Category: English

I thought Hudson Marshall was the love of my life, so I fought hard within the family to win a perfect wedding with him. My parents also decided to launch the billion-dollar “True Love” jewelry collection on our wedding day. But seven days before the wedding, Hudson said he wanted to marry Emilia Bell, his first love, to fulfill her mother’s last wish before he married me. He looked impatient, saying, “For Emilia’s filial piety, all these can be sacrificed. If you can’t spare that little money, go find someone else to marry now.” It turned out that in his world, I, and my career, could make way for Emilia at any time. I turned around and called my brother, Adam Macleod, directly, saying, “Adam, the wedding is as usual, but please help me find a new groom.” On the day of my wedding dress fitting, I waited downstairs at Hudson Marshall’s company for a long time before he came downstairs slowly. As soon as he got in the car, he tossed me a necklace. “Emilia asked me to give it to you. You embarrassed her at the funeral yesterday, so take the time to apologize to her.” The necklace was clearly a freebie that came with a genuine purchase. I had seen it in Hudson’s shopping cart a couple of days ago. “I don’t want it,” I said flatly. Hudson frowned. “What are you getting at again? You’re the one who rushed to the funeral and embarrassed her by saying I wasn’t her fiancé. She didn’t even count it and wanted to bring you a gift, and you’re so ungrateful?” The man who had once protected me was no longer there, and now he cherished someone else. Hudson annoyingly opened the window and blew out the air. After a long time, seeing that I wasn’t coaxing him, he said, “Forget it. I’m going to accompany you to your wedding dress fitting today, so I won’t bother with you.” It was the first time he had gone soft this year. We arrived at the bridal store and were greeted by the clerk. “Mr. Marshall, Ms. Macleod, your specially customized twenty wedding dresses and suits are ready.” Hudson, however, wasn’t looking at the clothes but instead was looking down at his cell phone with a bit of urgency on his face. After noticing my gaze, he hastily put away his phone with a hint of apology on his face. “Sienna, something happened to Emilia, so I have to rush over right away. Try on the wedding dress yourself, and pick out a suit for me. I trust your taste.” After that, he hastily beckoned a cab and left, leaving me alone. The clerk rushed up and said tentatively, “Ms. Macleod, would you like to choose the suit yourself?” I withdrew my gaze and nodded. I’d pick the suit, of course, just not for Hudson. After all, the groom had changed. I called my brother, Adam Macleod, directly, saying, “Adam, the wedding is as usual, but please help me find a new groom.” Adam said incredulously, “Are you going to repudiate the marriage?” “No, it’s that he’s marrying someone else,” I smiled bitterly. I had worked very hard in my family to get my parents’ approval to be with Hudson, and to have the “True Love” jewelry collection released on the day of the wedding. Now, it was all for nothing. Adam was silent for a long time before saying, “Then, there’s only Finley Henderson. His family’s been pushing hard, and he’s been looking for a marriage partner lately.” My brows furrowed. Finley was my sworn rival. On my engagement day, he’d cursed that my marriage would shatter. And now his words had come true. With time pressing, I said, “Fine, choose him then. Ask him if he’s interested. If not, I’ll find someone else.” Adam blurted out, “No need to ask. He’ll definitely agree.” “What?” I was shocked. Before I could press him, Adam mumbled something and hung up. After picking out the dress, I headed home. I’d expected Hudson to stay out all night, but he showed up before dinner. He strode over to me, carrying a takeout box. “I went all over the city to buy you late-night snacks.” I looked at the pizza inside. There were three pieces fewer than usual, and one of them with a bite mark. Clearly, someone had taken a bite. Half an hour earlier, I’d seen Emilia Bell’s Instagram post, which showed the exact same food in my hand, with the caption: [My husband went out late at night to buy me snacks. Thanks, honey. I love you!] I put down my fork with a self-mocking smile, suddenly losing my appetite. I said, “I’m not hungry. Throw it away.” Hudson frowned at me but held back his anger, sitting down beside me to complain, “You have no idea how pitiful Emilia was today. My parents went to her place and insulted her family for being poor, saying they couldn’t even afford a decent wedding gift. She almost cried her eyes out. “Emilia just got back to the country and doesn’t have much money. I was thinking of giving her your wedding gift first.” His domineering tone made me sick. I sneered, “So, I should give my wedding gift to your wife?”

Back then, I cared about Hudson. If he asked, I would give him anything and do anything for him. But now, he slapped me awake himself. Thinking back, I found that since Emilia came back from overseas, everything Hudson had done had been for her. He had forgotten I was the one who was supposed to spend the rest of his life with him. My reply annoyed Hudson. “What do you mean by that? You don’t want to? You better get it straight. Emilia’s my best friend. You better make her happy, or I won’t marry you.” With that, he slammed the door and left. Feeling all stirred up inside, I went downstairs and went for a run in the park. I’d barely finished one lap when Finley called. Thinking of Finley, who always had that poker face, I hesitated for two seconds before answering. “Once you’re on my boat, you’re my person. Try to run, and I’ll tie you back,” said Finley directly. I stayed silent, and he continued, “Send me your valid passport first. Let’s get the paperwork done. I’m scared you’ll back out.” I thought, “Finley, something’s up with you.” I’d already imagined a million scenarios of him using marriage to mess with me. In the end, I could only say, “See you at the wedding, Mr. Henderson.” As soon as I finished speaking, Hudson showed up behind me. “You’re inviting Finley to our wedding? I won’t allow it.” He looked at me like I was the enemy. “Sienna, I told you not to talk with Finley. He’s got a thing for you. If you insist on inviting him to our wedding, I won’t marry you.” Before I could say a word, he’d already laid down the law. Hudson had always disliked Finley for no good reason, just full-on hostility. When we first got together, he’d get jealous over me and Finley talking on WhatsApp. Later, I gradually cut ties with Finley. But now, he actually said Finley had gotten a thing for me. I was about to press him for answers when Emilia suddenly slumped against Hudson’s neck. “Hudson, you’re hurting me.” Only then did I notice that they were walking hand in hand. Hudson coughed awkwardly but didn’t let go of her hand. Emilia looked at Hudson with tenderness and “apologized” to me with feigned helplessness. She said, “Sienna, sorry. Hudson and I were just getting familiar with the wedding flow. I won’t spill the beans about you beating me up or messing with my mom’s grave. But don’t hurt Hudson. True feelings can’t stand tests.” I didn’t want to watch her act and turned to leave. “Since you’re so into it, I’ll have someone beat you up tonight and dig up your mom’s grave.” Suddenly, Hudson slapped me hard. “Sienna, how could you be so evil?” he frowned angrily, his chest heaving. Was I evil? He believed someone else’s gossip with a single word, but our five-year friendship couldn’t earn him a smidge of trust. A sudden anger flared up in me. I was about to grill Hudson when Emilia stepped in front of him. She begged me, “Sienna, please. After the wedding, I’ll give Hudson back to you. Please spare my people and Hudson. Don’t hurt him.” Hudson quickly grabbed her waist to stop her, glaring at me. “Sienna, stop bullying others. You know I hate that. If you still wanna marry me, stop it.” With that, he warned me not to show up in front of them before the wedding. But the next day, Hudson took the initiative to contact me. He shouted, scolding me, “Sienna, did you really dig up Mrs. Bell’s grave? I never thought you’d be that type.” Full of doubts, I called my assistant, Luna Young, to investigate and found out something jaw-dropping. Emilia’s mom was still alive!

No wonder Emilia was crazy enough to dig up her mother’s grave to frame me. It turned out that the whole “death” thing was a scam. I texted Hudson: [Emilia’s mom’s not dead. The truth’s in the email I sent you.] Whether he read it or not, it was not my problem. Finley booked me the flight for three days later in person. When Hudson got back, he saw me packing. Half my clothes were in the trash, and I would send a few things to Southwild. “What’s with the packing?” Hudson looked puzzled. I replied casually, “Moving.” He paused, didn’t catch the vibe, and continued, “The Macleod family’s company’s in Southwild. We’re moving there after the wedding. You’re right. We should pack early.” Then, he gave me a mean look. “Apologize to Emilia for her mom. Don’t make me embarrassed. Do it at the wedding. Okay?” Hudson tossed his phone aside to find his valid passport. Today was the day he and Emilia were getting their marriage license. He didn’t come back till night. I checked my phone, and Emilia’s text popped up. The picture showed Hudson and her in matching outfits and in bed together. I closed my eyes, but my heart still stung. I swallowed the pain and turned off my phone. Deep into the night, my phone buzzed every hour, Emilia taunting me with videos of her and Hudson. Till morning, Finley texted me: [Ms. Macleod, everything is ready. Take your time coming back.] It was attached to a marriage license and a pot of vibrant red roses. I never thought he’d still have that plant I gave him years ago. A strange feeling welled up in me, and I replied: [Okay.] I put my phone down to pack my work files, not noticing Hudson had returned. He packed his everyday stuff, saying, “I’m moving in with Emilia for a few days. She’s swamped with wedding preparations. Don’t be late to the wedding the day after tomorrow.” Then, he went on and on, justifying it, telling me not to make trouble again. “Yeah, I won’t,” I said, looking down. After last night, any feelings I had for him were gone. Hudson saw how calm I was and got a weird panic. He hesitated. But then, he thought of Emilia, and his grip on his phone loosened. He thought, “Sienna loves me so much. Nothing will go wrong.” Relieved, he stopped arguing and left. I watched him leave, then called a number. That night, a helicopter landed in the square. A guy walked up, saying, “Ms. Macleod, your chopper’s here. It’ll take you to Southwild safely in half an hour.” I nodded and handed him a file. “Take this to the wedding tomorrow. It’s my wedding gift for the bride and groom.” Free Point The next day, I sent Hudson a text right on time: [Happy wedding day!]

