Category: English

I had been in a relationship with Adam Walker for seven years. Whenever a girl clung to him, he would give me a diamond ring to prevent any misunderstandings. Over the years, my jewelry box was filled with various diamond rings he had collected from around the world. Each one was priceless and unique, sparkling brilliantly under the light. A few days ago, he once again slipped a 6-carat pink diamond onto my finger. I knew he had spent $13 million to have it custom-made. Looking at that shimmering pink stone, I smiled self-mockingly: “Adam, let’s break up.” Adam had just returned home after closing a deal in New York when he slipped a diamond ring onto my left ring finger. A 6-carat pink diamond. It was a limited edition high-end custom piece, worth $13 million – an astronomical sum. But my stomach churned, and I felt sick. I took out the anti-inflammatory medication prescribed by my doctor and swallowed two pills. Adam placed the back of his hand on my forehead, his tone worried: “Are you sick?” “Didn’t we agree to go to the concert a few days ago? I’ll book the tickets right away. Once you’re feeling better, I’ll go with you.” I shook off his hand. “Forget it.” “But that’s their final concert, there won’t be any more after this.” I had planned for this concert a year in advance, told him the date, and he had promised to accompany me. But on the day of departure, he said he had to go negotiate a business deal and couldn’t make it. Adam’s brows furrowed, his face full of guilt. “I’m sorry, I really know I was wrong. I promised you something and couldn’t follow through. But this project was hard-won by our partners, I had no choice but to go.” We had been dating for seven years, and everyone thought he cherished me like a precious gem. He was particularly mindful of my feelings. Every time, whether it was his fault or not, he would be the first to soften and apologize. His remorse often made me wonder if I was being too harsh. “Olivia, I’ll buy you their collector’s edition CD right now. Don’t be angry, okay? Whatever you want me to do in the future, I’ll agree to it.” Just as he finished speaking, someone sent him a text message. He went to the kitchen to get some food, and took the opportunity to reply to the message while there. When he came out, his expression wasn’t quite natural. “Our partners have come to inspect the project site, I need to receive them personally.” I tugged at the hem of his shirt. “The CEO loves lotus pastries, so I brought some you made for him in the kitchen. It’s a gesture of hospitality. Be good, wait for me to come back.” With that, he went to the bedroom to change into a suit and sprayed on some fresh cologne. I couldn’t find any traces in his phone left on the coffee table. All chat records from every app had been thoroughly deleted. It seemed like I was being overly suspicious. But in his private TikTok collection, I saw a beautiful and delicate girl. Her smile was like a coquettish cat, her eyes sparkled like stars, as beautiful as the deepest flame in the dark night, with features similar to mine. The first few videos on her profile were all shot in New York. In her videos, she was tightly holding a hand wearing the same couple’s ring as mine. In her pinned video, she was wearing the pink diamond ring Adam had given me, and wrote: [Pink diamonds are too tacky, I asked my darling to throw it away and buy me my favorite blue Heart of the Ocean instead. Holidays should be spent with the man you love most. Love you.] I recorded the video with my phone and sent it to my best friend, then deleted all viewing records. Before he came out of the bedroom, I put his phone back in its original position and placed his polished leather shoes by the entrance. Another diamond ring was added to my jewelry box.

Whenever he attracted bees and butterflies, with girls pursuing Adam, he would be afraid I’d misunderstand and search for all kinds of exquisite diamond rings to give me. He told me that I was his girlfriend of many years, and although he hadn’t done anything wrong, he only wanted to reassure me and make me understand that I was the only one in his heart. He loved me, and it was something that all the money in the world couldn’t compare to. He hoped to buy me all the most precious diamond rings in the world to make me happy. The large jewelry box was filled with 136 diamond rings. Seven years, and I never imagined he had been afraid of my misunderstanding 136 times. As I was lost in thoughts of the past, my best friend immediately called me on video chat. Adam hadn’t gone out for business at all, he was just in the underground parking lot of my apartment complex. Soon, he strode with long legs towards the girl from the TikTok video. The girl jumped with joy, smiling radiantly as she threw herself into his arms. He lovingly lifted her chin and leaned in for a passionate kiss. In the dim parking lot, the light cast a hazy glow. The handsome man and beautiful woman embraced silently, as if time had frozen in that moment. She stood gracefully, her long hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall, her eyes as clear as autumn water, her luscious lips slightly parted. If he wasn’t my boyfriend, I would have thought they made a perfect match. After lingering for a long time, Adam finally let her go reluctantly and pulled out a red jewelry box from his pocket. “You said you like gold jewelry, I brought this especially for you. You’ll definitely be surprised.” “Thank you, the company team building event tomorrow night is so important. I wonder if I can wear it there?” The girl tentatively probed. “Of course.” Adam stood tall and straight as a pine tree, his deep eyes full of tenderness. “Just don’t damage it, this is only borrowed. After the banquet is over, I have to return it to Olivia Thompson.” My breath caught in my throat. I did indeed have a lot of gold jewelry, and I couldn’t tell which piece he had taken. The girl leaned into his arms and began to act coquettishly. “I understand, you don’t need to remind me all the time.” She clung to Adam’s arm as they entered the elevator, her voice soft and sweet: “Adam, I don’t know why my chest has been feeling uncomfortable lately. When we get upstairs, you must help me check what’s wrong.” They took the elevator up. My friend walked to the elevator and started recording the floor numbers. The elevator stopped on the 8th floor, while my apartment was on the 9th floor. By the time she climbed the stairs to the 8th floor, she could only hear the sound of keys turning in the lock outside, but couldn’t capture any images of people. “Adam, is it because your girlfriend doesn’t cool you down enough, so every time you see me, you’re so eager…” An ambiguous atmosphere lingered in the air. Adam let out a muffled groan, tinged with displeasure. “Chloe Davis!” The girl panted heavily: “Okay, I get it, can’t talk bad about her behind her back, right…” Urgent gasps echoed throughout the hallway, but ceased abruptly the moment the door closed. My friend didn’t have a key, so naturally couldn’t go in, and could only wait outside the door for my response. My face was pale, and my hand holding the phone trembled uncontrollably. “Olivia, do you want to wait until they come out and see where the girl lives?” “No need, it was too dark in the parking lot earlier, I couldn’t see clearly what style of gold necklace it was. Did you take any photos or anything?” “I did, but the girl put it away, so I didn’t capture the gold necklace.” My heart clenched painfully, and hot tears slid down the corners of my eyes as I curled up tightly on the sofa. Chloe Davis. There was a time when Adam wouldn’t allow anyone to mention her name.

Adam’s good friend told me that he once had a deeply loved soulmate named Chloe Davis. She was gentle and virtuous, but for some reason, Adam’s mother strongly disliked Chloe and wouldn’t allow them to be together. Eight years ago, Chloe’s father forced her to marry the CEO of a well-known company in Paris. During the wedding, Adam’s mother saw Chloe crying her eyes out in Adam’s arms in the rest room, their clothes disheveled. Chloe even said that as long as Adam’s mother agreed, she would immediately cancel the engagement and elope with Adam. Adam’s mother was furious and drove her son home, forbidding him from seeing Chloe again. Chloe settled abroad, got married and had children. Adam was in a daze for an entire year, and only managed to heal his wounded heart after seeing me, whose appearance was similar to Chloe’s. Ironically, it wasn’t until this moment that I realized I was nothing more than a substitute for Chloe. Now that the real deal had appeared, wasn’t it time for me to gracefully exit? I held the pink diamond up to the sunlight and examined it again and again. Such a precious diamond ring was indeed worthy of Chloe. When Adam returned to my bedroom late at night, he thought I was asleep. The strong smell of alcohol stung my nostrils, followed by the sound of his snoring. His phone was on silent, but the screen lit up again and again with several incoming messages. Scrolling to the top, Chloe asked how he was doing and suggested he sleep at her place if he was drunk. Adam: [Absence makes the heart grow fonder, it’s better if you keep thinking about me.] Chloe: [So tell me clearly, do you want me to think about you as a person, or think about your body?] [Both. Tomorrow night’s company team building event, I’ll take you to see the empire I’ve built for you.] Bitterness welled up in my heart. Two weeks ago, Adam told me about the company team building event and said he would take me along to introduce me to the employees as the future boss’s wife. But yesterday he said the team building event was canceled. In fact, the event was still happening, he just didn’t want to go with me. Their team building location was set at a luxurious KTV on Flower Stream Road, and I arrived as scheduled. The company had been established for two years with numerous employees, but none of them had truly met me before. Adam entered amidst cheers, reluctant to let go of the shy Chloe’s hand beside him. Her chestnut-colored hair cascaded down her back like seaweed, her fair skin glowed even more radiantly under the lights, her delicate features were exquisitely beautiful, and the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye gave her an air of cold allure. Paired with that exquisite gold necklace, she exuded an aura of nobility. The employees whispered among themselves, all discussing how beautiful the future boss’s wife was. I couldn’t help but approach as well. In the dim lighting, no one paid attention to me in my black formal dress. The moment I clearly saw the necklace around her neck, my pupils constricted sharply. That was… my mother’s keepsake! I rushed forward in one swift motion, throwing my drink directly in Chloe’s face. Before she could react, I kicked her to the ground. “Who gave you the guts to steal my necklace? Take it off and give it back to me right now!”

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Felix Edwards was on an overseas business trip when he found himself caught in a terrorist attack. The phone wouldn’t stop ringing. His parents, Ashley and Ryan Edwards, called from the embassy, anxiously waiting for me to negotiate Felix’s safety. To my surprise, my dad, Vincent Miller, who hadn’t bothered to call me in ten years, also reached out. He claimed he had connections at the embassy and could arrange to have Felix brought back home. Even my close friends, Felix’s buddies, colleagues, and neighbors were all reaching out and wanted to know what was going on. And here I was, lying in bed with a newborn, calmly hanging up one call after another. After all, when Felix saw on the news that his ex-girlfriend, a war correspondent, was caught in a terrorist situation, he didn’t hesitate to leave his family behind and fly there to check on her safety. At that time, with my water already broken, I turned to Felix and said, “Are you really going to ditch your family and fly to that war-ravaged country? If you do, Felix, I won’t clean up your mess.” Felix kept his mouth shut, but the urgent slamming of the door as he stormed off said it all. Well, if he was set on being a hothead and digging his own grave, why should I bail him out?

Felix always loved watching international news channels, and I used to find it puzzling. However, just the other day, a particular story caught my attention. A female war correspondent from our country had been kidnapped by terrorists while reporting in the field. In an instant, I recognized her, Megan Fox, the well-known anchor on that international channel. As I sat on the couch, my pregnant belly round and full, enjoying a slice of cantaloupe and feeling sorry for the journalist, Felix suddenly panicked, knocking over the fruit bowl. When he stood up, his knee collided hard with the corner of the coffee table. The thud was so loud that my belly tightened instinctively, but Felix seemed oblivious to the pain. He stiffly made his way to the kitchen for a glass of water but accidentally pressed the hot water button, scalding himself and smashing the cup in response. He rushed to rinse his mouth with cold water to cool down, then bolted back to the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. An hour later, Felix abruptly emerged from his room. “I… I have to go on a business trip,” he stammered. I tightened my grip on the cantaloupe but remained calm as I stood up. “Felix, my due date is in a couple of days. It’s really not a good time for you to be traveling. What if I go into labor? “You know my mom passed away giving birth to my brother. I’m really scared of the whole process. “You’ve been so excited about our daughter’s arrival. Don’t you want her to see her dad as the first thing when she opens her eyes?” Felix’s expression faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. “This business trip is really important to me. I have to go, but don’t worry, I’ll be back before you give birth.” I offered him a smile, even as the contractions in my belly intensified, liquid beginning to trickle down my legs. “I’ll hold you to that, but listen, Felix. You have to take responsibility for whatever happens while you’re gone. I won’t be cleaning up your mess.” Maybe it was the seriousness in my tone, but Felix visibly trembled. “I promise I’ll be safe and return,” he vowed, as if sealing a pact. With that, he rushed back to his room, hurriedly grabbing a couple of items before putting on his shoes and heading for the door. As he was about to leave, I couldn’t help but call after him, my heart softening. “Wait, Felix.” He turned slightly, irritation flickering in his eyes. “Didn’t you just say I could go? Why are you stopping me now?” I clenched my fists, the pain in my belly growing sharper, but I managed to stay composed. “You forgot your passport.” I dragged myself to the bedroom, clutching my leaking water, and retrieved his passport, handing it over along with a bank card—the one that contained the salary he’d sent me throughout our seven years of marriage. Felix’s hand trembled as he took the passport and bank card, his eyes glistening with emotion. For a fleeting second, I thought he might stay. But he stuffed the passport and card into his bag and solemnly vowed again, “I will make it back before you give birth.” With that, he slammed the door behind him and hurried out. Listening to the sound of the door echoing in the empty house, I simply picked up my phone and dialed 119, contacting the maternity center. I mused, “How could a man too oblivious to even notice my water breaking think he could make such promises? It’s utterly ridiculous.”

