Category: English

I never expected to end up tangled in the sheets with Jack Carlisle, my family’s longtime friend and my unofficial guardian. The morning after our passionate night together, I did what I do best: I put on my ice queen face and pretended nothing had ever happened between us. But Jack? Oh, he’s not taking it well at all. He’s going absolutely crazy, trying to make me acknowledge what we shared. I heard that he never dates, never gives women a chance at a real relationship. And he certainly never touches the same woman twice. Yet somehow, we’ve been maintaining this secret affair for six whole months. Then one day, Mrs. Carlisle excitedly showed me a photo. “Jack picked his fiancée himself. Isn’t she beautiful?” I looked at the stunningly gorgeous woman in the picture and smiled, offering my congratulations. “She’s very pretty. They make a great couple. Congratulations to Jack.” Late that night, Jack suddenly appeared in my room. “Getting cocky, aren’t you, Aria? Calling me ‘daddy’ in bed and ‘Mr. Carlisle’ outside. Are you playing games with me?”

As I made my way downstairs, my body aching, I saw Jack sitting at the dining table. His tie was undone, his collar open, revealing the bite mark on his collarbone. I nearly stumbled, quickly grabbing the railing to steady myself. Jack glanced up at me, his tone as calm and indifferent as ever: “Be careful coming down.” “Mm, I will,” I replied. He said nothing more, lowering his gaze to continue eating. I watched his long fingers grip the knife and fork, cutting into the food on his plate. His knuckles were prominent, his hands clean and strong. My cheeks began to burn as I remembered how those hands, so skilled with surgical instruments, had explored uncharted territories of my body just last night. Again and again, they had brought me to the heights of pleasure.

I bypassed the dining room and headed for the kitchen. Grabbing an egg and a carton of milk, I prepared to leave. “Aria,” Jack suddenly called out to me. I instinctively stopped and turned around. He had already stood up, taking the jacket handed to him by the housekeeper. “I’ll give you a ride. We’re going the same way,” he said. “No need, I can take the subway…” I began to protest. Jack didn’t respond, just looked down at me from his imposing height. My gaze accidentally fell on the bite mark on his collarbone, and I quickly looked away, as if burned.

“No subway today,” Jack said, glancing at his watch. “Let’s go.” Afraid of annoying him, I didn’t insist further. Jack, being a surgeon, was always a neat freak. I didn’t dare eat anything in his car, so I stuffed the egg and milk into my backpack. As I got into the car earlier, I must have aggravated the tender area between my legs. Sitting in the car seat made me feel uncomfortably stiff. Jack seemed to notice. He closed his tablet and lowered the partition in the car. “We’ll stop by a pharmacy. You should apply some ointment,” he said. I kept my head down, my face burning hot. “Okay.” “If it still hurts after applying the medicine, come to the hospital. I’ll take care of it.” “Alright.” “I drank a bit too much last night. I lost control and hurt you.” “It’s okay, Mr. Carlisle,” I said softly. “I was drunk too. It wasn’t entirely your fault.” I understood Jack’s meaning clearly. In his view, last night was just drunken sex. But the truth was, I hadn’t been drunk at all. I had deliberately used alcohol as an excuse to let myself cross the line. “Don’t overthink it. Focus on your studies for now.” “Mm.” The car moved smoothly forward. I sat properly, occasionally brushing against his pants with my bare legs when the car bumped. He didn’t move away, but I discreetly shifted further from him.