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Six months ago, my daughter was diagnosed with kidney failure and needed me to donate a kidney for her transplant. But on the eve of the surgery, I accidentally discovered that my daughter wasn’t sick at all! The one who really needed my kidney was my husband Jack’s ex-girlfriend’s son! It turned out to be a scheme set up by Jack to trick me into donating my kidney. My daughter was also a participant and accomplice in this deception. I was the only one kept in the dark! At that moment, ten years of marriage and family bonds crumbled, leaving only heartbreak and despair. I threw the divorce papers at Jack, along with custody of our daughter. I didn’t want it anymore. “Tricking you was wrong, but is divorce really necessary?” Jack frowned. “Besides, I just wanted you to donate a kidney. You won’t die from losing one, but Tommy will die in a few days without a good kidney.” I closed my eyes briefly and pushed the divorce agreement towards Jack. “Sign it.” “Look, you’ve been a housewife for ten years. You’re completely out of touch with society. I’ve been supporting you all these years. You can’t survive without me,” Jack shook his head helplessly. “Stop being unreasonable. Go to the hospital with me tomorrow for the kidney donation surgery. Don’t worry, I won’t look down on you for being partially disabled after the surgery. I’ll still give you a monthly allowance and take care of you.” “How dare you talk about divorce! You’re just a maid who eats and lives in our house,” my daughter Lily angrily shouted at me. “Besides, why won’t you donate? You’re only losing a kidney, but Tommy will lose his life!” I stared at her in disbelief, unable to believe my sweet daughter would say such things. “A woman like you with a ruined figure, average looks, and no skills – what man would want you if you left Dad? Even if you tried to throw yourself at a homeless person under a bridge, they wouldn’t want you!” Lily looked at me with disgust and held a mirror up to my face. “Look at yourself, you’re like a pig! Fat and ugly. It should be your honor to donate a kidney to Natalie’s son! Don’t be so ungrateful!” The person in the mirror looked haggard and aged, completely different from ten years ago. “Are you going to say again that you developed health problems from overworking during postpartum recovery, and that taking medication for years made you gain weight?” Lily rolled her eyes. “Please, don’t blame me for your laziness and lack of self-discipline. Natalie also had a child, so how come she’s still so slim?” I remembered how Lily never let me attend parent-teacher conferences. I thought she was being considerate of my weak health and inability to handle crowds. It turns out I was just deluding myself – she was actually ashamed of me. The family I thought was happy and complete turned out to be nothing but a mess.

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When I married Gabriel, I was 20, and he was 3 My mother said he was kind-hearted, successful, and could take care of me. For four years after our marriage, Gabriel treated me extremely well. Until I found my aunt’s photo in his wallet. 1 Gabriel spoiled me. He would give me anything I wanted, and being older, he seemed to have endless patience. I whined on the phone, “If you’re not coming home tonight, I might go out and find other men.” “I have to work late tonight, be good and stay home,” Gabriel paused, “Remember that bag you mentioned last time? I’ve already ordered it, it’ll be delivered tonight.” I giggled, “Why do you always try to appease me with bags?” “Don’t you like them?” His deep, magnetic voice made my heart flutter. I quickly said I loved it and kept him talking, the atmosphere turning flirtatious. After four years of marriage, I had truly experienced the benefits of being with an older man. He was so gentle, I couldn’t find a single flaw. Even when I deliberately acted up or caused trouble, he would always soothe me gently. He had a lot of money and a lot of love, and he gave both to me without hesitation. My heart was filled with warmth. Until my best friend told me she saw a woman walking arm in arm with Gabriel across the street. 2 That night, I had a huge fight with Gabriel. I didn’t even get a chance to appreciate the new bag before I threw it at his face. “What’s the meaning of this? Is your overtime work actually dating other women?” I was shaking with anger, my eyes red. Gabriel’s expression was cold, but when he looked at me, his eyes were only filled with gentleness and helplessness. He tried to approach me, but I pushed him away. “That was your aunt, darling. She just came back from abroad and happens to be cooperating with our company. We were having a business dinner.” “My aunt?” I was confused. My aunt was back? My aunt was a free spirit, 33 years old, single, traveling abroad. We hardly ever saw her throughout the year. She’s back? Why didn’t she tell me? Seeing my reaction, Gabriel pulled me into his arms, “Are you still angry?” I snorted and took out my phone to call my aunt. The call connected quickly. The woman’s soft voice came through the phone, and I felt Gabriel’s body stiffen for a moment. I glared at him and asked, “Aunt, you’re back?” “Yes, sweetie. I just called your mom. What’s up?” “Aunt, did you have dinner with my husband’s company tonight?” “Yes, I did. It was business, couldn’t be postponed. I drank quite a bit and almost tripped crossing the street. How embarrassing! Luckily your husband was there.” My doubts were completely dispelled. I arranged a welcome dinner with my aunt and hung up. Gabriel held me tightly, “Are you still angry?” “Hmph!” I pushed him away and picked up the new bag from the floor, feeling heartbroken about its condition. Gabriel was still patient, comforting me for a while longer. Finally, he carried me upstairs. 3 When I woke up early the next morning, Gabriel was already gone. He was busy with work and left early. And I found a photo in the wallet he had left behind. In the photo, a young woman looked radiant, smiling brightly with curved eyes. Her left hand was holding Gabriel’s arm, and her right hand was making an old-fashioned peace sign. Her appearance was somewhat similar to mine. No! It was very similar. With trembling hands, I stuffed the photo back. Gabriel was eleven years older than me, he must have had lovers in the past. I could let that go. But the woman in the photo was Olivia, my aunt… My husband and my aunt. What kind of relationship did they have? And what did they take me for in these four years of marriage? Like a thunderbolt, scenes from the past involving Olivia flashed through my mind. When we got married, he asked several times why Olivia didn’t attend the wedding; during New Year’s family gatherings, when my mother called Olivia, he would always lean in to say “Happy New Year”; even the clothes he bought for me were always in the cream color that my aunt loved to wear… There were too many similar incidents, scene after scene flashing through my mind, leaving me confused and shocked. The photo was old, the color fading at the edges, evidence of how many times the owner’s fingers must have caressed it longingly. Trying to avoid the reality, I stuffed the wallet into the bedside drawer. A moment later, I masochistically entered Gabriel’s study. He had warned me several times not to enter his study, and I wasn’t interested in what was inside, assuming it was just some important documents of a workaholic. I pushed aside the documents on the desk and looked at the photo album hidden beneath them. The album was filled with photos of a young couple on every page. I slowly flipped through, looking at the dates behind each photo, until I reached the last one. [October 26, 2016]. This photo was a long-distance shot taken at the airport on the day Olivia left the country six years ago. Her black hair was flowing, and her expression was melancholic. I was also in the photo. I was just a sophomore then, very reluctant to part with my aunt who had always doted on me. I was hugging Olivia and crying. I hadn’t noticed someone taking a picture from afar. On the back of the photo, there was a message written in neat handwriting. [Olivia, our ten years end here.] A month later, I met Gabriel for the first time in the cold winter. Two years later, after my college graduation, I unhesitatingly married him. 4 Everything between Gabriel and me. It was all a lie. 5 Gabriel came home very late. His posture was straight, his tailored suit and neatly combed-back hair making his handsome features look somewhat distant and cold. Those indifferent eyes seemed to melt when they saw me on the sofa. He smiled as he walked towards me, “It’s one in the morning, why aren’t you asleep?” In the past, I would have snuggled into his arms, craving his warmth. Now, I just felt disgusted. I avoided his outstretched hand and threw the photo I had been clutching onto the coffee table. These were the photos he had treasured and hidden in his study. Of course, he recognized them at a glance. Gabriel’s expression froze, but he managed to maintain a smile. “You went into my study?” he asked gently. “Yes.” Gabriel lowered his eyes and silently picked up the photos from the coffee table. “Don’t do it again.” His tone was calm, the worst attitude he had ever shown me since our marriage. I sneered, “There won’t be a next time, Gabriel. After all these years together, what exactly did you take me for?” I stood up, looking up at him. Time hadn’t left any traces on his face; he was still handsome and youthful. I stared into those seemingly affectionate eyes and saw him frown tiredly. “Alright, stop making a fuss. Let’s go to bed,” he sighed, as if yielding. “You think I’m making a fuss?” I asked. Gabriel avoided the question: “Sophia, haven’t I been good to you?” Without waiting for my answer, he continued, “I believe I’ve treated you well. At least in this marriage, I’ve never wronged you. So, can’t you understand that there are some things I can’t give you?” “Some things? You mean love?” I asked. He remained silent, implicitly agreeing. I wanted to laugh, but tears welled up instead, “So I’m just a replacement. You’ve been so good to me, but you’ve never loved me.” “You’re an adult. Love is too luxurious…” “Am I not worthy?” I interrupted him. I wanted to ask if I, Sophia, wasn’t worthy of sincere and passionate love. Should I be grateful for being a replacement? Uncontrollable sadness made me cry incessantly. Gabriel brought a warm, damp towel to wipe my tears, his movements gentle. But I felt even more miserable. See how gentle he was. So gentle that he remained calm even as he watched me break down. In this marriage, I was the only one who had invested my whole heart.

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In the fifth year of my marriage to Daniel Thompson, he had an affair with his personal assistant because I couldn’t get pregnant. He brought her home, took over the master bedroom, usurped my position as the lady of the house, and occupied the place by his side. I never made a fuss, just packed my bags and prepared to leave. But he sneered and said, “Don’t forget, your parents’ lives are in my hands.” His friends bet in front of me, guessing when I would kneel and beg Daniel to take me back. At the auction, he helped his little assistant humiliate me. What he didn’t know was that my parents were already dead, and he was the one incapable of having children. As I watched my long-lost love return, I secretly vowed. This time, I would not only leave, but also ruin his reputation completely. … Once again, as I watched Olivia Baker cling to Daniel Thompson in front of me, I no longer felt much of anything. But he still refused to let me go, speaking in a commanding tone. “Olivia is due to give birth in a few days. Quit your job and stay home to take care of her food and daily needs.” Hearing this, I suddenly realized that these five years of marriage seemed meaningless. “Daniel, let’s get divorced.” … After a brief silence, mocking laughter erupted from the karaoke room. “Did I hear that right? Rachel wants to divorce Daniel? Wasn’t she the one who desperately clung to him in the first place?” “Don’t fight me on this, I bet she’ll be back on her knees begging Daniel to take her back within a day!” “Sis, what’s gotten into you? Are you jealous of Olivia?” “What, are you feeling sorry for her?” Daniel coldly retorted, his gaze towards me growing icy. “Are you sure about this?” “Yes, I’ll send you the divorce papers.” With that, I turned to leave, but Daniel suddenly called out to stop me. “Rachel Wilson, don’t forget, your half-dead parents still need the Thompson family’s support.” He dared to bring up my parents. Seeing I remained silent, he stood up and looked down at me imperiously, his tone threatening. “You’d better think it through. Do you know how much your parents’ annual medical expenses are? Can you afford it?” Olivia chimed in from the side. “That’s right, sis. Uncle and auntie are still waiting for life-saving treatment.” I glared at their hypocritical faces, wanting nothing more than to slap them both. Meeting my reddened eyes, Daniel spoke coldly: “Name your price. How much to take care of Olivia?” How much was five years of a marriage where I was treated like dirt worth? I didn’t bother to calculate. I only knew that the last time I refused him, I ended up being forced to drink with executives at a karaoke bar until I had a gastric hemorrhage. I took Olivia’s hand and pretended to say to her: “I’ll take good care of you and the baby.” Hearing this, Daniel surprisingly gave me an out: “Don’t worry, as long as you take good care of them, your parents will be safe and sound too.” Just as he finished speaking, Olivia, whose hand I was holding, suddenly collapsed to the ground with a miserable cry. I stood there stunned, not knowing what to do. Daniel slapped me hard across the face. He carried her back to the bedroom and ordered the housekeeper to call the family doctor. Seeing this situation, not only did the people around find it amusing. I found it funny too. Following them into the bedroom, seeing Olivia’s emotions had calmed, I turned to leave. But Daniel coldly grabbed my hand. “Apologize!” “What…” Before I could finish, he kicked the back of my leg. With a thud, I fell to my knees in front of Olivia before I could react. My knees were bleeding, but I heard him yell angrily: “You made Olivia fall, shouldn’t you apologize to her?!”

