Category: English

My Sister Wants to Kill Me The moment my mother stepped forward to help my sister, I gave up struggling. Later, she underwent extensive plastic surgery to look exactly like me, sitting in my bedroom waiting for my husband to return. My parents hoped she would live happily ever after with my husband and enjoy a life of luxury. I laughed at their ignorance, not knowing how dangerous the man before them truly was. Today is the day Alexander Thorne returns from his business trip abroad. He’s been gone for over two months, and I’ve been dead for a week. My sister Natalie Reed nervously stands up when she sees Alexander enter the room. “Alex, have you had dinner? I asked the cook to make your favorite pumpkin soup.” This should be their first time meeting. Yet Alexander doesn’t seem to notice his wife has been replaced. I have to admit, Natalie did an impressive job of making herself look exactly like me from head to toe. Alexander hands his suitcase to the servant and rubs his temples. “I’ll have a bowl.” Natalie smiles softly, perfectly mimicking my mannerisms from the secretly recorded videos. She follows Alexander into the dining room. “Mrs. Wilson, please bring a bowl of pumpkin soup for Mr. Thorne.” Alexander turns and glances at Natalie when he hears this. We have many servants, but I’m still in the habit of doing many things myself. After all, I don’t have much else to do at home. Even though I’ve been in the city for almost two years, I’m still not comfortable ordering people around. Before marrying Alexander, I always lived in my hometown. Originally, Natalie was supposed to marry Alexander. The Thorne and Reed families used to be close for generations. The Thornes were the second most powerful family in the city, with no one daring to claim first place. The grandfathers of both families saw that they had a grandson and granddaughter of the right age, so they arranged a marriage between them. Twenty years ago, after both grandfathers passed away, the Thorne family fell victim to business sabotage. Alexander’s father brought up the marriage agreement again, hoping the Reed family would help save them. But by then, my father had already been won over by other powerful families. He decided to take advantage of the situation to carve up the Thorne empire, no longer caring about their past friendship. The Thorne Group went bankrupt. Alexander’s father died of depression, and his mother disappeared from the city with her son and the butler. Two years ago, Alexander returned from abroad with the Cloud Summit Group, devastating several major powers in the city. Not a single person who had taken advantage of the Thorne family’s downfall back then escaped. They either ended up drowning in debt with no way to recover, or were caught for their crimes and sent to prison. Family ruin became the norm. People in the business world were relieved this was happening domestically. They had heard rumors about how ruthless Alexander could be in less regulated foreign markets. When the Reed Group was on the brink of bankruptcy, my father remembered the old marriage agreement. Natalie was afraid Alexander would torture her to death out of revenge, so she cried and made a scene at home, insisting that I return from our hometown to marry him in her place. Business families tend to be somewhat superstitious, and my father was especially so. On the day Natalie was born, my father successfully signed a major deal that elevated the Reed Group to new heights. But on the day I was born, a project he had just acquired ran into problems, and the Reed Group lost half its assets. He firmly believed Natalie brought him good fortune, while I brought him misfortune. If it weren’t for my grandfather using his last dying breath to protect me, I probably would have been drowned in a chamber pot as an infant. So my father told everyone I was sickly and sent abroad to recuperate. In reality, I was abandoned in the countryside and randomly given to a blind widow surnamed Mendez to raise. My sister was named Natalie, with our parents wishing her peace and health. I was named Evelyn, with my father hoping for my early demise so I wouldn’t affect the Reed family’s fortunes. My grandmother felt sorry for me and secretly changed my name to Evelyn when registering me. Though I escaped an early death, I still ended up dying in the prime of my youth.

Natalie snapped back to reality and said softly, “I’ve been feeling dizzy these past couple days. I’m afraid I might drop the bowl.” Alexander stared at her intently for a few moments. I saw a flash of panic in Natalie’s eyes. How ironic. That night when she stabbed my heart with a dagger, she was so afraid I wouldn’t die that she even twisted it a few times to make sure. Natalie nervously changed her words, “I’ll go get it for you.” Alexander looked away and walked towards the dining room. “No need. If you’re not feeling well, get more rest.” I was stunned for a moment. In our two years of marriage, I had never heard him tell me to rest more. Now that I’m dead, I finally hear these rare words of concern. It’s also strange – my weak constitution that had plagued me since childhood rarely bothered me after those first few months in the Thorne household. I was hardly ever unwell in the past year. After all, we had shared a bed for two years. I gathered my courage and floated to his ear, calling his name. I wanted to ask him to go to the Reed house and bring me back. My grandmother had passed away. There was no one left in this world that I cared about. Although I died with regrets, living had also felt tiring. The freezer was too cold. I had always been prone to chills. I wanted to find a sunny place to stay. Besides, when I died, I heard them planning to cut me open to make it easier to dispose of my body in pieces later. Just hearing about it terrified me. If I was going to end up dismembered, I would have rather been drowned as a baby. At least then I could have kept my body intact. Even being cremated would be better – at least I would be whole when I died. Unfortunately, he had no reaction at all. He simply picked up his bowl and started eating. “I heard you’ve been going out a lot recently?” Hearing his question, my eyes lit up. Other than the Reed family, I didn’t know anyone else in the city. On my wedding day, my parents had told me that if I didn’t want my grandmother to run out of money for medical treatment, I should do my best to please Alexander. As long as the Reed Group remained stable, my grandmother’s medication would never stop. They said a married daughter was like spilled water – I shouldn’t come back in the future. So after marrying into the Thorne family, apart from occasional trips to the supermarket or walks, I hardly had any contact with the outside world. No wonder Alexander found it strange. Natalie obediently replied, “The weather has been changing a lot lately between morning and evening. My parents both got sick, so I went back to check on them.” At the mention of our parents, I was reminded of the scene when she tried to kill me. I had fought back desperately to protect myself. My mother, worried I would hurt Natalie, rushed forward with my father to pin me down. In that moment, I suddenly lost all strength in my body and allowed the dagger to pierce my heart. Alexander didn’t say anything, only responding flatly, “It must be boring staying at home all the time. It’s good to go out for a change.” I felt somewhat discouraged. How could someone as cautious and suspicious as Alexander not notice anything amiss? He even said things he had never said to me before. On our wedding day, my parents had smiled ingratiatingly at Alexander. They said my marriage to the Thorne family was to atone for the Reed family’s sins. He could take out his anger on me however he wanted. I would endure any beating or scolding – my life and death were in his hands. The Reed family would not object. Alexander didn’t actually use me as a punching bag, but he didn’t seem to like going out. So apart from our activities in bed, we hardly had any other interaction in our daily lives. After finishing the soup, they returned to the bedroom together. Natalie sat on the bed expectantly, watching Alexander finish washing up. Alexander leaned down towards her. His phone rang. After hanging up, he started changing clothes. I wasn’t surprised. He was most likely going to the company to deal with an urgent matter. A flash of dissatisfaction appeared on Natalie’s face, but she quickly replaced it with a smile when Alexander turned his head. “Your perfume is too strong. It was better before.” Natalie stared at Alexander’s retreating back in confusion, then quickly raised her arm to sniff. She found she couldn’t smell anything.

Natalie hurriedly called Mrs. Wilson to the bedroom. “Mrs. Wilson, can you smell any perfume on me?” Mrs. Wilson leaned in and sniffed Natalie’s arm and neck. “I don’t smell anything, just a bit of shampoo scent in your hair.” Natalie frowned, pacing back and forth before asking, “When you used to serve that dead girl, what did she smell like?” Mrs. Wilson thought for a moment. “I don’t think she had any particular scent. That poor thing didn’t know how to enjoy life. She had a whole cabinet full of perfumes but I never saw her use any. She didn’t have any feminine fragrance at all!” Mrs. Wilson was sent to the Thorne house by my mother six months ago. She said since I still hadn’t gotten pregnant, she was sending Mrs. Wilson, who was skilled at making medicinal dishes, to help improve my health. The change in the Reed family’s attitude towards me had made me happy for quite a while. Even though Mrs. Wilson never actually cooked a meal for me after she arrived, it still made me hopeful about my parents’ love. But later I realized that from the moment Mrs. Wilson appeared before me, it was the first step in the Reed family’s plan to help Natalie replace me. Mrs. Wilson came to the Thorne house to observe my living habits and secretly record videos for Natalie to imitate me. Hearing Mrs. Wilson’s mockery of me, Natalie’s lips curled into a smile. “Not only was she poor, she was also short-lived.” Mrs. Wilson looked confused. “Short-lived?” Natalie’s smile froze on her face, but she quickly recited her prepared lines, “She was always very weak. The old widow who took care of her was always saying she needed to take her to the doctor, hoping our parents would give more living expenses.” “All they did was ask our family for money. It was just a beggar raising another beggar! You could tell that dead girl had never seen the world. She did everything herself, which made it awkward for me to order the servants around.” I angrily rushed over and tried to punch and kick her, but my fists and feet passed right through her body with no effect. The Reed family only gave money for those first few years. They never gave another cent after that. It was all my grandmother scraping by collecting recyclables to provide for my food and clothing. When they needed someone to take my place, that’s when they finally remembered me. Mrs. Wilson started giving Natalie advice, “Why don’t you wash your hair a few more times with the shampoo in the bathroom? Maybe the scent from the shampoo you used at home hasn’t completely faded yet.” “Evelyn Reed didn’t care about these things. She just used whatever the Thorne household provided. She wasn’t as particular as you.” Natalie pressed her lips together in annoyance. “I’ve been using it every day! How has it not washed out yet? I’ll wash it again later.” After sending Mrs. Wilson away, Natalie made a phone call. “Master Shen, have you contained Evelyn Reed’s wandering soul like I asked?” I leaned in close to the phone to hear the response. “Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ve used my magic to trap her soul on the spirit altar. She doesn’t even have a chance at reincarnation!” Spirit altar… yeah right. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as I floated around the room a few times. Although I don’t know why I’m bound to stay by her side, a truly capable master wouldn’t speak so obsequiously. He’s clearly just afraid of losing business.

Alexander didn’t return home for several days. Natalie waited until 8 PM. Looking at the table full of his favorite dishes, I licked my lips. To say Alexander and I had nothing in common wasn’t entirely accurate. When it came to food, our tastes were surprisingly similar. Natalie ate some vegetables and a piece of meat before putting down her chopsticks. She had always been very strict about managing her figure. Her total daily food intake was barely equivalent to one of my meals. Not only did she have specific requirements for cooking methods, she also strictly controlled her last meal of the day to be before 6 PM. My grandmother used to say being able to eat was a blessing, so I never deprived myself. Mrs. Zhang’s mouth-watering chicken was first-class! Just looking at it made my mouth water. I had to say Natalie was missing out. Alexander also stopped eating and looked at Natalie. “The food doesn’t suit your taste?” Natalie smiled serenely. “I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.” Alexander stared at her for a good while before saying, “The butler said your appetite was even better than usual while I was abroad. How come you suddenly can’t eat now that I’m back?” Natalie looked at Alexander’s expressionless face and shook her head repeatedly. “My appetite hasn’t been good these past few days. I might have caught a summer cold.” Alexander lowered his gaze. After a moment, he said, “First dizziness, now loss of appetite. I’ll take you for a check-up tomorrow.” Natalie instinctively wanted to refuse, but ended up smiling and agreeing. I knew she thought as long as they didn’t go to the plastic surgery department for an examination, she had nothing to fear. After all, only the three of them knew about my disappearance.

The Cloud Summit Group owns a hospital. I used to come here when I was sick to avoid spending money, conveniently charging it to Alexander’s account. The fact that Alexander was accompanying Natalie for the check-up nearly made my jaw drop. The hospital director handed the report to Alexander, saying, “Mr. Thorne, this is the full body examination report. Mrs. Thorne is in very good health.” “I remember when she came for her first check-up two years ago, her body was lacking in various vitamins. But this examination shows that problem is gone now. It seems the madam has been taking her supplements regularly.” Back then, I had just married into the family and was falling ill every few days. The director had suggested I get a full body check-up. My poor health was due to malnutrition. The hospital had prescribed a bunch of supplements to improve my constitution. But medicine is partly toxic, so after taking them for half a year and feeling much better, I stopped continuing. I wasn’t sure if the medicine actually worked, since they were now examining the well-fed Natalie. Alexander took the report and flipped through it casually. His hand suddenly paused on one page. Just as I was about to float over to take a peek, he quickly flipped to the back. After finishing, he asked, “Aren’t these recent symptoms typical of pregnancy?” I nearly choked on my saliva. Although his suspicion wasn’t directed at me, he knew I took contraceptives after every time. Besides, with my issues of cold constitution and weak blood, how could I possibly get pregnant? The director shook his head. “The weather has been hot lately. Many people are suffering from summer heat exhaustion. I’ve prescribed some Huoxiang Zhengqi water. Mrs. Thorne should feel better after drinking one box.” Alexander lowered his eyes, looking at the report in his hands without saying anything.

Meanwhile, Natalie saw Alexander talking to the director and felt a bit uneasy. She hurried over with the medicine the nurse had retrieved, interrupting, “Alex, is there something wrong with my health?” The director repeated what he had just said. Natalie relaxed upon hearing this. Just then, Natalie received a call from the Reed family asking her to come home for dinner. Seeing this, Alexander said he would accompany her. I floated along and got in the car with them. Since Alexander’s return this time, I felt his attitude towards Natalie impersonating me was a bit strange. For such a businessman who never did anything without profit, I couldn’t help but suspect he had some other motive. This was Alexander’s first time visiting the Reed house. My parents’ faces lit up with joy when they saw him. Their tone was full of fawning and flattery. As they sat in the living room, I was bound to stay within Natalie’s vicinity and couldn’t go too far. My mother held Natalie’s hand, examining her closely while quietly asking if she was eating well at the Thorne house and how she was sleeping. I didn’t want to watch her doting on Natalie. My gaze kept drifting towards the storage room in the backyard of the villa. That day, they had given all the household staff time off. After luring me there to kill me, they directly hid me in the freezer they had prepared in advance. I wanted to go see if I was still there. It was rare for Alexander to visit. If only he could take me away with him. At this moment, my mother gave my father a look. He immediately made an excuse to take Alexander to the study for tea and chess. I followed the mother and daughter to the bedroom. My mother spoke in a low, grave voice, “Your father and I cut that girl into pieces last night.”

