom said true?” I asked. “Do you think I’m not teaching seriously and just wasting time?” Even at this moment, I believed Mrs. Wilson was making things up. I couldn’t believe this would be Adam’s thoughts. But to my surprise, Adam nodded. “I said it. There’s no point in holding back anymore,” he said. “I only ranked ninth in the class this time. My deskmate also has a tutor, so how come he can get first place?” “My grades are improving so slowly, you must not be teaching wholeheartedly. The fact that I could go from the bottom to the top ten in the class shows that my IQ is high, so it must be a problem with your teaching method.” “And your fee is so expensive, but the results are so poor. Luckily I’ve found someone cheaper now, otherwise I would have been fooled by you and had to endure who knows how long?” Adam’s eyes were full of complaints and contempt, as if I were some unforgivable criminal. I couldn’t believe it. “Adam, what are you talking about? You know very well that every time I tutor you, I bring you good food – bread, milk, fruit. When have I ever missed a time?” “The things I buy already exceed $10, more than the daily tutoring fee! I’m practically paying to tutor you. How can you say this about me?” Adam raised his eyelids slightly, very dismissive of what I said. “Who’s the fool in this world? If you were really losing money, would you be willing to teach me?” “You bring me milk and fruit just because you want to make money from my family for a long time. You want to see me every day, so you’re nice to me and treat me well.” “You think I can’t see through your tricks?” Hearing him say this, my heart went completely cold. If Mrs. Wilson had misunderstood me, I could still tolerate it. But Adam’s words completely pierced my heart. I tutored him without wanting anything in return. I just wanted to help him. Because I had once suffered from poverty, and it was kind people who helped me successfully get into college. I know how important education is, and now that my family’s situation has improved a lot, I wanted to pass on that kindness. But this is the questioning I face. It turns out that the obedient and polite Adam from before was just “enduring humiliation.” It turns out that my kindness to him, in his eyes, was seen as a way to make money. My lips trembled with anger. The young man in front of me seemed so unfamiliar, I could hardly recognize him. “Oh my, you just had to push it,” came a familiar voice from the phone, mocking and arrogant. “Just admit you’re making dirty money. You had to confront Adam, and now look, you’re the one who’s embarrassed.” “You have no self-awareness at all.” I couldn’t mistake that voice— It was my roommate, Jessica. How could she be at Adam’s house? I suddenly remembered that not long ago, Jessica had repeatedly asked me which family I was tutoring. “What’s there to be so secretive about? Just tell me. If there’s one student in that neighborhood, there must be others who need tutoring. Let’s go teach students together.” “Hey, how much do you charge per day for tutoring? Tell me for reference.” I didn’t want others to know about Adam’s status as a low-income student, so I didn’t answer. But unable to resist Jessica’s persistent questioning, I only told her the neighborhood where Adam’s family lived. “There are indeed quite a few middle and elementary school students in this neighborhood. You can ask around if any other families need tutoring.” Tutoring at Adam’s house was by no means a lucrative job. It meant going out early and returning late every weekend, and not making a penny in the end. It was all out of the goodness of my heart. But Jessica kept asking about it with great interest. Just two days ago, she suddenly stopped asking. I had just thought things had quieted down, but I didn’t expect she was waiting for me here. “So the cheaper tutor you mentioned, who only charges $6 a day, is her?” I asked directly. There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Mrs. Wilson spoke up righteously, “Yes, it’s her. What about it?” “She’s $4 cheaper than you! That’s several meals for us! Only you, this black-hearted student, would make so much money off us.” “Miss Jessica is truly kind-hearted, serving us!” In the video frame, Jessica waved at me smugly. I didn’t understand where her hostility towards me came from. This was a completely unprofitable job. Even $6 wasn’t enough for round-trip transportation and meals for the day. That’s right, Adam’s family lived in a rather remote area, and tutoring for a whole day didn’t include meals. Every time, I had to find a snack stand at the entrance of the neighborhood to grab a quick bite. Since Jessica liked it so much, she could have this “lucrative job.” I wanted to see how much money Jessica could make after all this trouble. I also wanted to see how much of a breakthrough Adam could achieve with Jessica’s tutoring, without my tailored study plan!