I looked coldly at Daniel. In our five years of marriage, I had apologized countless times. Apologized for mistakes in documents. Apologized for disturbing his work. Apologized even for seeing him go to hotels with Olivia… Swallowing my grievances, I knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Olivia three times, saying “I’m sorry” with each bow. I looked indifferently at Daniel and spoke flatly: “Is that enough?” Staring at the blood on my forehead, he paused before speaking with disgust: “Who are you putting on this act for? If you want to leave, then leave. You’re bad luck. Don’t end up harming Olivia and her child.” Seeing he didn’t seem to want to trouble me further, I breathed a sigh of relief and quietly left the Thompson mansion. I took a taxi to the hospital and received my parents’ death certificates from the doctor. They had died last week, but Daniel was still using them to threaten me. At the time, the hospital called asking me to pay the bills. My salary hadn’t come in yet, so I called Daniel crying, but all my calls went unanswered. I tracked his location and rushed to the hotel, but the lobby manager wouldn’t let me in. I didn’t care and kicked open the door, immediately seeing Olivia half-naked on the bed. He hurriedly covered her, speaking fiercely: “Who allowed you to come in?! Get out!” I knelt down outside the door and begged: “Can you lend me $50,000? I…” Before I could finish, he cut me off: “Are you deaf? I told you to get out! Forget $50,000, I won’t even give you $5. Assistant! Throw her out!” I knelt on the ground begging desperately, crying my heart out, gasping for breath, with no shred of dignity left. I saw Olivia provocatively showing off the ring on her ring finger. The unique diamond ring was priceless – she couldn’t afford it. I knew Daniel must have given it to her. But I had no energy to argue with him. I crawled over and grabbed Olivia’s feet, pleading: “Olivia, I won’t fight you for anything. Please lend me $50,000, I’m begging you.” But her response was a cold snort, followed by Daniel’s slap that sent me crashing to the floor beside the bed. “I told you to get out!” I was thrown out of the hotel and brought home by his assistant, forced to kneel on the cold tiles in the living room. I was ordered to apologize non-stop. If I slacked off even a little, a bucket of cold water would be poured over me. It was at this time that my parents died in the hospital when their oxygen machines stopped working. Looking at my parents’ death certificates, tears unconsciously fell from my eyes. I cried heartbrokenly, attracting attention from many people. The doctor told me to restrain my grief and took me to identify my parents’ bodies in the morgue. I had my parents’ bodies cremated and carefully placed the ashes in urns. My once loving parents had become two wooden boxes. Unable to accept it, I fainted at the crematorium from overwhelming grief.

When I opened my eyes after fainting from shock, I saw Daniel dealing with work matters. Our eyes met for a long while. He picked up a glass of water and moved to feed me. But I shook my head and took the glass, drinking it all in one go. Seeing this, Daniel’s outstretched hand paused. His chest visibly heaved as he spoke with some displeasure: “How are you feeling? Better? I only just found out that uncle and auntie had passed away…” Before he could finish, I cut him off: “Please give me back my phone.” Perhaps my tone was too cold. Daniel was stunned for several seconds before handing me the phone from the table. Glancing at the divorce agreement I had drafted on the phone, he frowned and asked unhappily: “Rachel, who’s getting divorced?” I hadn’t seen him ask so many questions before. Feeling irritated, I spoke directly: “Us.” Hearing my reply, he spoke with displeasure: “How long are you going to keep this up? Your parents’ deaths were an accident. Don’t you trust me?” I waved my hand, not wanting to get into this trouble. My tone was calm: “I was just joking.” He immediately breathed a sigh of relief, changing his tone to comfort me: “I know you’re heartbroken about mom and dad passing, but you can’t joke about things like this.” I didn’t answer. The next moment, his assistant walked in to tell him: “Mr. Thompson, Miss Baker is awake and asking to see you.” Seeing him torn, I lay down and closed my eyes: “Go see her. I’m a bit tired and want to sleep.” Before leaving, he leaned close to my ear and instructed: “Cooperate well with the doctors’ treatment. I’ll come see you after I check on her.” I kept my eyes tightly shut without responding. Only when the room was completely quiet did my tense body finally relax. But the next second, a call from an unfamiliar number came through on my phone. I answered reluctantly, my tone cold: “What is it?” But the other person didn’t care about my strange tone, excitedly saying: “Rachel! Chris is back!” One sentence made my brain short-circuit. I asked in disbelief: “What did you say?!” “Chris Carter has completed his mission! He’s returned to base!” I almost instinctively jumped out of bed, yanking out the annoying IV in my hand, and rushed out of the hospital to take a taxi to the military base in the suburbs. And in my heart, I silently started the divorce countdown. In three days, I would completely leave Daniel Thompson. Reuniting with Chris Carter was an extremely difficult thing. He had been traumatized and forgotten me completely. He wouldn’t allow anyone to approach him, just mumbling words others couldn’t understand: “Silly girl, silly girl… I want to see my silly girl!” But I knew he was calling my nickname. The doctor told me that to fully recover, we would need to go to America to find the top medical team, with only a 50% chance of success. As my phone screen lit up, I turned my gaze to the divorce agreement on my phone. My thoughts drifted to Daniel Thompson. I silently modified the terms from “adultery during marriage, assets split 50/50” to “I don’t want a penny.” I wanted to sever all ties with him. At this moment, Daniel also called me, anxiously asking: “Rachel, where are you? Why aren’t you resting properly in the hospital?” I was immersed in the joy of reunion, but had to perfunctorily respond to him: “What is it? I’m very busy right now.” “I’ve neglected you these past few days. I want to take you to the new product auction to make it up to you.” Seeing I didn’t respond, he persisted: “How about tomorrow? The Zhike Ziye new product auction. I’ll take you to see if there’s anything you like.” These words touched me a little. But his next words slapped me in the face again: “But Olivia is insisting on going to the Bund with me. Tomorrow I’ll take you after I get back.” I smiled mockingly, simply replying with a “Mm” and agreeing to his trap. If I still liked him because of my parents before, I would definitely have a big fight with him. Then sulk alone, but now I wanted to leave and didn’t care about anything he did. After all, divorce is no small matter. I had to prepare a big gift for him. Seeing I agreed, he didn’t think much more of it, tossing aside my unusual behavior. He thought I would be like before, comforting myself and then eagerly going back to him. But I had already awakened and wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Daniel Thompson, you and your illusory love. I don’t want any of it anymore.

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After Sean and I were reborn, we both pretended not to know each other. He followed the most popular girl in class to attend university out of state, while I stayed in our hometown. Using the experience from his previous life, Sean quickly became a rising star in his industry and married the beauty. His life seemed perfect. I, on the other hand, stayed close to my parents and built a quiet life in our hometown. We met again at our 10-year high school reunion. With his arm around Rose, the former prom queen, and a cigar between his fingers, Sean looked at my simple attire and sneered, “Is this all you’ve accomplished in the past decade?” I remained unfazed. That is, until the fashionably late business tycoon arrived and wrapped his arm around my waist. “I apologize for our tardiness. My wife is pregnant, so I hope everyone can refrain from smoking indoors.” Sean, usually so composed and confident, visibly panicked. He finally realized that after all these years apart, I wasn’t just holding a grudge against him.

My reunion with Sean took place at our 10-year high school reunion. As I pushed open the door to the private room, I overheard someone teasing: “Sean, you dog! You even managed to snag the prom queen!” “No kidding! Look at how well Sean’s doing in the big city. How can we small-town folks compare to Mr. Big Shot here?” “But I heard you and Amber used to be an item back in the day. You two were always studying together, and everyone thought you were a couple.” At that moment, I heard a familiar voice casually reply, “We were just study buddies. It wasn’t anything serious.” I smiled wryly. After being reborn for ten years, I naturally didn’t have any emotional response. So I calmly pushed the door open. Even after a decade, I recognized Sean immediately. He was sitting on the couch, puffing on a cigar, with Rose leaning against him. Our classmates were all gathered around them. The couple was the center of attention, like stars surrounded by adoring fans. The moment I appeared, all eyes turned to me. Our class president enthusiastically called out, “Speak of the devil! Amber, look who’s here!” Sean and I locked eyes. He held Rose close, his gaze condescending as he looked me up and down, a hint of disdain in his eyes. I was dressed simply today. Thinking about my pregnancy, I hadn’t bothered with makeup. I looked a bit worn out compared to Rose. She was wearing a Chanel outfit, carrying a Hermès bag, her perfect makeup making her look like she’d been pampered all her life. I greeted everyone casually, “Long time no see.” Sean nodded slightly, his demeanor cold. Rose only offered a faint smile. I didn’t bother trying to warm up to them and instead turned to chat with some of the classmates I was closer to. “We’re just waiting for Luke now,” the class president suddenly said. “He just messaged that his flight was delayed. Told us not to wait for him.” All the classmates gathered around the dining table. They were all eager to toast Sean, praising him to the skies. After a few rounds of drinks, I excused myself to use the restroom. As I came out, I ran into Sean, his face flushed from alcohol. He sneered, “Amber, is this all you’ve amounted to in the ten years since you left me?” I remained unmoved. Instead, I suddenly remembered what had happened before our rebirth.

Before our rebirth, Sean and I had a fierce argument on the highway. After graduating from college, I had followed Sean to the big city and worked alongside him for ten whole years. Now that we had achieved some success, I wanted to return to our hometown. I was an only child, and my father had passed away last year due to a cerebral hemorrhage that wasn’t treated in time. Only my mother was left at home, and I was worried about her. Sean had promised me years ago that once we had earned enough money, we would go back. But now he kept putting it off, saying our hometown had no future and wasn’t worth returning to. He made it clear that he would never go back. At most, he said we could bring my mother to live with us in the city. But my mother had visited before and didn’t like it here. She had no friends or family around. To be honest, even after all these years, I still didn’t feel at home in this city. I finally lost my temper and told him, “If you won’t go back, I’ll go by myself!” “Why are you forcing me like this?!” Sean demanded. “What’s wrong with staying in this city? Do you want to be a small-town nobody forever? When our child is born, do you want them to start life at a disadvantage?!” I was five months pregnant at the time. It was partly because of the pregnancy that I wanted to go back even more. I knew how difficult it would be to leave a city once the child was born. Besides, our hometown wasn’t that bad. Although it wasn’t a top-tier international city, it was still considered a second-tier city. It wasn’t as hopeless as Sean made it out to be. “So according to you, everyone who stays in a small city is useless?” I asked. “Only useless people are content to vegetate in small cities, living mediocre lives without ambition,” Sean said with contempt. “I despise such people!” “In your eyes, am I that kind of person?” I asked with a cold smile. “I don’t want you to become that kind of person,” Sean said self-righteously. Then he added out of the blue, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have chosen to stay in our hometown for college with you. It wasted four whole years of my life. I should have gone to the big city with Rose early on to get a head start.” Rose had confessed to him before high school graduation, but he had rejected her. He and I had been study partners for three years and had developed feelings for each other. But ever since he accompanied me to enroll in our hometown university, he had repeated this regret countless times over the past fourteen years. At first, I thought he was just joking. Or perhaps he was indirectly telling me how much he liked me and how much he had sacrificed for me. Later, I realized he truly regretted it. So when we were reborn after the car accident, back to the day we were filling out college applications, he unhesitatingly followed Rose to an out-of-state university. I stayed in our hometown. We both knew the other had been reborn, but we tacitly agreed not to interfere with each other’s lives.