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After my ex-boyfriend was recognized by a wealthy family and established himself in high society, his first act was to come back and seek revenge on me. All because I broke up with him the year he was diagnosed with leukemia. What he doesn’t know is that the anonymous donor who gave him bone marrow was me. And while he’s frantically searching for information about me to exact his revenge, I’ve been dead for three years. Zachary Thompson sat with one leg crossed over the other, one hand propping up his head, the other tapping lightly on the table. “Mrs. White, how have you been lately?” he asked, his voice polite but his expression cold. My heart raced. Zachary was going to cause trouble for my mom. “I’m doing fine, Zachary. How about you… how are you doing?” My mom sat across from him, looking nervously at the men in black suits standing behind him. “Oh, I’m doing great. Ever since your gold-digger daughter left me, everything’s been smooth sailing. Look, I brought you a little something,” Zachary said, his face dark. He then smirked and gestured for one of his men to bring out a stack of cash. “Zachary, what’s the meaning of this?” My mom looked at him, bewildered. “Isn’t this why Lily broke up with me back then? Because I had no money?” Zachary laughed cruelly. “If she comes out now and gets on her knees to apologize, all this can be yours.” He grabbed the stacks of money and started throwing them at my mom’s head. I watched as my mom trembled with anger, pointing at Zachary’s nose, unable to speak. “What’s wrong, Mrs. White? Surprised? I’m still alive, and now I’m the heir to the Thompson fortune.” I was furious at the scene before me. I rushed forward to slap Zachary, but my hand passed right through his body. Zachary remained seated, showing no reaction, as if he couldn’t sense my presence at all. I stared at my hand in disbelief, suddenly remembering that I had been dead for three years. “Lily… she can’t see you right now. You should leave,” my mom said, her voice breaking as tears welled up in her eyes. I floated nearby, helpless, wanting to tell my mom not to cry, but unable to do so. “Can’t see me? Is she doing something she’s ashamed of?” Zachary sneered. “Let me guess. Is she someone’s mistress? Or maybe she’s working at a nightclub, entertaining rich men?” Zachary lit a cigarette, his laughter growing louder, each chuckle like a thorn piercing my heart. “Enough! Lily isn’t like that!” My mom cried out, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to stop Zachary from continuing. “Isn’t like what? Am I wrong? Didn’t she leave me because I was poor and sick?” Zachary’s smile vanished. He swept the teacup off the table with his hand, sending glass shards and hot tea flying onto my mom. My mom’s arm was cut, blood seeping from the wounds. She sat frozen in her seat, ignoring the blood on her arm. Her mouth opened and closed, as if wanting to say something but swallowing it back. My spirit felt as if it had been scalded by the tea, anxiously floating around. Damn it! Why am I just a spirit? Why can’t I wipe away my mom’s tears? Why can’t I slap Zachary’s mouth for her? “Oh, I’m so sorry, Mrs. White. I accidentally knocked over the tea you just poured,” Zachary said, putting out his cigarette. He took a handkerchief from his assistant and leisurely wiped his hands. “Consider this money as compensation for my clumsiness.” “Oh, and remember to tell Lily, if she refuses to see me, I can’t guarantee I won’t do something… unpleasant.” Zachary flashed another wicked smile, glanced at my trembling mom, and left with his entourage of men in black. My mom shakily stood up and walked to my room. The room was still arranged the same as it had been three years ago. She picked up a photo from the bedside table, her fingers gently caressing it as if trying to touch the person in the picture through the glass. “Lily… Mom knows that Zachary has been holding a grudge all these years, but hearing him talk about you like that…” “It breaks Mom’s heart…” My tears fell uncontrollably, my chest feeling as if it were being squeezed by a giant hand, making it hard to breathe. I had been gone for three years, and every time someone mentioned my name, my mom would tear up and fall silent. Time hadn’t dulled her grief. She still watered the gardenia in front of the house every day and regularly cleaned my room.

The next day, when my mom went to work, her company told her she had been fired. She sat dazed on the sidewalk outside the company, mumbling, “What about Kevin’s medical bills now…” I floated in the air, looking at the strands of white mixed in with her black hair, feeling a lump in my throat. This job had been my mom’s only source of income. After I passed away, my brother also fell ill, and she could only find work as a cleaner to make ends meet. I guessed that my mom’s job loss was Zachary’s doing, and my guilt towards her deepened. I had thought that leaving him like that would make him give up and move on, but I didn’t realize his obsession would run so deep. Deep enough that three years later, he would lose his rationality and extend his anger to my family. My spirit followed Zachary, wanting to slap him hard to avenge my mom. I watched as Zachary entered a mansion. Inside, a woman took his coat and kissed his cheek affectionately. As I recognized the familiar figure of the woman, my mind went blank. It was Rachel Young. Rachel and I were high school classmates. She was beautiful and came from a wealthy family. Many boys pursued her, including Zachary. Rachel was used to being chased by numerous boys and knew they would give up before long. But she hadn’t expected that boy named Zachary Thompson to persist from freshman to senior year. So that year, she approached me. With a dazzling smile, she handed me a card. “Go find a way to get together with Zachary Thompson. I don’t care how you do it, just keep him from bothering me.” At that time, I was sick but didn’t dare tell the school, fearing they would make me take a leave of absence. Looking through her beautiful eyes at sickly, unattractive me, I had no choice. I needed money for medical treatment. I took the card, which contained more zeros than I could count at first glance. So I went to intercept this trouble for Rachel, mustering up the courage to confess to Zachary. Surprisingly, it went smoothly. That’s how Zachary and I got together. “Zachary, what’s wrong? Did something happen today?” My reminiscence was interrupted as Rachel gently massaged Zachary’s shoulders, asking about his day in an intimate tone. “I met someone who put me in a bad mood,” Zachary said, pinching the bridge of his nose, his voice heavy. “I’ll ask the housekeeper to make some sweet soup. You’ll feel better after eating it,” Rachel said, leaning on Zachary’s shoulder, her voice as gentle as water. Zachary tilted his head to kiss her lips. “It’s good to have you.” As I watched the man I had loved for years, my heart filled with an indescribable sourness. He already had a beautiful companion by his side, yet he still couldn’t let go of the past, insisting on reopening my mother’s wounds.

I hadn’t expected that Rachel would, because of Zachary’s words, follow the trail and learn about Zachary’s visit to my mom. The next day, she also went to my house. When Rachel arrived, my mom was doing some handicraft work. Rachel smiled at my mom, “Hello, Mrs. White. You remember Zachary Thompson, right? I’m Zachary’s wife.” “Hello, please have a seat,” my mom said after a moment’s hesitation, not showing any hostility despite what had happened with Zachary. “Mrs. White, my name is Rachel Young. I was also Lily’s classmate,” Rachel said. “I haven’t seen Lily in a long time. Could I possibly see her today?” My mom’s hands froze. She shook her head. “Rachel, I’m afraid Lily isn’t available to see you anymore.” Rachel covered her mouth lightly, speaking as if unintentionally, “How could she not be available?” “Don’t tell me Lily is really doing some disreputable work?” My mom’s hands stopped moving, her expression changing. “Rachel, you were Lily’s classmate. You should know what kind of person she was.” Rachel stood up with a light laugh, looking down at my mom. “Mrs. White, your precious daughter took a sum of money from me five years ago. Later, I asked her to leave Zachary.” “But now, your daughter has somehow managed to make Zachary keep looking for her.” “Tell me, who should I hold responsible for this?” My heart skipped a beat as I remembered something. In the fifth year of my relationship with Zachary, Rachel somehow learned that Zachary was from a wealthy family. She cornered me on my way home. “You’ve done well, but now I’m interested in Zachary again. You can get lost,” she said, still smiling beautifully, her voice gentle, but her actions contrasted sharply with her tone. She held a knife to my face, forcing me to look at her. I swallowed hard. “No, I have feelings for him now. I’ll try to pay back the money you gave me back then.” She laughed softly, signaling the group of men behind her to come and strip my clothes. As I struggled and resisted, she said: “It doesn’t matter if you’re unwilling. I’ll go tell him that you only got together with him for my money.” “Guess whether he’d want to stay with a gold-digger like you who’s about to die?” I immediately deflated, returning home in a daze. When I got back, I broke up with Zachary. He thought I was just in a bad mood and tried to comfort me as usual. I turned away, trying hard not to let him see my tears about to fall, and said harshly: “I’m done playing now. You can get lost.” “Someone else is pursuing me now, saying he can give me a good life.” Zachary was silent for a long time, seemingly trying to discern the truth in my words. “Lily, I can give you a good life too…” he said finally. Fighting the pain in my heart, I mocked him: “No matter how capable you are, you can’t compare to those rich kids, even if you work hard for ten or twenty years.” “Zachary, I’ve had enough of being poor with you these past few years. Stop disgusting me.” The light in Zachary’s eyes went out, filled with tears. He moved out that day, leaving the basement we had called home. Later, my illness worsened, and I could only hear about him from others. I heard that Zachary had returned to his family and become the young master of the Thompson family. I was genuinely happy for him. Then I heard that Zachary had developed leukemia. I cried on my hospital bed when I heard the news. That day, I searched online for a long time and found out that Zachary’s illness could be cured with a bone marrow transplant. “He’s just about to start living a good life, how can he die like this?” I thought. So I donated my bone marrow to him. I hoped he could live well on my behalf.

With a loud crash that I couldn’t stop in time, Rachel knocked over the basket in front of my mom. “What are you doing!” My mom grabbed Rachel’s hand. “Rachel, why are you here?” A male voice came from behind her. Rachel’s expression changed, and she rushed into Zachary’s arms. “Zachary, I just missed Lily a bit. But when I mentioned her, Mrs. White tried to hit me,” Rachel said, raising her wrist with a red mark, her eyes brimming with tears. Zachary looked at the mark, then raised his eyes to stare at my mom, his gaze cold and terrifying. “Mrs. White, it seems you didn’t take my words to heart last time,” Zachary said coldly to the men in black behind him, “Since Lily still won’t come out, smash everything in Lily’s room.” My mom shouted at Zachary, “No! You can’t smash anything!” But Zachary’s men moved quickly, rushing into my room. The first thing they smashed was the photo frame on the bedside table. The glass frame made a crisp sound as it shattered on the floor. My mom ran over, disregarding the glass shards, picked up the photo inside, and held it to her chest. “Take her away!” Zachary ordered. I watched helplessly as two burly men dragged my mom away. She clutched my photo, sobbing, her hands bloodied and mixed with glass shards, staining the person in the photo red. “Lily… my Lily, I’ve dirtied Lily’s photo.” The dull pain in my chest turned into a sharp knife twisting inside, making it hard to breathe. I never liked taking photos before, and even less so after I got sick and looked sickly. The only photo was placed by my mom on the bedside table, wiped clean over and over again. “Is this Lily? Let me see,” Rachel said, seeing my mom crying heartbrokenly while hugging the photo, she snatched it from her arms. “Give me back Lily’s photo!” My usually gentle mom lunged at Rachel, trying to grab the photo back, but was pushed to the ground by a large hand. My mom fell onto the glass-covered floor, her arms becoming a bloody mess. But she paid no attention to this, crying loudly, trying to pick up the photo that Rachel was now stepping on. “The crying is so annoying. Even after all this, Lily still won’t show up?” Zachary said, his face full of hatred and disgust as he grabbed the photo my mom had just picked up, tearing it into pieces in a matter of seconds. My mom’s cries stopped. She watched the photo pieces flutter down, trying to grab them but failing. “Lily’s photo is gone, the only photo of Lily is gone…” I crouched powerlessly beside my mom, not knowing whether to regret falling in love with someone like Zachary, Or to hate myself for not leaving more photos for my mom when I was alive. Zachary frowned, kicking the pieces on the ground further away, saying: “It’s just a photo, what’s the big deal? Is Lily dead and can’t take any more photos? Why are you crying like it’s a funeral?” My mom looked up with bloodshot eyes, screaming hysterically at Zachary: “This was the only photo of Lily!” Zachary lit a cigarette, snorting lightly, “I forgot, you’re Lily’s mother. Her gold-digging must be inherited from you.” “Tell me, how much money do you want for a photo?” He blew a smoke ring in my mom’s face, making her cough. “Tell Lily to come out now and kneel before me. I’ll compensate double for whatever damage was done to your house.” Zachary said, then seemed to think of something else. He took a drag of his cigarette and smirked. “Money is the least of my concerns now. If Lily performs well, I might even consider keeping her as my mistress.” I stood by, my fingers digging into my palms in anger. I never imagined Zachary would become so obsessed. Three years ago, I used his lack of money as an excuse. Three years later, he wants to buy my dignity with money in front of my mom. But I’m already dead, Zachary. “Zachary! How can you do this to Lily?!” My mom’s voice was hoarse from crying, her face filled with grief and anger. “How am I wronging her?! She wronged me three years ago when she left me at my most desperate moment!” “If it wasn’t for a kind-hearted person donating bone marrow to me, I would have died!” “She went off to enjoy life with rich men, all of this is a debt Lily owes me!” Zachary’s expression was almost distorted as he spat out his hatred for me through gritted teeth. “Lily is gone, she’s gone…” my mom said, her voice barely a whisper.

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My mother, pitying my seven-year unrequited love, got our adopted brother drunk and locked him in my room. The next day, photos of Blake Sullivan and me in bed went viral. He proposed to me with a cold face. The wedding reception ended hastily, and he retreated to the mountains to meditate. He only agreed to return when our daughter turned five. Our daughter, eager to see her father, insisted on going up the mountain to meet him. Olivia Winters, lying in his arms, saw the daughter who was a spitting image of Blake. Heartbroken, she left but accidentally fell off the cliff. Blake held Olivia’s body and cried for three days and nights. Afterwards, he returned to the family, becoming a universally praised good husband and father. I thought I had finally weathered the storm, but on our daughter’s fifth birthday, she accidentally fell into the sea. Without hesitation, I jumped into the raging waves during the storm. He watched us coldly from the yacht, his eyes full of terrifying hatred. “You two have ruined everything! You’re the culprits who killed Olivia Winters! This is what you owe her, pay with your lives today!” He decisively cut the lifeline short and sailed the yacht away without looking back. It wasn’t until my daughter and I were swallowed by the cold sea that I realized how much Blake Sullivan hated us. I woke up, reborn to the night Blake was drugged. “Aria! Open the door! Let me in!” I desperately held the bedsheet against the door and dialed the number of his true love…

My heart was racing, and my ears were ringing. “Damn it! The drug’s working too fast!” I cursed under my breath, stumbling backward. On the security camera feed, Blake Sullivan was standing outside my bedroom door. He was tugging at his hair in frustration, his shirt collar wide open, revealing his muscular chest. Muffled sounds of distress escaped his throat. The drug was already beginning to erode his self-control. I inhaled sharply as memories of my past life’s nightmare flooded back. If tonight’s script were to repeat itself, photos of Blake and me in bed would once again make headlines tomorrow. The tidal wave of public opinion would force him to marry me. After the wedding, he’d use meditation as an excuse to abandon me, leaving me as Mrs. Sullivan in name only. Later, I’d discover he had already been hiding his true love in the mountains. He only agreed to come down to buy a wedding dress for Olivia. Ironically, Olivia accidentally saw our daughter’s face, which looked exactly like Blake’s, instantly shattering her fragile nerves. After an argument, she fell off a cliff. Blake then poured all his hatred onto me and our daughter. No, living this life again, I absolutely cannot repeat the same mistakes! With trembling hands, I fumbled for my phone. “If you want to marry Blake Sullivan, come to the yacht right now.” After sending the text, I felt my cheeks burning up, and my breathing became rapid. “Damn it! I’ve been drugged too!” My mother’s crazed face suddenly appeared in my mind. “Aria, darling, Blake is so outstanding. Only you are worthy of him!” “Mom… what are you trying to do?!” “Don’t worry, my dear daughter. I’ll make Blake willingly marry you.” I leaned weakly against the cold wall, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. “Mom… you’re really going to be the death of me…” In less than ten minutes, urgent knocking shook the door, and Olivia’s shrill voice pierced through. “Aria James! What the hell are you up to? Why is Blake here? What have you done to him?!” “Aria, have you no shame? You’d do anything to get him, you’re despicable!” I took a deep breath, suppressing the strange sensations in my body, and said hoarsely, “Olivia, I know you and Blake have been secretly together for a while now. Whether you want to lock him in a room alone or join him in there, it’s up to you. I’m handing Blake over to you now.” With that, I yanked open the door and shoved Olivia into the room. I pushed Blake in as well. Then, without hesitation, I closed the door. From inside, the sound of tearing fabric immediately followed… I covered my ears and stumbled away.