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My husband secretly bought an apartment upstairs for his childhood female friend. He was cheating on me right under my nose. Later, a fire broke out in our building due to equipment failure. As we were escaping, I caught them in the act, and they pushed me into the flames. As my soul left my body, I watched from above as the true nature of these evil people was revealed. Perhaps due to my intense resentment, heaven gave me a second chance. When I opened my eyes again, it was my wedding day with my husband. The wedding venue was packed with guests. Zack, standing opposite me, said “I do” with deep emotion. I hesitated for a moment, and the bouquet slipped from my hands. Just a second ago, I had been floating above my own funeral, watching my husband and his mistress scheme over my family’s assets, discussing how to use a jade pendant to suppress my soul. Unable to contain my anger, I had rushed towards them seeking revenge, only to be sucked into the jade pendant. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back at my wedding with Zack. The overwhelming sense of unreality made me uneasy. I needed to do something to prove this wasn’t a dream. In the next moment, a sharp sound rang out, and the entire venue fell silent. Against the backdrop of sweet background music, Zack’s face was turned to one side by a slap. Feeling the stinging sensation in my palm, I finally believed that heaven had truly given me a second chance. From great sorrow to great joy, I suddenly burst into laughter, like a madwoman. Zack, who had just been slapped, showed no signs of anger. With a slightly swollen face, he came over to check on me. “Mia, what’s wrong?” My parents also rushed up from below, examining me from head to toe. Seeing my parents again, I felt a pang in my heart. I hugged them with tears in my eyes and apologized. “Mom, Dad, I’m so sorry.” Not understanding the situation, my parents unconditionally embraced and comforted me. “Sweetie, are you unhappy? If you’re not happy, we don’t have to go through with this wedding.” I almost agreed, but then my eyes met Zack’s. His face was half white and half red as he stood there stiffly. Averting my gaze, I saw my mother-in-law sitting in the family section, looking equally nervous. In the fire, I had sworn that if given the chance, I would make them suffer a thousand times more than I did. Now, I needed to let the wedding continue. I explained to my parents, “It’s nothing. I just realized how immature I’ve been and how much trouble I’ve caused you.” My parents believed me and returned to their seats after I reassured them. I took the officiant’s microphone and, taking advantage of the tears still in my eyes, forced out a choked voice to explain to Zack. “I was just too emotional, too in love with you. I was afraid this wedding was a dream, that’s why I acted that way. I’m sorry, Zack.” My declaration made Zack’s tense body relax. He wiped away my tears and spoke gently and magnanimously. “Mia, this isn’t a dream. We’ll be happy together.” I nodded emotionally and said that crucial phrase: “I do.” Zack excitedly hugged me, as if embracing a precious treasure. But now, I was acutely aware that I wasn’t a treasure, but a stepping stone—a ladder for Zack to climb higher. I would make him trip over this stepping stone, let him climb the ladder, only to fall hard from the top!

After the wedding, the three of us returned to our marital home. Yes, three of us—me, Zack, and my mother-in-law. In my previous life, Zack and I had planned to buy a house for my mother-in-law in the countryside. But after seeing our marital home, she changed her mind and insisted on living with us. The apartment my parents gave me as a wedding gift was a large flat, more than enough for three people. Unable to withstand my mother-in-law’s fuss, I agreed to let her stay. But this decision nearly drove me to depression. She was extremely petty, making a big fuss over the slightest things and arguing with me in a loud voice. Whenever I talked back, she would throw tantrums and use every dirty trick in the book. She also spread rumors in the neighborhood that I was a bad daughter-in-law, making it impossible for me to hold my head high in the community group chat. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I moved with Zack to the smaller apartment he had bought with his own money. Looking back now, I realize how stupid I was. This was clearly a scheme concocted by mother and son, forcing me to live in a small apartment where I would be cheated on, while my mother-in-law enjoyed the large flat. This time around, I planned to deal with my mother-in-law first. “Mother, I’ve been thinking, and you were absolutely right before. A housekeeper is an outsider, we shouldn’t let our resources benefit strangers.” “From now on, I’ll give you the money for hiring a housekeeper and other household expenses. You can manage the household.” My mother-in-law happily agreed, even praising me for being good with money. I laughed coldly inside, waiting for her to lose control of the situation. On my mother-in-law’s first day in charge: The three meals were far from what I had requested. Breakfast: soy milk and fried dough sticks. I said nothing. Lunch: noodles with sauce. I still said nothing. Dinner: pickled vegetables with rice porridge. I continued to say nothing. The next morning, the cycle repeated. Breakfast: again, soy milk and fried dough sticks, and even less than yesterday. I stood at the dining table, looking coldly at my mother-in-law: “Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” Because Zack was present, my mother-in-law felt she had backup and didn’t even bother to pretend to be apologetic. She was extremely self-righteous. “Soy milk and fried dough sticks are fine for breakfast. All those complicated things you told me about, I can’t remember them.” “When Zack and I were poor, we ate even worse than this. People should learn to be content.” I ignored her and turned to Zack. “Zack, is your mother saying that I should suffer along with you? Is that it?” “I married you, and I can’t even have a meal I want to eat? Is that what you’re saying?” Zack looked uncomfortable and was about to explain when my mother-in-law interrupted him sharply. “You’re just being a spoiled princess. What’s wrong with soy milk and fried dough sticks? Didn’t you eat them yesterday? Did they poison you?” This time, I didn’t let Zack speak either. “Fine, I can eat it. But since we’re cutting back on expenses, give me back the extra grocery money.” At the mention of money, it was as if I had hit my mother-in-law’s sore spot. She jumped up, her eyes wide. “With transportation costs and labor fees, there’s no extra money!” I folded my arms and looked directly at her, speaking clearly. “Transportation doesn’t cost that much, and labor fees are wages, which aren’t included. If every meal is going to be at the standard of soy milk and fried dough sticks, you need to give me back at least five thousand dollars.” As my mother-in-law was about to argue, Zack suddenly interrupted loudly: “Mom! Listen to Mia.” Zack didn’t understand his mother as well as I did. To her, money was more important than her son’s words, and she couldn’t hear him at all. Sure enough, my mother-in-law burst into tears, pointing at us and scolding. “I’ve never seen someone so insistent on taking money from their elders. The daughter-in-law you brought home is too much, and even the son I raised with my own hands doesn’t side with his old mother anymore. What a misfortune for our family!” She waved her arms wildly, crying and complaining as if we had committed some terrible crime. As the drama unfolded, I went back to the bedroom to get my bag. Zack stopped me: “Mia, where are you going?” “Home.” “This is your home.” I laughed coldly, looking at him silently, then at the old woman who was still crying loudly. Zack couldn’t withstand my mocking gaze and helplessly let go of my hand. Before leaving, I discreetly glanced at my mother-in-law on the floor, catching a glimpse of her cunning, satisfied smile beneath her fake tears. Hah, laugh while you can. Your time for real tears will come.

I ate well, drank well, and slept well at my parents’ home. Life was extremely comfortable. The only discomfort came from Zack’s daily phone calls and messages. In the evening, I received another punctual call from Zack. But this time, when I answered, it wasn’t Zack’s voice, but my mother-in-law’s. I remained silent, waiting for the other end to speak first. After some faint urging in the background, my mother-in-law started speaking haltingly. “This time… it’s my fault. I’ll… give you back the money, and I’ll cook better meals from now on. Please come back.” Then Zack’s voice came on the line. “Mia, Mom knows she was wrong. Please come home. It’s not good for you to stay there for so long. Your parents already