I met Felix through a hiking club. At that time, the pressure from work was overwhelming; all I wanted was to pile up cash, slaving away at my job and relying on weekends spent hiking to recharge my energy. Felix joined the club in my second year. Initially, he was just another member, but as we consistently found ourselves reaching the summit first time after time, we started to grow closer. He was in finance, and I was in tech. He loved sports and the outdoors, and so did I. So, when we reached our hundredth peak together, he confessed his feelings. There was nothing romantic or original about it—just a simple, “Vivian, let’s date.” And to my surprise, I said yes. After all, my dad had his own flair for creativity; his courtship of my mother once caused half the city to light up with fireworks, and he even ended up in jail for it. But that didn’t stop him from wanting a son, which caused my mother to suffer through years of medicine, ultimately leading to her tragic death in childbirth. To me, romance wasn’t important; stability was. And Felix embodied that. He never showed up late for dates. His gifts were never flashy but always thoughtful. If it rained, he wouldn’t come by uninvited, but the moment I called, he’d be there without hesitation. So, three years into our relationship, we tied the knot. Life after the wedding felt almost identical to before. I cooked, and he washed the dishes. I handled the grocery shopping, while he came home early to prepare the staple food. Our calm and gentle days led me to believe that Felix was indeed the one for me. But everything changed three years ago at the wedding of one of Felix’s college friends. During the bachelor party, one of Felix’s buddies got drunk and broke down, holding Felix’s hand and crying. “Felix, seeing you like this—so lifeless—it really hurts. I’m stepping into a happy marriage, but looking at you like this? It’s tough. If Megan hadn’t gone abroad to be a war correspondent, you might not be so closed off and heartbroken.” At that, Felix instinctively glanced in my direction. “Don’t listen to him; he’s drunk.” I laughed, brushing it off. But once we got home, I pointedly said, “Felix, I have my flaws, but my one strength is the ability to cut ties quickly, especially when it comes to love.” He stood there in the shadows that night, his expression hidden in the darkness. After that, Megan vanished completely from our lives—until now.

I hadn’t answered the phone because I had just finished nursing my daughter at the maternity center when Felix’s mother, Ashley, burst into the room. “Vivian, why haven’t you been answering my calls? Ryan is losing his mind at the embassy! “You need to come home right now with Felix’s documents to go to the embassy.” Listening to Ashley, I calmly replied with six digits, “666313.” She paused, taken aback. Taking a moment to adjust my daughter’s blanket, I explained, “I’m not in a good position to go right now. That’s the code for our home; you can grab whatever you need there.” Ashley’s hand trembled slightly. “Vivian, how can you be so heartless? Felix is in a war zone, and we don’t even know if he’s alive! “Did you not see the distress message Felix sent to everyone? He said he got shot in the leg and is hiding in a stranger’s house. “I know you’re in the postpartum period, but this is an emergency. Can’t you just come to the embassy with me for a sec to check things out?” she insisted, her body shaking with urgency. I replied calmly, “I understand Felix’s situation. Before he sent that group message, he texted me several times for help, but I chose to ignore him.” Ashley stumbled backward, clearly shocked. Seeing her expression tugged at my heart. After seven years of marriage, she had always been good to me, filling the void left by my late mother. But now, everything felt shattered because of Felix. I calmly handed her the recording of my conversation with Felix from that night. “Ashley, don’t think of me as cruel. This is all Felix’s doing.” Trembling, Ashley accepted the recording, and once she finished watching, she crumpled to the ground. She struggled to find her voice. “Vivian, listen to me, Felix and Megan… they really don’t have anything going on.” I still felt a pang of sympathy. Even though my C-section recovery was painful, I got up and helped Ashley to her feet—much like how I had seen Felix leave home when my water broke, softly handing him his passport and bank card. “I know there’s nothing physical between Felix and Megan, but the fact that he’s willing to abandon his family to go find her shows he doesn’t value our little family. He’s okay with my daughter losing her father and me becoming a widow just to chase after her, so he needs to accept the consequences of that decision.” Ashley turned pale at my cold tone, and she fumbled with her words, struggling to find the right thing to say. Perhaps she couldn’t even bring herself to convince me. Ultimately, Ashley gave up, shivering as she stood. “Take care. I’ll leave you to your recovery.” With that, she seemed to age a decade as she rushed out the door. I felt a pang of guilt, but just as she was about to leave, I called after her, “Ashley, can you and Ryan find some time this week to move out of my apartment?” Ashley hesitated, turning back. “Can’t you just wait a little longer?” I shook my head. “Didn’t Felix leave without waiting to make sure I got to the hospital after my water broke? “I just want to sort out all our shared assets before he comes back.”

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My nine fiancés all jumped to their deaths after wearing the antique watch my mother gave them at their engagement parties. No matter how the watch was dismantled, nothing unusual could be found. The police repeatedly took my mother in for questioning but could never find any problems. After the news broke, my mother’s watch went viral online. Countless people wanted to buy the same model to investigate, but it was priceless and unavailable. As a result, I was branded as cursed and had to move away from my mother. Two years later, when I got engaged to my tenth fiancé, I saw that familiar watch on his wrist again as we exchanged rings. When I took my ninth fiancé, Lucas, to the engagement party, I repeatedly told him not to wear the watch my mother had given him. But Lucas pinched my waist dismissively, “Honey, why are you so nervous? It’s just a watch.” “If I don’t wear it because of some imaginary superstition, wouldn’t that make a bad impression on your mom?” With that, he ignored my protests and immediately put on the watch my mother had given him. I trembled all over and quietly counted down three numbers, “Three, two, one…” As the last number ended, the watch had made a full rotation. Lucas, who had just been boasting that he was fine, suddenly turned pale. The next second, he rushed to the window and jumped straight down, Splattering into a bloody mess in front of everyone’s eyes. Everyone ran downstairs, frantically taking photos and fighting over the watch. After experiencing eight deaths, I was almost numb to such scenes. But Lucas’s departure still pierced my already battered heart once again. I turned back to look at my mother, who remained calm, and asked shakily, “You promised me you wouldn’t give Lucas that watch!” “It’s been nine times now. I’m your daughter! Do you know what people are saying about me out there?” Hearing this, my mother raised her lip corner disdainfully. Her makeup had gotten thicker in recent years. When she laughed, a lot of powder would be squeezed off by her wrinkles, Making her appearance in my eyes increasingly terrifying. “Lucas came to ask me for the watch himself. It has nothing to do with me.” “But his fate wasn’t strong enough to withstand my watch. His death was his own choice.” The police quickly arrived and once again took the life-taking watch away for research. They were excited, “The Lu family knows a lot about mysticism. Maybe this time we can really find out something.” Everyone was waiting for an answer, wanting justice for them. The Lu family also started a live stream online, with hundreds of thousands of viewers watching the watch examination. The mechanical watch was no different from ordinary watches, except that it would only rotate once before breaking down. The Lu family speculated from various angles and searched through all the ancient books they had brought. But after three full hours, they still came up empty-handed. The internet exploded, “Nine lives have been lost and they still can’t figure it out. What kind of watch is this mysterious?” “Yeah, I just hope their daughter stops dating and hurting others. One dies after another, who can bear that?” Looking at these comments, the tears I had been holding back for so long Finally flowed out uncontrollably. My mother had somehow come up behind me, “Are you going to keep being angry with me?” Seeing that I didn’t respond, she slammed the dinner on the ground with a sullen face. “You don’t even eat when dinner goes bad. Did Lucas affect you that much?” I gave her a bitter smile, “Mom, aren’t you afraid after taking so many lives?” “Why does that watch make them commit suicide?” Hearing this, my mother frowned, “Their deaths have nothing to do with me. The watch is normal, so of course I’m not afraid.” My tears flowed again as I turned away, not wanting to hear any more. Then I left home with my already packed luggage, without looking back. “Mom, I just want to live a normal life, but you keep hiding things from me.” “Since that’s the case, you might as well pretend you don’t have a daughter from now on.”

I returned to the city where I worked with my luggage, becoming increasingly quiet and withdrawn. My mother and I fell into a cold war after that day. Apart from asking if I was coming home for the holidays, she never talked to me again. I forced myself to focus all my energy on work. In my spare time, I dedicated myself to studying that mechanical watch. This was one I had secretly taken from my mother’s antique shop before I left. I stared blankly at these utterly ordinary parts after dismantling it. Why did this watch take Lucas and the others’ lives? For many days, I was in a daze. My colleagues noticed and started discussing privately whether I had gone crazy. Even the supervisor dug up the old news and wanted to fire me for being unlucky. At the critical moment, my partner Frank stood up for me. “She performs excellently at work and just likes to study watches. Why fire her for that?” “Besides, it’s been a year. Isn’t it cruel to keep bringing up her trauma?” Frank went directly to the manager and tried his best to keep me on. Afterwards, our relationship grew closer. We naturally got together. A year later, he proposed to me. I accepted and chose a wedding venue, but had trouble inviting guests. Looking at the long-silent chat box with my mother, I was very conflicted about whether to invite her. My father had passed away when I was very young, and my mother had raised me single-handedly with great hardship. Before I started dating, she was just a normal, good mother. Gentle and caring, pouring all her love into me. To say I only had hatred left for her would be a lie. But the tragic deaths of my previous nine fiancés were still vivid in my mind. I really couldn’t bear to let Frank take the risk. In the end, I chose to skip inviting her. I thought this would settle the matter and break my curse of being unlucky in love. Unexpectedly, Frank secretly brought my mother over the day before the wedding without telling me. “Honey, you’ve been so distracted these past few days. I guessed you must be missing your mom.” “Don’t worry, I won’t wear anything she gives me. Nothing will happen.” Frank looked at me lovingly and planted a kiss on my forehead. Hearing his promise, I relaxed. I turned to face my mother. After two years apart, she looked even more haggard. “Rachel, congratulations on your wedding.” My mother said, then took out a gold necklace and put it on me. She seemed to have returned to that loving mother from before. The last bit of defense in my heart was completely shattered. I buried myself in her embrace, choking out the word “Mom.” Frank, seeing this, smiled with satisfaction. Then he sincerely promised my mother, “Mom, don’t worry, I will definitely treat Rachel well.” “We’ll also come back to visit you often in the future and take care of you in your old age.” My mother’s body stiffened, and she looked at him with a complex expression for a long time. It wasn’t until I shook her that my mother reacted and said “Mm” to Frank.

The next day, at the wedding venue. Frank and I smoothly went through all the ceremonies. But just as the host asked my mother if she had anything to say to us, She took out that watch and looked at Frank, “Are you willing to wear this watch?” Frank instinctively looked at me, about to refuse. But the uninformed host started to egg him on, “Come on, groom, just wear it. It’s the elder’s heartfelt gift.” I immediately scolded him, “Shut up! He can’t take that watch!” Then I glared angrily at my mother, “It’s my wedding day. Can you stop causing trouble?” “If you really want to give someone a watch, then let me wear it. We can talk about this after the wedding!” For a moment, the atmosphere between us became tense. The crowd below started discussing, mostly those who didn’t know the situation. “It’s just a watch, what’s the big deal about wearing it?” “Yeah, this bride is so disrespectful. How can she treat her mother-in-law like this?” Frank hesitated for a while, then came over to pull me. “Honey, why don’t I just wear it? I don’t want to make you and your mom unhappy.” Tears burst from my eyes, “No, you’re not allowed to wear it. Otherwise, I won’t go through with this wedding.” No one wanted to break the curse of that mechanical watch more than I did. I really didn’t want to bear the weight of another life. Frank sighed, his brows furrowed deeply, seeming to be weighing his options. Seeing this, my mother stood up with a pale face, grabbed Frank’s hand and fastened the watch on him in one swift motion. The action was so fast that no one had time to react. I immediately hugged Frank tightly, my other hand trying to pull off the watch. But it was all too late. After the watch rotated once, Frank broke free from me and rushed outside like a madman in front of everyone at the venue. He crashed through the glass doors of the hall and leaped down from the eighth floor. Dying in exactly the same way as the previous nine. Frank’s mother let out a heart-wrenching scream. She ran downstairs trembling and knelt beside Frank, wailing loudly. “My son, how could you suddenly become like this? How can mother go on living without you?” I followed her down, my emotions on the verge of collapse. Just as I was about to reach out to help her up, I was pulled away by other members of the Fu family. “Don’t touch my aunt! You vixen, we’ve found out about you.” “You’re that cursed star of misfortune. Any man who dates you dies. Stay away from our Fu family!” These elders who had been so kind to me before now looked at me as if they wanted to eat me alive. A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. Looking at Frank’s lifeless face, I wished I could die in his place. Without him, I might have long lost hope for life. It was Frank who told me over and over again that what happened before had nothing to do with me, redeeming me. But now… he had died because of me. Moreover, all of this could have been prevented! I hated myself. Why didn’t I stop him when he contacted my mother? Why didn’t I hold him tighter when he broke free from me just now? Coming back to my senses, I tore off the gold necklace around my neck and threw it violently at my mother. She still had that calm and indifferent expression, just like the previous nine times. Even with Frank’s body right in front of her, there wasn’t a hint of guilt on her face. “Get out! I don’t want to see you. Why don’t you go die?” “They’re right, you’re a vixen, a star of misfortune. Nothing good will ever come from meeting you!” I clenched my fists and lunged at my mother, wanting to end it all with her like a madwoman. But she still had no reaction, “Calm down. His death has nothing to do with me.” Hearing this, Frank’s mother immediately pulled me away and started fighting with my mother herself. “Nothing to do with you? My son was so good to you, perfectly healthy. How could he suddenly commit suicide after wearing the watch you gave him?” “I don’t care what kind of sorcery you used. Today I’m going to die with you!” It wasn’t until the police arrived that this farce was finally quelled. They also learned about the previous nine cases and took it more seriously. “Ms. Su, we require you to choose someone to wear this watch again at the scene.” My mother, looking disheveled from the fight, swept a hateful glance around. “Fine, who’s willing to wear it?” Everyone took a few steps back. After all, no one wanted to gamble with their life. Lucas’s mother coldly pushed me forward. “Of course it should be her!” “You mother and daughter are both a curse. Even if you die, it wouldn’t be a pity!”

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At 35, I was forced to leave my high-paying job at a big tech company. With a decade’s worth of savings, I returned to my small hometown. Tired of the cutthroat corporate world, I just wanted a simple job that wouldn’t fry my brain in this small town. I remembered my biggest dream from sixth grade and decided to fulfill it. I ordered a small food cart and made up my mind to sell french fries outside the elementary school. With my current bank balance, it didn’t matter if I made a loss. It was just for fun anyway. What I didn’t expect was that even in this small town, there were plenty of big fish in a small pond, self-proclaimed bosses everywhere. On my first day selling fries, one of the original vendors pointed at my nose and barked, “Get lost! You’re blocking my spot!” On the second day, a kid threw a tantrum in front of my cart. “Pay up! Your fries made me sick!” On the third day, an even more formidable character showed up… Faced with all this hostility, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Was I supposed to just take this crap everywhere I went? I decided then and there – I was going to keep this fries stand running no matter what! Turning around, I bought all the storefronts along the street in front of the school. And I put up a big sign in front of each – “Private Property, No Vendors Allowed!”