I felt like my body was about to burst into flames. My rationality was torn to shreds, and all I wanted at that moment was to find a man, as quickly as possible. I stumbled and pushed open a door. The room was dimly lit, with a man standing by the window, his back to me. My voice was hoarse and tinged with tears as I lunged towards him. “Help me…” I cried out hoarsely, clinging to him like a drowning person grasping at a floating log. I hugged his waist tightly, pressing my burning cheek against his cool shirt. The man turned around, his handsome face filled with surprise. I didn’t care about anything else. I grabbed his collar, driven by instinctive desire, and pressed my burning lips against his. My kiss was clumsy, even a bit rough. “Mmph…” The man tried to push me away, but I clung to him desperately. “Please help me…” I mumbled incoherently, frantically pulling a diamond necklace from my bag and stuffing it into his hand. “This is very expensive, consider it payment for your trouble…” “I’m begging you…” I kissed him again, fumbling to unbutton his shirt. The man’s body stiffened, then he let out a sigh and pinned me against the wall. He whispered in my ear, his voice low and husky, “Aria James… don’t regret this.”

When I woke up, my entire body ached as if I’d been hit by a truck. I picked up my torn clothes from the floor, wrapped them around myself, and slipped out of bed. Back home, I rushed into the bathroom and examined myself in the mirror. My neck was covered in red marks, layers of deep and light bruises overlapping. Just as I walked out of the bathroom, I heard the front door open. I pressed an ice pack to my neck, hiding the marks. Blake walked in and frowned when he saw me with the ice pack. “What’s wrong? Got a stiff neck? Icing it so early in the morning.” I avoided his gaze, my eyes darting around nervously. “Um… yeah, stiff neck. Just icing it a bit.” Blake stepped closer, his gaze sharp. “Aria, drop the act! You think I don’t know your mom deliberately got me drunk last night?” His voice was cold, filled with undisguised disgust, “She’s always trying to push you onto me. You two are so pathetic, always clinging to me.” “What, couldn’t get into my bed last night, so you went out desperately looking for some random guy?” “You think I’d worry about you? That I’d run around like a dog looking for you? Dream on! Your little games of playing hard to get only disgust me!” I was stunned. How could he say such hurtful things? I hadn’t come home all night, wasn’t it to give him and Olivia a chance to be together? What right did he have to accuse me so self-righteously? “As you wished, I was with Olivia last night, and we’ll be together from now on. Olivia will be my wife, never you! So I suggest you give up on this foolish idea and stop doing these ridiculous things!” Blake tilted his chin up, his tone arrogant and smug, the fresh red marks on his neck clearly visible. I looked at Blake standing before me, my heart aching. Once, this man had been my everything, a mix of love and hate, deeply etched into my soul. Now, it was all in the past. Could I really let go? When I wake up from dreams at midnight, will I still feel regret? Fighting back the pain in my heart, I forced a smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll let you two be happy.” My voice was soft, but loud enough for him to hear clearly. “I’ll tell my parents that I don’t like you anymore. I won’t bother you again.” Blake was clearly taken aback by my words. His frown deepened, as if he couldn’t believe I would give up so easily. I suppose in his eyes, I, Aria James, should always be chasing after him. After all, my entire family had gone mad trying to arrange our marriage. They’d made him a close family friend, given him company shares, and even promised to transfer all the family assets to his name if he agreed to marry me. How ridiculous! Thinking back to my previous life, how much I had sacrificed to marry him, how much pain I had endured. After our daughter was born, I thought I had finally found happiness, but in the end, it led to the destruction of my family and the tragic deaths of both mother and daughter! Living this life again, I absolutely will not repeat the same mistakes! Blake was about to say something more when my mother’s questioning voice suddenly came from the pool area. “Olivia?! What are you doing here?!” My heart skipped a beat. I ran to the balcony and saw my mother standing by the pool, pointing at Olivia, who had just climbed out of the water. Blake’s face changed. He immediately rushed over, shielding the dripping wet Olivia behind him. “I brought Olivia here. She said she didn’t sleep well on the yacht last night, so I let her come here to rest.” “Yacht? Olivia was on the yacht last night too? What was she doing there? Weren’t you supposed to be with Aria last night?!” My mother’s face turned extremely unpleasant as her gaze darted between the red marks on Blake and Olivia’s necks. She looked up at me standing on the balcony. Feeling guilty, I shrank back and quickly retreated to my room, closing the door. Whatever was about to happen next, I couldn’t be bothered to watch.

A little while later, my mom walked in with a smile plastered on her face, followed by Olivia and Blake. “Aria, look who’s here.” Olivia linked arms with my mom, “Auntie, you’re too kind. Last night, thanks to Aria, Blake and I were able to be together. We came to thank her.” I sat on the edge of the bed, watching them. “Aria, come out, we’re waiting for you.” I walked out of the room to find a barbecue grill set up in the living room. Blake was grilling meat while Olivia handed out drinks. They were chatting and laughing. “Aria, come sit with us. Blake has grilled lots of food,” Olivia called out to me, as if she were the hostess of this house. I sat down in a corner and picked up a skewer of grilled meat. Blake grilled a prawn and held it to Olivia’s lips, “Olivia, try this.” Olivia ate the prawn and exclaimed, “Delicious! Blake, you should have some too.” She picked up another skewer and tried to feed Blake. Blake dodged, and Olivia chased him with the skewer, insisting on feeding him. They were playfully chasing each other. “Blake, you’re only feeding Olivia. What about your sister? She wants to eat your grilled meat too,” my mom said from the side, her smile a bit forced. Blake glanced at me, “Aria can grill her own food. Olivia is my fiancée, so of course she gets the best treatment.” Olivia picked up a slice of watermelon and held it to Blake’s lips, “How about I feed you with my mouth?” “Okay.” They kissed in front of me, seemingly seemingly unable to part. They only stopped when their faces had turned red from lack of air. Olivia touched her lips lightly and gently tapped Blake’s waist, “Oh my, Blake, you’ve made my lips all swollen.” She looked at me, “Aria, Blake must be addicted to my lips.” “You’ve never been kissed by him, so you wouldn’t understand.” I looked up to see my mom sighing as she watched them. I watched Olivia’s mouth open and close, feeling irritated. I made an excuse to leave. “I’m going to get some water.” I returned to the living room where my dad was sitting. He was looking outside, seemingly aware of everything.

Dad slammed his hand on the table in a fit of rage, causing the teacup to jump. “Aria James! You’re killing me! Last night, your mom and I got Blake drunk and sent him to your bedroom door, and you didn’t even open it! Are you stupid? You wasted such a perfect opportunity!” “Mark my words, that vixen out there will be moving into Blake’s house in no time! The cooked duck has flown away! I’m telling you, there’s no chance left! Do you know how many favors I’ve done to get you married to Blake? And you, you dropped the ball at the crucial moment!” I looked at him, my voice calm, “Dad, I don’t like Blake anymore.” Dad looked as if he’d heard the most ridiculous thing in the world. His voice suddenly rose, “What did you say? You don’t like Blake anymore? Aria James, have you lost your mind? Wasn’t it you who insisted on marrying only Blake? Wasn’t it you who was ready to die for him? Now you say you don’t like him? Are you toying with me?” His chest heaved violently, clearly furious. I took a deep breath, trying to make my voice sound more determined. “Dad, I’m serious. I really don’t like Blake anymore. I was foolish before, but now I’ve come to my senses.” “Besides, I don’t want to have anything to do with Blake anymore. Didn’t you say Ethan Grant from the Grant family is a good match? Why don’t you arrange for us to meet?” Dad was stunned, his anger dissipating somewhat. He looked at me. “You… you’re serious? You’re not just throwing a tantrum?” I met his gaze, my eyes resolute, “Dad, I’m serious.” Dad was silent for a moment, his expression softening and his tone becoming gentler, “Ethan Grant… that boy from the Grant family is indeed a good catch. His character and family background are impeccable. If you really want to ally with the Grant family, we can consider it.” He paused, then added, “But, Aria, have you really thought this through? About Blake… have you really let go?” I nodded and took out my phone, “Dad, give me Ethan’s contact information.” “Good, good, good!” Dad repeated the word ‘good’ three times and took out his phone to search. As I added Ethan on SnapChat and looked at his profile picture on the screen, I felt lost. Was giving up on Blake really this easy? Could the obsession from my past life really vanish like a dream? A few days later, I was driving past Blake’s house. Olivia was leaning against a red sports car. When she saw my car, she raised her chin, her face smug. She dangled the car keys in her hand, smiling at me, “Oh my, isn’t this Aria? What a coincidence! Isn’t this new car beautiful? Blake gave it to me.” She raised her voice, pointing at Blake who was walking a dog not far away, “Blake is so good to me. He even walks the dog for me every day. Unlike some people who chased after Blake for so many years and ended up worse off than a dog!” Olivia laughed lightly, her eyes full of contempt. My heart ached. In my past life, our daughter Sweetie never received even a shred of fatherly love from Blake, he barely even looked at her. But now, he was so attentive to Olivia’s dog. I felt a lump in my chest. Not wanting to engage with her any further, I stepped on the gas, ready to leave. But just then, Olivia rushed in front of my car, banging on my window and screaming. “Aria James! Get out of the car! How dare you look at me like that! Are you jealous of me? Jealous that Blake loves me?” She yelled and cursed while forcefully pulling at my car door, her nails scratching the paint. Blake heard the commotion and walked over, his face dark. “Aria James! What are you up to now? What did you do to upset Olivia? Why are you bullying her?” He pulled Olivia behind him protectively, glaring at me angrily. Olivia hid behind Blake, looking at me, “Blake, I’m so scared… I just wanted to say hello to Aria, but she… she seems to hate me so much, she even tried to run me over with her car…” “Enough!” Blake interrupted Olivia, roaring, “Aria James! That’s enough! How many times have I warned you not to cling to me? Not to harass Olivia? Why won’t you listen?” “Look at yourself! I’m so disappointed in you!” He pointed at my nose, his tone full of disgust. Turning to Olivia, his expression softened, “Olivia, don’t be afraid. I’m here, I won’t let her hurt you. Let’s go, ignore this crazy woman!” Saying this, he put his arm around Olivia’s shoulders and turned to leave, leaving me sitting alone in my car. Olivia nestled in Blake’s arms, turning back to give me a smile. My heart sank to the bottom. Blake had never changed. It was the same in my past life, and it remained the same in this life. He could never see my true feelings, always siding with Olivia. And I, for such a man, had wasted half my life, sacrificing my own happiness and that of my daughter. Thinking of my daughter, tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. This time, I must let go completely and start anew. For myself, and for my daughter, I absolutely cannot repeat the same mistakes!

I didn’t expect to end up in the hospital the next day. The door to my room was pushed open, and Olivia walked in arm in arm with Blake. The diamond ring on her finger was dazzling. “Aria James, the timing of your car accident is quite interesting,” Olivia spoke, her tone acidic. “Right on the day Blake and I were taking our wedding photos… Blake, don’t you think Aria still has lingering feelings for you, that’s why she…” She snuggled into Blake’s arms, leaving her sentence unfinished, but her implication was clear. I laughed, looking at the red roses on the bedside table, freshly picked by Ethan that morning. I had only realized during our meeting that he was the man I had spent that passionate night with. “Olivia, you’re overthinking. I have no feelings left for Blake.” Blake’s face darkened. He walked to the side of the bed and looked at me, his tone hard. “Aria James, what are you up to now? Why did you have to have an accident on the day Olivia and I were taking our wedding photos? Don’t you know how long we’ve been preparing for today?” He was suppressing his anger, his chest heaving. “I’ve told you so many times, we’re impossible. Why won’t you listen? Do you have to resort to this kind of attention-seeking?” I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “Blake, you’ve misunderstood. The car accident was just that – an accident. It has nothing to do with you.” “Is that so?” Blake didn’t believe me. Olivia’s eyes darted around, and she chimed in, “Blake, don’t say that about Aria. She might have just been careless. Besides, Aria doesn’t lack suitors. Maybe she’s already forgotten about you.” As she spoke, she adjusted Blake’s tie, giving me a triumphant look. Blake’s expression softened a bit, but his tone was still displeased, “Olivia and I are getting engaged. Aria, if you see me as a brother, you should be happy for us, not…” “I have a boyfriend now, and he treats me very well,” I interrupted Blake. Blake frowned, “Boyfriend? How come I don’t know about this? Who is he?” Olivia covered her mouth and laughed, walking to my bedside and shoving her diamond ring in my face, “Aria James, stop pretending. Even if you hired someone to act, Blake won’t believe it. He certainly won’t be jealous of your so-called fake boyfriend. His heart only belongs to me, and this diamond ring is proof. Are you envious?” Her smile was sweet, but her eyes were full of challenge. I turned my head away. Once, I too wanted Blake’s love, but that was in the past. Now, my heart belonged only to Ethan. “Even if you don’t have a boyfriend, it doesn’t matter. You’ll always be my sister,” Blake sighed, his tone patronizing, “I’ll take care of you, as long as you don’t harbor any delusions of marrying me.” I felt a wave of disgust. His so-called “care” was nothing short of a nightmare for me. “That’s right, Aria. You can consider us family. Blake and I will both take care of you,” Olivia chimed in, her smile fake. I knew that no matter how much I explained, they wouldn’t believe me. So I simply dismissed them. “I want to rest now,” I said flatly. Blake looked at me, his expression complex. He seemed about to say something, but Olivia pulled him away. After they left, I picked up my phone and played the voice message Ethan had sent proposing to me. “Aria, will you marry me?” His voice was gentle. Listening to his voice, the corners of my mouth turned up. It was while driving that I suddenly heard his proposal, causing me to get excited and crash into the roadside guardrail. It really had nothing to do with Blake.