had issues with me, and if you keep doing this, they’ll look down on me even more.” In reality, whether I returned home or not wasn’t important. What mattered was that Zack was afraid my father would give him a hard time at work. Understanding his twisted motives, I remained silent. Zack softened his voice, using the approach that I used to fall for. “Mia, I’ve missed you so much these past few days.” Hearing this, I felt a wave of disgust, goosebumps breaking out all over my body. Afraid he might say something even more nauseating, I quickly agreed. “Alright, I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon.” The next day, I returned as promised. The table was full of home-cooked dishes. Although certainly not as good as our previous housekeeper’s cooking, they had at least made an effort to apologize. After the meal, my mother-in-law reluctantly returned the money to me. For the first few days after I returned, my mother-in-law did her job passably well. But by the fourth day, she gradually began to show her true colors. Lazy, sloppy, careless. One day, Zack came home with a face as black as thunder and went straight to the bathroom, spending a full hour there. At the dinner table, he asked his mother, “Mom, how did you wash these clothes?” My mother-in-law put on an innocent act: “I wash them every day, what’s wrong?” I saw Zack put down his chopsticks with considerable force, barely containing his anger. “I’ve had a cold recently, so my nose isn’t working well. Today, I wore the clothes you washed to work, and everyone I met avoided me. When I asked, they all said my clothes smelled bad. How could that be if you wash them every day?” I had smelled it in the morning, but I didn’t say anything. My mother-in-law probably smelled it too, but she didn’t dare say anything. Now that the truth was out, my mother-in-law still tried to defend herself. “There are so many clothes to wash every day, it’s normal to forget one.” Zack was gritting his teeth, struggling to control himself. “Mom, stop making excuses! Is it so hard to admit you made a mistake?” I was also struggling, trying not to laugh out loud. The show of dogs biting dogs was about to begin. My mother-in-law suddenly stood up: “Fine, now you’re starting to despise your old mother. When I raised you from a baby, changing your diapers and feeding you, why didn’t you complain about your old mother’s poor work then? Now that you’ve grown up, you’re nitpicking everything your mother does…” Zack’s face grew darker and darker as his mother ranted. My mother-in-law was spitting as she yelled, and suddenly turned her attack on me. “And you’re no better! Making your old mother-in-law work all day, my back and waist aching. Don’t think you’re really a princess. Take a good look at yourself before you judge others. Both of you are ungrateful!” I stepped back to avoid her spit, still trying to reason with her. “It’s just a job that you’re paid for, not exploitation. If you really can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. I have high standards for my life, and Zack can’t lose face when he goes out. By being so careless, you’re hurting both of us.” My mother-in-law’s face turned the color of pig liver. “I’m hurting you? Zack, search your conscience, has your mother ever hurt you?” With his mother being so unreasonable, Zack was about to lose his temper. “Mom, I couldn’t hold my head up in front of my colleagues today, all because of you. You’ve really gone too far this time!” This pushed my mother-in-law’s anger to the limit. Before either of us could react, she ran towards the front door. By the time we caught up with her, she was already downstairs in the community. My mother-in-law plopped down on the ground and started wailing loudly, her voice carrying far and wide. “Oh, how miserable I am! I worked myself to the bone to put my son through college, and now that he’s successful and married, he’s forgotten all the good his mother has done. He’s joining his wife in bullying me!” The commotion attracted a lot of attention from the neighbors. Some were watching from their windows, others came downstairs for a closer look. Remembering how the neighbors had criticized me in my previous life, I pushed Zack forward, sarcastically saying, “Your mother, you deal with her. I’m just a wicked daughter-in-law, I won’t get involved in your mother-son affairs.” With that, I melted into the crowd of onlookers, distancing myself from the situation.