At 6:30 AM, before dawn had fully broken, I had just finished setting up my cart when a pot-bellied middle-aged man approached me. He fished out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and offered it to me with a seemingly friendly smile. “Hey buddy, want one?” I hesitated. Was this the famous small-town hospitality I’d heard about? The casual conversation felt oddly comforting. But I don’t smoke, so I politely declined. The man withdrew his hand and leaned against my cart, his tone turning probing. “So, which school staff are you friends with? It’d be good to know!” Friends with school staff? What kind of question was that? I was momentarily confused. I responded politely, “I’m just here to sell some food. Don’t know anyone at the school.” “I see…” The man fell silent for a moment, looking down at the items on my cart. When he looked up again, his friendly smile had been replaced by an unexpected ferocity. “Listen, kid. If you don’t know anyone, why are you trying to steal this spot? Get the hell out of here!” Hearing this, I frowned deeply. Sure, my spot was in a prime location, but this wasn’t some market with assigned stalls. It was first come, first served. Looking at the man’s sudden change in attitude, I coldly replied, “I got here first. Why should I leave?” The middle-aged man laughed as if he’d heard a joke. He banged his fist on my cart, his face menacing. That earlier friendly smile seemed like a figment of my imagination. “This has always been my spot,” he growled. “And I run things around here.” Before I could respond, a crowd suddenly gathered around us. “Everyone thinks they can just waltz in here without knowing their place,” someone sneered. “How dare you try to take this spot without any connections?” another voice chimed in. “Didn’t you hear Marcus tell you to move?” a third person threatened. The crowd pressed closer, looking ready to get physical. Now I understood the man’s earlier question. So they were ganging up on me because I had no connections? I had thought I’d escaped the office politics, but it seemed small towns had their own brand of bullying. Understanding their intentions, I was annoyed but didn’t want to stoop to their level. “So where am I supposed to go?” I asked, trying to keep my cool. Marcus snorted and mockingly pointed behind me. “Over there.” I looked where he was pointing – a secluded corner, blocked from view by other vendors, right next to a public restroom. The anger I had just suppressed bubbled up again. I was about to argue when a wrinkled hand gripped my wrist. It was Old Joe, the elderly vendor next to me. He gave me a knowing look. “Better to swallow your pride than get hurt, son.” I had come here just to experience a simpler life. Not wanting to cause trouble, I tried to calm myself and followed Old Joe to the corner. His stall was nearby too. I asked him, “Does no one stop them from doing this?” Old Joe shook his head and sighed deeply. “Who’s going to stop them? The people in charge are the ones protecting Marcus and his gang.” “If you don’t have power or money, you’d better just stay put in this corner.” “Don’t try to fight them head-on, or you’ll be the one getting hurt.” I looked around and saw a few other small carts scattered in less crowded corners. Seems they had been pushed aside by Marcus’s group too. “Why don’t you all go somewhere else?” I asked, puzzled. Old Joe waved his hand dismissively. “Where isn’t it like this?” With that, he started frying up some donuts. Indeed, where wasn’t it like this? A strange sadness welled up in me as I lowered my head to set up my own cart. But as I looked down, I jumped back two meters in shock. There were several dead cockroaches floating in my frying oil!

The cockroaches had already been fried to a crispy golden brown in the clear hot oil. This was definitely not something I had brought with me. I had checked my cart several times before setting up. There was no way I could have such a hygiene issue. Was it because we were so close to the restroom? Or was there another possibility… I looked up and stared directly at Marcus, who was busy with a crowd of students. As if sensing my gaze, Marcus suddenly turned his head. He raised his eyebrows at me triumphantly. So it was them who did this! Just as I confirmed my suspicion, I saw a vendor to my left seemingly receive a signal from Marcus. The man wiped his hands on his pants and walked straight towards me. Before he even got close, he started shouting. “Oh my god! Your oil is full of cockroaches!” The man’s exclamation immediately drew the attention of parents dropping off their kids. For the first time, this secluded corner became the center of attention. “Holy crap! It’s true, look at those cockroach legs still twitching!” The man pinched his nose and changed his tone. “What kind of person serves such filthy food to children? Who knows what other disgusting things are going on behind the scenes. Maybe he’s even using gutter oil!” “Quick! Take a picture of him! We can’t let this scammer get away with it!” Someone shouted, and suddenly a barrage of camera flashes went off in my face. I quickly shielded my eyes and lifted up my oil container. “This is branded oil, I guarantee I’m not using any gutter oil!” I protested. “The cockroaches in my fryer were put there by someone else on purpose!” My explanation barely managed to quiet the crowd when the man who started the commotion spoke up again. “How do we know you didn’t just put gutter oil in that container? And who would put cockroaches in your fryer? Are you trying to frame someone?” I met the man’s challenging gaze, knowing I had no evidence even though I knew they were behind this. At this moment, Old Joe came over and tried to reason with the instigator. “Come on, Sam, why are you doing this? The young man is just trying to make an honest living.” With a long sigh, Old Joe turned to address the crowd. “Everyone, I can vouch that this young man is not what you think. I’ve been selling here for over a decade. If you trust me, I’ll keep an eye on him for you all…” Old Joe’s words sent a wave of warmth through me. We had only just met as strangers. But before he could finish, Sam cut him off. “Old man, are you looking to quit this job? Or maybe you’re in cahoots with him!” Faced with Sam’s blatant threat, Old Joe’s weathered face turned bright red. I gently pushed Old Joe aside, not wanting the old man to get further involved in this mess. After a brief silence, the observing parents erupted again. “Old Joe, don’t let this guy fool you! I’ve never seen this vendor before when dropping off my kid. He must be some scammer from out of town!” “Young and already so crooked! Kids have delicate stomachs, how could they handle this kind of food?” “My cousin’s child got severe food poisoning from eating at a street stall like this. They couldn’t save him in the end.” “Come on everyone, let’s drive him out of here!” Seeing the crowd pushing towards me and the contaminated oil in my fryer, I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue business on my first day. Under the triumphant gazes of Marcus and his cronies, I pushed away my carefully prepared cart in defeat. Well, well. The same old story. Two weeks ago, I was framed at my company in a similar fashion. A coworker, jealous of my $500,000 annual salary, deliberately sabotaged one of my projects. Luckily I managed to fix it in time before it became a major issue. But by then, I was already tired of office politics, so I didn’t pursue the matter further and let them off the hook. But I’m not one to always turn the other cheek. I can’t keep swallowing my pride everywhere I go. That night, I made a phone call. “Hello, I’d like to buy all the shops on that street.”

Early the next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, I once again pushed my cart to the old spot. In front of my cart, I set up a small blackboard. [Crispy French Fries, Free Today!] There was another reason why Marcus and his gang had bullied me so much yesterday. His cart also sold fries. He wanted to drive me away simply because he was afraid I’d steal his business. If that’s the case, I’ll do exactly that. As I expected, most of the students were drawn by the smell. Soon, my cart was surrounded by people, while Marcus’s prime spot was empty despite its good location. I happened to look up and met his venomous glare. Only Old Joe tugged at my sleeve, his face full of worry. “You’ve really offended them now. Besides, aren’t you losing money like this?” I smiled at Old Joe, assuring him it was fine. What did this bit of money matter? The ones who should be worried might not be me… Just then, Marcus came over, shouting loudly. “Don’t be fooled by his free sign, folks! His food is dirty. You’ll get sick if you eat it!” Marcus’s shout drew more attention. But before he could gloat, he was immediately contradicted by several students. “Mister, don’t lie!” “We know whether these free fries are clean or not!” “Yeah, that’s right!” Several students chimed in agreement. Just as Marcus was at a loss for words, a parent-like figure emerged from the crowd. “Kids, don’t be fooled by bad people!” “Yesterday, I saw with my own eyes, he pulled out a bunch of cockroaches from his fryer!” Seeing yesterday’s “witness”, Marcus regained his confidence. “That’s right, lots of people saw the cockroaches in his fryer yesterday.” “Kids, if you want fries, go buy from the stall up front. It’s guaranteed clean and safe!” At this moment, my untimely chuckle rang out. “If anyone’s worried, you can check the video on my phone. I’ve recorded everything from peeling the potatoes to putting them in cold oil.” “So there’s no need to worry about any hygiene issues.” Hearing this, the students’ faces lit up with bright smiles. Only Marcus still wore a gloomy expression, though a cold smile quickly curved his lips. “Ouch!” A student in the crowd suddenly cried out and fell to the ground. Marcus rushed over to help as if he’d seen his own son fall, asking with concern, “What’s wrong, kid?” The boy clutched his stomach, crying out in pain. “I ate his fries and now my stomach hurts!” The boy pointed at me while still holding his stomach. The crowd was shocked by the boy’s condition and started accusing me. “See? I told you his food wasn’t clean!” “Heartless beast! Shame on you!” “The kid’s stomach is ruined. Let’s see how you handle this.” While the crowd was in an uproar, I remained calm. From my angle, I could see the boy’s performance was quite amateur. I smiled and walked towards the boy, noticing a flash of panic cross his face. “As it happens, I used to study medicine. Let me take a look.” Without letting the boy struggle free, I quickly pinched the pressure point between his thumb and index finger. Feeling the sudden pain, the boy let out a yelp and sprang to his feet. “What’s this? Not hurting anymore?” I asked coldly, my gaze fixed on Marcus’s increasingly dark expression. “You hurt the young master. You’re gonna pay for this, kid,” Marcus growled. “If I let you keep your stall running, I’ll change my name! Let’s see how long you can keep giving out free food!” After throwing out these threats, Marcus left with the boy. As the crowd dispersed, Old Joe spoke to me earnestly. “Young man, you’d better find a different spot tomorrow.” I guessed and asked, “Is this ‘young master’ Marcus mentioned the child of some big shot at the school?” Old Joe sighed deeply and nodded at me. But no matter how big a shot they were, so what? I looked around at the row of storefronts near the school entrance. It really was quite a prime location…

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Every time my debt-ridden husband stayed overnight at his female assistant’s place, he would order a million-dollar coffee from my coffee shop. After three years of marriage, my bank account balance had reached 96 million. Until my husband bought my coffee for the 97th time, I received a screenshot of the order from his female assistant. “I want Miss Johnson to deliver it personally, and bring some condoms along.” I didn’t throw a fit. Instead, I personally delivered the coffee to the female assistant and thoughtfully included a couple’s pack of condoms. Seeing how understanding I was, my husband rewarded me by letting me accompany him to a high-end business dinner. But at the dinner, the female assistant caught the eye of a business partner. She smashed a bottle and held it to her neck, swearing she’d rather die than comply: “Jack, please don’t give me to someone else!” My usually serious husband suddenly panicked. With red eyes, he begged me to go entertain the business partner. “I promise it’s just drinks. I won’t let you suffer any grievances. After tonight, I’ll spend time with you properly.” Everyone in the private room was waiting for me to make a scene, but contrary to expectations, I agreed to go in her place. What the man didn’t know was that this was the 97th time he had hurt me. And I no longer wanted a future with him. I was just waiting to repay the ten billion debt I owed him. Then we would be even once and for all.