During my hospital stay, Blake came to visit a few times, but I always turned him away, saying visiting hours were over. After being discharged, I moved in with Ethan, avoiding everything related to Blake. One evening, I returned home to get a bracelet. As I opened the door, I found myself staring into a pair of sinister eyes. Blake was sitting on the living room sofa, the wall light casting a long, thin shadow behind him. “Aria James, are you avoiding me?” His voice was low. My heart skipped a beat, but I suppressed my panic and forced a smile. “You’re overthinking.” “I hope so!” He stood up, his shadow looming over me. His brows furrowed, a storm brewing in his eyes. “My wedding with Olivia is imminent. I don’t want any more tricks!” “Then congratulations on your upcoming marriage.” I looked straight into his eyes, my tone calm. He stared at me, as if trying to see through me. Finally, his gaze fixed on my neck. “What’s wrong with your neck? Did you strain it again?” He reached out, gripping my chin and forcing me to lift my head. I panicked and raised my hand to cover the suggestive kiss marks on my neck. I stepped back, trying to create distance, but he grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it felt like he might crush my bones. “It’s none of your business!” I shook off his hand, my tone icy. Blake’s face darkened to an extreme, his whole body radiating danger. A strong sense of unease rose in my heart. Not wanting to engage with him any further, I turned and fled back to my bedroom. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a figure flashing behind the curtain on the second floor. Olivia was hiding behind the window, staring at me, her eyes filled with malice and distortion. The next afternoon, I dressed up carefully and went out to watch a movie with Ethan. Walking through the yard in my high heels, I saw that red sports car. Olivia was sitting in the driver’s seat, taking selfies with her phone. After the movie, I returned home. Just as I walked into the living room, a voice rang out. “Aria James! You vicious woman! Olivia almost died because of your perfume! Are you satisfied now?!” Blake rushed up to me, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me violently. I felt dizzy from his shaking. Frowning, I asked in confusion, “What perfume? What are you talking about?” “Still playing dumb?!” Blake roared, shoving me onto the couch. Then his body pressed down, pinning me to the sofa. At that moment, my phone rang, the screen flashing “Boyfriend”.

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After I donated my corneas to my son who was about to go blind, he mixed up my identity with Lily Brooks, my husband’s first love, due to memory confusion. Devastating news struck, and I was in so much pain that I didn’t want to wake up. But while I was semi-conscious, I overheard a conversation between my son and husband. “Dad, this way, Aunt Lily can stay with me forever!” “Yes, that’s my good boy! You acted so well!” The doctor who performed my surgery couldn’t bear to watch anymore. “Young master’s eyes were perfectly fine. You tricked your wife into donating her corneas to Miss Brooks. If she finds out, I’m afraid…” “There’s nothing to be afraid of. She loves me and Charlie so much. Besides, she’s an orphan. Where could she go without us?” “Lily has no one here, and she’s about to go blind. I can’t waste another minute!” I lay in bed, tears of despair soaking my pillow. They only cared about protecting Lily. But they didn’t know that because of the surgery, I was dying.

When I woke up, Lucas Carter, who was supposed to be by my bedside, was nowhere to be found. After returning home alone under the sympathetic gaze of the medical staff, I saw Lucas enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner with Lily Brooks. Seeing me return, Lucas hurriedly stood up. “Honey, you’re back.” “Why didn’t you tell me you were discharged? I could have picked you up.” “You’ve been through such a major surgery. It must have been tough. Charlie and I will take good care of you from now on!” His gaze was as gentle as ever, but I suddenly felt completely drained. Behind his mask of pretense was nothing but false sincerity. I ignored him and looked at Lily, who was acting like the lady of the house. “Why is she here?” Lucas coughed and explained. “Of course, it’s for Charlie. He only remembers Lily now. The doctor said they should spend more time together. It’s good for his recovery.” Charlie came forward and punched me, showing his loyalty. “Bad woman, how dare you bully my mom!” I bit my lip, feeling my blood run cold instantly. The pain of being betrayed by my dearest loved ones almost made me lose my balance. Before the surgery, the doctor had warned me. My body wasn’t suitable for this kind of surgery. Forcing it would only shorten my lifespan. But Charlie was so young. I couldn’t bear to watch him go blind. A pair of corneas was the last gift I, as a mother, could give him. But my wholehearted devotion was repaid with betrayal after betrayal! Everything was just a trap they set for me for Lily’s sake! Seeing the situation, Lily came forward to mediate, twisting her body. “Charlie, that’s enough. We shouldn’t hit people.” I looked at her smug eyes, trembling with anger. Sensing the tense atmosphere, Lucas quickly handed me a package from the side. “Honey, this is the discharge gift I prepared for you.” I looked down. Inside was a set of revealing lingerie. Lucas’s face instantly turned ugly as he tried to explain that he had grabbed the wrong package. But I never wore such things. He knew very well who it was bought for. I laughed bitterly and threw the clothes in his face before turning to go back to my room. But the sounds of laughter and joy outside were so loud they made my eardrums hurt. I had completely become an outsider in this family. But not long after, Charlie knocked on my door. He walked into my room without any courtesy and commanded me. “My toy is broken. Sew it for me!”

He was holding a rabbit plush toy that I had once sewn for him stitch by stitch. But now, the rabbit’s entire body had been maliciously cut beyond recognition. I looked at Charlie with trembling hands. Was this still the child I had nearly given my life to birth? But he wasn’t like this before. He used to sweetly call me “Mom” and was sensible enough to help with housework. But I don’t know when it started. He began to despise my increasingly haggard appearance from taking care of him. He pointed at my nose, “You’re so ugly now, no wonder Dad doesn’t want to come home to see you!” My heart was painfully stabbed, and a bucket of cold water was thrown in my face. Charlie held the bucket, impatiently glaring at me. “What are you staring at? Hurry up and sew it!” I looked at him deeply and calmly told him. “Go ask Lily to sew it for you.” With that, I walked towards the balcony to find new clothes. But the next second, I heard a click as the balcony door was locked. I was shocked and desperately pounded on the door, shouting. “Charlie, open the door!” But Charlie just snorted coldly, then directly pulled the curtains shut, ignoring my desperate cries for help. The night wind was bitterly cold, and my wet clothes clung to my body, making me shiver. My heart also turned completely cold. I curled up in the corner, seeking a bit of warmth. But at this moment, I heard a woman’s moan. “Oh, you naughty boy. Do you really like this outfit that much?” “Olivia is right next door. Aren’t you afraid she’ll come out and see us?” Lucas panted and teased. “Don’t worry, with Charlie keeping her busy, she won’t have time to bother us.” “Besides, we’ve been apart for so many years. Don’t you miss me?” The sounds of passion filled my ears, and I finally couldn’t control myself and vomited a mouthful of blood. That night, they were on fire in the room. While I was on the balcony, chilled to the bone by the cold wind. It wasn’t until noon the next day, when I was about to become dehydrated, that Lucas found me. He hurriedly took off his coat to wrap around my nearly lifeless body, and for the first time, he put on a serious face for Charlie. “Charlie, who told you to do this?” Charlie pouted, “She deserved it for not helping me sew my doll.” “But you can’t do that!” Charlie snorted and carelessly pulled Lily’s hand to run away. Lucas sighed and held my hand to comfort me. “Olivia, Charlie thinks Lily is you now. Everything he does is because he loves you.” “You need to understand him. Besides, I’ll always be on your side.” His eyes were deep and sincere, as if he still loved me very much. If I could ignore the fresh red marks on his neck, I might have believed him. I turned away, not wanting to look at him anymore. Seeing my attitude, Lucas also became angry. “Olivia Johnson, it’s getting old if you keep acting like this.” I laughed, “Is that so? Then I’ll just keep acting till the end.” “Unbelievable!” Lucas slammed the door hard as he left. The noise made my temples throb with pain. I lay on the couch, taking a long while to recover before getting up to go to the hospital. I needed to buy medicine.

The artificial eye was still a foreign object to me, causing excruciating pain every few days. The doctor told me there was a special medicine that might stabilize my condition. Otherwise, at this rate, I wouldn’t live past six months. But I had long since become a stay-at-home wife for love, with almost all financial power in Lucas’s hands. But I didn’t want to die yet. So I opened my phone and called him. But it was always busy. Until the last time, he hung up directly. I laughed and told the doctor to forget it. Leaving the hospital, my phone died, and the sky started pouring rain. My artificial eye had limited vision in the rain. But I could vaguely make out the father and son celebrating Lily’s birthday at a dessert shop. They were smearing cream on each other’s faces, looking as happy as in a romantic drama. But they usually hated sweets. As the rain trickled down my hair, I laughed bitterly, again and again. It turns out they didn’t dislike sweets. They just needed someone who could make them eat sweets. The continuous exposure to cold made me develop a high fever as soon as I got home. The artificial eye was still a foreign object, often making it difficult for me to sleep at night. But now, because of the fever, I dozed off in a daze. I hadn’t slept long before someone woke me up. Lucas brought me a small cake. “Here, Charlie and I brought you a strawberry cake. Wasn’t it your favorite before?” The old trick of giving a sweet after a slap. I looked into his eyes and said calmly. “That was before. I don’t like it anymore.” Lucas frowned. “Olivia Johnson, what exactly do you want to say?” I told him. “Lucas Carter, give me $300,000.” Surprised by my sudden request, Lucas was clearly bewildered. But before I could respond, Lily chimed in playfully. “I know why. There’s a new designer bag that costs exactly $300,000! Olivia must want to buy a bag!” “Throwing such a tantrum just for a bag, Olivia, you’re being so unreasonable.” Lucas’s eyes were full of mockery. “So you’ve been acting up all this time just to buy a bag. Olivia Johnson, I didn’t know you’ve become so vain and materialistic.” Charlie also chimed in. “That’s right, why should such a gold-digger stay in our house!” The three of them righteously accused me, and I laughed self-mockingly. Yes, a bag. They only knew that $300,000 was the price of a bag. But they didn’t know that $300,000 was also the price of my life. Lily walked up with a smile, stirring up more trouble. “Oh, don’t say that. Olivia is an orphan, with no mother to teach her. It’s normal to have some bad habits.” At the mention of my mother, my brain couldn’t even think before I instinctively slapped her. Lily wailed and fell into Lucas’s arms. Lucas was instantly enraged and pointed at my nose, cursing fiercely. “Olivia Johnson, apologize!” “Otherwise, you can forget about getting this money!” My heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, making it difficult to breathe. Enduring the high fever, I propped myself up and looked at this man I had loved for seven years. Over the years, his appearance had barely changed, but his heart had become completely unrecognizable. In an instant, I didn’t want the money anymore. I didn’t want him or Charlie either.

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Just a week after my husband’s death, my father-in-law was forcing me to have an abortion. “My son had azoospermia. Get rid of that bastard in your belly and get out!” he shouted. “You’re the one at fault here. You have no right to inherit my son’s estate!” I looked at my mother-in-law standing beside him, constantly retching. I clutched the medical report I had just received tightly in my hand. It was clear who actually had azoospermia. So where did my husband’s and mother-in-law’s fetuses come from? “Tell me, where did that bastard in your belly come from?” my father-in-law demanded. “How shameless! How could our family end up with such a promiscuous woman!” As soon as I opened the door, my father-in-law rushed in and slapped me hard across the face twice. “Bring out your lover right now. I’ll kill him today!” My father-in-law’s eyes were bloodshot as he violently shook my shoulders, interrogating me. I was stunned by the slaps and took a while to react. “Dad, what’s wrong with you?” I finally managed to ask. My father-in-law let go of me and started rummaging through the house: “My son had azoospermia. How could you possibly be pregnant with his child?” “Oh, my poor son! His body isn’t even cold yet, and he’s already wearing such a big green hat!” My vision went dark for a moment before I opened my mouth to explain: “That’s impossible. Jack was perfectly healthy. He definitely didn’t have azoospermia!” My father-in-law was so angry he was panting heavily: “You… you’re talking nonsense!” “It’s written in black and white. I’m not blind!” I clutched the medical report in my hand tightly, unsure of how to begin explaining.

My father-in-law was still seething with anger. “Emily, you committed adultery during your marriage. The evidence is conclusive. As the party at fault, you have absolutely no right to inherit my son’s estate!” My heart filled with bitterness, and tears began to flow. Could it be that he was deliberately slandering me for money? When my husband was alive, we were known as a model family in the neighborhood, admired by everyone. My husband loved and doted on me, and my in-laws treated me like their own daughter. My husband did leave behind a considerable inheritance, but in my heart, the relationship with my in-laws was priceless. He must be unable to bear the pain of burying his son, which is why he’s acting so out of character. Yes, that must be it! Thinking this, I forced a smile: “Dad, what are you saying? You know how much Jack and I loved each other!” “The baby in my belly is absolutely your flesh and blood grandchild! He’s already seven months along. How heartbroken he would be if he heard his own grandfather doubting him like this!” Hearing this, my father-in-law became even angrier. He grabbed my arm: “Shut up, you shameless woman!” “Our family won’t acknowledge such a bastard! Come with me to the hospital right now and get rid of it!” Being in late pregnancy, I almost fell when he pulled me. “Dad, please calm down! The doctor must have mixed up the reports!” As soon as I finished speaking, my mother-in-law, who had been standing silently in the corner, suddenly reacted. One hand lightly stroking her chest to calm herself, the other covering her mouth as she dry heaved, looking extremely uncomfortable. My heart sank. Ignoring my own predicament, I asked with concern: “Mom, are you alright?” My father-in-law let go of me and hurriedly helped my mother-in-law sit down. “Honey, you’re not taking care of yourself. Why were you just standing there?” “You need to be extra careful now. Sit down and rest!” I looked up at the window in surprise. Had the sun risen from the west today? How did my chauvinistic father-in-law suddenly turn into such a doting husband? Perhaps my husband’s sudden death had made my father-in-law realize the true meaning of life? My mother-in-law gently pushed away my father-in-law’s arm that was holding her. “I’m fine. Let’s focus on the matter at hand!” My father-in-law obeyed immediately, turning his head to glare at me fiercely: “We definitely won’t acknowledge that bastard in your belly. You must abort it today, there’s no room for discussion!” “Don’t even think about getting the house, car, or money. Otherwise, I’ll let the whole country know what a promiscuous woman you are!”