I had thought Sean and I would never cross paths again in this life. Looking at him now, it was clear he had been waiting for me on purpose. Seeing that I didn’t respond, he sneered again, “Now you finally understand that staying in our hometown couldn’t lead to any great achievements, right?” “Look at yourself, then look at our old classmates. Has anyone really made it big?” “But it’s too late for regrets now. I’m planning to marry Rose.” He took out a large diamond ring. The diamond was big, probably about five carats. The reason I could tell at a glance was that it looked slightly smaller than the one I had at home. He said, “If you hadn’t been so stubborn, this ring would have been yours.” In our previous life, when Sean and I got married, he wasn’t as wealthy as he is now, so the ring he bought was quite ordinary. His boasting now was completely undisguised. “Congratulations to you both, then,” I said indifferently. I walked past him. I could feel Sean’s gaze on my back, seemingly displeased. I didn’t know what he was unhappy about. He had chosen this path himself, and this was the life he had dreamed of in our previous life. Could it be that he would only be happy if he saw me regretting my choices? I sat back down in my chair, and suddenly my phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, I answered, “Have you landed?” “Yes, I’m on my way now,” came the reply. “If you’re tired, you don’t have to come. I can head back by myself later.” “How could I let my wife attend a reunion and go home alone? I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” I smiled and didn’t say anything more. As I put down my phone, someone approached me. “Amber.” It was Rose, who had come over with a glass of wine. “Long time no see. Let me toast to you. I should thank you,” Rose said with a smile. “I heard from Sean that if it weren’t for you being his study partner, he wouldn’t have been able to get into a good university.” “There’s no need to thank me. We just helped each other,” I replied. “Regardless, Sean’s current success is partly due to you. Let me drink to you on his behalf.” She was about to pour beer into my glass. “I don’t drink,” I refused. “Just a little bit.” She ignored my refusal and started pouring. I pushed her hand away slightly. “Ah!” Rose suddenly let out a scream. The beer had spilled on her clothes and bag. She quickly grabbed some napkins and started wiping frantically, saying, “My clothes and bag can’t get wet…” The other classmates knew her outfit was expensive and looked on nervously. After wiping for a while, Rose turned to me and said, “Amber, even if you’re jealous of me, you shouldn’t do this! Do you know how much these clothes and this bag cost? Can you afford to compensate me?!”

Before I could speak, Sean walked over and angrily rebuked me, “Amber, you’ve gone too far.” “It wasn’t intentional,” I explained. It really wasn’t on purpose. I hadn’t even pushed the beer bottle that hard, I had just tried to stop Rose from pouring. But for some reason, the beer had spilled from the bottle in her hand onto her. “I just told you that Rose and I are getting married, and you lost it?” Sean criticized me in front of everyone. The classmates around us couldn’t help but chime in— “No way? I thought Amber was pretty calm. She doesn’t seem like the type to be jealous.” “You can’t judge a book by its cover. Some people act like they don’t care, but they’re actually seething inside.” “I heard Amber and Sean used to be together, but they broke up when Sean went to college out of state. Now that Amber sees how successful Sean is, she must be regretting not leaving with him, right?” I was truly speechless. But I still patiently explained again, “I really didn’t do it on purpose. I said I don’t drink, but Rose insisted on pouring me a drink, which is why the accident happened.” “I sincerely appreciate you helping Sean study back then, and I hope you can let go of your lingering feelings,” Rose said with a seemingly sincere face. “I know you’ve never gotten over Sean.” I was stunned. I looked at Rose in confusion: “How did you come to the conclusion that I’m not over Sean? Did I say something to make you misunderstand? Or is there something wrong with my expression or the look in my eyes today?” “Amber, stop pretending,” Rose said confidently. “Sean is so successful now, you must feel regretful.” “I don’t feel regretful at all,” I said slowly and clearly. “We all chose our own paths, and I’m very satisfied with my life now.” Sean let out a cold laugh, clearly not believing me. I didn’t want to explain further. There was nothing to explain. We were no longer relevant to each other’s lives. Today’s meeting was just a coincidence. If I had known Sean would be here, I might have avoided coming. Not because I couldn’t let go of anything, but because there was no need to meet people from my past life again. People from the past life should stay in the past. “I’ll compensate you for the clothes and bag,” I said, not wanting to argue anymore. “Send me the price and your bank account number, and I’ll transfer the money to you.” “Compensate?” Sean spoke up directly. “Do you know how much Rose’s clothes and bag cost? The clothes are $15,000, the bag is $30,000, not including accessories. Let’s say $45,000 at the very least. How are you going to compensate that?” I took a deep breath. I told myself not to get angry at Sean’s condescending attitude. The doctor said pregnant women should maintain a good mood. “I’m not that petty. Just sincerely apologize to Rose, and we’ll let it go,” Sean said magnanimously. “An apology isn’t enough,” Rose quickly added. “You have to promise in front of all our classmates that you won’t have any inappropriate thoughts about Sean in the future.”

“Heh.” I laughed. I laughed out of anger. Looking at Rose’s arrogant expression, I picked up the half-empty beer bottle next to me. The doctor said pregnant women shouldn’t get angry, but they shouldn’t suppress their emotions either. So, without rushing, I poured the remaining half bottle of beer all over Rose’s clothes and bag. Rose was shocked. She looked at me in disbelief, taking a moment before she could speak, “Amber, have you gone crazy? What are you doing?!” At the same time, Sean pulled Rose behind him protectively and pushed me. Fortunately, our class president quickly shielded me and stood between us, afraid Sean might do something rash in his anger. He tried to calm the situation, “Sean, don’t get worked up.” “Amber, do you think I’m easy to bully?” Sean said menacingly. “How dare you treat Rose like this? Who do you think you are?!” “I don’t need you to give me face, and I’m not pretending to be anyone. I am who I am,” I said coldly. I added, “Since I agreed to pay for it, her clothes and bag are mine now. How I choose to ruin them is my business. What right do you have to interfere?” “Can you even afford it?” Sean asked harshly. “Give me the bank account number,” I said firmly. “Are you willing to bankrupt yourself just to prove a point? Amber, you should have gotten rid of this stubborn attitude long ago. We wouldn’t have ended up like this otherwise.” “Give me the bank account number!” I repeated, my voice a bit louder this time. “Don’t regret this,” Sean threatened. “Sean, stop wasting time with her,” Rose called out, almost bursting with anger. “If she doesn’t appreciate our kindness, just give her the account number. Let’s see if she can actually afford to pay this much!” Sean didn’t hesitate any longer and recited a string of numbers. I entered the bank account number and proceeded to transfer the money. But the system prompted me that the password was incorrect. I thought I remembered this password. I thought for a moment and entered another password. It still showed an error. I pressed my lips together. Was pregnancy brain really making me this forgetful? I suddenly couldn’t remember the correct password. Sean and Rose were waiting beside me, and our classmates were all watching this drama unfold. Seeing that I still hadn’t made the transfer, Rose laughed first: “Amber, weren’t you so proud just now? Where’s the money? I don’t see Sean’s account balance increasing by a cent.” Sean was holding his phone, and there was no notification of any incoming transfer. “I forgot the password,” I explained. I was afraid that if I entered the wrong password again, the account would be locked. “What a convenient excuse,” Rose said with extreme sarcasm. Sean laughed disdainfully. The surrounding classmates were whispering among themselves— “I thought Amber was really going to pay. I was feeling bad for her.” “Who would be that stupid? $45,000 is almost enough for a down payment on a house.” “Sean and Rose were willing to let it go, but Amber had to make things difficult for herself.” “Now she’s been slapped in the face, hasn’t she? How embarrassing!” Rose coldly asked me, “So, are you going to write an IOU? How long will it take you to pay it back? A year, two years, or a lifetime?” “Ten minutes,” I said directly. In ten minutes, Luke would definitely be here. “Stop pretending, Amber. You clearly can’t afford it,” Rose didn’t want to waste any more time with me. “Originally, a verbal apology would have been enough, but now, you’ll have to get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness.” Everyone was watching me, waiting for me to make a fool of myself. Fortunately, at that moment, the door suddenly opened, accompanied by a familiar voice: “I’m sorry I’m late.”

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After a decade as Adam Carter’s secret lover, I was still just a plaything to him. He only spent nights at my place, rushing back to his wife at dawn. I thought his devotion to me was genuine, until I smashed a wine bottle over his wife’s head and he went berserk. With one slap, he extinguished the last shred of conscience I had. Adam Carter, are you ready to face our revenge? Adam Carter slapped me hard across the face. The force of the blow made my head spin and my ears ring as I stumbled sideways. I steadied myself against the wall and slowly sank to the floor. Something glinted as it fell – the earrings I had just bought yesterday. But the man who had lovingly put them on me was now frantically embracing Zoe, checking her injuries with concern. Watching Adam’s nauseating display of false affection, I almost laughed out loud. He and Zoe had been married for ten years. I had also been his secret lover for ten years. For a decade, he catered to my every whim and showered me with affection. His only request was that I not interfere with his wife Zoe. Not only did I ignore his wishes, I deliberately provoked Zoe by smashing a wine bottle over her head. Crimson liquid trickled down her face. Zoe wasn’t particularly attractive and had a meek personality. Even after being assaulted, she just stood there helplessly. It wasn’t until Adam rushed in and embraced her that she timidly spoke up. “Adam, who is she?” Adam glanced back at me huddled in the corner, his expression dark. “Just some crazy woman.” The side of my face that he had slapped began to burn. I silently watched as he led Zoe out the door. When he bent his head towards her, the tenderness in his expression made him look like the perfect husband. I felt utterly pathetic. After they had gone, I finally picked myself up off the floor. But as soon as I stepped outside, I saw a figure standing around the corner. Adam had always been handsome and charismatic, the center of attention since childhood. No wonder Zoe and I were both so captivated by him. He walked towards me, his features coming into focus in the dim hallway. Looming over me, he leaned down for a kiss. His lips tasted of roses – Zoe’s favorite perfume. Suddenly nauseous, I pushed him away. How could he do this? One moment tenderly comforting his trembling wife, the next passionately kissing his lover. “Stop it,” he said. Adam was never good at sweet talk. The countless times we argued, he would just flatly say the same thing: “Ava, stop making a fuss.” But I wasn’t his obedient wife who followed his every command. I was the seductress who had thrown herself at him. It all started when I was truly desperate, flinging myself onto his car on a cold, rainy night to seduce him. I knew he had just gotten engaged to the wealthy Chen family’s daughter. His own net worth was over 100 million. As I lay on the freezing ground, I was still calculating how much money I could extort from him when I heard the car door open. Designer shoes splashed through puddles, the water droplets glittering like tiny crowns. For some reason, I started laughing. It took me a while to look up and see Adam standing there with an umbrella. After that night, I had two jobs – officially Adam’s assistant, but really his mistress. Adam was skilled in bed and extremely generous. In the past, I could barely make $800 in three months of work. Now Adam would casually hand me over $20,000. But after being his mistress for ten years, he still treated me like a cheap whore. Adam only spent nights at my place. Before dawn, he would get dressed and rush back to his home with Zoe. He said he needed to make breakfast for Zoe. The housekeeper’s cooking didn’t agree with her stomach, so she wouldn’t eat and would get stomach pains. Without fail, every single time. Even though I knew Adam was probably just keeping up appearances for the business partnership with the Chen family, he still insisted on making Zoe breakfast. Even after Adam had completely taken over Chen Corp, he still persisted in making breakfast for Zoe. I could no longer deceive myself.