“Well, well! Coffee girl, your husband asked you to entertain, and you’re really going to do it!?” “And you say it’s not for the money. No normal person could accept their husband treating them like this!” After I agreed to entertain, those fair-weather friends who once begged to cooperate with the Thompson family circled around me, criticizing and mocking incessantly. “What else can she do? Isn’t her life just collateral? Did she really think getting married meant she could ride over Olivia?” “She’s just a leech sucking Jack’s blood. Being able to entertain for Olivia is worth the money Jack spent on her!” Amidst all this acidity and sarcasm, I watched as Jack held Olivia in his arms, his expression gentle as he constantly comforted her. Only occasionally would his gaze sweep over to me, taking everything in. He knew Olivia’s suicide attempt was just an act for attention, but he still indulged and comforted her gently: “If you don’t want to go, then don’t. I’ll always find a way to cover for you. But don’t be so impulsive in the future, it breaks my heart…” From beginning to end, all he cared about was Olivia’s well-being. He completely forgot that I was his wife. He also forgot that he went from having nothing to his current net worth of billions, all because of the resources I begged my father for on my knees back then. A moment later, Olivia calmed down from her panic under Jack’s comfort. I asked her which private room to go to, intending to fulfill the agreement, but Olivia hesitated and stammered. After Jack’s repeated promises, she finally grabbed my hand with tearful eyes, pretending to be reluctant: “Mr. Chen likes painting and wants me to be his nude model. I was wondering if you could take my place, sister-in-law, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t be willing…” Instantly, all eyes focused on me. But I only looked at Jack. I had already agreed to entertain, my dignity trampled under their feet. Was he really going to make me be some nude model for others to mock and play with their burning gazes? Seeing Olivia so carefully begging me, Jack’s eyes were full of distress. He looked at me intently: “Anna, Olivia isn’t feeling well. You’ve already agreed to entertain, it’s just being a model. You’ll agree, right?” My heart sank. I almost forgot that Jack always listened to Olivia. After all, she was Jack’s first love. If it weren’t for the Parker family’s obstruction, they would have been married long ago. Now that they were reunited, how could I, an empty shell occupying another’s nest, dare to hope for even a shred of pity from him? I struggled to control my trembling body and took a deep breath before asking him: “Can that count as one perfect score?” Perfect score? The people around laughed at my inexplicable words, but Jack frowned silently. He knew what I was talking about. He didn’t want to agree, but seeing Olivia about to kneel before me, he quickly made a decision: “It counts.” I smiled bitterly: “Alright, I agree.” Three years ago, when I was still a rich heiress, I was experiencing life by delivering coffee when I accidentally encountered Jack and fell in love with him. But when my family went bankrupt overnight and my parents died, I was crushed by a ten billion debt. It was Jack who came down from the heavens, proposing with a ten billion dowry to help me clear my debt. On our wedding night, after making love, I asked him how I could repay this kindness. He looked at me with tender eyes: “Then be my wife.” I was confused: “I’m already your wife now.” His kisses fell densely as he casually said: “Then… do 99 things that can earn my perfect score, or after I hurt you 99 times, this debt of gratitude will be written off.” For three years of marriage, he always treated me like a precious treasure, carefully and gently. Until two months ago, when Olivia returned from abroad, everything changed. Now it’s the 97th time. Just two more times, and I’ll have repaid my debt. Entering the business partner’s private room, it was filled with a hazy, ambiguous atmosphere. Men and women were intimately entangled, and the gazes directed at me were tinged with excitement. Jack suddenly hesitated and asked Olivia: “Is it really just modeling?” “What… what else could it be?” She hesitated for a moment. Jack wanted to say something more, but Olivia pulled him out of the room. Before leaving, he glanced at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. “Wait.” But before he could step out, the greasy man called out to the two of them, his voice tinged with displeasure. “Mr. Thompson! I asked for Miss Parker. You casually throwing someone else at me like this – have I offended you in some way?” The greasy man’s gaze swept over me and Jack, finally landing on Olivia, staring at her until she shivered. Olivia glanced at the shocked Jack, her expression righteous. “I heard Mr. Chen needed a nude model for painting. Miss Johnson has a nice figure, she’ll surely help you create a masterpiece.” “Mr. Chen, don’t you want to try?” As she finished speaking, she gave me a push. Suddenly, I was exposed to the greasy man’s leering gaze. That appraising look was slimy and sticky, making me shudder all over. It was only then that I realized the nude modeling Olivia spoke of actually meant letting me sleep with someone else. I felt like my throat was constricted, unable to breathe. I could only quickly look to Jack for help. Jack used to be very good to me, only changing after Olivia appeared, but at least I was still his wife now. Surely he wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing? But unexpectedly, Jack only showed a hint of anger before handing me a glass of wine: “Aren’t you going to toast Mr. Chen?” I struggled to control the violent heaving of my chest, but my feet were nailed to the spot. In a daze, Olivia turned and gave me an eerie smile. The next moment, my body moved uncontrollably towards the greasy man, spilling wine all over him. I fell onto the shattered glass shards, instantly cutting several bloody gashes on my arm. My face was also cut, oozing blood. The pain spread instantly, and I curled up on the ground, unable to hold back a cry of pain. Olivia screamed in shock: “Sister-in-law, if you didn’t want to toast, you could have just said so. You didn’t need to pretend to fall on purpose to anger Mr. Chen.” As soon as she finished speaking, the greasy man flew into a rage. But just as he was about to explode, he was intimidated by Jack’s icy face. He could only grit his teeth, wipe the wine off himself, and leave in a huff. Inside the private room, Jack’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, while I breathed a sigh of relief, wanting to quickly escape. I hadn’t taken more than a few stumbling steps when he grabbed my arm. Jack completely ignored my injuries, his mind full of Olivia’s provocative words. He berated me angrily: “Anna Johnson, I’ve warned you to put aside your petty thoughts. Look at what you’ve done!” “When I tell you to entertain, can’t you just smile? Have these years of poverty made you forget the etiquette of a wealthy heiress? Have you also forgotten the rules of high society? Don’t you know that just toasting would have ended this?” I unconsciously clenched my fists and looked at Jack. Gritting my teeth, I said: “But I’m your wife, and this so-called Mr. Chen is just a small supplier relying on your goodwill.” My meaning was clear. If he had just been unwilling, or even pointed out my identity, That Mr. Chen wouldn’t have dared to do this. The reason he was unwilling to point it out was just to cater to Olivia’s little vanity. Jack’s eyes suddenly became evasive under my gaze. But before he could speak, Olivia started berating me first. “Anna Johnson! How dare you speak to Jack like that! Have you forgotten that Jack bought you? Without him, you couldn’t even survive! If he wasn’t supporting you, who knows where you’d be selling your body now!” “What’s this? Just a small matter and you dare to get angry at Jack!” Olivia’s words stabbed at my heart one by one. My eyes instantly reddened. Jack raised an eyebrow, unusually angry at Olivia. “Enough! This won’t happen again! Go wait for me in the car.” After Olivia left, his expression changed to one of apology as he explained to me. “That’s just how she is. All that talk about buying and supporting, don’t take it to heart.” Jack glanced at my injured face and frowned. “Your face is hurt. Go to the hospital yourself first. I’ll come back to keep you company after I finish my work tonight.” He didn’t let me speak, just turned and left. But he was right, I didn’t need to keep taking it to heart anymore. Just two more times, and I’ll have repaid my debt. In the future, I won’t need him to support me either.

After going to the hospital, I got home around midnight. He didn’t come back in the evening as he said he would, and I didn’t inquire as I usually did. The next day, his assistant brought me his compensation – two black cards. This was Jack’s default compensation after hurting me each time. He specifically emphasized that one card was an apology for making me entertain, and the other was compensation for forcing me to be a nude model. Expressionlessly, I labeled the two black cards with the numbers 96 and 97 and carelessly stuffed them into a drawer. Looking at the drawer full of black cards, I knew that I would soon be free. After packing up some personal belongings, I headed downstairs towards the stables. Jack had given me many things, but I didn’t want any of them. The only thing I wanted to take was the horse named Snowflake. It was a birthday gift from my parents when I turned 18, and after the bankruptcy, it was all I had left. But Jack hated animals, yet he still built a stable just for Snowflake, for my sake. Seeing me come to feed the horse, a servant smiled and said, “Madam, the master is already feeding the horse.” I was stunned. He was always so attentive to small things, making me think he had truly fallen in love with me. I went over expressionlessly, intending to get the last two perfect scores. But when I arrived at the stable and saw the situation clearly, my heart instantly chilled! Olivia was riding on Snowflake’s back, viciously whipping the horse’s head. Snowflake whinnied in pain repeatedly. And Jack stood by with interest, just watching. He clearly knew that Snowflake was my most beloved horse! Yet he still watched Olivia beat it. I rushed over, screaming frantically: “Stop! It’s my horse! Don’t hit it!” Seeing me run over in panic, Olivia landed two more vicious lashes before stopping: “Sister-in-law, so Snowflake belongs to you? Jack said he had a particularly unruly horse here, so he brought me to play with it.” “I really like this horse. Sister-in-law, could you sell it to me?” Jack also came forward, frowning as he looked at me: “What are you yelling for? Don’t you know Olivia’s mental state isn’t good? There are other more expensive horses in the stable. Just give Snowflake to Olivia and pick any of the others you want, isn’t that fine?” I looked at him in dismay: “Have you forgotten? This is the heirloom my parents left me.” Jack was stunned for a moment. Just when I thought he would tell Olivia to get down, He said: “Just this once. I’ll buy you a better one later, okay?” Olivia immediately threw down the whip, stroking Snowflake’s head with eyes full of reluctance and tears: “Jack, if sister-in-law is unwilling, then forget it. It’s me who’s trying to take what others love and making myself disliked. I’m so despicable, I don’t deserve such a good horse. Don’t force sister-in-law.” This made Jack even more distressed. He emphasized again that I should give Snowflake to Olivia. I looked at him in shock. Olivia clearly knew how important Snowflake was to me and was deliberately trying to upset me. But Jack just indulged her. I didn’t want to speak. I just went forward to lead Snowflake away. But Jack caught up and grabbed me. “It’s just an animal. If Olivia wants it, give it to her. You’re living off me, can’t I make decisions about your horse?” Even though I was willing to die rather than sign, he forcibly pressed my handprint onto the sales agreement. Olivia said haughtily: “Sister-in-law, your horse is mine now.” At that moment, Snowflake seemed to sense something and kept whinnying at me. The next second, Olivia viciously stabbed the whip into Snowflake’s eye. My heart sank sharply: “Snowflake!” Snowflake reared in pain and started galloping wildly. Olivia swayed chaotically on its back, screaming in terror: “Jack, save me!” Jack was scared out of his wits. He found a hunting rifle in the storage room and aimed at the horse’s head, ready to shoot. I frantically blocked the gun barrel, begging him: “Don’t shoot! I can calm Snowflake down, I can—” “Get out of the way!” Before I could finish, Jack had already roughly pushed me aside, aimed again, and pulled the trigger. With a bang, the bullet pierced through Snowflake’s skull. The horse fell to the ground. Snowflake was lifeless, and my heart felt like it had been stabbed through. I hugged the horse’s body and cried until I was numb. In my daze, I heard Jack and Olivia’s conversation: “Jack, sister-in-law…” “An animal died, so it died. As long as you’re okay, that’s what matters.” “It’s fine, I’ll count this as one perfect score for her. After all…” “There are still dozens more to go.” No, there weren’t. There was only one left. After cremating Snowflake, I returned home and took out my diary. Snowflake was the last memento my parents left me, but because of my powerlessness, it died. Perhaps Mom and Dad were telling me from heaven that everything should end, that nothing should bind me anymore. With tears in my eyes, I wrote the number 98 at the end of the dense list of numbers. But then a shadow fell across my desk. I quickly turned around and saw Jack’s tightly furrowed brows. He looked at my diary with a dark face, an uneasy feeling rising in his heart: “What does this 98 mean?”

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I was Lucas’s first love, standing by his side through those difficult years. He swore he’d love me forever, even if we were apart. He promised his love for me would never change. Later, when I finally returned, we got together as we had always planned. But something seemed different. “Lucas, help me, please… please help me…” A soft, sobbing voice came through the phone, sounding like a mewling kitten. Lucas’s hand tightened on his phone. He glanced at me instinctively. Our eyes met, and I saw a flash of panic in his. He took a deep breath and spoke coldly into the phone, “I’m busy right now.” Then he hung up. I watched him put down the phone and pick up his pen again, but his writing was rushed and messy. Just like his inner turmoil at that moment. I sighed, “What’s wrong?” “Nothing!” Our voices rang out simultaneously. Once again, I saw the panic in his eyes, followed by worry. I suddenly felt like laughing. But before I could, his phone buzzed again. It was a SnapChat message. As he picked it up to look, I caught a glimpse of the screen. I couldn’t see clearly, but it seemed to be an arm covered in bruises. Lucas couldn’t sit still any longer. He stood up abruptly. “Hazel, I… I have something urgent at work. Can I…” “If it’s urgent, go ahead.” I might have agreed too quickly. Lucas was visibly taken aback. He looked at me, hesitating. I smiled slightly, “What’s wrong? Don’t you have something urgent?” “Oh, right. I’ll… I’ll go then.” Lucas glanced at the wedding invitations spread out on the table, bit his lip, but still turned to leave. As the door closed, I let out a long sigh. I felt like all the bones had been sucked out of my body. I collapsed onto the sofa, feeling utterly drained. Everywhere I looked, there were unfinished wedding invitations. I picked up the one he had been working on and looked at it. Suddenly, I laughed out loud. “We joyfully invite you to celebrate our wedding…” At the bottom, the names — Groom: Lucas. Bride… Natalie.

I’m Hazel, Lucas’s first love, his ideal love, the person he cherished for many years. And Natalie? She’s his ex-girlfriend. Complicated, isn’t it? When I first found out, I was quite shocked too. Later, I learned that when I wasn’t around, Natalie had been there for him, accompanying him through those sad and difficult times. She shielded him from the wind and rain, cared for him, and never backed down even when faced with his cold sarcasm. She stubbornly stayed by his side. When I heard this, I was quite moved. I almost teared up. If only it wasn’t about my boyfriend. When I found out Lucas had a new girlfriend, I was genuinely stunned. How could the boy who had sworn and promised to wait for me when I left have someone else by his side? Later, Lucas explained to me that he had missed me so much that he drank to numb the pain, even drinking until he had a stomach ulcer. It was Natalie who took care of him tirelessly, working herself to exhaustion without complaint. Until she fainted in front of him, he finally felt sympathy. He agreed to her request. “Hazel, I didn’t change my heart. I just felt sorry for her, so… We agreed that when you came back, she would leave.” Lucas held my hand, his eyes red, begging desperately, “I didn’t betray you. It’s just that the days without you were really hard to bear.” “When I was sick in the hospital, I wished so much that it was you by my side.” Hearing these words, my heart was immediately filled with guilt. Seeing the caution in his eyes as he looked at me, I finally couldn’t bear it. This was the boy I had loved since I was young. During my six years abroad, I thought about him constantly. To be able to return and be with him sooner, I put in so much effort. This relationship had lasted for over a decade. Even if his heart had strayed momentarily, I should forgive him. Yes, I should forgive him. At least when I came back, he had ended things cleanly with Natalie. He only had me in his heart. That’s what I always believed. But reality seemed to always go against me, pouring cold water on me when I was full of joy.