I ignored him and brought a cup of hot water to my mother-in-law. “Mom, are you feeling better? Is it your old stomach problem? Should I take you to the hospital?” My mother-in-law lowered her head without responding, but I could see her ears turning slightly red. Huh? My mother-in-law was acting a bit strange today! Everyone gets sick sometimes. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about seeing a doctor when you’re ill. Seeing me lost in thought, my father-in-law snatched the cup from my hand and smiled smugly: “Stomach problem? You wishful thinking bitch!” “I’m going to be a father again! I guess Jack couldn’t bear to leave us old folks alone, so he came back!” This was too much information to process at once. My mouth moved faster than my brain: “Jack has only been gone for seven days. Even if it were an early pregnancy, it wouldn’t show up on a test yet!” My mother-in-law’s thin shoulders began to tremble, and a wet patch quickly spread on her black pants… “Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.” “What did you mean then? Are you hoping our family line will end so that bastard in your belly can benefit?” my father-in-law snapped. My mother-in-law looked even more uncomfortable, her back hunched over as she covered her face with both hands. I rushed over anxiously: “Dad, look how upset Mom is. Stop talking nonsense and take her to the hospital!” My father-in-law smugly waved a piece of paper in my face: “We’ve already been to the hospital. The doctor praised me for being so virile at my age!” “Don’t think you’re the only one who can get pregnant, you shameless woman!” I looked at the hCG levels on the report, which were as high as several hundred thousand, and rubbed my eyes in confusion. So my mother-in-law really was pregnant??? But before my husband passed away, I had taken the whole family for a full-body check-up at the most authoritative hospital in the city. I had been busy with my husband’s funeral arrangements and only got the reports back today. Before they came in, I had been wondering. How could my father-in-law have azoospermia? Where did my husband come from then? The deceased is gone, so we’ll set aside the question of my husband’s origins for now. But this second child of my mother-in-law’s definitely couldn’t be my father-in-law’s! Seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, my father-in-law stood up and looked around the room I had prepared for the baby: “You shameless woman, you certainly don’t hold back when spending my son’s money!” “After we get rid of that little bastard in your belly, this room will be perfect for my son Guangyong.” It felt like two little people were fighting in my head. Should I say something or not?

If I don’t say anything, my father-in-law will be convinced that I’ve been unfaithful. But if I do speak up, it’s better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage. What if it affects the relationship my in-laws have built over many years? How could I face my husband in the afterlife? After a long while, I finally thought of a solution that could satisfy both sides: “Dad, I understand and sympathize with how you’re feeling.” “If you’re really worried, I can go to the hospital for an amniocentesis and paternity test.” “I’ve kept all of Jack’s belongings, so it would be easy to get a biological sample.” My father-in-law looked like a bundle of firecrackers about to explode: “Do you think I’m stupid? You probably bring your lover home every day. Who knows whose sample you’d use!” I frowned. Had my father-in-law gone mad with grief? Why was he being so unreasonable? If only he had raised these doubts before my husband was cremated. What could we do now… Seeing that my father-in-law was about to lose his temper again, I gritted my teeth and made a decision. At this point, I could only take a gamble. What if my father-in-law’s azoospermia was a recent condition? “How about we do the test with you? That can’t be faked!” I suggested quickly before he could explode. “As long as we can prove there’s a genetic relationship with you, it will prove my innocence!” My father-in-law was about to speak when my mother-in-law burst into tears. “We’re all family. We should settle this at home!” she cried. “There’s no need for any tests that will cause a scandal. Emily is still young. How will she face people if something goes wrong?” A strange feeling crept over me. What??? Was my mother-in-law trying to help me? Why did it sound so odd! Thinking about how good she had been to me in the past, I forced a smile: “Mom, it’s okay. The truth will come out!” “No one knows better than a mother whose child she’s carrying!” “Dad is getting on in years. There’s no need to trouble him over such a small matter. We can just do the test. The hospital will protect patient privacy!” My father-in-law reached out his hand to make a pact with me: “If that bastard in your belly has nothing to do with me, you must get rid of it immediately and get out of the Zhang family!” “Otherwise, your entire family will suffer the consequences!”

I looked at the bottles of expensive wine on the coffee table, feeling very upset. My father-in-law loved to drink, and these were wines my dad had painstakingly brought back all the way from France. If he knew that his usually friendly in-law was cursing his family behind his back, how heartbroken would my dad be! Before I could open my mouth to argue, my mother-in-law started crying even louder. “What are you trying to do? Do you want to drive me to my death?” “My poor son’s body isn’t even cold yet. Can’t we resolve this peacefully instead of tearing the family apart?” My heart tightened. It seemed like my mother-in-law had something else to say! I needed to think this through carefully. Generally speaking, cheating is a habitual behavior. So, could this not be my mother-in-law’s first time? What if my husband really wasn’t my father-in-law’s child? Then the baby would definitely have no genetic relationship with my father-in-law. If that were the case, with my husband gone, there would be no way to prove it. My father-in-law would direct all his anger at me. There would be no way for me to clear my name! What should I do? When my husband was dying, he held my hand tightly and wouldn’t let go. He only closed his eyes peacefully after I promised to take care of his parents as if they were my own. With that promise still ringing in my ears, how could I go back on my word? Suddenly, an idea struck me. I had thought of a solution that could satisfy everyone. I turned to look at my mother-in-law: “Mom, since you’ll need to have regular prenatal check-ups anyway, why don’t you do a paternity test with the baby?” I couldn’t help but applaud myself internally! Even if my father-in-law might not be my husband’s biological father, my mother-in-law must be his birth mother, right? This way, everyone’s face would be saved, and my father-in-law could let go of his suspicions about me! My mother-in-law was about to speak when my father-in-law interrupted her impatiently: “What paternity test? Why should we waste thousands of dollars for the sake of that bastard in your belly!” I choked up, almost crying out loud. Hand on heart, I had never shown the slightest disrespect to my in-laws. My husband’s body wasn’t even cold yet. How could they bear to humiliate his widow and unborn child like this? Tears kept falling, gradually blurring my vision.

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Five years ago, when my face was disfigured by acid, Lucas held up a photo of his missing true love to convince me to have surgery. “I’ll make you more beautiful than before,” he promised. But when I accidentally stumbled upon an identical face in the VIP ward, I finally understood that I was just a replacement. Later, I discovered he was secretly using our daughter’s blood to keep their illegitimate son alive! I went mad trying to take my daughter away, but a cold scalpel was pressed against my throat. His breath hot on my ear, he whispered, “You’re just her substitute. It’s time to give the face back.” The next moment, I unexpectedly died on his operating table. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I discovered his secret. The cold sensation of the scalpel gliding across my face still lingered. I jolted awake, instinctively touching my face. I was standing in the hallway of the VIP ward, holding a thermos of hot bone broth. The familiar number 606 was on the door of this ward. Through the frosted glass, I saw my husband, Lucas, the director of this private hospital. He was cradling someone who looked exactly like me. It was Vanessa, his true love who had been missing for six years. That’s when I realized I had been reborn. In my previous life, I had accidentally passed by this room and discovered the truth that I was just a replacement for Lucas’s true love. Trembling all over, I hadn’t confronted him for the sake of our daughter. But when I saw with my own eyes that he was using our daughter’s blood to keep their illegitimate son alive, I completely lost it. I burst into the ward, determined to take our daughter away. But a cold scalpel was pressed against my throat. Lucas’s breath was hot on my ear as he whispered, “You’re just her substitute. It’s time to give the face back.” The next moment, I was injected with anesthesia and laid on the cold operating table. He only wanted one person in the world to have this face. But I unexpectedly died on the operating table. He announced it as a medical accident and quickly covered it up. Given another chance at life, I found myself back at the moment I discovered this secret. I stared intently at the intertwined figures inside, my fingernails digging into my palms, filled with hatred. Suddenly, my phone began vibrating incessantly in my pocket. I pulled it out to see “Ms. Lee” displayed on the screen. I answered the call. “Hello?” “Oh, Candy’s mom? I’ve already dropped Candy off with Dr. Lin for her checkup. I’ll come pick her up when it’s done, okay?” My grip on the phone tightened. This was bad! In my previous life, today was when my daughter’s regular “checkups” began! I rushed downstairs, frantically asking the nurses about Dr. Lin’s whereabouts. The hospital staff, knowing I was the director’s wife, quickly informed me that Dr. Lin had gone to the blood draw lab on the third floor. I set down the thermos of broth and sprinted towards the third floor. My palms were sweating as I ran, my heart pounding, terrified of being a second too late. I saw my daughter’s silhouette in the distance and shouted, “Candy!” She turned, her face lighting up when she saw me, calling out in her sweet voice, “Mommy!” I dashed over and violently knocked away the needle that was about to pierce my daughter’s arm. Dr. Lin was startled by my action, frozen in place. “Mrs. Carter, what are you doing?” I didn’t answer her, carefully examining the bruises from needle marks on the inside of my daughter’s arm. Why were there needle marks when I had just stopped it? Could it be that Lucas had already been drawing Candy’s blood… “Dr. Lin, you’ve been drawing my daughter’s blood without parental consent? Don’t you know that’s illegal!” I shouted at her angrily. Dr. Lin awkwardly scratched her head. “Well… the director told us to do it…” The fury in my heart was instantly doused with a bucket of cold water. Lucas, how could you be so cruel! Suddenly, my daughter looked up at me innocently and said, “Mommy, Candy’s okay. Daddy said he’d buy me something yummy. Candy’s not afraid of pain!” My heart ached as I gently touched the bruises on her little hand, glaring at Dr. Lin. “Bring me Candy’s previous medical records.” She hesitated, saying, “Well… you’re not hospital staff, so it’s not appropriate to disclose…” “I can’t even see my own daughter’s records? Do I need to ask Lucas myself?” Finally, she produced all of Candy’s medical records since birth. I examined them carefully, only to find that Lucas had covered his tracks perfectly. Since she was 4 years old, there were regular 200cc blood donations, all signed off by Lucas. On the surface, it was for rare blood type research, but in reality, it was being transfused to the illegitimate son in VIP room 606! The paper crumpled in my grip as Dr. Lin watched me nervously. I threw the medical records in her face, warning her through gritted teeth, “I’m taking my daughter with me. If there’s a problem, tell him to come find me!”

I had someone take my daughter back to my parents’ house. Then I changed into a nurse’s uniform, put on a mask, and once again approached VIP room 606. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door. I called out in a low voice, “Director.” He was busy playing with the little boy in the bed and didn’t respond. Vanessa looked at the father and son pair with a gentle expression. It seemed no one had noticed me, assuming I was just a nurse doing rounds. I approached the bedside where there was a paternity test showing Tommy was Lucas’s biological child. Tommy, the child who was being kept alive with my daughter’s blood. I tried my best to control my emotions. As I neared the transfusion machine, Lucas noticed something was off. He frowned at me. “You came in to…” My heart leapt into my throat. Before he could finish speaking, his phone suddenly rang. It sounded like Dr. Lin’s call, and he had to hurry out of the room. I finally relaxed, picking up the transfusion record to examine it. The recipient was Tommy, but the donor was unspecified. I then accessed the computer to search the records, discovering that my daughter’s transfusion records had been encrypted as “Medical Waste.” My brow furrowed as I looked, and I took out my phone to take a picture. “…Nurse, what are you doing?” Damn, I had forgotten about Vanessa. I calmly took the photo and turned around, saying, “Oh, just routine record-keeping.” That’s when I got a clear look at her face. She had a small mole at the corner of her eye, making her whole face appear more alluring. No wonder Lucas couldn’t forget her, even wanting to remake me into her copy. But one person can never truly become another. She smiled and said, “Doesn’t the director’s wife look a lot like me?” “Yes… a bit similar.” “Do you ever get us confused? But my face is the real one, I think she had surgery to look like me.” She was treating me like a lowly nurse, indirectly stating that she was the original. I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. “What’s your relationship with the director?” I asked. Seeing that I didn’t immediately compliment her and changed the subject, she showed slight impatience. “That’s none of your business, is it?” I feigned embarrassment. “Well, breaking up someone’s family doesn’t seem right…” “You!” Her face reddened. “Oh well, never mind, sister. I’ve got work to do.” I quickly left the room, a smile playing on my lips. Take that, you arrogant woman! Soon after, I received a call from Lucas. “Wasn’t it agreed that Candy’s checkups would start today? What are you making a fuss about now!” I let out a cold laugh. “Is it really just a checkup?” “Lucas, you’ve been taking our daughter’s blood for a year! And you lied to me saying it was for research!” He paused for a moment, showing no panic at being exposed, instead accusing me. “You’re being unreasonable! If it’s not research, then what is it? She’s my daughter too!” “You think it doesn’t pain me? I always thought you understood me, I’m very disappointed in you…” My heart turned cold. Even now, he was still lying. “I’m sorry, but I can’t understand this.” “I’m sending Candy back to my parents. Don’t think about taking her blood again. We’re getting a divorce!” There was a long silence on the other end. I hung up the phone. Then I sent the photos I had taken to someone. With a message attached: [Your clearance should allow you to view this encrypted record, right?] I quickly received a reply. I opened it to check. [Should be possible, I’ll take a look tomorrow.]

If I remembered correctly, Lucas was working late again today. I called a locksmith to open his long-locked study. After sending the locksmith away, I turned the doorknob of the study, ready to face the truth I might discover. But after turning the study upside down, I found nothing. Frustrated, I sat down, accidentally touching the family photo on the desk. There was a clicking sound. A bookcase behind me swung open. His study had a secret room! I approached the secret room to find it plastered with photos of Vanessa. There was also a family photo on the table. I picked it up and looked at it. It was a family photo of him with Vanessa and Tommy. I stared coldly at the three smiling faces in the photo and put it back in its original place. In a drawer, I found my plastic surgery plan from five years ago. Inside was an old photo of me, before I was disfigured, with a big X drawn across it. I almost dropped the file. Why did he have a photo of me from before? It all felt like an enormous trap set just for me… Panicking, I took out my phone and photographed this evidence. Just then, I heard the sound of the door opening. I hurriedly left the secret room, turning the family photo on the desk back to its original position. As soon as I left the study, I came face to face with Lucas. He looked at the open study behind me and quickly stepped in, glancing around. He turned back to me with a frown. “What were you doing in my study?” I calmly walked to the sofa and sat down. “What? I can’t go in? Is there something you don’t want me to see?” He closed the study door. “…No, just don’t go into my study when there’s nothing wrong.” I nodded, “After the divorce, I won’t be coming in anymore.” “You really want a divorce?” he asked. “Yes, and I’m taking custody of our daughter.” His expression changed. “That’s not possible.” I stood up angrily, pointing at his nose. “What? You still want to use our daughter for research? She’s just a child! Lucas, do you have any conscience!” He maintained a cold expression, not backing down. “I can divorce you, but our daughter must stay with me.” I laughed at his shamelessness. “Fine, we’ll see if you can take her from me.” After parting ways with Lucas on bad terms, I returned home. I asked my parents to look after Candy carefully. Then I went out and hired a private investigator to help me find the assistant who had helped Lucas perform my plastic surgery five years ago. She had disappeared without a trace after the surgery was completed, but I finally managed to track her down. At first, she was reluctant to meet me no matter what. “Whatever Lucas is paying you, I’ll double it.” With that, she agreed to meet.