I’ve gone crazy, pretended to be sick, thrown tantrums – nothing could stop him from returning to Zoe’s side. He would only say to me, “Ava, stop making a fuss.” Then he would lean down to kiss me before rushing off like the wind. Back at home, the unfinished wine still sat on the table. The sweet aroma of alcohol hung in the air as Adam took off his coat and went to the kitchen to get some ice to press against my face. “Aren’t you going to comfort your wife?” I asked, staring at his long eyelashes as he bent over me, feigning nonchalance. “She’s much more obedient than you.” The words I wanted to say got stuck in my throat. The warm yellow lamplight enveloped us as I listened to his breathing, suddenly feeling empty inside. Ten years. I had devoted ten years of my time and energy to Adam Carter, thinking it would soften his heart. But his heart remained as cold and hard as ever. “Let’s break up,” I said. His hand on my cheek paused for a moment as he looked at me steadily. I hated that expression of his the most – aloof and callous. In an instant, it transported me back to that stormy night thirteen years ago. My body started trembling uncontrollably. I shook off his hand and turned away, hiding my vulnerability in the shadows. Adam just thought I was having another outburst. He was used to me threatening to break up whenever I was upset, only to be appeased with some money. So easy to placate. That night, Adam still slept at my place. He held me close as he slept soundly, moonlight flowing like the tide over his hair. His brows, his eyes – I had gazed at them for ten full years, each time etching them into my memory with a hatred that cut to the bone. A faint vibration interrupted my thoughts. Adam’s phone lit up, displaying just one word on the screen: “Nian”. “Hello?” I answered the call. The urgent tone on the other end suddenly fell silent. After a long pause, Zoe’s trembling voice came through. “Is…is this Ava? Is Adam there? Can you ask him to take the phone? I…I think I’m having a miscarriage…” I turned back towards Adam, at a loss for words, and met his still slightly dazed gaze. When he finally registered what Zoe had said, his expression changed. He snatched the phone from me, his voice barely containing his anger – directed at me. “Why did you answer the phone?! Haven’t you upset her enough already?” His grip on my wrist was so tight it felt like he would crush the bone. I trembled, feeling the blood in my heart run cold. I watched him hurriedly throw on his clothes and rush out the door, his face etched with anxiety that seared my vision. I collapsed onto the floor, letting out a bitter laugh as I looked down at the angry red marks on my wrist. I remembered my first miscarriage. I had also made a phone call then, forcing Adam to come back from the villa where he was cooking for Zoe. I had been even more ruthless back then, sitting calmly on the sofa as I watched the pool of blood spread. Only when it was certain the baby couldn’t be saved did I finally call Adam. The anxiety on his face when he arrived was identical to just now. As if he had divided his love equally between Zoe and me. But how can one heart love two people? He was false and pretentious, unable to let go of either Zoe or me. I felt exhausted and cold. I curled up on the carpet and fell asleep until the sky began to lighten, but there was still no sign of movement outside the door. Adam wouldn’t be coming back. I sat in our spacious home, looking around, and realized for the first time how many traces of Adam there were. The mugs on the kitchen island – we had picked them out together as a couple. Adam had scoffed at such childish things, but still used the silly cartoon rabbit mug to drink alcohol. In the fridge, half was filled with his liquor, half with my calcium milk drinks. He had mocked my habit, but would silently restock the milk each time. And the wall of perfumes he had collected for me, the ring designs he had personally sketched… My phone lit up as the long-awaited message finally arrived. It was a photo from Zoe. Adam’s handsome profile was buried in the snow-white bedding, one hand tightly gripping Zoe’s pale, slender fingers. The smile on her face was gentle and serene as she gazed directly at me through the screen. “I told Adam you scared me into miscarrying.”

Children had always been a sore spot for Adam. He found them troublesome, but couldn’t do without one. After all, his business empire needed a legitimate heir. Adam was the typical rich second generation. Spoiled by his family since childhood, he excelled at smoking, fighting, and racing cars. It wasn’t until he got into trouble and his family had to cover it up that he finally cleaned up his act and took over the family business. But Adam had a younger half-brother from his stepmother, ten years his junior, who was about to come of age and take on responsibilities. The two were at odds, destined for a fight to the death. Adam’s father favored his younger son and had always been strict with his eldest. As luck would have it, several major business partners withdrew their investments at this time. Adam was overwhelmed, barely able to come home once in a while after working late into the night. Seeing his son’s career setbacks, Adam’s father began gradually handing over control of the company to his younger son. Adam fought this for a long time before his father finally relented slightly. He could have the company, but Adam needed to produce an heir first. After all, he was already in his mid-thirties with no children, inevitably raising doubts about whether Adam had some hidden condition. If that were the case, the company would naturally go to his brother, who would inherit after Adam’s death anyway. I had miscarried once a year ago. And now Zoe, who I had just hit over the head with a wine bottle, had been frightened into miscarrying. The heavens were not on Adam’s side. I almost wanted to applaud. I thought Adam would stay at the hospital with Zoe for a long time, but he called me very soon. “Come to the hospital,” he said. His tone was so cold it seemed to seep through the phone. I carefully applied my makeup and walked to the hospital room in high heels, only to be hit in the face with a heavy medical chart as soon as I entered. “Apologize,” Adam commanded. He stood imposingly by the hospital bed, his gaze ice cold. Zoe leaned against the bed, her small face pale as paper, her eyes glimmering with laughter. This wasn’t the first time I had seen Zoe. Before smashing the wine bottle over her head, before I knew Adam had a wife, I had hidden in corners many times, watching her like a voyeur. She liked to wear cream-colored sweaters, gently taking Adam’s suit jacket. She loved rose-scented perfume, subtle and elegant. When Adam held me at night, the rich scent of roses would envelop me. She enjoyed doing small crafts. Adam still wore the red string bracelet she had made on his wrist. Adam was covered in traces of her. This woman asserted her dominance without a sound. I tried to deliberately ignore these things, but they only became more glaring. Especially when Adam stood beside her. I clutched my stomach where the medical chart had struck me, meeting Adam’s warning glare. …I couldn’t fight back. I wasn’t ready to openly defy Adam yet, so I could only swallow my pride and apologize to Zoe. “I’m sorry, Miss Chen. I was wrong.” Hearing me give in, Adam also relaxed. He turned and took Zoe’s hand, his face full of tender caution. “It’s my fault. You focus on getting better. I’ll end things with her. From now on, we’ll have a good life together.” A faint smile bloomed on Zoe’s pale face. Like a delicate white flower swaying in the wind. I rolled my eyes, but she immediately caught it. “Adam, can you ask her to leave?” Adam obeyed her every word. I don’t know where she got such charm. “Go outside…handle some company matters. Don’t disturb me unless it’s important.” Adam’s phone was tossed into my arms. I got up, limping towards the door. As I was leaving, I turned back and waved the phone at Zoe. She lifted her head from Adam’s embrace, her eyes curving into crescents. Silently signaling to me with her gaze. The corners of my mouth twitched upwards. — The plan had succeeded. [Cut-off point] Because Zoe had always been in poor health, this miscarriage took a severe toll on her already fragile body.

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On our wedding day, Alexander’s ex-girlfriend sent him a notice that she was critically ill. She said she just wanted to wear a wedding dress one last time before she died. To fulfill her wish, Alexander locked me in the dressing room and prepared to hold the wedding ceremony with her. Through the door, his impatient voice rang out. “Can’t you be less cold-hearted? She’s dying. What’s wrong with letting her have this moment?” Later, the boy next door who had a crush on me for years climbed to the rooftop and begged me to marry him instead. Alexander, with reddened eyes, pleaded with me, “Are you going to throw away our seven years of love for him?” I brushed his hand away, “What else can we do, let him die? It’s just getting a marriage license. Don’t be so cold-hearted.” There was still an hour before the wedding ceremony was set to begin. I sat at the makeup table, looking at the photo Alexander’s ex-girlfriend had sent to my phone. In the picture, she was wearing the wedding dress I had chosen, smiling as she clung to Alexander’s arm. Alexander was looking down at her, his eyes full of tenderness. She sent a message saying: [He said I look better in this dress than you would.] She also said: [If you want your wedding ceremony to go smoothly, beg me.] I turned off my phone and asked the makeup artist, “Is it really because the size was altered incorrectly that I can’t wear the wedding dress we originally decided on?” The bridal shop I had chosen was also responsible for my makeup and photography. To ensure everything would look perfect on the wedding day, I had spent a lot of money and had numerous discussions with their team. But now, the makeup artist couldn’t even look me in the eye. I knew what was going on. I thought about how when Alexander accompanied me to try on wedding dresses, he was either answering phone calls or working on his laptop. But with his ex-girlfriend, he was all smiles. I gripped my phone tightly and took a deep breath. “Please ask Alexander to come here.” I needed an explanation. The makeup artist’s assistant went to call him. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, at the overly tight bodice that made it hard to breathe. Perhaps clothes that don’t fit should never have been put on in the first place. The wedding officiant arrived before Alexander did. His face showed the same guilt, along with a hint of apology. “I’m sorry, Miss Amelia, but you won’t need to attend.” “Won’t need to attend?” I almost laughed in anger. “Are you telling me that at my own wedding, I, the bride, can’t show up? Is that what you mean?” The officiant opened his mouth to explain, but Alexander walked in. He said, “It was my idea.” Alexander was wearing the white suit I had chosen for him, but the bowtie at his collar wasn’t the one I had picked out. Seeing my gaze fixed on his bowtie, he looked uncomfortable and cleared his throat. “Sophia is having surgery in a few days. The hospital has given her a critical condition notice. She said her only wish is to wear a wedding dress once.” I laughed coldly, “At my wedding to you?” I knew about Sophia. It wasn’t until the third year of my relationship with Alexander that I learned he had an ex-girlfriend who had lost all her hair due to chemotherapy. They had grown up together, and their families were close. Even after breaking up, they couldn’t completely cut ties. Because she was receiving treatment in another city, Sophia’s parents had asked Alexander, who lived in the same city as us, to take care of her. At first, I respected and sympathized with her, feeling sorry that a young woman in the prime of her life had to suffer from illness. But from the moment she started making Alexander deliver porridge to her in the middle of the night after our dates, my impression of her took a sharp downturn. Time and again, I held back because she was ill. Alexander also seemed to understand the boundaries and always put my wishes first. Whenever Sophia asked him to do something, he would report it to me. Only occasionally, when the situation was truly urgent, would he go to her, and he would bring me along. Until today. When did Alexander try on wedding dresses with her? And when did he decide to give her the wedding dress I had chosen, letting her take my place in the wedding ceremony?