I tutored Adam solely because he approached me himself. At the time, I had just started doing part-time work and asked in a tutoring group chat if any families needed tutoring. Soon, someone added me as a friend. [Teacher, can you tutor me?] [I see your profile says it’s your first time tutoring. I don’t mind that you don’t have experience.] Because it was my first time tutoring, I didn’t quote a high price. I was very happy that someone was willing to trust me. So that weekend, I went to the address Adam gave me. After wandering around, I finally found his home, only to discover that this so-called home was just a garage rented out by someone else. Adam and his mother lived in this dark and narrow garage, filled with the damp smell of mold. I gave Adam a trial lesson. When I asked him afterwards how he felt and if he needed me to tutor him, this thin boy’s eyes welled up with tears. “Teacher, you taught very well…” “I’m sorry, I lied to you. I don’t have money to hire you at the hourly rate in your profile.” He cried as he told me about his family’s tragic situation. It turned out that Adam’s father had died in a crash with a large truck while trying to evade creditors. The compensation was all taken by the creditors, and now he was in a single-parent family, living only with his mother. His mother had no education and could only find a job as a community cleaner, but she earned very little, barely enough to keep them fed. All their relatives and friends looked down on them, so Adam wanted to study hard, get into a good high school, then a good university, so he could help his mother. But after transferring from a rural school to this one, he couldn’t keep up with his studies and was only third from the bottom in his class. He wanted to improve himself, so he joined the group chat hoping to find a tutor. But he didn’t expect the hourly rate to be so high. Others were charging $20 an hour, which he couldn’t afford at all. “Teacher, I don’t mind that you’re new. I’m willing to be your practice student. Please teach me.” “I can’t pay too much. Can you lower your price a bit more?” I’m a normal school student from a top-tier university. Even if it was my first time tutoring, there were plenty of parents who wanted to hire me at $20 an hour, let alone the $16 an hour I had quoted. During the time I was talking with Adam, many more parents sent me friend requests. Looking at Adam’s tear-reddened eyes and his mother silently wiping away tears beside him, I couldn’t help but think of my own middle school years. My grandmother had fallen seriously ill, and we spent all our savings to save her, nearly causing me to drop out of school. It was kind-hearted people and my homeroom teacher who helped me then, allowing me to successfully go to college. Fortunately, in my sophomore year, my father made some money in business, and our family’s situation finally improved. We had weathered the storm. I empathized with Adam’s situation and couldn’t help but soften my stance. “Alright… I’ll teach you. How much can you pay for tutoring?” Hearing me say this, Mrs. Wilson immediately looked up, her eyes shining. “Ten dollars. We can’t pay any more than that. What do you think?” I thought she meant $10 per hour, which I could accept, so I agreed. So the next week, I officially started tutoring Adam at his home. But when it came time to settle the payment, Mrs. Wilson only sent me $10. [Mrs. Wilson, I tutored for a total of 8 hours today. It should be $80.] [What $80? Didn’t we agree on $10 per session? Are you trying to kill me?] That was the first time we had a disagreement. Tutoring fees are generally charged by the hour. I had assumed it was $10 per hour, but Mrs. Wilson seized on this point and wouldn’t let go. [I never said it was $10 per hour. $10 is for a whole day, no more.] Her behavior left me feeling helpless, with a lump in my throat that I couldn’t express. [Miss Lily, I’m sorry. My mom’s words misled you. If $10 isn’t enough, you don’t have to teach me anymore. I won’t force you. Thank you for what you taught me today. I benefited a lot.] Adam sent me a message. Such sensible content made me waver. Although Mrs. Wilson was unreasonable, Adam was innocent. He wanted so badly to get into a good high school, and he was in the crucial final year of middle school, preparing for the high school entrance exam. He wanted to change his fate, just like me a few years ago, studying for the college entrance exam with tears in my eyes, hoping for a bright future. My heart softened, and I chose to compromise. I told my parents about tutoring Adam. They were very supportive of me helping out. “Daughter, now that our family is doing better, it’s time to give back to society. Help if we can. They can just pay a token amount for the tutoring fee.” My parents were kind-hearted. They even sent me local specialties from home to help boost Adam’s health. But I never expected the boomerang to come back and hit me so quickly. Like father, like son. Perhaps this mother and son were playing good cop, bad cop from the beginning, fooling me into compromising! The $10 tutoring fee was already something they shamelessly begged for. Now they were turning the tables, accusing me of making dirty money!