I placed a voice recorder in my bag before heading to the agreed-upon café. “When do I get the money?” she asked immediately. “Isn’t it a bit too early to ask for money before we’ve even talked? Tell me, how much do you know about the inside story of my plastic surgery five years ago.” “…I only know that your disfigurement wasn’t an accident.” I calmly sipped my coffee. “I guessed as much. Who did it?” “I overheard a conversation between Dr. Carter and a woman, something about paying to get a job done. Dr. Carter gave her a box, and later, your surgery was scheduled ahead of all others.” I pressed my lips together, not saying a word. She urgently prompted, “Where’s the money!” I took out my phone and let her enter her account number, then transferred the money to her. After confirming the money had arrived, she looked at me with pity in her eyes. “You’re a pitiful woman too. I never thought Dr. Carter would do such a thing. Afterwards, he paid to keep me quiet. My family urgently needed money at the time, so I had no choice.” She hurriedly left after saying this. I sat there, my mind racing. The person who threw the acid five years ago had already been arrested. After discovering the secret room, I had my suspicions, but hearing it confirmed still made my heart skip a beat. I took out the voice recorder from my bag and pressed stop. My phone screen lit up with a message from Lucas. [The new hospital is opening this week. You must attend tomorrow’s banquet, or I’ll have someone bring Candy back.] If it hadn’t been for my family providing funds to Lucas, his hospital would have gone bankrupt long ago. Now he still needed my status to network with the upper class. I stared at the message for a long time before replying [Okay]. I dressed up for the banquet. I linked arms with Lucas, pretending to be a loving couple smiling at others. He was coaxed into giving a speech on stage, and I picked up a glass of wine, watching him impassively. Once upon a time, he had stood on stage like this, speaking eloquently. When he looked at me then, his eyes were full of love. But now I realized he had only been looking through me at someone else. I tilted my head back and drained my glass. Looking back at him, I noticed his gaze fixed on a spot in the crowd. Following his line of sight, I saw a woman wearing a mask standing among the people. The mole at the corner of her eye told me it was Vanessa. She had come too, and was even holding a little boy’s hand. She had actually brought the illegitimate son. I turned and walked towards the backstage, sending the photos on my phone to someone. Immediately, a photo appeared on the big screen on stage. It was the paternity test of Tommy and Lucas. People in the audience began to discuss after seeing the screen. “Who’s Tommy? I thought the director’s daughter was named Candy?” “I don’t know, does the director have another child?” “Is it a second child?” Lucas sensed something was wrong and turned to look at the big screen, his face instantly darkening. By this time, I had already approached the boy. I gave him a contemptuous smile, then shouted loudly, “Tommy!” All eyes in the room turned towards us.

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I married the man who had assaulted me three years ago. He looked impeccable in his suit, with piercing eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses. Now, he lay behind me, his strong arms wrapped around my waist, trapping me in his embrace. He leaned close to my neck, his low, husky voice whispering in my ear, “Winter, you’ll always be mine.” In the darkness, the other side of the bed suddenly dipped. An icy chill crept up my back. I instantly snapped awake. A man’s hand slid under my nightgown, moving up from my stomach. His hand was dry and cold, and my body immediately tensed up, fear gripping my heart. It was that psychopath, Jasper Gray. After running for so long, he had finally found me. Despair washed over me. I sighed, “So you found me after all.” Jasper hugged me from behind and chuckled, “Winter, I told you, you’re mine. You’ll never escape me.” He propped himself up on one elbow and used his other hand to turn me over to face him. “Winter, it’s been three years. I’ve missed you.” Missed me? I couldn’t help but sneer. What did he miss? My body, or the chance to kill me? Forced to face Jasper, I saw him clearly for the first time in three years. He hadn’t changed much. His face was still handsome, looking every bit the gentleman, but his eyes were filled with the same evil as before. I studied him carefully, my gaze moving from top to bottom. He was shirtless, and there was a long scar over his heart. The scar was long and ugly, clearly from a knife. I placed my hand on the scar and laughed coldly, “What a pity I couldn’t stab you to death back then.” It was my fault. I had the chance right in front of me, but I couldn’t seize it. Jasper stared at me and smiled, “Winter, you really have a cruel heart.” Cruel? For a murderer and rapist like him, I wished I could cut him into a thousand pieces. This was just the first cut. Even after all these years, I could still vividly recall the scene of charging at him with a knife. I plunged the knife into his body, and the gushing blood stained my cheeks. At that moment, I was excited, elated. What a pity. Just a little more, just a little more, and I could have been rid of him for good. “Winter, I gave you a chance.” Jasper grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. Then, with a cruel smile, his lips fell on my hair, my face, my neck, and finally spread to various parts of my body. “Winter, be a good girl. If you behave, I might let you go.” Three years ago, he had let me have a chance to escape, playing with me like a cat with a mouse. Now, I knew he would never make such a mistake again.

The next day, I was tied up and taken back to New York. On the way, I sat in the back seat with Jasper, my hands and feet bound. The car sped along as I stared out the window, lost in thought. Jasper turned to look at me, a cold smile on his lips, “I never imagined that after searching high and low for you, you’d be right under my nose.” The city where I had been staying, Boston, was only a 30-minute drive from New York. To hide from him these past few years, I had moved through many cities. In the end, I decided to settle in Boston, thinking the most dangerous place might also be the safest. Jasper continued to watch me, still smiling, but his eyes were like a cold pond. “Winter, you’re very clever.” He raised an eyebrow, his face taking on that cat-and-mouse expression again. I hated that look of his. He thought he would always be the winner, but I knew the outcome was far from decided. I couldn’t provoke him, at least not now. I smiled self-mockingly, “But I still ended up in your hands.” Jasper seemed pleased with this response. He smiled faintly, “Winter, trying to like me isn’t such a bad idea.” Like? How dare he even mention that word? Those two words touched a nerve. My anger surged, and I spat at him. “Make me like a rapist? You’re dreaming. Besides, you killed my parents!” “Winter, I’ve told you it’s not what you think. I was just loving you,” Jasper said in a low voice, anger hidden beneath his words. Jasper didn’t like me calling him a rapist. After it happened, he told me he was just caught up in the moment, that it wasn’t intentional. Not intentional? But I clearly expressed my refusal, and he still continued to assault me, ignoring my cries and pleas for help. I laughed coldly. How many men have told girls, “I just loved you too much,” knowing full well they were breaking the law, still trying to deceive and test? It was disgusting, truly disgusting. I felt my stomach churning, and I glared fiercely at Jasper. Jasper curled his lip, gave me a cold look, and in the next second, he pinned me against the seat with one hand on my throat. “Winter, out of bed, you’re nothing. How dare you speak to me like that? You think too highly of yourself.” As he spoke, he increased the pressure on my throat. I found it increasingly difficult to breathe, my face turning red from lack of oxygen. At that moment, I thought I might die right there. But it didn’t matter. Aren’t men all the same? They call you baby in bed, then show their true colors once you’re out of it. Especially given the relationship between me and the man before me – it was either him or me. But at the last moment, Jasper released his grip. I gasped for air beside him. The struggle to breathe had forced tears from my eyes. Laughing through my tears, I said, “Jasper, you’ll regret keeping me by your side.” Jasper laughed too. He pushed his glasses up his nose and looked at me, “I look forward to it.” His appearance reminded me of a term young girls often use these days – the “cold and aloof type,” or perhaps “gentleman villain.” It was indeed quite alluring. If he wasn’t Jasper Gray, I might have been fascinated at that moment. But he was Jasper Gray. He was too good at pretending. Back then, it was this image that made me think he was a good person. It wasn’t until later that I realized even handsome, clean-cut men could be villains. Especially someone like Jasper – he was rotten to the core. I lay back in my seat, thinking to myself, Jasper, I’m looking forward to it too. After all, I’ve been preparing for so long. This time, I will definitely kill you.

Jasper locked me in the basement. The basement was surrounded by welded iron bars, looking a bit like a prison cell from TV. I sat down in a clean spot and looked at the wall not far away. The word “hate” was carved there. I had carved it. Three years ago, after Jasper assaulted me, he imprisoned me here, afraid I would run away. Click. Jasper unlocked the door and walked in from outside. He bent down slightly, examining me, “Winter, how does it feel to be back in this familiar old place?” “Just like you – nothing fresh about the experience,” I said carelessly, playing with my fingers. Jasper, I wasn’t afraid of you before, and I’m even less afraid now. Faced with my provocation, Jasper’s expression remained unchanged. He bent down to look at me, “Winter, don’t think about leaving me. You’re the woman I’ve slept with. No one else will want you except me.” I looked at Jasper for a long time, then sneered, “Jasper, I didn’t expect you to still be so old-fashioned at heart. Men, emotions, bodies – these things have never been shackles holding me back.” “Winter, you really are cheap,” he said through gritted teeth, as if I were the one who had done something wrong. I looked up, smiling as I met his gaze, “It was men who first treated women as playthings. Why is it that when women also become indifferent to love, they’re considered cheap?” “Men and women are different,” he said slowly, enunciating each word. I chuckled and asked, “What’s the difference? Aren’t men human? Men can sleep around and walk away, but the women left behind should be shamed and despised?” Jasper’s eyes darkened, but after a moment, his lips curled up slightly, “Winter, you always know how to anger me, but I like you this way. One day, I’ll make you submit.” “Going to sleep here again?” I looked up at him. Jasper stood up straight, folding his arms as he watched me. I smiled indifferently, “Don’t men always want to take revenge on women’s bodies?” Jasper smiled, “Winter, one day both your body and heart will be mine.” I curled my lips in a sneer, “Then I wish you success.” I even clapped for him, because I knew he would never succeed. As long as I lived, I would never submit to him.

For several days, Jasper didn’t come again. Occasionally, Mrs. Wilson would come to bring me food and change of clothes, giving me some rare peace. Mrs. Wilson was Jasper’s housekeeper, who had been taking care of him since he was ten years old. That was the first time I heard Jasper’s story. Mrs. Wilson took me out of the basement to a guest room upstairs. She had drugged my food, and as the effects slowly set in, I felt dizzy. She pulled me onto the bed and started wiping my body while explaining, “Miss Winter, I’m sorry. I can’t let you bathe alone. I can’t let anything happen to you. Please forgive me.” I thought to myself, it doesn’t matter. Being clean is better than being dirty in the basement. I lay on the bed like an immobile plant as Mrs. Wilson wiped my body and began to tell me about Jasper’s childhood. “I found him when he was ten. He was so small, curled up in the rain. He had just managed to find a piece of bread in a trash can, but before he could eat it, a homeless man came from behind and snatched it away. His eyes were lost and helpless in the rain.” I forced my eyes open, trying to stay as awake as possible because I wanted to learn as much as I could about Jasper. The more I knew, the better I could find ways to deal with him. Mrs. Wilson turned me over and continued her story. Later, she took Jasper home. The name “Jasper” was given by Mrs. Wilson because she felt the northwestern region had a harsh living environment, and she hoped Jasper could survive even in adverse conditions. At that time, Mrs. Wilson was in her forties with no children, working as a cleaner and living in the poorest alley. Her monthly salary of just over a thousand dollars wasn’t enough for two people to live on. Mrs. Wilson was getting older and occasionally needed medication. Because of the lack of money, and being bullied as a widow with an orphan, Jasper became a thug. He did all sorts of things, legal or not. Mrs. Wilson suddenly stopped and looked at me, “Miss Winter, a child from a happy family like you wouldn’t understand, but I understand Jasper. We were just trying to survive.” Later, when Jasper was sixteen, he was found by the Gray family and became their heir. At sixteen, the best age, he spent all his time working. For those years, he worked day and night, and in his spare time, he had to study to make up for the education he had missed. “Miss Winter, Jasper has had a hard life. He never got what he wanted. When he was little, all he wanted was a piece of bread, but he didn’t get it. After sixteen, what he wanted was freedom, but he never got that either. Later, he just wanted you, Miss Winter. Please have mercy on him, pity him a little.” I laughed coldly. Mrs. Wilson said Jasper was pitiful, but what about me? I had a happy family, had just graduated from college, and I was supposed to have a bright future. But just because of one glance from Jasper, I was abducted by him. This thug ruined my life. Moreover, there were lives between us. Jasper was in darkness, wanting to drag me into hell to save him. But he overestimated himself. No one could save someone like him. He needed a light, but he couldn’t force me to be that light. I closed my eyes, and a tear rolled down from the corner of my eye. Jasper might be pitiful, but pity was never an excuse for crime.

When Jasper returned, I had just woken up in the room. The drugs hadn’t worn off yet, and I was limp on the bed. He smelled of alcohol, which made me feel a bit nauseous. I turned my head slightly, trying to get away from him. Perhaps this movement made him uncomfortable, because he grabbed me and carried me towards the door. I knew he was taking me back to the basement. Mrs. Wilson heard the commotion and ran in from outside. Seeing it was Jasper, she was stunned for a moment, then started to persuade him, “Jasper, let Miss Winter sleep here. There are security guards inside and outside the villa. She can’t run away.” Jasper glanced at me, curling his lips slightly, “Mrs. Wilson, don’t interfere with this. She’s very cunning.” I raised my eyelids, looking at him. Cunning? Huh, Jasper, is it me being cunning or you being afraid? You’ll never admit that beneath your exquisitely beautiful exterior, your rotten core is filled with cowardice and fear. Jasper, you’re far from being as strong as me. Thinking of this, my mood improved a little. Jasper carried me back to the basement. This time, the ground had been covered with a thick layer of blankets, probably prepared by Mrs. Wilson. Jasper held me and sat down on the blankets with me. He looked very tired. He rested his head on my neck, his thick black hair tickling my skin. He didn’t care about my feelings at all. He just held me like this and slept for a while. When he woke up, the drug effects had just worn off, but half of my body was numb from his weight. I used my free hand to massage my body while trying to distance myself from Jasper. Jasper watched silently as I moved further and further away from him, as if enjoying the show. When I finally stopped moving, he got up, dusted himself off, and smiled, “Winter, next time don’t try to use Mrs. Wilson.” My heart skipped a beat. Did he know? But I kept my face calm, knowing that this was the moment I couldn’t lose my composure. Jasper looked me up and down and continued, “I received the text message.” He held up a phone with a blue case – it was Lily’s phone. I recognized it immediately because the blue case had Lily’s photo on it. Lily was my best friend. I couldn’t let anything happen to her. In an instant, I lunged at him, using all my strength to scratch and bite him. “Jasper, you psycho, what have you done to her?” I had indeed used Mrs. Wilson. I had stolen her phone when she wasn’t paying attention and sent a message to Lily. Jasper didn’t say anything. He threw me to the side, and the force made me lose my balance and fall to the ground. He slowly crouched down to my level, then forcefully grabbed the collar of my shirt, his eyes full of threat, “Winter, so you need to behave. If you don’t, I can’t guarantee Lily’s safety.” I felt my body go cold, my limbs numb, with an indescribable pain. Jasper left, locking the door behind him. Before he disappeared around the corner, he warned me, “Don’t think about escaping again. No one can save you.” Watching Jasper disappear, I curled my lips. I never thought about being saved by others. I’ve always known that the only one who could save me was myself.