Perhaps it was because the air conditioning in the dressing room was too strong, but the more I thought about it, the colder I felt to my bones. Alexander reached out to hold my hand, but I shook him off. I looked up at him steadily: “Bring the wedding dress back. I don’t want her to wear it.” Alexander frowned: “Stop making a fuss, Amelia. It’s just a ceremony. We can have another one anytime.” His downturned lips and the irritation in his eyes hurt me. I said, “Fine, let the wedding dress go. But if she wants to hold a wedding ceremony, does the groom have to be you?” Was it her being unreasonable and making demands because of her serious illness, or were you already drifting in our relationship and just taking the easy way out? Perhaps because I had exposed him, hitting a nerve, his face turned ugly. Alexander let go of me and walked towards the door, throwing words back at me. “Dating you has become so tiresome. You never consider my face, always making a scene until everyone looks bad.” Am I the one not considering his face? Am I the one making unreasonable demands? The sound of the door locking brought me back to reality. I picked up my skirt and banged on the door hard: “I don’t agree. The wedding I’ve been carefully preparing and looking forward to for so long is not just a ceremony…” Through the door, his impatient voice rang out. “Can’t you be less cold-hearted? She’s dying. What’s wrong with letting her have this moment?” She’s dying. Just because she’s sick, I’ve been tolerating so much for years, and now I have to give up my own wedding and husband. But am I the one who made her sick? I gripped the doorknob and calmed down: “Alexander, think carefully. Don’t regret this.” There was a pause in the voice outside the door, then the sound of determined footsteps fading away. I slid down to the floor, hugging the exaggerated skirt, feeling completely empty inside. She really ruined my wedding. Sophia had done it. The phone on the makeup table started ringing urgently. It was a call from my parents. Before I could answer, the call ended. The dressing room was right behind the main hall, separated by just a door. I could clearly hear the commotion from the hall, exclamations of shock and unrest. Then, guided by the officiant, there was applause. Sophia’s account sent me another video. The camera was pointed at the big screen, where all the pre-wedding photos of Alexander and me that we had put so much effort into had been AI-replaced with Sophia’s face. All those days of enduring the hot sun for makeup, the aching backs and feet, the hours of adjusting poses for aesthetics, had all become Sophia’s trousseau. This made me even angrier than Alexander’s words. Even though I was shaking with anger, my hand still opened the next video. In the video, she was walking towards Alexander, step by step under the spotlight. In the shadows behind her, my parents were looking around for me with upset expressions, but were being held back by two security guards. Seeing this, I finally couldn’t hold back my tears, which fell drop by drop onto my parents’ faces on the phone screen. I had chosen the wrong person. Why did I have to involve my parents in this humiliation along with me? I didn’t watch the rest of the videos. In the midst of the excitement on the other side of the wall, my mind gradually cleared. After studying myself in the mirror for a long time, I took off the ill-fitting wedding dress, removed my makeup, and changed back into my previous clothes. I could only feel grateful. At least I had seen clearly before getting the marriage certificate.

The long ceremony finally ended. The door to the dressing room was opened, and Alexander stood in the doorway. He rubbed his brow, looking quite drained: “I’ll make it up to you for this incident, and I’ll also go to explain to your parents…” I interrupted him: “No need. They’re my parents, not yours.” They have nothing to do with you, so there’s no need. He was stunned. Alexander looked exhausted: “Don’t say things out of anger. You know Sophia is also suffering from her illness. What’s wrong with us letting her have her way?” Even now, he still thought there was nothing wrong with this, still speaking up for Sophia. For a moment, I didn’t know what else I could say to him. I said: “If you think it’s just anger talking, then let it be. I’ll pack my things and move out today. I’ll have someone sell the marital home. If you don’t want to sell it, just transfer the money my family put in back to my account.” After saying this, I saw my parents standing not far away and hurriedly chased after them, leaving behind a “That’s all.” There were many relatives gathered around my parents. As I rushed over, I heard someone say, “How could she be dumped like this?” My second aunt was still lecturing, “It’s not good for a girl to be too strong-willed. Changing brides on the wedding day, what a loss of face.” I pulled my parents away, feeling heartbroken at the embarrassment on their faces. Not caring that my second aunt was my elder, I retorted. “Are you my second aunt or Alexander’s? His last-minute change shows his lack of responsibility and trustworthiness. His failure to discuss it with me shows his self-centeredness and disrespect for me. What does this have to do with whether I’m strong-willed or not? If I had known even a day earlier, today’s groom wouldn’t have been him!” My second aunt was left speechless and walked away muttering. Mom held my hand, and I could clearly see the worry on her face. I comforted her: “It’s okay. If we don’t get married, we don’t get married. I don’t care about it anyway.” After sending them off in their car, I went alone to pack my things at what was supposed to be our marital home. My words were clear, and my mind was very rational. But emotions can’t be controlled. Why do the tears keep falling on their own… The marital home was decorated by Alexander and me together. There were too many traces of him inside. The ceramic pot was something he bought after learning about my menstrual pain, saying he would make nourishing soup for me every week. The walk-in closet was designed by him after seeing me like a high-heel carousel on TikTok. After it was installed, I laughed that the colored lights he put in were too flashy, but he just hugged my waist and asked for a reward. I met him in college, and then we were in a long-distance relationship for a year because of work. At that time, he put in a lot of effort to pursue me. When he confessed, he said he saw me debating fiercely in a competition, looking very impressive. At that time, in his eyes, I was shining brightly. But now he complains that I’m too strong-willed. The light in his eyes has become painful to him. I packed up my things bit by bit, gradually extracting myself from the memories. When I finished packing, I realized that our seven years together amounted to just a box and a half tall. I was just wondering how to drag this box out and throw it away when the door was pushed open. My best friend, Olivia, rushed in like a whirlwind. Seeing her, the strength I had been putting on completely crumbled, and my nose stung unbearably. Olivia gave me a hug, squeezing me tightly, “If I had known, I would have been your bridesmaid. At least you wouldn’t have been so helpless.” She had disliked Alexander for a long time, hating his indecisiveness and inability to let go of his ex-girlfriend. She disliked him so much that she didn’t want to attend my wedding. She even said harshly that if I married him, I would definitely regret it. To put it bluntly, it was okay while Sophia was alive, but if Sophia died, how could I compete with a dead person? For this, she and I had a falling out. Now it seems she was right on the mark. I’m so grateful I can still have such a friend back. With Olivia around, the days weren’t so hard to get through. She had specifically applied for a business trip to avoid my wedding. But as soon as her plane landed, she heard about what had happened. Worried that I might be hiding alone crying, she rushed to find me. She even took annual leave to keep me company, which moved me deeply. The day she was bustling about trying to set me up with someone new, Alexander showed up at the door. I laughed coldly. When a scoundrel comes to the door, I have to properly shut the door and beat the dog!

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When I transferred to this school, Parker had already dated every pretty girl here. He joked with his buddies, “I’d rather date a dog than Zoe.” I am Zoe. But a month later, his best friend cornered me and confessed his feelings. Seeing the marks on my body, Parker suddenly went crazy: “Who gave you permission to touch her?” “Um… could you please give this to Parker?” I took the light pink love letter. This was the eleventh one this month. Everyone knew I was Parker’s childhood friend, and they also knew he would like anyone but me. So they felt safe asking me to deliver love letters. But as usual, when Parker received it, he would raise an eyebrow, thinking about who the girl was, and then sneer: “My standards are not that low.” He threw the letter back into my arms: “I can’t accept someone on your level.” His buddies all laughed. And Parker’s eyes were filled with mockery when he looked at me. Why? Because the first love letter Parker tore up was mine.

Parker and I were childhood sweethearts. Our parents were close friends, so they naturally assumed we got along well too. At first, we did. Until a certain… accident. It was a game of Truth or Dare. Parker got dared, and someone asked if he dared to kiss me. At that time, we were naive but extremely competitive. He asked me, “Do you mind?” But before I could react, he kissed me. “Tch, it’s nothing special.” From that moment on, I was no longer the untouchable flower or the top student in everyone’s eyes. Instead, I became one of Parker’s possessions.

Parker’s grades were not good. Because of this, his parents hoped I could study with him. But on the day we agreed to go to the library together, I stood alone at the bus stop waiting for him for nearly an hour, only to see his SnapChat story about winning ten games in a row at an internet cafe. I took a taxi to that shady internet cafe. Inside, it was smoky, and there was even a girl sitting on Parker’s lap. They were cheering for him. He suddenly turned his head and met my gaze. Returning a malicious smile.

“Zoe, are you fucking insane!” Parker got scolded by his parents and had all his pocket money taken away. He couldn’t go to the internet cafe anymore because I told on him. “You shouldn’t go to places like that,” I said word by word. At that time, hiding my feelings for him, I stubbornly and self-righteously tried to be good to him. But what I got in return was his increasing disgust. Parker grabbed my chin: “What right do you have to control me?” “You really think you’re my girlfriend just because of one kiss? What a joke!”

Parker had a very handsome face. Coupled with his rebellious personality, he quickly attracted a lot of attention at school. Many girls wanted to win him over. He welcomed them all, flirtatious and heartless. Just playing basketball casually, his excellent skills would make the whole court cheer. But Parker was merciless, throwing the basketball hard and without hesitation at me. “Sorry.” He said carelessly, watching me hug my arm in pain, and apologized lightly: “You won’t hold a grudge against me, right? My little childhood sweetheart.” So, everyone knew he hated me.

I gradually accepted this fact. I carefully put away the love letter I had once written for Parker, stroke by stroke, with a girl’s heart, and stopped paying attention to his affairs. But in front of our parents, we still needed to pretend to have a good relationship. “Parker’s grades have improved recently, it must be thanks to little Zoe. I’ve cut some fruit, you two eat.” Parker’s mother smiled. Parker seemed to be in a good mood too. He just gave me a warning look discreetly. Of course, his improved grades were not my credit. It was because he had recently started dating the school beauty with excellent grades. They often “tutored” after school. If only I hadn’t caught them kissing in an empty classroom that day.