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In the twenty-third year since I was adopted by the Lewis family, everyone assumed I would marry Adam Lewis. But he thought I was beautiful yet brainless, far inferior to the intelligent beauty he met in college. I knew he probably didn’t love me, so when he went abroad as an exchange student with his smart female classmate, I agreed to an arranged marriage with the Chen family. After I got engaged to the eldest son of the Chen family, Adam returned. When he saw me with my fiancé, he went crazy. “Melody, didn’t you promise you’d only be with me? How could you break your word?” I was just about to enter Adam’s room with a plate of cut fruit when I heard laughter from inside. “Adam, when are you going to marry Melody?” “We heard your parents are practically hounding you about it. Last time you ran out in the middle of an experiment, it was to take your mom’s marriage-pushing call, right?” “Your family is interesting, adopting an orphan and still following the old ‘child bride’ tradition… But seriously, Melody has been devoted to you, only liking you from the beginning until now. As for her looks and figure…” Another burst of laughter erupted, mixed with suggestive undertones. “She’s just the type men like, and conveniently has an empty head. You can easily manipulate her to do whatever you want in the future. How perfect!” My hand, ready to knock, froze. My heart sank. That’s right, everyone knew I liked Adam. But everyone also knew he didn’t like me. Sure enough, his voice rang out, clearly annoyed. “Whoever likes her can have her. I won’t marry her no matter what. Weren’t we going to play games? Are we still playing or not?” Adam didn’t want to discuss it, but someone always had to push the topic. “If you don’t like her, then it must be Cassy. Everyone knows our talented Cassy only smiles for you!” The teasing continued in waves. Outside the door, I stood holding the fruit, unable to move, feeling suffocated and miserable. Unlike his vehement denials when teased, Adam only chuckled lightly when Cassy was mentioned. Then came the sound of glasses clinking and chairs moving. The topic seemed to have been forcibly changed. I’m an orphan, adopted by the Lewis family when I was very young. From an early age, people joked that I was Adam’s future bride. Mom and Dad never stopped them, always smiling as they watched us, saying they were observing our compatibility. Later, when more people said it, Mom and Dad would ask me too. “Melody, would you like to marry Adam in the future?” “Yes!” After that, I followed Adam around like a little tail, but he always kept his distance. At the dinner table, he would push the food I put on his plate straight into the trash without even looking at it. When Mom and Dad asked him to pick me up from school, he ignored it. I would wait by the roadside until dark, then slowly walk home alone. When I saw him at school and greeted him, he acted as if he didn’t hear me, walking past me expressionlessly. Some people privately speculated about our relationship, but he always said he wasn’t familiar with me and not to associate us. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong to make him dislike me so much. I snapped back to reality, looking at the tightly closed study door, just like the barrier between Adam and me. He was inside, and I didn’t even dare to knock. I thought for a moment, then decided to take the cut fruit back to the kitchen, staring at the carefully arranged plate of fruit. “Well, well, what’s our little beauty hiding here for?” a frivolous voice sounded behind me, making me turn around sharply. I was startled by the voice behind me. I turned to see Paul, Adam’s friend, who was one of the people talking upstairs earlier. He leaned against the kitchen doorframe, his eyes shamelessly roaming over my body, a smile with unclear intentions on his lips. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Paul seemed to get more excited. He crossed his arms and walked a few steps closer to me, his gaze falling on me without any restraint. “But Melody, how do you have such a good figure… None of my girlfriends are as… hot as you.” The man’s slightly flirtatious comments made me frown instinctively. I was about to leave when Paul suddenly grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?”

Paul snickered and leaned in closer to me, grinning. “Little sister Melody, you’d be better off with me! How could someone like Adam ever like a pretty face with an empty head like you?” He looked me up and down, his gaze so blatant it was as if he was undressing me with his eyes. “The one standing next to him will only be someone like Cassy. That talented beauty next to Adam is what you call a perfect match. Standing next to you, it’s like a young master with his servant girl. Do you understand the difference?” The contempt in Paul’s tone was undisguised, his equally disdainful gaze falling on me. Paul’s words made my face turn pale. But it’s possible that I understood this point even more clearly than he did. I had actually seen Cassy before. Once, Mom asked me to bring something to Adam at his university. I searched all the way to Adam’s lab and saw him smiling in a way he had never shown me, listening attentively to a girl with a high