I sighed and put away all the unfinished invitations. Originally, we had agreed to spend the weekend doing nothing but writing invitations. I didn’t expect an emergency to come up. He left, and I couldn’t continue writing either. As for whether we would write them in the future, I wasn’t sure. The invitation with “Natalie” written as the bride’s name, I packed separately. I don’t know why I did that. Such an eyesore should have been thrown away. After tidying up, I went back to my parents’ home. My mom was surprised to see me when she opened the door: “Why are you suddenly back?” Then she looked behind me expectantly. I knew who she was looking for and smiled, “Lucas is busy with work. I came back alone.” “About to get married and still so busy all the time.” Although she sounded disapproving, the smile on my mom’s face was undeniable. She was very satisfied with Lucas. Or rather, she was very satisfied now. Initially, she was the one most opposed to us being together. She said, “Children from unhappy families often have character flaws. And with his family being so chaotic, you’ll have a lot to deal with in the future.” But I didn’t care. I didn’t care that his parents had divorced early due to a bad relationship, nor did I care that his dad often caused trouble when drunk and had a bad reputation. In my eyes, Lucas would always be that young hero who would stand up for me when I was in danger. A hero who belonged only to me. During the years I was away, Lucas worked hard to improve himself. He got a good and respectable job, and even bought a house and a car with his own efforts. In my parents’ eyes, he became someone worthy of entrusting their daughter to. So my mom no longer opposed our relationship. She even urged us to get married soon. “You left for abroad right after college graduation. It’s been six years since you came back. You’re already thirty now. If you don’t get married soon, you’ll become an old maid.” I had just returned not long ago when I heard this. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I told Lucas about it as a joke. But he took it seriously. The next day, he went to buy a ring and proposed to me. In front of everyone, including Natalie. Lucas knelt on one knee: “Hazel, will you marry me?” I was in tears, nodding and saying “I do.” As he put the ring on my finger, I caught a glimpse of Natalie from the corner of my eye. She was in tears too. Seeming to notice my gaze, she paused for a moment, then turned and left. She left quite noisily, catching Lucas’s attention. He seemed to want to go after her. I instinctively held him back. Lucas suddenly came to his senses and quickly explained, “I must have seen wrong.” I nodded, not saying anything. But the panic I felt at that moment was real.

After the proposal, meeting the parents, getting engaged, planning the wedding… everything proceeded step by step, as usual. Lucas, as he said, cut off all contact with Natalie. Never contacted her again. At least that’s what I thought. If I hadn’t woken up in the middle of the night and heard him talking on the phone in the bathroom, I would have believed it. “Alright, alright, stop crying. Where are you? I’ll come find you now.” “It’s okay, I’m here. No one can bully you.” “Ten minutes, I’ll be right there!” Listening to that anxious voice from the bathroom, I could imagine his expression at that moment. His brows must have been furrowed, his face tense. One hand holding the phone, the other gesturing in the air as if comforting someone. He once said, “Even if I’m not by your side, at least I can comfort you this way.” I was lost in memories when I heard the door open. Instinctively, I grabbed the doorknob, pretending I was about to push the door open. I ran into Lucas unexpectedly. “Hazel, why are you…” The fleeting panic on Lucas’s face was clear as day to me. But I still pretended not to know, squinting my eyes, “I need to use the bathroom.” Then I yawned, as if just realizing, “Oh, why are you in here?” As soon as I finished speaking, I saw him let out a relieved sigh. His whole demeanor relaxed. “I just finished too. Go ahead.” He reached out to ruffle my hair. I avoided it by lowering my head and rubbing my eyes. Lucas didn’t seem to mind. Before I closed the door, he said, “Sam just called me. He has some urgent business. I’m going to check it out.” I kept my head down, my hand on the door tightening secretly. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at him: “It’s so late. Can you not go?” Lucas’s face showed a hint of difficulty: “From his tone, it seems he’s in trouble. He’s my buddy, I can’t ignore him.” “Don’t worry, I’ll be back as soon as I deal with it. Nothing will happen.” I took another deep breath: “Then let me go with you. Two people are safer than one.” Not surprisingly, Lucas refused. “It’s late at night. It’s not safe for a girl like you.” “Don’t worry, don’t you trust me to handle things?” With that, he turned and left. I heard the sound of the door closing and suddenly felt like my whole body had gone limp. I leaned against the door and slowly crouched down. Staring at the floor in front of me, everything looked blurry. He seemed to be by my side, but why did I always feel like I couldn’t hold onto him?

That night, Lucas didn’t come back. The next day, Sam called to apologize: “Hazel, I’m sorry. Lucas helped me deal with something last night. It was too late, so I didn’t let him go back. Don’t be angry. I’ll treat you to a meal another day to make up for it.” I smiled, “You better not go back on your word.” “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t.” After hanging up the phone, the smile on my face gradually disappeared. I wasn’t surprised that Sam would lie for him. They were best friends, close enough to share everything. The tacit understanding between them didn’t need excessive words. A single glance was enough to understand each other’s meaning. Helping a buddy deal with his girlfriend’s interrogation was second nature to him. Later, Lucas came back, specially bringing me a small cake. “I’m sorry. I said I’d be back early, but I didn’t expect things to be so complicated. By the time it was dealt with, it was already dawn. I couldn’t hold on, so I slept at Sam’s place.” Lucas explained with an apologetic smile. He presented the cake to me like a peace offering: “Don’t be angry. Eat something sweet, it’ll make you feel better.” I looked at the cake, then at him. Suddenly, I smiled. “It’s good that you’re okay.” Seeing me smile, Lucas also breathed a sigh of relief. “Shall I cut the cake for you?” I shook my head: “I’m on a diet. I can’t eat it.” “What diet? My wife is the most beautiful.” The usual sweet talk, but I felt a bit nauseated hearing it. I shook my head again: “No, I have to maintain my figure. Otherwise, I won’t fit into the wedding dress.” Hearing this, he had no choice but to give up and ate the small cake himself. Actually, I didn’t need to diet. I could have eaten it. But the store that sold that cake was unique in the city. It was right near Natalie’s house. Miles away from Sam’s place. Lucas thought I didn’t know, but I knew everything. But I didn’t say anything.

On the day of trying on wedding dresses, Lucas cleared his schedule in advance. He arranged all his work. He said, “Nothing and no one can disturb me when I witness my wife at her most beautiful moment.” Seeing his serious expression, I felt a surge of sweetness in my heart, diluting some of the previous bitterness. I thought, maybe it’s not so bad after all. Even if they were just ordinary friends, he couldn’t stand by and do nothing. He had always been a brave person. That’s why I fell for him in the first place. We were in the bridal shop, trying on dress after dress, selecting the most suitable one. Lucas gave his opinions seriously, showing no dissatisfaction despite the tedious process. Even the shop assistant praised him. My mood was getting better and better. I once again felt the joy of getting married. Until his phone rang. I watched him take out his phone and walk to the side to answer the call. He came back soon after, stuttering a bit: “A friend is nearby. She heard we’re choosing wedding dresses and wants to come take a look.” I lowered my head, fiddling with the tassels on the wedding dress. After a moment, I looked up at him and smiled: “Sure, the more opinions, the better.” Seeing that I wasn’t upset, Lucas secretly breathed a sigh of relief and turned to run out. As soon as he left, the smile on my face vanished. I turned to look at myself in the mirror. The smile frozen on my face looked like it had been drawn on. Like a clown.

Lucas came back quickly. Natalie was following behind him. As usual, she was shy and timid, hiding behind Lucas, peeking out timidly. She glanced at me quickly, then hurriedly lowered her head. When she greeted me, her voice was as quiet as a mosquito’s hum: “Sister Hazel, hello.” I looked at her and suddenly understood why Lucas would be moved. Such a delicate flower, fragile and pitiful, in need of love and care. And yet she could bear the pressure and stay by Lucas’s side without complaint. A weak girl gritting her teeth and putting on a brave face – how could a man not be moved? Lucas had always been somewhat macho. He liked submission, not assertiveness. I often had my own opinions, which he found somewhat objectionable. And I would never hide behind him like Natalie did. As if he was her safe harbor, her whole world. Seeing that I hadn’t spoken for a long time, just staring at her, she became a bit flustered. She tugged gently at Lucas’s clothes, swaying slightly, seeking help. Lucas turned his head and gave her a reassuring look. He then turned to me: “Hazel, Natalie is greeting you.” I watched their little interaction and suddenly felt like laughing. But I held it in. I nodded, considering it as having returned the greeting. I turned to face the mirror, admiring my wedding dress. Through the mirror, I saw a flash of anger cross Lucas’s face, gone in an instant. At that moment, my heart felt blocked, as if a stone was pressing on it, making it hard to breathe. I took a deep breath, trying hard not to show it. But I still failed. Because I heard Natalie say: “Sister Hazel looks so beautiful in the wedding dress. I want to try one too. I wonder if that’s okay.” And Lucas, my fiancé, said: “Of course.” “If you like it, try it on. It’s fine.” Then he took a wedding dress and handed it to Natalie. As luck would have it, it was one of the dresses we had decided to keep for final selection earlier. At that moment, the anger in my heart suddenly couldn’t be contained anymore—

“That’s my wedding dress. Put it down.” Natalie’s hand trembled, and the wedding dress fell to the ground. Lucas’s smile also froze instantly. He frowned at me, looking displeased. The accusation in his eyes almost made me lose my balance. I clenched my fists, the pain in my palms making me more clear-headed. “If you want to try on a wedding dress, there are plenty over there. This is one I’ve chosen, and I don’t want anyone else taking it.” I emphasized the words “taking it” heavily. Natalie’s little face instantly turned pale. Her body swayed, as if she was about to collapse. Seeing this, Lucas hurriedly supported her, letting her lean against his chest. “Natalie, are you okay?” Natalie shook her head, glanced at me, then quickly lowered her head again. Her weak and pitiful appearance really made people feel sorry for her. Lucas felt sorry for her. He held Natalie and shouted at me: “Hazel, it’s just a wedding dress, do you have to be so aggressive? Natalie is timid, why are you bullying her!” Bullying her? Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh. I felt particularly confused and didn’t understand. “How am I bullying her?” I walked forward and picked up the wedding dress from the ground. “This dress, you just said I looked good in it and that it could be the main dress for the wedding. Then you want to give the dress chosen for me to your ex-girlfriend to wear.” I looked at the two of them embracing, the smile on my face growing wider. “Lucas, how many years has it been since the Qing Dynasty fell? Are you still dreaming of having a harem?” “Hazel, I…” Lucas seemed to finally realize his behavior was inappropriate and instinctively pushed Natalie away. I watched her stumble, almost falling, yet staring at Lucas with big eyes full of hurt. It seemed Lucas’s letting go hurt her more. But Lucas only looked at me, wanting to explain something but at a loss for words. I didn’t want to listen. “Lucas, when she’s wronged, you comfort her. When I’m wronged, you yell at me.” “If you can’t tell who your girlfriend is, then there’s no need for this wedding.” With that, I turned and went into the changing room, taking off the wedding dress. When I came out, I found that Lucas and Natalie were gone. At that moment, it felt like I had been slapped out of nowhere. My face hurt, and so did my heart.

The shop assistant was a gentle girl. Seeing me looking lost, she came forward to explain: “Just after you went in, that girl fainted. Your… boyfriend carried her away. They probably went to the hospital.” Fainted? What a coincidence. I smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “Then the wedding dress…” “Just that one.” I pointed to the one that had fallen on the ground earlier. “Please pack it up for me, thank you.” The shop assistant seemed to want to say something but ultimately said nothing and went to process the bill. As she saw me out, she suddenly comforted me: “Marriage isn’t the destination of love. If you feel confused, why not stop and think it over carefully?” I was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded. But in my heart, it felt like a wasteland, overgrown with weeds, lifeless. Something that outsiders could see through at a glance, I was still unwilling to let go. When I got home, I took out the wedding dress, hung it up, and carefully smoothed it out. As white as snow, adorned with exquisite rhinestones, sparkling under the light. It really was beautiful. No wonder Natalie liked it too. I heard the door open but ignored it, continuing to smooth out the small wrinkles in the skirt. Until someone came up behind me and hugged me tightly. “Hazel…” His voice was full of longing and dependence. As if I was his whole world. Every time he called me like this, my heart would tremble. “Hazel, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through today.” “Natalie’s parents favor boys over girls and treat her badly. When I was there to protect her, things were a bit better. Now that we’ve separated, her parents have become even worse. They found her a man twenty years older than her, and disabled, just because he could give a $20,000 bride price. She was scared, that’s why she came to me for help.” “I won’t let her appear in front of you again, okay? Don’t be angry. Forgive me, please.” I listened to him explaining and apologizing humbly, but my heart felt nothing. Strangely, it was as if it had nothing to do with me.

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To help his adopted sister, Rosalind Sterling, get taller, my brother Ashton Sterling forced me, Seraphina Sterling, to give her my legs for grafting. He found a preacher, a man calling himself a True God, who hacked my legs off with an axe while I was still conscious. Worried his precious Rosalind might feel guilty, Ashton then ordered someone to shove dog legs into the bleeding stumps, claiming they were specially made, lifelike prosthetics for me. The agony was unbearable. My wounds weren’t treated, weren’t even cleaned, left to fester along with the filth from my loss of bodily control, the stench sickening. But Ashton forbade the caregivers from helping me. “Still got the energy to scream? Means it doesn’t hurt enough. No medicine for her for a few days. Let her learn her lesson.” Near death, I used my last ounce of strength to drag myself off the bed, crawling towards the door, wanting only to beg Ashton for a shred of dignity in my final moments. But he kicked me away with cold eyes. “Disgusting. Don’t scare Rosalind.” Later, when he heard wild dogs had dragged my body away, Ashton scoured the mountains and knelt in every church, desperate just to find my bones, to bring me home.