I had originally removed Parker from my world. But we were in the same school, seeing each other all the time. As the top student in our grade for years, I had just won the outstanding student award for the city and needed to give a speech on stage the next day. So I stayed behind after school a day early to rehearse with the teacher. I passed by that empty classroom. The sounds inside were faint and ambiguous. I just turned my head slightly and caught Parker’s eye through the gap in the curtains. He was pressing a girl against the desk. But in the moment he looked up, he caught me. At that time, I knew he had marked me down in his heart again.

The school beauty, Parker’s girlfriend, was consistently second in our grade and also my classmate. But after dating Parker, her grades began to visibly decline. This quickly caught the attention of the teachers. They called me over: “Has she been acting strange lately? Or is she in contact with any bad influences?” I just shook my head: “I don’t know.” But the truth couldn’t be hidden for long. Somehow, the fact that I was questioned spread. Parker and the school beauty’s affair was exposed, his parents found out, and his father, who had a violent temper, took him home and beat him. That day, no one was at my house. Parker barged into my room forcefully. “I underestimated you.” He pushed me, and I lost my balance, hitting the desk. The drawer fell out, along with its contents. Parker’s hand holding my wrist froze. Because we both saw the light pink love letter on the ground. It had my name and Parker’s on it. And he was all too familiar with my handwriting.

“Oh, so it was jealousy?” Parker had a look of sudden realization. He tore up that love letter, then grabbed me. I struggled: “I didn’t tell on you.” He raised an eyebrow: “Now there’s something more important than that.” Parker took the scissors from the desk and cut off a lock of my hair: “Zoe, I’d rather date a dog than you.”

Parker used that lock of my hair to make amends with the school beauty. But this couldn’t change his father’s decision to transfer him to another school. On the day Parker left, the school beauty cried for a long time. I thought they would be together forever. But it didn’t take long for the school beauty to receive photos of Parker being intimate with other girls. And my lock of hair, along with the missing part of my sideburns, were all forgotten. The school beauty’s grades later plummeted. She begged me to help her arrange a meeting with Parker, just once, she wanted to see him. I couldn’t refuse successfully. But I didn’t expect that on the day I went, Parker was drunk in a bar. He recognized me and forcefully kept me there. “Zoe, isn’t this what you wanted to see the most?” He smiled in a frightening way. So the next day, what the school beauty received were photos of Parker forcefully kissing me against the private room door.

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One month after my death, my once-loving husband welcomed my sister-in-law into our home – the same woman who had run me over. He cooed to her, “Maggie occupied your rightful place for far too long. She should have died earlier. If it weren’t for my social status, you wouldn’t have had to suffer all these years.” My beloved son chose to reconcile unconditionally with them in court. He embraced his aunt, claiming he had always seen her as his birth mother. Watching from above, I nearly fainted from anger once again. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself reborn. My reborn husband pushed me aside and tightly embraced my sister-in-law: “In this life, I will never let you go again.” I turned away expressionlessly, seeking out his ill-fated brother instead. … “Ethan, this is your brother’s engagement party. Where are you taking your sister-in-law?” “Olivia, isn’t Ethan your fiancé? Quick, go after them and see what’s happening!” Amidst the buzzing gossip around me, I found myself inexplicably pushed to follow them. Confused, I ran to the alley entrance, where I saw Ethan holding his soon-to-be sister-in-law, Olivia, tightly in his arms. He said passionately: “Olivia, I love you. I won’t let you marry my brother.” “Thank God we’ve been given another chance. Trust me, I’ll give you a life beyond your wildest dreams.” Everything before me reminded me that this was reality. I had been reborn, back to the day of Olivia’s engagement. In my previous life, Ethan and I were seen as the perfect couple. Not only did Ethan hold a high position, but he also treasured his wife like a precious jewel. Everyone who saw us would sigh, “That’s the love of the older generation.” But only I knew that he had always been cold and indifferent towards me. I thought that’s how all marriages ended up, that we had simply worn into familial affection. So for decades, I served the family diligently, tending to his difficult mother and caring for our young child. But I never imagined that just a month after Olivia ran me over, he would ostentatiously marry her. It turned out that the perfect marriage I saw was merely a compromise Ethan made for his reputation. Looking at the passionate couple before me, I sneered and turned away. After Ethan’s dramatic gesture at the engagement party, gossip spread like wildfire through the town. The other protagonist, however, was overlooked. When I found him, he had already returned home. Despite being the one whose engagement was disrupted, his face was remarkably calm. “Ethan, your wife and my fiancé have run off together. Will you marry me instead?” I ran up to him, my palms sweating. Ethan looked at me, suddenly dumbstruck, and stammered, “Is that possible?” Then, as if afraid I might change my mind, he grabbed my hand: “You said it yourself, no taking it back, okay?” Walking home, I still felt like I was in a dream. Until Jack jumped in front of me, blocking my path. “Maggie, let’s break off our engagement.” Jack looked at me coldly. Before I could react, he glanced at the villagers watching nearby and raised his voice. “I’m about to get a big promotion. We’re not a good match anymore.” The town had implemented a special development measure, and our community had one promotion spot available. In my previous life, Jack had been the only one from our community to get promoted, riding the wave of the times and soaring to success. The surrounding crowd started to murmur. “Has the promotion spot already been decided?” “The Jack family is going to make it big now.” The flattery from those around greatly pleased Jack. “Let me tell you, don’t think you can cling to me just because I’m successful. In this life, I’ll only love Olivia…” I laughed bitterly, nodding to interrupt him. “Fine, let’s break off the engagement then.” Hearing my answer, Jack was stunned for a moment: “You said it yourself. Don’t come crawling back later wanting to change your mind. I won’t allow it.” Jack snorted lightly and walked away haughtily. Looking at Jack’s arrogant back, I suddenly remembered how in my previous life, when Jack faced public scrutiny for moving on too quickly after my death, he hastily called a press conference. Facing the cameras, he cried profusely: “Maggie’s only dying wish was for me to take care of her lonely sister-in-law.” “No matter what people think of me, I don’t care. I’ll fulfill Maggie’s wish until my dying day.” Even after I had died, I still had to pay the price to maintain his reputation. Seeing that I had truly agreed to break off the engagement, the villagers suddenly surrounded me. “Maggie, you’re such a fool. It’s not easy to find someone with Jack’s prospects.” “You and Jack have been engaged since childhood. How can a young woman just break off an engagement like that?” “If you ask me, a woman who can’t keep her man in check is just incompetent.” Seeing everyone’s heated discussion, I calmly said: “My engagement was with the Jack family, not just Jack himself.” The surroundings suddenly fell silent. An older woman stepped forward and asked me, “Maggie, what do you mean by that?” “Since it’s an engagement with the Jack family, marrying Jack’s older brother Ethan is the same thing.” The crowd suddenly erupted. “This is outrageous! People will spit on you if word gets out.” I interrupted them. “That day, everyone saw Jack run off with Olivia to break the engagement.” “Ethan and I are also following our parents’ wishes and the matchmaker’s arrangement.” As I spoke, I pretended to wipe away a tear. Seeing me looking pitiful, those around sighed. “Although Ethan is from the first wife, he’s still part of the Jack family.” “But with Ethan’s circumstances, Maggie will have a hard life if she goes with him.” “I don’t care about those things. Today, everyone can bear witness. Jack is the one who changed his mind and broke the engagement. From now on, we have no connection.” When I returned home, my parents had already heard the rumors about Jack and Olivia. My mother couldn’t stop crying, while my father sat on the bed smoking his pipe and sighing. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have agreed to your childhood engagement with the Jack family.” I hurried to comfort them. When they heard my decision to be with Ethan, my parents were shocked.

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Jack’s Pampered Girlfriend Threatens to Break Up for the 99th Time He handed me the divorce papers. “Emma, just sign them. It’s only to pacify the little one. Once she calms down, we’ll remarry.” My heart turned cold as I decisively signed the divorce agreement. The onlookers marveled: “Jack, you’re really something! You’ve got your wife completely under control!” “Share your secrets for taming a wife with us, bro!” Jack smugly stubbed out his cigarette. “She loves me to death. For me, she’d willingly be my dog!” Laughter erupted behind me like fireworks, illuminating the disgrace of my ten-year marriage. That night, he brought the young girl home. The girl’s pleading voice, like a little rabbit’s, echoed throughout the night. I picked up my pre-packed luggage and turned to leave. The housekeeper tried to stop me, but Jack looked at me with contempt. “Let her go. She’s nothing without me!” “Does she still think she’s that triple crown winner from back then?” He kissed the young girl’s face spitefully, his eyes fixed on me. The next day, the whole city was betting on which day Jack’s disobedient ex-wife would come begging back. But what they didn’t know was that my best friend Sophie, a famous director, was already waiting for me in a stretch limo outside, ready to take me to Cannes. This time, I was really leaving. 0

Seeing that I wasn’t jealous, Jack hurried after me. I waited silently for him to speak, but he just grabbed my suitcase. “Emma, the little girl’s dream is to become an award-winning actress. She wants to see the trophies. Bring them out for her to play with!” I glanced down at my fingers, which couldn’t bend due to injuries from filming. The price of becoming a triple crown winner was the pain throughout my body. He knew how important those trophies were to me. He also knew I would definitely take the trophies when I left, yet he deliberately tried to stop me. Seeing my silence, he frowned impatiently. “Aren’t you tired of looking so miserable all the time? It’s bad luck!” “Just tell me, how much? Is $100 million enough?” Money? If we’re really talking about money, how much would the prime ten years of an award-winning actress be worth? I smiled bitterly, looking at Lily’s face, which bore a 60% resemblance to my younger self. They say a man’s loyalty is always to an 18-year-old girl. I wonder how long this girl, who debuted under the name “Little Emma”, could accompany Jack. I handed her the trophy, sincerely wishing: “I heard you’re from the same drama school? I hope your dreams come true soon!” Seeing my obedient demeanor, he nodded with satisfaction and took the initiative to be nice to me. “As long as you take good care of the little girl, I might consider letting you be her supporting actress.” I smiled bitterly: “Me, her supporting actress? Does she dare to accept that?” Back then, because of Jack’s words: “I worry about you. Why don’t you stop filming and just be Mrs. Lawrence?” I announced my retirement at the award ceremony where I won Best Actress. The ten years I spent in the Lawrence family were my most precious years from 25 to 35, but what he gave me in return was one affair after another! And now he wants me to be a supporting actress for his little girl? I picked up my luggage and turned to leave. At that moment, Jack viciously threw the trophy at me. 0