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The day my ex-boyfriend, Spencer Drayton, became the world boxing champion was the same day I, Madeleine Ford, got my terminal diagnosis. During the live broadcast interview, the host asked Spencer who’d been his rock during the hardest times. He called my number. “Back then, you dumped me because you thought I was a nobody, got rid of our kid, and ran off with someone else. Any regrets now?” I glanced at the date the doctors predicted I’d die and laughed, a wild, almost freeing sound. “Maybe we should just get back together. I get a champion boxer boyfriend. You get a five-year-old son. Win-win.” He hung up instantly. On the broadcast, Spencer’s laugh was ice-cold. “Thanks to my ex for giving me this humiliation. It’s what drove me to where I am today.” I smiled through my tears, wiping them away. He had no idea. If I hadn’t walked away, he would have died in that ring. A friend request popped up on my phone. The profile picture was of my ex, Spencer. After a moment’s hesitation, I hit accept. Instantly, a fifty-thousand-dollar transfer notification followed. The message attached: [I want to see the child.] It took me a long moment to process what he meant. A knot of complicated feelings tightened in my chest. I accepted the money, then typed back: [Okay. Where are you?] He dropped a pin, a private, members-only club. I transferred the funds straight to my adopted son Theo Ford’s account, pulled myself together, grabbed my purse, and headed for the club. As I approached the private room, a familiar voice drifted out. Peeking through the door crack, I saw Spencer standing tall and straight. Seven years had passed. He looked more mature, more grounded, though his features were fundamentally unchanged. But the woman beside him wasn’t me anymore. From the way he was dressed, it was clear he’d just finished a livestream and rushed straight here. His new girlfriend, Tessa Sutton, had thrown him a victory party here, celebrating him becoming the youngest champion ever. Spencer cradled Tessa’s face, brushing a tender kiss across her forehead. I snapped my head away, a sharp pain lancing through my heart. All I wanted was to leave right then and there. Suddenly, the door was yanked open. Startled, I looked up. Spencer stood there, his face a mask of indifference. His cold gaze swept over me, head to toe, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “After all this time, not even a hello before leaving? That’s a bit rude, don’t you think?” I stared at him, a thousand unspoken words catching in my throat. I swallowed them down. What came out was, “You wanted to see the child, right? Can you come with me now?” Spencer froze. Then raw fury ignited in his icy eyes. He slammed me against the wall, his hands digging into my shoulders as he growled, his voice low and furious, “Seven years ago, you vanished without a word, and now this is the first thing you say to me?” A sharp, throbbing ache radiated from where his fingers pressed into a bruise on my shoulder. I gasped against the pain but showed a brittle laugh. “Mr. Drayton, are you afraid Ms. Sutton might get jealous? I’m sure she would be delighted to hear I have a child, wouldn’t she?” I aimed the last words at Tessa, who had followed him out and now stood possessively in the doorway. Shock registered on both their faces. Pain flickered in Spencer’s eyes, mixed with something unreadable. Before he could speak, Tessa glided to his side, looping her arm through his, staking her claim. She shot me a sharp look, her voice dripping with mockery and pity. “Darling, I heard Ms. Ford has been all alone, you know. “Raising a child by herself all these years… it must have been terribly difficult. Perhaps the poor boy’s never even met his father. Her asking… She’s probably just trying to keep the child happy, don’t you think? “After all, she’s not like me. I have a man to take care of me, time for shopping, trips… living life to the fullest. “Which reminds me. I suppose I owe Ms. Ford a thank you for being so cruel back then. If she hadn’t been, I never would have met such a wonderful man, would I?” Faced with Tessa’s smug display, I said nothing and offered no defense. My mind flashed back seven years. Spencer was just a hungry young fighter then, fresh off a win, heading into the finals. And me, on the eve of his biggest fight, leaving him with nothing but a note and a medical report from my abortion. He was crushed, lost the finals, and spiraled into a year of self-doubt. He almost got kicked out of the gym.

My thoughts snapped back to the present as Spencer leaned down to kiss Tessa’s forehead again. His eyes swam with unmistakable affection. “Honestly? I’m glad she was so heartless back then. Otherwise, I never would have found my life’s greatest fortune. “That couture gown you wanted? It’s hanging in your closet. Stop trying to save my money.” He released me and laced his fingers through hers. Finally free from his grip, I felt the room tilt. I stood there, staring at their intertwined fingers, a tightness forming in my chest. A wave of dizziness made my vision blur, and I felt like I was suffocating. I had zero interest in witnessing their perfect love story. I turned to leave, stumbled, and pitched forward, hitting the carpet hard. My purse flew open, scattering pill bottles everywhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tessa’s red stiletto quickly disappear beneath the hem of her dress. “Oh, goodness, Madeleine! Are you alright? Clumsy me, I didn’t see you turning and must have tripped you! I am so sorry.” Her tone held zero actual apology. Spencer started to reach for me, but Tessa’s sharp gasp stopped him. He pulled his hand back. “My God, Madeleine! You’re dying? No way! You seem perfectly healthy!” Spencer snatched up the medical notice that had fallen out, his eyes landing on the words Critically Ill. Fury contorted his features. “Madeleine, have you no shame? Stooping this low just to get my sympathy! “After all these years, you haven’t changed a bit! Still full of cheap tricks!” I struggled upright, looking at Spencer’s powerful, healthy body with a stab of envy. I yanked the notice from his grasp, plastering a smile on my face as I slowly gathered the pills, my voice soft and sweet. “Oops, you caught me. So, Spencer… feeling generous enough to spare some charity for a poor, pathetic woman like me?” Tessa dabbed at crocodile tears, leaning dramatically into Spencer’s chest. But the look she shot down at me was pure spite. “Darling, Madeleine must be telling the truth. “Think about it. If she hadn’t left you, she wouldn’t be facing this karma now. We should help her. She’s so terribly pitiful.” Every word was a poisoned dart, reminding Spencer how I’d supposedly ditched him when he had nothing. The fire in Spencer’s eyes turned to ice. “I don’t waste my kindness on just anybody.” He wrapped an arm around Tessa’s shoulders and turned away. She made a show of pleading my case until he silenced her with a kiss. She shot me a final, triumphant glance over his shoulder. I picked up the last flattened pill box and tucked it into my purse, then pushed myself to my feet, leaning heavily on my throbbing knee. As their figures vanished into the elevator, I pressed a hand to my violently trembling chest, gulping for air. Systemic lupus erythematosus… My organs were shutting down, one by one. Infections were spreading. My clock was running out. And he was perfectly healthy. This stable, healthy life he had, I’d sacrificed everything for it back then. And he still had no idea.

Back then, Spencer was boxing’s rising star, an undefeated dark horse tearing through the ranks straight to the championship final. The betting odds against him hit an insane 170:1. Someone powerful got nervous. They cornered Spencer with threats, bribes for the whole nine yards. They ordered him to take a dive in the final round. The carrot, a ten-million-dollar check, would be his the moment he agreed. Spencer took the check. Then he walked straight to the authorities with the check and a recording of the conversation, blowing the whistle on them. That was Spencer then, pure integrity, disgusted by the corruption of fixed fights. Even though the money involved was huge, because no actual deal was finalized, the authorities only issued a stern warning, no real punishment. But Spencer had made powerful enemies. They didn’t come after him directly. Instead, they went for his coach, Cole Locke, the gym owner. I never learned the specifics of their conversation, but from that day on, Cole started working on Spencer. Trying to persuade him, manipulate him. He even stooped to using me. I was a month pregnant by then. Spencer refused Cole point-blank. “Cole, I get it. I really do. But my kid’s about to be born. I don’t want him growing up hearing whispers, carrying the shame of a father who threw fights.” “If we keep it a secret, who’s gonna know? Besides, think about the money, not just your rep! Look how thin Madeleine’s gotten! She needs proper food now she’s pregnant, and babies cost a fortune! You want them stuck in that crappy little apartment forever?” Spencer’s eyes blazed. “If I win the championship, the prize money will fix everything!” Cole threw his hands up. “Get real, kid! You’re a rookie! How are you gonna beat a champ with ten years under his belt? You’re gonna lose anyway! Since it ends the same, why not take the cash and lose?” Spencer wouldn’t budge. The conversation ended badly. Meanwhile, I was tied up in some empty room, watching my fiancé’s determined face on a grainy monitor. He wasn’t wrong, not for a second. My heart swelled with pride for him. But then they brought him in, the champion Spencer was supposed to fight, and showed him to me. A chilling wave of dread washed over me. As Spencer’s partner, I’d done my homework. While he trained, I studied his potential opponents. The boxer about to face Spencer in the ring nicknamed the Death Truck, was known for his explosive power, which he used to violently knock his opponents down. His opponents rarely walked away. Most ended up crippled. Some didn’t end up at all. Spencer couldn’t beat him, not like this. I knew it with chilling certainty. He didn’t have that killer instinct, that utter disregard for another human life. If they met in the finals, Spencer wouldn’t just lose. He’d likely be maimed or, worse, die. So, I made a choice. I would take the fall, wear the shame. My baby needed money. I needed money. He had to lose, but not like that, not broken and bleeding. He had to walk away healthy, with a future. So, I took their money and agreed to their terms. The day before the fight, I left the note and the clinic receipt. He trusted me, believed I loved him unconditionally, and I would never leave. That betrayal hit him exactly as hard as I knew it would. As I had expected, he was still sluggish when he stepped into the ring and was easily knocked down. The opponent kept his promise, leaving him with only a few light injuries to ensure that his future career wouldn’t be affected. Otherwise, according to their original plan, they would have completely sidelined Spencer. I was quite satisfied with this deal. But later, whenever I saw him on screen or on the field, sweating and full of energy, I couldn’t help but feel a subtle, dull pain in my heart. Yet, at the same time, I was happy. After all, he was finally shining in the world he loved. My phone buzzed. Caller ID showed a law firm. A man identifying himself as a lawyer informed me that the fifty thousand Spencer had sent was technically company funds, co-owned with Tessa.

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Just as I was about to smash the ashtray over my sister’s head, a string of comments flashed before my eyes. [Seriously? Plot-induced stupidity? Why would anyone treat a fake sister better than their real one?] [Right? And isn’t she supposed to be a badass CEO? Can’t even spot this basic setup?] [There’s literally surveillance footage. Just pull it up.] My hand slowly loosened around the ashtray. It was like a veil in my brain had been ripped away, and everything suddenly clicked into place. Of course. The girl in front of me, Christie Ferguson, was my real sister. She had been switched at birth and raised in hardship. And yet, not once had she blamed anyone. Ever since she came home, she’d gone out of her way to treat everyone with kindness. And what had we done? Showered a fake heiress with love while treating the real one like dirt. “Don’t be mad, sis,” the imposter sniffled prettily, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Christie didn’t mean to steal my designs…” I slapped her hard, and the room fell silent in shock. “Well, I didn’t mean for my hand to land on your face either,” I said calmly.

“Tania, have you lost your mind?” Lionel Ferguson’s voice was sharp, his expression darker than ever. He was the eldest son and the golden child, the one I used to measure myself against. “What the hell was that for?” he snapped. “Why’d you hit Betty?” I pointed to the security camera above us. “You’re all accusing Christie of stealing the designs, right? So why don’t we check the footage and find out?” Silence filled the room in an instant. Betty Ferguson was the first to panic. “It’s just a misunderstanding! I swear I never thought Christie took them!” Lionel tried to sweep it under the rug, his voice stiff with authority. “Enough. We’re not making a scene over something so trivial. No one brings this up again. Got it?” Then he turned to Christie, all condescension and control. “You should be thanking Betty. Without her, you wouldn’t be back in this house.” Christie stood her ground, though her voice trembled. “Shouldn’t she be thanking me? She stole twenty years of my life. “She’s living a life that was supposed to be mine.” Lionel wasn’t used to being challenged. He saw Christie’s defiance as insolence. Even though she was right, Lionel still believed she was unreasonable. Thus, he became furious. “You’re out of line. Typical backwater mentality. Tonight, no dinner. You’ll stay in the basement until you’ve reflected properly.” Christie went pale. She stumbled back in terror. “No, please! I’m sorry! I’ll apologize to Betty! Just don’t send me there!” She dropped to her knees, trembling, forehead to the floor. I looked at her, feeling heartbroken. It hit me then: whatever had happened in that basement, it had broken her. And now, she would beg for mercy even at the mention of the basement. Just then, I thought of the stories I had once read. This felt like one of those “break the heroine until she’s obedient” torture arcs. In the end, the heroine, who had once tried her best to resist and seek freedom, turned into something without a soul. I hated Lionel in that moment, but I hated the old me even more. If I’d opened my eyes sooner, maybe I could’ve saved her from all those nightmares. “Punishment fits the crime,” Lionel said coldly. “This isn’t something a few tears can fix. Guards!” At his command, the Ferguson family’s bodyguards lined up, well-trained and ruthless. “Take Christie to the basement. No one lets her out without my say-so.” Lionel was always domineering and tough, and his words were law.