After this incident, I was in a bad mood and simply fell asleep as soon as I got back to the dorm. I had just dozed off when I heard a loud door slam. “Sigh… tutoring is so tiring. Not like some people who lost their job and are having a great time in the dorm.” I opened my eyes to see Jessica looking at me smugly. “What’s so interesting? Is there some treasure at Adam’s house that you had to push me out to be happy?” I asked pointedly. “Tutoring for $6 a day? I’ve never seen you be so generous before. You just have to compete with me on everything, don’t you?” I got straight to the point. Jessica and I hadn’t been on good terms for a long time. She always thought I studied too seriously. Whenever she saw me studying, she would make sarcastic comments and lament how she underperformed on the college entrance exam. If she hadn’t slacked off usually, she would have gotten into a top university like Harvard or Yale. She always tried to compete with me for awards and honors, and when she couldn’t win, she would maliciously report me, though it never succeeded. “What are you pretending for, Lily? $10 a day, would you be willing to do it without an award?” Jessica said aggressively. “Acting like a saint here, you’d almost move people who don’t know better!” Jessica’s tone was confrontational, but I was stunned. What award? I had no idea what she was talking about. I listened in confusion as Jessica accused me of being hypocritical, and only then did I learn that the school and city government had organized a “Top 10 Outstanding Students” competition. It aimed to find excellent college students in both character and academics. It was a city-level award with quite a bit of prestige, and there was also a generous cash prize. Having this award would give more weight when becoming a teacher and advancing in one’s career in the future. “I don’t know how you promoted yourself, but even the principal knows you’re tutoring a low-income student at a low price. Appearing to not seek returns, but actually being purely profit-driven. Hypocrites like you make me sick just looking at you.” Jessica’s tone was extremely disdainful. The fact that I was tutoring Adam at a low price was something Mrs. Wilson often boasted about to the uncles and aunties in the neighborhood. “I think she just knows my son is smart, a genius, so she’s trying to get in our good graces early,” Mrs. Wilson would say rudely. The old lady next door couldn’t stand it and had told me about this several times. But I didn’t want to pay attention to it. I was willing to come tutor purely for Adam’s sake. I basically didn’t like interacting with Mrs. Wilson. As time went on, all the elderly people in that area knew me as a kind-hearted child helping Adam. Coincidentally, the principal’s mother was retiring in that neighborhood. She was a gentle old lady who, when she caught me to chat, asked which school I was from. I honestly told her my school, and the old lady nodded repeatedly on the spot. “No wonder, so you’re from N University. I knew it, such a good child must be excellent in studies too.” Opportunities come just that coincidentally. I became a candidate in the principal’s eyes, and this award was basically a sure thing for me. “If I hadn’t passed by the office and overheard the teachers chatting, I wouldn’t have known you were so scheming. I didn’t even know about this award, but you were already about to win it!” Jessica said smugly. “But what use is that now? Adam’s family has already fired you!” “I’m the one helping them now. Even if the school still chooses you in the end, I’ll report you, saying you never actually tutored. I believe Mrs. Wilson will definitely cooperate.” I finally understood why Jessica was willing to tutor for as little as $6, just to push me out. She always had to compete with me, but I had always gone with the flow, never intending to go against her. I didn’t expect that in Jessica’s eyes, I had long become her arch-enemy.

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