Crystal shards flew everywhere, cutting my leg and leaving wounds of various sizes. Crimson blood flowed from my leg. He looked at me with cruel eyes, without a trace of pity: “Emma, I’m letting you be Lily’s supporting actress, and you dare to act proud?” “Without me, you’re nothing. I made one triple crown winner, I can make another!” “You want to leave? Fine, take off all your clothes!” “Everything you eat and use, which of it wasn’t given to you by the Lawrence family!” Lily hid in Jack’s arms, trembling and crying with red eyes. “Jack, don’t fight with Emma because of me. It’s all my fault for being delusional, wanting Emma’s lead role. I don’t want it anymore, okay?” A year ago, my former friend in the industry encouraged me to make a comeback as the lead in his new movie, playing a mute female painter. I spent a year learning painting and sign language for this role. But just before filming started, I was notified that I had been replaced by Lily, the young girl Jack was pampering outside. Afterwards, he personally wrote an article praising the girl’s acting talent and her young, delicate face. I became the laughingstock of the industry overnight. Everyone said that the once-glorious triple crown winner would soon become the Lawrence family’s discarded wife. Jack pulled the girl close and kissed her heavily, his eyes fixed on me. “My leading lady role is only for obedient women!” “Someone, strip her clothes off!” I looked at Jack with red-rimmed eyes. After ten years of marriage, how could he be so heartless towards me? The housekeeper tried to reason with him: “Mr. Lawrence, don’t you remember that your wife just had a miscarriage last week, you…” But he became even more irritated: “Who asked for your opinion? Strip her!” The servants around us looked at me and Jack, hesitating to act. I took off the suit jacket over my silk dress and the red-soled high heels on my feet. The shoes fell to the ground with a dull thud. “Is this enough?” I turned to leave, but he tore my dress. “You have to leave this dress too, including your underwear!” I looked at Jack in disbelief: “I bought these clothes myself. They have nothing to do with you!” He sneered: “You bought them? You’ve been a housewife for ten years. Where did you get the money? Strip her naked!” The servants swarmed over and stripped off my remaining dress. I struggled desperately, but they kicked my stomach hard. Blood flowed from my body. I hugged myself to cover up, biting my lip tightly as tears fell uncontrollably. He held Lily and looked down at me: “See? This is what happens when you don’t obey!” Lily wrapped her arms around Jack’s neck and kissed him. “Lily is the most obedient. I’ll never make Jack angry, unlike some people who don’t know what’s good for them!” Jack’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his eyes full of desire. He picked up Lily, and the girl’s surprised cries came from inside the room. The housekeeper looked at me with sympathy and took off her coat to cover me: “Miss, this is really too much!” I buried my face in the coat and finally broke down crying. I never thought that in this home where I had devoted ten years of my life, the only one who would give me a shred of dignity would be a housekeeper I had known for less than three months. 0

Wearing the housekeeper’s uniform, I walked barefoot out of the Lawrence mansion. Not far from the door was a parked stretch limo, my ticket to a new life. I hurried my steps towards it, but was forcibly dragged back to the Lawrence house by a group of people. It turned out that Jack and Lily had been playing too roughly. A fallen red candle had ignited the bedsheets, burning the girl’s arm. Lily looked at Jack with tears in her eyes, pitiful and delicate. “Jack, my arm is burned. How can I be the leading lady now? You have to think of something!” I stared at the dense red marks on Lily’s body and the scattered dog leash, whip, and red candles on the floor. So this was what the usually calm and controlled Jack liked in private. I smiled bitterly, my heart aching. Lily noticed my gaze and, whether intentionally or not, twisted her body. A rabbit tail fell from the bed. She covered her mouth apologetically: “I’m sorry, Jack really likes little rabbits!” “Sister, you don’t mind, do you? After all, you’re older now and can’t play like this anymore, right?” I looked at the girl’s face, so young it could drip water, and her smug expression. Unfortunately, she didn’t understand that no one can stay young forever. I found this farce utterly boring and checked my watch: “Jack, did you drag me back just to watch this show?” “I have urgent matters to attend to. I don’t have time to play house with you!” Jack angrily grabbed my hand, his face arrogant. “Who said you could leave? You really think I can’t let you go?” “You’re thinking too highly of yourself!” “I brought you back to borrow your skin for Lily to use!” I stared at Jack in disbelief: “Do you know what you’re saying? What right do you have to harm my body!” Jack bent down, his eyes full of cruelty. “You’re just a dog I raised. How dare you talk about rights!” “Lily’s body is delicate and can’t be marked. We can only use your skin.” “Dr. Yang, proceed!” A group of people rushed over to hold down my hands. I struggled desperately: “No!” But the needle mercilessly pierced my skin, and I gradually lost consciousness. 0

When I opened my eyes again, everything was white. The smell of disinfectant stung my nose. Excruciating pain came from my arm, and fresh blood seeped through the white bandage. I let out a hiss of pain. Hearing my movement, Jack looked up from behind his laptop. He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses: “You’re awake. Feeling better?” “I hired the best plastic surgeon to do the skin graft for you two. Rest well for a few days, and you’ll be able to leave the hospital soon.” I struggled to pick up the water glass on the table and threw it at him. “Who gave you permission to touch my body?” But he didn’t get angry. Instead, he held my hand and gently coaxed me. “Alright, alright, I went too far this time. But I invested $100 million in her movie and signed a $1 billion performance bond. I couldn’t let her face be ruined, or I’d lose big!” “If you’re upset, how about we remarry next month?” Just then, a nurse rushed in: “Miss Lin has woken up and is causing a scene in her room. Mr. Lawrence, she’s asking for you.” Jack impatiently replied: “There are so many doctors here. What use is it to find me!” He sent the nurse away and continued to comfort me softly: “We only signed divorce papers. We haven’t gotten the official certificate, so it doesn’t count.” “We’ve been husband and wife for so long. Why play this running away game? Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?” “If you don’t like living with Lily, I’ll arrange another house for you. How about that?” How ridiculous. Since when did the mistress move in, and the original wife had to hide outside? I coldly withdrew my hand: “No need!” No need. We will never have anything to do with each other again in this life. Just then, the nurse rushed in again: “It’s bad! Miss Lin has gone to the rooftop!” Jack anxiously wanted to run to the rooftop but was also worried about me, so he insisted on pushing me along. The young girl stood on the edge of the rooftop. As the wind blew, her body swayed precariously. She cried, her tears falling like petals: “I heard everything. You didn’t really want a divorce. You were lying to me!” “But I’m already pregnant. How could you do this to me?” “I can’t let my child be born out of wedlock. If you won’t get a divorce certificate and marry me, I’ll jump right now!” I had never seen Jack so flustered and dismayed. He approached the girl with red eyes, step by step: “Lily, come down. You and our child are my treasures. I’ll give you anything you want!” “If I’m lying, may I die a terrible death!” Jack swore with his hand raised, his words sincere, putting on quite a show of deep affection. I glanced at the sunlight in the sky, which made my tears flow. So love doesn’t disappear, it just transfers. The girl who had been threatening suicide moments ago heard these words and leaped into Jack’s arms with open arms. He held Lily tightly, as if embracing the moon of his heart. “We’ll divorce immediately. We’ll go get the certificate tomorrow. I’ll give you anything as long as you’re happy!” Watching this scene, my eyes reddened slightly. Her child was a treasure, so what was my child? A week ago, I had just been diagnosed as pregnant. Jack was in a hurry to leave for the young girl’s birthday. I tried to stop him, but he pushed me down the stairs. When I woke up, the baby was gone. He showed no remorse: “So weak and fragile, how could it be worthy of being my child!” “It’s gone, so what? It was just a cell. We can have another one!” But now he treasured Lily’s child so dearly. I wiped away my tears and silently left. 0

Jack spent the night in the neighboring hospital room with Lily. The passing nurses pointed at their closed door, blushing and exchanging knowing looks. I watched all this coldly, silently retrieving my confiscated phone from Jack’s abandoned bag. There were multiple missed calls, all from my best friend and confidante, Sophie. Back then, we had left the dance troupe together to venture into the entertainment industry. She became a small-time director, while I became a small-time actress. Unlike me, who stopped at being a triple crown winner at 25, she remained unmarried and childless, dedicating herself to filmmaking and becoming the head judge at Cannes. She had heard about Jack’s outrageous behavior and enthusiastically invited me to Cannes to film her new movie. She said: “An experienced, mature actress like you is wasted on domestic trivialities.” “You should shine on the international stage. I have a new film here, want to come?” The word “come” turned over in my mind for a long time before I finally made up my mind and typed it out: “I’m coming!” We had agreed to meet yesterday, but unfortunately, I was delayed by Jack. I called her back: “I ran into some trouble and was delayed. Tomorrow afternoon, wait for me outside the civil affairs bureau. Congratulate me on being single again!” Sophie’s excited voice came from the other end of the phone: “Really? You’re finally willing to divorce? That’s fantastic!” The next day, to please the young girl, Jack took Lily and me to get our divorce certificate. As soon as the red divorce certificate was in my hand, he rushed off with Lily to get their marriage certificate. The staff members all looked at me with sympathy. But I happily handed out candy to them. The young girl who stamped my divorce papers looked at me with wide eyes, and soon she gave me a big smile. “Sister, congratulations on your divorce!” I accepted her blessing and walked out of the civil affairs bureau building in high spirits. Sophie, wearing sunglasses, was leaning against a stretch limo. As soon as she saw me, she gave me a big hug. “My leading lady, I’ve finally got you!” “Come on, let’s go catch some stars!” 0

Looking at her passionate face, I remembered our days in the dance troupe. We were only 17 or 18 then. She danced male roles, I danced female roles. Until the dance troupe was bought by a coal baron who wanted us to dance vulgar shows. On that starry night, the wind blew her hair. “Do you believe me? If we get out of this hellhole, I’ll definitely make something of myself!” “Come on, I’ll take you to catch stars!” Back then, we young people were full of dreams for the future. We quit our stable jobs at the dance troupe. We ventured into the entertainment industry. She confidently said she was tired of being manipulated by others. She didn’t want to be an actress anymore. She said she wanted to be a female director, a famous director. I applauded her, and then we each went our separate ways. I once thought I was luckier, meeting Jack right after my debut. He shielded me from countless covetous gazes. He let me focus solely on acting, but I didn’t know that the gifts bestowed by fate had already been priced in secret. The preferential treatment I was so proud of in my youth became the chains that trapped me for the latter half of my life. Fortunately, I had the courage to break those chains. I was about to board the plane with Sophie. Meanwhile, Jack was holding a press conference for his new movie with Lily. At the conference, a reporter asked: “Mr. Lawrence, there are rumors that your relationship with your wife has changed. Miss Emma has already gone to Cannes with Director Sophie to film a new movie. Is this related to your marital problems?” Hearing this, Jack angrily swatted away the reporter’s microphone. “Which media are you from? I don’t answer questions about my private life. Please focus on the new movie produced by Lawrence Entertainment.” After the press conference, Jack couldn’t help but dial that familiar phone number. But it kept showing: “The number you have dialed is busy!” Jack clenched his fist, wanting to smash his phone. A gossip account posted photos of me smiling and whispering with Sophie before boarding the plane. Jack looked at the woman in the photo again and again, wondering in his heart: was Emma always so fond of smiling? Then why did she always have a bitter expression when she was with me? Just then, sirens sounded outside the banquet hall.

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