“No, please!” Christie scrambled to his feet and grabbed Lionel’s pant leg. “I’ll bark like a dog, Lionel! Just don’t send me down there!” She lifted a leg, mimicking a dog marking its territory. My chest seized. I could barely breathe. Every bit of air came into my lungs with unbearable pain, as if someone was squeezing my heart. “Don’t touch her!” My voice cracked through the room. I rushed to her side, helping her up. “If anyone lays a hand on her, they’ll have to go through me first.” The room froze. [Queen move! Tania is finally standing up for Christie!] [Lionel is disgusting. He can hear Betty’s inner thoughts! He knows Betty framed her and still sides with the fake.] [I really don’t get him. Is he trying to wife his fake sister?] That last one made me choke. I thought Lionel was just as blind and stupid as I was. However, he was trying to marry Betty? “Then punish me too,” Betty said softly, stepping between us. She trembled slightly, tears in her eyes. Clearly afraid, she was still playing the victim to the hilt. As expected, Lionel softened immediately. He pulled her over, cupped her face, and wiped her tears. “You’re too kind, sweetheart. My little fool.” I wanted to throw up. Betty whimpered. I clenched my fists. “This is over. We’re leaving,” I said, patting Christie’s hand. “Come on.” She was still in shock, barely moving. I didn’t wait for Lionel; I just pulled her out of there. This house was a nightmare. I wasn’t letting her stay here another night. I’d take her to my place in the city. When I told her, she looked stunned. “Tania… are you okay?” she asked, touching my forehead. I batted her hand away, awkward. “Don’t get used to it. I messed up, okay? I always sided with Betty without thinking. “But you’re my sister, Christie. My real one.” She burst into tears and threw her arms around me. I held her tightly, gently rubbing her back. After she finally cried herself to sleep, I started digging. I spoke with the housekeeper and the staff responsible for Christie’s daily care. Soon, I learned about the basement’s secrets. Lionel, that monster! He’d forced her to watch videos of herself being harassed by thugs, made her set her own screams as her alarm tone, and pasted their faces all over her room so they were the first and last thing she saw every day. He turned that basement into her personal hell, torturing Christie for eternity. It had only been two weeks since she returned. No wonder she looked like a ghost: gaunt, fragile, hollow beneath her clothes. And standing next to Betty, who always looked pampered and radiant, Christie looked like she’d been dragged out of a war zone. No trace of the heiress she was born to be.

“No, don’t hit me! I’ll be good. I’ll take it off…” Christie was crying in her sleep, whimpering like a frightened animal. Hearing her muttered dream-talk felt like someone had carved a hole straight through my chest. I still remember the day Mom told me I was going to have a little sister named Christie. From that moment on, I couldn’t stop imagining her. Every morning before school, I’d whisper to Mom’s belly. And after school, while other kids ran off to play, I always rushed home, hoping to feel her kick. I waited ten long months. And when I finally held her, I made a silent vow: I would be the best big sister in the world. Anything she wanted, I’d make it happen, no matter what it cost me. But I never got the chance. She was swapped before I could watch her grow. And the one I protected, pampered, and loved for over twenty years was a fake. Worse, after Christie came back, I still helped that imposter bully her. The more I thought about it, the sicker I felt. I slapped myself hard a few times. [Wait, is Tania’s character breaking? What’s with the sudden switch?] [No, this isn’t a breakdown. It’s a breakthrough.] [Breakthrough or not, a few slaps won’t make up for years of abuse.] The comments rolled in like Judgment Day. My face burned as I read them. They were right. What mattered now was figuring out how to make it right. If the bullet points were anything to go by, Betty wasn’t done scheming. And with Lionel still firmly on her side, even my help might not be enough to keep Christie safe. She needed to protect herself. I spent the night weighing my options. And finally, I made a decision: I’d help her train to build her strength, confidence, and independence. When I explained it to her, she didn’t hesitate for a second. “You know it’s going to be hard, right? Like, really hard,” I warned. “You sure you’re ready?” Christie nodded, eyes blazing with something I’d never seen in her before. “I’ve never been more sure of anything. I’ve learned the hard way; no one’s coming to save me. I have to save myself. “I’ve always wanted to learn many things. My adoptive parents tried their best. “But they could barely afford my schooling, let alone anything extra. I never dared ask for more. “Now that I finally have a chance, I’ll take it. Even if it kills me.”

After hearing that, I didn’t hold back. The first step was securing her peace. I used a carefully laid trap to get Lionel out of the country on business. It was risky, but after years of working behind the scenes in the family company, I knew how to cover my tracks. Even if he got suspicious, he wouldn’t act against me easily. With him out of the way, operation Rebuild Christie began. I hired a top-tier martial arts master, sparing no expense. Whenever I had free time, I trained with her. And she didn’t disappoint me. Christie was a natural: resilient, fast, laser-focused. The master even joked that if she’d started earlier, she could’ve swept national tournaments and brought home gold for the country. I brought in private tutors, too. While Betty paraded herself at charity balls and flirted her way through cocktail parties, Christie soaked up knowledge like a sponge. Languages, finance, etiquette, tech…she dove into it all. And slowly, as the fake bathed in shallow applause, the real heiress began to rise. Betty stayed busy collecting admirers. One day, two heirs of powerful families brawled over her. Next, she was orchestrating a public showdown between a chart-topping idol and a Grammy-winning singer, both of whom were fighting for a dinner date with her. And she was proud of it. Time passed. Lionel eventually returned. For reasons I couldn’t comprehend, he suddenly decided to host a party for Christie. The moment I heard, I took Christie to get dolled up. She was nervous. Of course, she was. This was her very first banquet. “Hey,” I said, gently squeezing her hand, “I’ll be right there the whole time.” She smiled, flashing those tiny tiger teeth I’d missed so much. I’d managed to put some weight back on her; her skin looked healthier, and her eyes brighter. Even without makeup, there was a quiet beauty forming in her face, one that outshone the fake by miles. Now, with grace, knowledge, and steel beneath her softness, Christie didn’t just look like an heiress. She was one. “I’m not scared anymore,” she said, squeezing back. We entered the party together. Of course, Betty came rushing over with her usual entourage. “Tania! Christie!” she chirped, overly sweet. I didn’t even hesitate and shoved her back. “Not interested. Back off.” Betty stumbled, clearly not expecting that. Her eyes welled with tears on command. “Tania, weren’t you always so kind to Betty?” one of her lapdogs piped up. “If your brother sees you make Betty cry, he won’t be happy.” I narrowed my eyes. Before I could speak, Christie stepped forward. “She’s crying, and no one even touched her. Can we please stop pretending she’s anything but a walking green flag parade?” Her voice trembled, but her words landed. One of the girls sneered, “Look who thinks she’s a real debutante now.” Another leaned in and sniffed dramatically. “You guys smell that? Smells like… bumpkin.” “Hahaha…” Laughter exploded around them like fireworks. They sounded like chickens squawking in a gold-plated coop, and they thought they were royalty. “I don’t argue with idiots,” I said coldly, pulling Christie behind me.

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“You, who is the father of your illegitimate child?” My parents demanded to know frantically. They wanted to find out who fathered the child I was carrying. I looked at them and suddenly laughed, “The kidnapper.” Shock froze my parents and brother, leaving them pale-faced. I continued softly, “Don’t you remember? The kidnapper asked for ransom, but you chose to save your other beloved daughter instead, saying I needed to learn a lesson.” My mother slumped onto the sofa. “That’s impossible. We just wanted to teach you not to bully Adeline. We never thought…” I knelt before my mother, “You never considered that the kidnapper might violate me, did you?” Without waiting for her to respond, I pressed on, “Did you really think a group of male kidnappers would show mercy?” My mother opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off, “When I returned home covered in scars, why did no one ask me about them?” “You didn’t come to rescue me. You just took Adeline away.” “You didn’t come on the first day, or the second, or even after a whole month…” “Did you think the kidnapper still believed they could get a ransom?” Now it’s over. I’m dying.

The next day, as I prepared to go to the hospital for surgery, I ran into Mr. Beckett, Mrs. Beckett, and Asher. Adeline’s stomach issues had flared up again, and the whole family was anxiously by her side. I went to the doctor’s office, confirmed my surgery time, and then left to handle my admission paperwork. Asher saw me and grabbed my arm, with Adeline glaring fiercely behind him. “Why are you at the hospital? Adeline’s not eating because of you, and now she’s sick. What more do you want?” Asher accused harshly. I waved him off, “I’m not here to see you.” To me, the Beckett family had become distant, like strangers. Since I decided not to be part of the Beckett family anymore, I would sever all ties with them, just like… my parents had done with me. Perhaps, deep down, I did have the same cold blood as the Beckett family. I shook off Asher and turned to leave. I used to always watch the backs of Mr. Beckett, Mrs. Beckett, and Asher. Now I finally didn’t have to. The biopsy results came back, confirming a stage 4 brain tumor. Surgery was no longer an option, and the child couldn’t be kept. How could I keep the child? When I got off the operating table, I felt like I had lost half my life. I slept for two days, but it felt like just a light nap. If death is like this, it doesn’t seem too hard to accept. The doctor said my abortion was successful, but the cancer had spread. I knew my time was shorter. A month later, I was discharged, with the doctor advising me to continue chemotherapy. It was then I received a call from Adeline. She said if I was leaving the Beckett family, I should do it thoroughly. She arranged to meet me at the coffee shop to return my belongings. Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the coffee shop, where Adeline was already impatiently waiting. I didn’t expect Asher to be there too. He scrutinized me, I had lost weight too quickly in that month, leaving me gaunt, and the pain from the cancer made my eyes dark. “Cora, look at you. How can you compare to Adeline? You’ve brought shame to the Beckett family,” Asher said. I didn’t respond, picked up my luggage, and prepared to leave. Asher called after me, displeased. Probably because I ignored him. For four years, I constantly tried to please him. When had he ever received such coldness from me? Seeing him silent, I prepared to pull open the glass door of the coffee shop to leave. Asher tried to grab me but unintentionally pulled my long hair… the brown wavy hair fell off. Asher and Adeline were shocked, “Why did you shave your head?” “Are you crazy? Don’t you care about your image at all?” Asher continued, seeing the equally shocked faces of the coffee shop customers. Adeline also scoffed at me, “Cora, what’s your trick this time? Some people perform grand gestures for their parents, and you shave your head to prove a point?” Adeline’s words were like knives. I laughed, “Don’t you know what it means to start over?” I reached out to Asher, “Give me back the wig.” Asher held my wig without speaking, it was Adeline who snatched it and threw it into my arms. I calmly put on the wig. After all, on the street, a skinny, bald woman is quite a sight. “Adeline, you don’t have to be so scared. I won’t return to the Beckett family,” I said with a smile, “Not in this life, not in the next.” “I’m not scared at all. Dad, Mom, and Brother only love me,” Adeline retorted, fuming. Before going to the hospital for chemotherapy, I went to choose my burial plot, right next to my foster parents. In my next life, I want to be their biological daughter. This life was too painful. In the next, I just want to live like I did before I was 17. Unexpectedly, the sales manager for the burial plot was my foster parents’ neighbor, Jasper. He didn’t ask much or offer unnecessary comfort. Probably used to seeing life and death. The shock he showed was likely because it was his first time dealing with the person who would use the burial plot. Jasper seriously explained the details to me, even helping me pick an affordable urn. Jasper accompanied me to my parents’ grave, “Dad, Mom… I miss you.” I quickened my pace up the stairs, 108 steps in total, standing before the familiar tombstone, only to be stunned by the scene before me! In front of the tombstone, in foul-smelling dog blood, were large words. I rushed to the tombstone… “Cora is a disgrace, the parents who raised her are animals!” I fell to my knees, using my sleeve to desperately wipe it clean. As I wiped, I apologized, “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry… it’s your unfilial daughter’s fault, even in heaven, you can’t be at peace…” “It’s my fault, how could this happen…” “I’m sorry, truly sorry!” My hand rubbed the stone until the skin broke, staining my light clothes red and dirty. Jasper returned with a bucket and cloth to help me clean. The rain poured harder, drenching me as Jasper struggled to carry me down the hill. I am the true heiress the Beckett family found. But when I returned at 17, there was already a fake heiress my age, Adeline. Adeline, what a lovely name, gathering all the Beckett family’s love. Before I went missing, I was called Pearl Beckett, the apple of my parents’ eye. In the four years since I returned, no one remembered to change my surname back to Beckett. I continued using the name my foster parents gave me, Cora Liu. My foster parents treated me well. Unable to have children, they thought finding me was a blessing, They said they would always cherish me as a treasure. But when the school’s blood donation uploaded my DNA to the network, my biological parents, who had been separated for 13 years, found me. My foster parents still let me go back. They believed I could gain better educational resources in the Beckett family, At least I wouldn’t need to work while studying. But now, I’m going to die, brain tumor, terminal stage. Even my foster parents are being humiliated like this, I feel my heart and guts are being viciously squeezed. They don’t love me, and I don’t want to love them anymore. I just want to live for myself at the end of my life. Tomorrow is the painless surgery, but why must I witness my beloved foster parents being so insulted? My foster mother died when I was 12, and my foster father passed away unexpectedly last year. Can’t the deceased even leave quietly? My impressions of Mr. and Mrs. Beckett from childhood are vague. I only remember my brother Asher, who is five years older, taking me to the amusement park. He told me to wait for him to buy ice cream. I waited from morning till night, but my brother never returned. In the end, it was the theme park’s cleaning lady, my foster mother, who found me and took me home. On the first day back at the Beckett house, Adeline cried and said to me, “I don’t want anything. I know I’ve taken my sister’s place all these years, but I just want to stay with Dad, Mom, and Brother. Please, sister, don’t drive me away.” And what did my brother Asher, who lost me, do? He pushed me aside, “Adeline, no one will drive you away, nor will anyone dare. You are my sister, my only sister.” Asher held Adeline tightly, glaring at me. It was as if I were a villain trying to tear their family apart. My biological mother, with red eyes, looked at Adeline and choked out to me, “Cora, when you went missing, your mother went crazy, so your father brought Adeline home. Adeline accompanied me through the days and nights without you.” When I turned to look at Adeline, she smirked at me provocatively: “Mom, let’s not talk about this now. Let sister stay in my room tonight, the guest room isn’t ready.” Adeline emphasized “guest room.” “How can that be, Adeline, you’re picky about beds. You won’t sleep well if you change rooms.” My mom quickly said, but catching herself, stopped abruptly, realizing I was still there. For the next four years, I lived in the guest room next to the nanny’s room on the first floor and never moved again. I don’t want to think about it anymore. I can’t think about it. The first chemotherapy session, the pain made cold sweat stick to my face, dripping down. The pain was excruciating, and the doctor asked if I had any family with me. I didn’t answer. But when I saw Jasper at the door of the operating room, I felt somewhat relieved. I wasn’t alone. Being alone is too lonely. I needed someone with me, at least for this last journey, someone to help bury me. Over the next four years, I stayed in the guest room next to the nanny’s room on the first floor and never moved again. I tried to stop thinking about it; I couldn’t afford to dwell on it any longer. Chapter 4 During my first chemotherapy session, the intense pain caused cold sweat to cling to my face. The experience was utterly agonizing.

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