When my adoptive mother, Lucinda Fairfax, returned home carrying my ravaged remains, bones gnawed clean by wild animals, Ashton was in the middle of ordering men to destroy our home, Lucinda’s and mine. The inside was already smashed to pieces. The stray cats I’d taken in were terrified, fur on end, hiding in corners. Lucinda rushed inside, shielding the cats like a mother hen protecting her chicks, pointing a trembling finger at Ashton as she cursed him, “These little ones were the last thing Seraphina cared about! They’re all she had left! “You monster! You already killed her! Isn’t that enough?” Ashton sneered, “Tsk, still playing the dedicated cat lover? Fake death, huh? Even if she were really dead, I wouldn’t donate a penny to this broken place. “The legs she gave up were too skinny anyway. Tell her to crawl back out here and saw off another section for Rosalind, or else I’ll kill these pests!” Lucinda swayed on her feet. She clutched the bag in her arms tighter, whispering, “She’s gone. She’s already dead! “She’s right here, in this bag! If you don’t believe me, take it and get it tested! Just please, leave these kittens alone! Seraphina won’t rest in peace if you hurt them!” For a fleeting second, Ashton seemed moved, but then he violently swatted the bag away. “Trying to trick me with a bag of pork?” Lucinda’s eyes were red as she scrambled to protect my remains, but Ashton stepped forward, grinding the bloody fragments under his heel. He grabbed Lucinda by the hair. “Old hag, hand her over, now!” Tears streamed down Lucinda’s face from the pain. One of the cats darted forward anxiously, only to be kicked away hard by Ashton. That was the first cat I ever rescued. She was fifteen years old. I wanted to pick her up, to soothe her, but my spectral form passed right through her again and again. Just then, Ashton shoved Lucinda away. Lucinda was in too much pain to cry out, but she still struggled to crawl over, gathering my scattered remains back into the bag. “Seraphina… Seraphina… I’m so sorry…” Seeing this, Ashton let out a cold laugh. “Still acting? I bet Seraphina learned how to ruthlessly bully Rosalind from an old hag like you! “If she’s dead, I’ll set off fireworks all night to celebrate one less menace in the world!” Just as he finished speaking, his subordinate, Cole Banks, walked in and reported, “Mr. Sterling, we haven’t found any trace of Ms. Seraphina Sterling!” “Ha, very well.” Ashton laughed, choked with anger, “Let’s see how long she can hide!” With that, he dragged Lucinda to the pigsty entrance and ordered his men to dump a bucket of pig feed over her. “Seraphina’s remains, huh? Still pretty fresh. What, couldn’t you even bother to make your scam look realistic? “So precious, are they? Let’s give the pigs a treat!” He then emptied the contents of the bag into the pigpen and tossed Lucinda aside. “If Seraphina doesn’t crawl out by sunset tomorrow, I’ll turn this place into a cat graveyard!” As he left, he spat into the pigpen. His followers did the same, one after another. One man even urinated directly onto the remains. Lucinda, despite being at her absolute limit, shielded my ravaged body with her own, letting the urine soak her completely. The cats meowed incessantly. A few, passing near where my spirit stood, let out mournful cries.

That night, Lucinda packed her bags ahead of time. She didn’t dare gamble with the cats’ lives. But just as she was about to load the cats for escape, their terrified screams echoed from the yard. Lucinda rushed out frantically, only to find Ashton standing there with an electric shock baton, watching her with vicious eyes. “Where do you think you’re going?” Lucinda weakly opened and closed her mouth. “What will it take… for you to leave us alone?” “Hand over Seraphina.” At his words, Lucinda’s eyes reddened again. She looked close to breaking. “Seraphina is dead! “You killed her!” Ashton stared coldly at Lucinda, then scoffed, “Old hag, I’ve already exposed your act. Stop pretending! “She played the cat lover, slept with rich old men for money… If she died, wasn’t it all for nothing?” I stared blankly at Ashton, my ghostly heart aching. Lucinda couldn’t hold back anymore and screamed at him, “Seraphina is your sister, the one you lost for ten years! How dare you speak such nonsense about your own sister? “Do you have any idea what she gave up for these cats? She’d rather starve herself…” Ashton interrupted Lucinda with a vicious slap, “I only have one sister, and her name is Rosalind.” Beside him, Rosalind heard this and clung to Ashton’s arm coquettishly. “Oh, Ashton, Seraphina would be so sad to hear you say that. It’s my fault for taking her place… I should go apologize to her. I’ve learned all my manners now…” Ashton pulled her back protectively. He gently wiped the corner of her eye, his own eyes full of concern. “Rosalind, you’re too kind. If it weren’t for Seraphina, you never would have suffered so much out in the countryside.” “Seraphina only wanted what was best for me, too.” Rosalind covered her mouth with a delicate cough, spitting blood into her palm. Seeing the blood, Ashton panicked. “What’s wrong?” Rosalind refused to speak. He immediately dialed a doctor, frantic. After hearing the diagnosis, that I had supposedly poisoned Rosalind, he exploded with rage, “That bitch! “I was actually considering giving that bitch a shred of dignity! But she refuses to learn! Fine, then they can all just die!” He stormed towards his car, ignoring Lucinda’s desperate attempts to block him, and slammed his foot on the accelerator, aiming straight for the cats huddled together. Most of the cats were old or disabled. Lucinda threw herself in front of them multiple times, only to be hit by the car, spitting blood, collapsing, unable to get up. All she could do was watch the cats shriek in terror. I threw my spectral self in front of the car, but I couldn’t save them. “Ashton! Please! Don’t hurt them! Don’t…” Suddenly, Cole ran out, waving frantically at Ashton. “Mr. Sterling! I just unlocked the old hag’s phone! I found Ms. Seraphina Sterling’s death certificate! It looks like… she really is dead!” Ashton’s eyes widened, and his foot eased off the gas. He looked utterly disbelieving, but just then, a new notification pinged on his phone. It was a bank transfer confirmation with five hundred thousand dollars received. The sender was me. But how could a dead person transfer money? At this, Ashton’s disbelief instantly curdled back into white-hot fury. “Dare to mess with me? “Seraphina! Well played! “You guys! Get the bulldozers! Bury this entire place! I’m turning it into a graveyard right now!” At his command, the machines roared to life, tearing down our home. “No! Don’t do this…” I sank to my knees, begging him, pleading with him not to hurt Lucinda and the cats. But Lucinda and my beloved furballs were buried beneath the dirt and rubble. I collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably. I murmured, “I’m sorry. “It’s all my fault you suffered.”

I had no choice but to follow Ashton. Back in the car, Ashton carefully covered Rosalind with a blanket. Noticing bloodstains on the hem of her skirt, he saw that the wounds on her legs were oozing pus. “Seraphina’s legs are as cheap and nasty as she is! She must have pulled some trick! Why else would they work fine for her but cause you so much suffering!” Rosalind consoled Ashton dutifully, “Ashton, it’s just my bad luck. Don’t blame…” Before she could finish, she fainted. Ashton panicked, running several red lights to rush her to the True God preacher’s place, which seemed more like a strange church than a clinic. After examining her, the preacher looked gravely at Ashton. “Ms. Rosalind Sterling’s issue is simple. Limbs work best when they share the same origin. Her legs were replaced, but her hands weren’t. They don’t match. This causes a conflict. “It won’t affect her lifespan, but the wounds will frequently become inflamed. Of course, the best solution would be to replace her hands as well.” Ashton frowned. “Why didn’t you mention this before…” Rosalind tugged at his sleeve weakly. “Seraphina just lost her legs… even with prosthetics, losing her hands too would drastically impact her life. “I can endure it. I have more than enough love already. Seraphina has repaid any debt she owed me. It’s okay if I die a little sooner.” Ashton gently took Rosalind’s hand, rubbing it tenderly, his heart aching for her. “I will provide whatever you want. “Seraphina is nothing but an ungrateful viper! She’s a menace to society anyway. Just making her give up her hands… she owes you far more than that. Even her life wouldn’t be enough to repay you. Consider it her way of earning some good karma.” But I didn’t owe her anything. I was the true heiress of the Sterling family, but I was switched at birth in the hospital. Ashton found me when I was twelve, claiming to be my long-lost brother. He promised to make up for those twelve lost years, promised to make me a happy princess. At first, he did just that. Back then, when Rosalind secretly arranged for others to bully me, Ashton investigated thoroughly and immediately sent Rosalind back to her biological parents. Because her own family favored sons over daughters, Rosalind endured three years of abuse there. Ashton felt guilty. His way of easing his guilt was to sacrifice me. Just then, Ashton’s voice broke through my thoughts. “By the way, Rosalind’s heart hasn’t been feeling well lately. Master, can Seraphina’s heart be transplanted to Rosalind as well? “Don’t worry. I’m Seraphina’s legal guardian. As long as I sign the consent, she won’t dare refuse.”

Half an hour later, Ashton drove towards the hospital. At the parking gate, two security guards changing shifts were chatting. “Heard we need to beef up patrols now, especially on the wards with patients who don’t have family visiting.” “That girl who had the accident…” “Don’t even mention it. The human body with dog legs… nearly scared me to death!” “Those dog legs were jammed right into her thigh stumps, wired tightly together with steel wire! The bone inside the flesh was practically sticking out! Gave me nightmares for days!” “Heard her family’s loaded, but they wouldn’t even cough up the five hundred thousand for proper treatment. By the time they finally scraped it together, the girl was already gone.” Ashton’s hands clenched on the steering wheel. He stared at the guards, his voice tight with fear. “The girl you’re talking about… her name wasn’t… Seraphina, was it?” One guard glanced at him. “Don’t know her name. But the ones who picked up her body were two huge, thuggish-looking guys. Probably her brothers or something.” Ashton let out a breath of relief. Just then, his phone pinged. A message from Rosalind with a link to my supposed Twitter account. The post had countless likes. It showed someone who looked vaguely like me, partying hard at a nightclub. Rosalind’s voice message followed. “Ashton, I’m so envious of Seraphina. Will I ever be able to dance freely like her? Will I ever be truly happy?” “Slut!” Ashton spat the word, completely missing that the face in the video only bore a slight resemblance to mine. “That damn bitch Seraphina! I’ve been looking everywhere for her. She faked her death to mess with me, and now she dares to provoke me! “Go grab her cheap mother. I’m making them pay today!” Before he could finish, one of his subordinates rushed in. “Mr. Sterling, bad news! Ms. Rosalind Sterling’s legs are bleeding heavily again! She’s refusing treatment, and… she slit her wrists!” Ashton sprinted into the hospital room in terror. “Rosalind! What happened? Don’t scare me…” “I’m fine… I just… I just feel like I can never be as happy as Seraphina…” Rosalind stood up, showing a weak, apologetic smile, blood seeping through the bandages on her wrists. “Maybe it’s better if I just die.” With that, she collapsed onto the floor. Ashton watched in horror as she was rushed into the emergency room. He sank to his knees, his eyes wide with disbelief. “She dares provoke Rosalind! “She deserves to die!” He looked up at Cole, who stood nearby. “She wants to play games? Fine. I’ll play. “Dig up every piece of dirt on Seraphina. Leak it all online. I want her infamous across the entire internet!” But Cole couldn’t find any dirt on me. Instead, he carefully edited photos of Ashton abusing the cats, removing context, and posted them on the official Sterling Group website. Ashton even made a video. “Bullying her sister, terrorizing classmates, shamelessly sleeping with businessmen, abusing animals… a person like this does not deserve to be part of the Sterling family! “If anyone sees her, please contact me immediately! Generous reward offered! “Let’s make sure this trash gets what she deserves!” The internet exploded in outrage. “FindTheEvilSeraphina” started trending everywhere. Just as Ashton was reveling in his apparent victory, a major online influencer tagged him. The video showed Lucinda kneeling in front of the Sterling Group building. Behind her, a banner read: [Exposing the inhumane Sterling family, who forced Seraphina to death.] Bound to Ashton, I followed him as he went, my spectral form arriving alongside him at the Sterling Group building.

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In order to pay off the debts of my husband, Scott Moore, who had failed in his investment, and also to treat my daughter, Laura Moore, I worked as a waitress during the day, delivered food on takeout orders at night, and even sold one of my kidneys on the black market. Right after getting off the operating table in that illegal clinic, I insisted on hurrying to the wealthy villa area to do the cleaning job. My colleague said enviously, “Be careful when you’re washing this precious floor. This villa, worth fifty million dollars, was given by Mr. Moore to his fiancée. That woman is so lucky. I heard that just because she threw a tantrum once, Mr. Moore bought her a luxury car worth over ten million dollars in full payment.” I clenched my fists tightly and felt an icy chill all over my body. There was a photo of them on the bedside table. On the messy big bed were black silk stockings stained with some white substance. The man who was smiling gently in the photo, the one my colleague had just mentioned, turned out to be my husband, who had already gone bankrupt.

Laura’s heart disease suddenly got worse. The doctor called me in a hurry and said that a suitable heart donor that matched her had been found. I cried and begged the doctor to give me more time to raise the money, but all the money in our family was with Scott. I called him several times, and he hung up on me again and again. When I finally managed to get the call through, he roared impatiently, “Angela! I’m talking about cooperation with the investor! Can you stop bothering me?” As soon as he finished speaking, he hung up the phone. In a desperate situation, I could only clutch that advertisement for selling a kidney on the utility pole. Just coming out of that small clinic, I didn’t care about the wound on my waist that was still bleeding, and I stumbled back to the hospital. After signing my name on the operation consent form, I finally felt at ease. Laura looked at me with tears and said, “Mom, is my illness never going to get better? Don’t spend any more money on me…” I stroked her pale face and comforted her, “Don’t worry. I’ve raised the money. You’ll get better right after the operation tomorrow!” But thinking of the huge debts Scott owed, the medical expenses and the money for nutritional supplements after Laura’s operation, I endured the sharp pain of the wound on my waist and went to the housekeeping company to do the cleaning job again. I could earn one hundred dollars for doing a cleaning job, and then I could buy some nutritional products for them at night. I was working in the wealthy villa area, and maybe I could get more tips. When I got to the door of the villa, there was still a bit of hope in my heart. But when I saw that couple photo with dazzling crystals on the bedside table, I froze. In the photo, Scott was dressed in a suit, wearing an expensive watch that I had never seen before. He was so different from the husband I remembered, who claimed to be bankrupt and lived a thrifty life. The beautiful woman snuggling closely beside him was exactly the investor he had mentioned every day, Sarah Jensen! The mop in my hand dropped to the ground. I took out my phone with trembling hands. The screensaver of my phone was a photo of him and me smiling. I thought, “Could he have a twin brother?” But I quickly dismissed this absurd idea. I was too familiar with that small mole at the corner of his eye in the photo. I stood there stiffly, not even having the courage to call and question him. My colleague pushed me and said, “Angela, what are you doing? The house owner, Ms. Jensen, will come to check soon!” I quickly pulled up my mask and covered my face with the brim of my hat, only daring to look around with the corner of my eyes. Scott walked in confidently, wearing a neat and high-class suit with one hand in his pocket. My eyes were bloodshot. I forced myself to start mopping the floor. When I was cleaning the living room, my fingertips hooked out a small ball of used tissue from the gap in the sofa. It was stained with glaring lipstick marks, and there were also several obviously used condoms beside it. Feeling a sharp pain in my chest, I forced myself to hold back my nausea and threw those dirty things into the trash can. My colleague leaned over and whispered with a sigh, “Rich people know how to have fun! Mr. Moore is so generous that he must have spoiled Ms. Jensen!” Another colleague said, “Yeah. He’s rich and handsome. Ms. Jensen is lucky!” Those harsh words cut into my heart like knives. I covered my mouth tightly to keep myself from vomiting. “Scott, I’ve brought Kelly back.” Sarah walked in holding the hand of a pretty little girl. Sarah’s niece smiled and jumped into Scott’s arms, saying, “Mr. Moore! My aunt said we’re going to have a big dinner tonight!” He stroked Kelly’s head affectionately and said, “I’ve booked an entire cruise ship tonight. Kelly, you will like it!” Sarah giggled and leaned close to Scott, standing on tiptoe and saying, “Honey, where’s my kiss for greeting today?” He smiled and kissed her on the lips, asking, “Didn’t I satisfy you yesterday?”

Sarah playfully punched Scott’s chest, looking a bit shy. When he saw that the villa had been tidied up, he waved at me and stuffed a thick stack of banknotes into my hand, not even glancing at me. Holding this tip of nearly ten thousand dollars, I was stunned. The money he gave so casually was enough for me to work hard for a whole month. The money he spent on booking that cruise ship was enough to pay for Laura’s heart transplant. Seeing me standing there without moving, Sarah looked at my old, pilling and faded clothes with contempt and said, “Bumpkin, leave here. Do you think this tip is too little?” Her mockery made my heart ache, and I felt like crying. But Scott looked at me in surprise and said, “Why are you…” I was surprised and was afraid that he would call out my name the next second. “There’s blood on your clothes. It’s so disgusting. Don’t scare Kelly.” As he said this, he looked away in disgust and pulled them upstairs. I smiled bitterly. My wound had opened up, staining a large patch of my white clothes red. Sarah, who was standing beside him, was tall and beautiful, wearing an exquisite suit, while I was like a clown, clutching the tip he had given me in a sorry state. I thought we were husband and wife who shared both good and bad times, but he had turned into a rich president. My efforts over the past few years must be just a joke in his eyes. My colleague handed me an envelope out of a bit of curiosity and said, “Do you know Ms. Jensen before? She asked me to give this to you.” I frowned and took it. I found an acquaintance in a nearby grocery store and borrowed the computer in the store. I inserted the USB drive in the envelope into the computer. Dozens of videos immediately popped up on the screen. There were videos of Sarah and Scott celebrating Kelly’s birthday. In front of them was a huge cake that was over a dozen layers high, and beside it were piled up expensive toys that Laura had always dreamed of having. Scott accompanied them to the parent-child sports meeting in the kindergarten, with a big smile on his face. His laughter mixed with Kelly’s sweet laughter. This warm and happy scene made my heart ache. They were wearing matching family outfits, looking like a happy family. I stared blankly at the screen until the last video popped up. Scott was lying naked in Sarah’s arms and said, “How is Laura? When are you going to let her return to the Moore family? I’m tired of testing them for seven years. It’s all your fault for making that bet with me in the first place. That bumpkin’s daughter is still waiting for a heart transplant. If we bring her back now and she sees our family’s wealth and power, she will be jealous.” It seemed as if Laura wasn’t his daughter at all. The way he talked about Laura made my heart ache so much that I could hardly breathe. He knew she was waiting for help. He could find the best doctors, easily afford the operation fees, and even find a suitable heart, but he chose to do nothing. He was just so heartless, watching me risk my life to earn money and watching Laura suffer from the illness. Scott and I met in an orphanage. I was an orphan. After growing up, I often went back to visit the director and those children. That was where I met Scott, who came to be a volunteer. He said he was also an orphan and wanted to help the children have a better life. We got to know each other, fell in love, and finally got married. Because I refused to accept those unspoken rules and offended a big boss, I was blacklisted by the whole industry. I could only do odd jobs, and our life became tough. Scott had always accompanied me through those hard times and never complained until the year Laura was born, when Scott said he had failed in an investment, gone bankrupt, and owed debts. I sold my house to pay off his debts. We moved into a shabby shed in the suburbs. At that time, Scott held me and cried, vowing to be good to me and Laura for the rest of his life. But in the end, he didn’t keep his promise.

Just because of that mean joke between him and Sarah, I and Laura became the victims. I couldn’t let out a scream. My mouth was full of the taste of blood. I wiped the tears off my face randomly and forced a smile as I pushed open the door of Laura’s ward and said, “Laura, I bought you some chicken soup. Do you feel better now?” Laura’s face was pale, and she said helplessly, “Mom, I’m going to have an operation tomorrow, and I have to fast today.” I was stunned for a moment. I was so stimulated by Scott that my mind was all messed up. I was angry at myself for forgetting about this and picked up a cotton swab to wet Laura’s chapped lips with water. She held my hand tightly and asked gently, “Mom, is Dad still busy? I miss him so much.” Looking at her, I couldn’t tell her the truth. I stroked Laura’s head lovingly and said, “You’ll see Dad before your operation tomorrow.” I planned to beg Scott to come and stay with her. After being a clown in their rich people’s game for seven years, my dignity seemed to be worth nothing. After Laura fell asleep, I went to find the doctor to confirm the specific time of tomorrow’s operation. I squatted on the floor of the corridor with my back against the cold wall, and only then did I become a bit more clear-headed. Taking out my phone, I called Scott. This time, he picked up the phone quickly. “Angela, what’s up? I’m accompanying the investor right now. If we can seal this deal, we can get out of our current tough situation!” Over these seven years, he had always used such words to deceive me, and every time I had believed him. At first, Scott pretended to have found a job of moving bricks on a construction site. Seeing that his hands were red and swollen, I told him to focus on finding investors and that I would earn the money. But he just had fun all day long and left us at home to suffer. The music on the phone was loud. I guessed that he was probably still on the cruise ship with Kelly. I controlled my emotions, took a deep breath, and then said, “Scott, Laura is going to have an operation tomorrow. Can you come and stay with her? You know she misses you a lot…” My words were coldly interrupted by Scott before I could finish, “Angela, what on earth has been wrong with you recently? You know I’m busy, yet you keep bothering me! I’m working so hard just to make sure you can live a good life!” Listening to him yelling at me so confidently, I gave a bitter smile. After calming down, I said in a hoarse voice, “Scott, it doesn’t matter if you think I’m silly and unsophisticated. But Laura is your daughter. Do you really not care about her at all?” Scott paused for a moment and said in a flustered manner, “Angela, what nonsense are you talking about? I’ll go to the hospital as soon as I’m done here.” I looked at Laura through the glass of the ward, and my whole body trembled. She was curled up under the thick quilt, looking so weak. When she was just born, she couldn’t even open her eyes and would hold my finger with her soft little hand. Laura had poor health and had never been to kindergarten, even for a day. She only knew me and Scott. But the father she relied on had never really cared about her. I couldn’t hold on any longer and started crying. I didn’t expect that Scott would actually come. Maybe in his heart, he still cared about Laura. The red marks on his neck hadn’t faded yet, and he rushed into the ward wearing those old patched-up clothes. Looking at the sweat beads still dripping down from his forehead, I had mixed feelings. For a moment, I almost thought that we were still a poor but loving family. I thought that suffering wasn’t a big deal. As long as we loved each other, we could get through any difficulties together, until a flash of gold on his wrist caught my attention. That expensive watch brought me back to reality.

When Laura saw Scott coming, she said happily, “Dad, you haven’t come to see me for a long time. I miss you so much.” He smiled awkwardly and said, “Sorry, I’ve been really busy recently. Laura, when you open your eyes after the operation, we’ll be here with you.” Before the operation, Laura looked at me nervously and asked expectantly, “Mom, can I have a doll as a reward?” I almost burst into tears. The birthday gift Scott bought for Kelly was a truckload of expensive imported dolls, while Laura’s dolls were all handmade by me. I quickly nodded and agreed, “Laura, I’ll go and buy it for you right now!” I immediately ran out. Worrying about Laura, I just wanted to come back quickly. But the doll that Laura wanted had already been out of production. I ran to several stores and finally managed to contact a toy merchant to buy it. Holding the doll excitedly, I rushed back to the hospital. But suddenly, the phone in my pocket rang loudly. It was a call from the nurse. Her voice was trembling as she said, “Ms. Turner! Something terrible has happened. That heart has been snatched away! Laura is still on the operating table. Come back quickly!” My face turned pale, and I almost couldn’t stand up. A kind passerby saw my pale face and sent me back to the hospital. By then, I was soaked in cold sweat all over. I stumbled to the door of the operating room. The nurse waiting there sighed, “Your husband has already gone to the transplant bank and taken the heart away.” These words shattered all my hopes. I took out my phone with trembling hands, wanting to call Scott, but my fingers were shaking so badly that I couldn’t even press the dial button. The nurse reached out pityingly and took the phone that I could hardly hold. The call actually got through quickly. He said, “Honey, I have something urgent…” I didn’t want to listen to his lies anymore. I roared at him in a hoarse voice, “Where is Laura’s heart?” He paused for a moment and quickly explained, “Angela, the niece of my investor has also matched the heart. Laura can wait a little longer. This time, we’ll just let…” I was so angry that my voice was shaking as I interrupted him, “Laura is on the operating table waiting for the heart to save her life! Hurry up and bring the heart back! The operation is already halfway through! How could you do this?” Scott sighed impatiently, “You’re usually so generous. What’s wrong with you today? Laura will still have a chance in the future. I took the heart all for you! As long as Sarah is happy and she makes an investment, there will be money for Laura’s treatment, and you can live a good life too! I’m doing this for your own good!” Before I could reply, he hung up the phone. I called him like crazy one after another. He just turned off his phone. Thinking of Laura, who was still waiting for the heart in the operating room, my heart ached so much that I couldn’t breathe, and I knelt on the ground. I stared blankly at the still-lit red light of the operating room and thought, “Scott made Laura lose the chance to live. His love is like this.” The nurse beside me sighed, “You can go and ask in other hospitals. My friend said that their hospital also has a heart transplant operation today, and they just got a heart donor. Laura’s operation has already started and can’t be delayed any longer.” My shoes had already worn out. My soles hurt and were bleeding. But I couldn’t feel the pain and ran like crazy towards the hospital that the nurse mentioned. Stumbling and rushing to the VIP passage, I was stopped by the bodyguards.

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On the third day after I broke off my engagement, my ex-fiancé committed suicide in our would-be marital home, leaving all his assets to me. As I sorted through his belongings, I saw walls covered in photos of me and bloodstains on the floor. His assistant told me: “The boss had loved you for many years. His depression was severe – only seeing you or thinking of you could make him feel a little better…” Each revelation was more shocking and suffocating than the last, yet strangely heartbreaking. So when I got a second chance at life, I smiled and refused my childhood friend’s plan for me to break the engagement. “I’m not leaving,” I said. I wanted to see just how foolish this man who loved me so desperately could be. Adrian died on the third day after I broke off our engagement. My father and brother had just left his estate after regretfully informing him about my decision when they received news that Adrian had slit his wrists. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The will he had prepared long ago left all his assets to me. When I received my brother’s call in North America, my expression gradually froze. In my eyes, Adrian was just a stranger who had suddenly appeared demanding marriage. I didn’t know him at all. But every new piece of information seemed to suggest that he had loved me deeply for many years.

I rushed back to the country at the lawyer’s request, stiffly accepting Adrian’s urn. His background was a mystery and he had no relatives. His assistant looked sorrowfully at the square box and quietly told me: “The boss had loved you for many years. His depression was severe – only seeing you or thinking of you could make him feel a little better. I thought once you two got married, he wouldn’t be so pessimistic anymore, but I never expected…” His voice trailed off. There was no blame, but my heart inexplicably clenched. The assistant handed me a key: “This is the estate the boss prepared for you. It’s also the marital home he decorated himself.” The place where he had killed himself.

The estate was huge, with a riding arena built on the sprawling green lawn. The decor was in my favorite royal blue, with every piece of furniture and decoration matching my tastes. One room was filled wall-to-wall with photos of me. Looking closely, I realized they spanned from my sophomore year of college up until now. I had been under this man’s lens almost every moment. On the floor were faint bloodstains from where he had slit his wrists, giving off a slight metallic smell. Each revelation was more shocking and suffocating than the last, yet strangely heartbreaking. I couldn’t help feeling angry too. If he liked me, why didn’t he just say so? Bursting into my home like a bandit, demanding marriage right off the bat – how could I possibly feel at ease marrying him? Now with this tragic outcome, was he trying to make me feel guilty and regretful, to never forget him for the rest of my life? Dream on – I ended up donating all the assets, including that mansion. The cleaning lady tore down the photos on the wall, carelessly tossing them on the floor to cover the bloodstains… Adrian’s brief yet legendary life had vanished without a trace from this world.

It took me three days to accept the fact that I had been reborn. Three days ago, Adrian had just come to my home, forcefully demanding an arranged marriage in a manner bordering on coercion. My childhood friend Nathan heard about it and unhesitatingly told me to run, to hide out in North America for a few days. In my past life, that’s exactly what I did. But this life, remembering those walls of photos and the horrifying bloodstains on the floor, I calmly shook my head. “I don’t want to leave anymore,” I said. “I want to go ask him directly why he wants to marry me.”

Adrian’s business empire was vast. When I went to find him, he was still in a meeting. His assistant personally came down to receive me, asking me to wait briefly in his office. “The boss will be down very soon.” I gave a soft “Mm” in response. Adrian did come quickly. Before I could even finish a cup of tea, he walked in hurriedly, fastening his loose cufflinks as he went. Seeing me, he stopped in his tracks and calmly called out, “Miss Gu.” His expression was cold and distant, as if looking at a stranger. I was rendered speechless by his coldness. After some thought, I softly asked: “Mr. Shen, my father said you want to marry me. Why?” “I want to, so I will. No reason needed.” Me: “…” How was I supposed to respond to that? I slowly stood up and picked up my purse. “Then I’ll be going now.” Adrian’s expression shifted slightly, a rare look of bewilderment crossing his face. “You’re leaving already?” I stared at him expressionlessly, watching as his face gradually turned pale and his whole demeanor became tinged with resignation. Yet he still moved aside to let me leave. If I wasn’t certain this man liked me, I would really think he was just toying with me… I sighed and took the initiative to grab his sleeve. “How about we have a meal together?”

Adrian’s interactions with me had even his assistant on edge. As I was leaving, the assistant kept apologizing to me: “The boss isn’t good at talking to girls. Please don’t be angry with him, Miss Gu.” “I’m not angry,” I said with a smile. “I actually quite like him… his looks are very much my type.” The office door wasn’t fully closed. Through the small gap, I clearly saw Adrian touch his own face, his expression dazed. I smiled slightly and told the assistant: “I’ve asked your boss out to dinner tonight. Remember to remind him not to stand me up.” The assistant hurriedly nodded, as if afraid I would change my mind any second. I walked out of the company building in my high heels. As soon as I stepped outside, I received a call from Nathan. Looking at the contact saved as “Brother Nathan”, I calmly hung up and stared blankly at the clouds in the sky. Nathan was very good to me and truly had my best interests at heart. But childhood friends, good friends – they all eventually fade away on the long road of life. Just like in my past life. He had a wife and children, learned to keep his distance from me. So even when I was later trapped in the mountains with an expedition team and called him, I was viciously mocked by his wife, called an old maid who couldn’t get married. Nathan was right beside his wife when she berated me, silent and unresponsive. I ended up dying there, not knowing how he would react to the news.

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The night my fiancé’s ideal love returned home, Gabriel’s unruly friends locked me in a water tank at the auction house. Through the glass, he lightly touched my scales, which had turned bluish from dehydration. “Chloe, just do me this favor, will you?” “It’s just a little performance, right?” The elite crowd below was bidding excitedly, while Gabriel whispered gently to his ideal love, “Don’t worry, mermaid tears are incredibly valuable. We can sell them and buy you that sports car.” It was then I realized Gabriel’s amnesia was just a ploy to lure me onto land. He claimed he loved me, yet he was willing to drain me of my blood and tears. Later, the Merfolk arrived, riding on the waves, and Gabriel knelt on the rocks, offering his heart in repentance. But I flipped my tail, creating a massive wave, and without looking back, I sank to the ocean floor. 0 Chained roughly, I was forced to curl up in the small water tank. A man with a beer belly grinned at me, showing yellow teeth. “Sis-in-law, we all want to see you perform. Fiona’s back today, why not dance for us?” Another man climbed a ladder and yanked my hair to make me look up. “We’ve already watched your private videos with Gabriel. Sis-in-law, stop pretending to be so innocent.” “Plus, Gabriel said the highest bidder can have you for the night.” “I’ve wanted to try sis-in-law for a while now, hahaha.” I couldn’t believe the men in front of me. My heart sank. He had said today was about celebrating our anniversary, yet I had become merchandise on this ship. “You showed them those videos?” Gabriel stroked Fiona’s waist. “So what if they saw them? It’s just flesh.” “Chloe, just do me this favor. Fiona wants to see you perform.” “This is your chance to impress her; it’s an honor to make her happy.” Fiona nestled in Gabriel’s arms, coyly saying, “Gabriel, Chloe seems unwilling. Isn’t this too much?” Bitterly, I slammed my tail against the glass, choking back my words, “I’m your fiancée. Why are you doing this to me?” The huge splash drenched Fiona’s clothes, and she shrank against Gabriel’s shoulder, eyes red. Gabriel punched the glass, “Chloe, don’t be ungrateful! Fiona is like a sister I grew up with.” “Do you really have to ruin everyone’s mood on her return?” I scoffed, turning around, “A sister you grew up with? Then what am I?” Gabriel impatiently lit a cigarette, “You’re just a mermaid. Even if I didn’t bring you ashore, you’d die someday.” “I helped you experience life on land. Now it’s time for you to repay me.” “It’s your honor to make Fiona happy.” Fiona leaned in and kissed Gabriel’s cheek, claiming her territory. “Gabriel said mermaid tears are the most valuable.” “Once we get them, we’ll buy a sports car.” Exhausted, I slumped against the glass, realizing in Gabriel’s eyes, I was merely merchandise. Gabriel waved his hand, “Enough talking, dance for us.” Seeing me unmoved, Gabriel finally picked up the long whip nearby and lashed it across me. In an instant, several scales flew off, and shocking red welts appeared on my pale skin. I painfully clung to the water tank’s edge, trying to leap out, only for Fiona to press a cigarette butt into my fingertip. She snorted coldly, “The lowest of mermaids, your only worth is to please us.” Gabriel tightened the whip around my neck viciously. I clung to it desperately. The feeling of suffocation engulfed me. His eyes were blood-red, “Didn’t I tell you to behave?” “Do you really want to embarrass me?” The beer-bellied man couldn’t stand it and patted Gabriel, “Gabriel, don’t break her. We still need to enjoy ourselves tonight.” “Sis-in-law’s mermaid body must feel great.” 0

Their words stabbed my heart like blunt knives. Three years ago, Gabriel and his friends were surfing and encountered extreme weather. Gabriel was swallowed by the waves, and I risked everything to save him ashore. In the process, my tail was shredded by a paddle. Gabriel was the first human I ever saw. His eyes were brighter than gems at the ocean’s depths. Ignoring the pain, I just wanted to save him. In gratitude, Gabriel took me home to heal, even though it violated Merfolk laws. But for him, I decisively severed ties with my family. On land, I endured dehydration, my scales turning bluish, and the pain pierced to the bone, almost costing me half my life. But Gabriel would hold me every night, comforting me. I naively thought that was love. I believed I had won the bet with my family, only to lose everything. Gabriel watched me with interest, “Didn’t you say you’d fully transform into a human after a year on land? Turns out you can’t change your nature.” Fiona covered her nose with a look of disgust, “No wonder there’s a fishy smell. It’s disgusting.” “I don’t know what you’ve been through these years, Gabriel, but you can’t just pick anyone to spite me, right?” I looked down at my tail, now turning white. When we first met, Gabriel had praised its beauty. He had held it tenderly, vowing to spend his life making it up to me. Someone beside me rubbed his hands, sneering, “This mermaid’s definitely fun. Gabriel doesn’t know how lucky he is.” Fiona’s face turned black in an instant, “What do you mean by that?” The speaker was suddenly tongue-tied, “Fiona, I didn’t mean it that way…” In anger, she grabbed a whip, ready to strike my face. I grabbed it, yanking Fiona halfway into the water tank. She screamed in terror, flailing, and Gabriel pulled her out, holding her waist. Tearful, Fiona cried, “Gabriel, I just wanted to throw the whip far away, not hurt Chloe.” “Why did she suddenly become so aggressive?” “I heard mermaids used to eat people. Chloe, you can’t act like this, even if you’re angry.” Gabriel pulled me from the water, throwing me to the ground. He slapped me across the face. I turned my head, one side of my face swelling instantly. Gabriel approached slowly, gripping my neck viciously, “Chloe, do you really think you’re something special? Touch Fiona again, and I’ll kill you!” “Do you think I kept you around to endure your fishy smell for nothing?” “If it weren’t for the fortune mermaid tears are worth, I’d have killed you long ago.” “Did you really think I loved you?” I looked at him in disbelief. Gabriel kicked me in the waist. “You’re like a dead fish. No matter what I do, you never cry.” “Since that’s the case, this is the only way. You brought it on yourself.” After hearing those words, I couldn’t help but tremble. What I thought was love at first sight was Gabriel’s meticulously laid trap. And like a fool, I walked right in. Ending up with nothing, who could I blame? This was the happiness I sought after sacrificing everything. I opened my mouth and laughed. Gabriel, seeing my red-rimmed eyes, hesitated. He angrily called for a few people, “Strip her clothes! That way, everyone can examine the goods!” 0

As soon as he said it, the crowd erupted. Some even took out their phones to take pictures. The flash blinded me. Having been drugged, I couldn’t transform into human form quickly. I crawled forward slowly, only for Gabriel to drag me back savagely. He slammed my tail against an iron railing. The immense pain blacked me out. Rough, greasy hands reached for my shoulders. I thrashed wildly, screaming, “Get away! Don’t touch me!” “Don’t touch me!” Fiona came over, stomping on my hand with her sharp heel. She looked at Gabriel expectantly, “Gabriel, why don’t we cut off one of her hands?” “Anyway, she’s useless now. The main goal today is to get the mermaid tears, right?” Gabriel quietly gazed at Fiona, a hint of menace in his eyes. Everyone fell silent, the man kneeling next to me stopped. Fiona shivered uncontrollably. It was her first time seeing Gabriel like this. She realized she’d crossed a line, so she let go and coyly ran into his arms, “Gabriel, I was just joking. We still need the goods intact, right?” “Don’t be mad, okay?” Fiona’s attempt to smooth things over got the scene lively again. Gabriel scowled and ordered the men pinning me down to leave. They exchanged looks, unwilling to stop touching me. Gabriel snapped, “Didn’t you hear me? Get down!” On stage, only the auctioneer and Gabriel’s friends remained. Fiona threw Gabriel a flattering smile, and his friends anxiously watched him, fearing he’d change his mind, denying them their fun. I looked up, a glimmer of hope in my eyes. Even if he turned back now, it would be something. Gabriel smirked, “Start the bidding.” I froze, the laughter of the crowd filling my ears. I lay on the ground, helplessly laughing. I had overestimated Gabriel’s love for me. A bearded man in the audience raised his hand, “One billion!” “`plaintext On the exhibition stand, only the auctioneer and a handful of Gabriel’s friends were left. Fiona looked at Gabriel with a sycophantic smile, while the friends beside her cast worried glances his way. They were anxious that Gabriel might have second thoughts, depriving them of any potential gains. I glanced up, a spark of hope in my eyes. Even if he reconsidered now, it would be for the best. Gabriel smirked, “Let’s begin the bidding.” I stood there, frozen, as the sound of laughter from those people filled my ears. I laughed bitterly on the ground, realizing I had overestimated what little affection Gabriel had for me. A bearded man in the audience raised his hand, “One hundred million!” All eyes turned to him as he stroked his beard. “This woman crossed me before; once I get her, I’ll make sure she pays.” He was a CEO who had once collaborated with Gabriel. I had sued him for leaking company secrets. Now, I appeared before him, reduced to a mere servant in the most humiliating way. He got up and slowly made his way to the stage, giving me a kick. “Chloe, where’s your pride now?” One hundred million was nearly the highest bid. Everyone shook their heads in resignation, “Mr. Thomas really doesn’t hold back.” “This woman won’t survive in his hands; I’ve heard he has some peculiar tastes.” Mr. Thomas lit a cigar, “Gabriel, you keep your promises, don’t you?” Gabriel looked down at me, his gaze devoid of emotion. Fiona smiled and approached, “Of course, a deal’s a deal. Businessmen value their integrity.” Mr. Thomas came closer, yanking my hair and dragging me away. I struggled, shaking off his grip. For the sake of my life, I abandoned my dignity, half-crawling to Gabriel. 0

I clung to Gabriel’s coat, “Please, don’t make me go with him.” “I saved you once; help me this time and we’ll be even, alright?” Fiona kicked me aside, “You’re disgusting, Chloe. Can’t you do something about that fishy smell?” Gabriel pressed his foot on my shoulder, “Chloe, you can’t even beg properly, can you?” Someone piped up, “Gabriel, they say mermaid tears are priceless. Is sis-in-law going to cry today or not?” “Doesn’t seem like she’s too upset. Gabriel, maybe you should ease up.” Gabriel, who was impatient by nature, couldn’t stand such provocations. Moreover, he enjoyed indulging in bizarre behaviors. He grabbed my jaw and slammed me against the water tank, “Chloe, didn’t you say you loved me the most? Shed some mermaid tears for me now. Show me how much you love me!” “Cry!” Blood stained the glass. Gabriel, like a madman, continued to assault me. His eyes were completely bloodshot. I bit my lip hard to withstand the pain. The crowd fell silent, no one uttering a word. Mr. Thomas intervened, “I’ve already paid a high price for this woman. What if you ruin her for me?” Gabriel waved dismissively, panting heavily, “Who the hell do you think you are?!” Mr. Thomas chuckled, stroking his beard, “Gabriel, don’t forget who you really are.” Upon hearing this, Gabriel’s face turned ashen, and the hostility in him subsided somewhat. He looked at me with disgust, meticulously checking if any mermaid tears had fallen. As expected, there were none. Merfolk have a higher pain tolerance, and even under immense physical and psychological torment, I hadn’t shed a single tear. Gabriel made a call, and moments later, he hung up and dragged me by the hair to a monitor. My heart sank; it displayed the ocean region where the Merfolk lived. Gabriel sneered, “What if I start capturing your family? Would you cry then?”

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