ponytail opposite him. The two stood side by side, discussing complex formulas that I couldn’t understand at all. I watched them through the glass window. The two seemed to be in a world of their own, with no room for anyone else. They also looked very compatible, like formulas arranged together, always without a place for me. That day, I handed the things to Adam’s classmate without even thinking of going in. Come to think of it, I was just an adopted daughter of the Lewis family. I was already incredibly grateful that they had given me a second chance at life. How could I dare to go along with Mom and Dad’s jokes and think that I was worthy of Adam? Just as I was lost in thought, Paul suddenly let go of my arm and pulled me into his arms! “What are you doing!” I cried out, instinctively pushing him away hard. In the struggle, my elbow hit the drying rack at the edge of the sink. The plates on it fell into the sink with a loud clang. Paul’s arms were like iron clamps, gripping me so tightly that I couldn’t break free. “Let go of me!” I saw a flash of satisfaction cross Paul’s face. In my panic, I heard hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. Adam and a few other friends appeared at the kitchen door, probably alarmed by the noise. When Paul saw them, he let go of me as if he had been electrocuted. He quickly stepped back and immediately put on a surprised and angry expression, pointing at me. “Adam! Look at her!” His voice was loud, filled with accusation. “I just saw her standing here in a daze and came over to check on her out of kindness. She suddenly threw herself at me and hugged me!” He laughed coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping across my face. “What? Can’t get Adam, so you’re trying to seduce me? Want to be a daughter-in-law of the Phillips family? Melody, you’re really overestimating yourself!” “That’s not true! He was the one who…” I hurriedly tried to explain, my whole body shaking as I attempted to clarify what had just happened. But no one gave me a chance. The few friends who had come down with Adam looked back and forth between Paul and me with suggestive gazes, smiles on their faces as if they were watching a good show. They clearly believed Paul’s twisted version of events. Adam’s face was terrifyingly dark, his gaze falling on me like knives, filled with undisguised disgust and impatience. “Enough!” He harshly cut off my unfinished words. “Melody, look at yourself! Go back to your room and change your clothes! Stop embarrassing yourself here!” Embarrassing myself? I lowered my head instinctively. Only then did I realize that during the struggle, water from the sink had splashed out, soaking a large part of my chest. The thin summer fabric clung to my body when wet, clearly outlining the curves of my chest. I instinctively covered my chest with my hands, still able to hear a few laughs from around Adam. Embarrassment and overwhelming grievance instantly broke through my last line of defense. He didn’t even think about listening to my explanation. I rushed out of the kitchen, almost fleeing back to my own room.

After returning to my room, I changed my clothes as quickly as possible. At the same time, I heard the commotion outside getting quieter, as if Adam had taken his friends and left the house. I sat on the bed, tears falling uncontrollably. In high school, it was no secret that Adam and I lived under the same roof. People often joked that I was Adam’s child bride. It happened so often that Adam finally snapped, slamming down the book in his hand with a cold face. “I don’t like idiots. Stop associating us in the future.” Compared to someone like Adam who was always at the top of the class, I was indeed not very smart, always hundreds of places behind him in rankings. I knew what Adam said was true, but I still felt sad inside. Even studying hard at home in private didn’t help much, and I didn’t dare ask Mom and Dad for tutoring. Instead, it was Adam who accidentally saw me studying at home and casually tossed me his unused notes. The top student’s notes were indeed helpful. My grades improved significantly, and I attributed it all to Adam’s notes. At that time, I used my saved pocket money to prepare a beautiful notebook for Adam, secretly placing it in Adam’s desk drawer. But I never imagined that when Adam took out the box with my name on it, the notebook had turned into lingerie. I still remember Adam getting angry. In front of the whole class, with an ashen face, he threw that box along with its contents hard at me. “Melody! Can’t you have some self-respect? This is outrageous!” The box hitting me really hurt. I was slow to react, watching the bright red lingerie fall to the ground, feeling a chill from head to toe, not understanding why my gift had turned into this. Suppressed laughter and whispers immediately erupted around us. I was at a loss for words, feeling my face burn hot. Adam’s embarrassed and angry gaze made me feel even more cornered with nowhere to hide. That incident ended with me being forced to transfer schools amidst all the gossip at school. Fortunately, Mom and Dad believed me. They knew I wasn’t the kind of person who would do such a thing. Only Adam, from that day on, looked at me with nothing but cold disgust. The already thin relationship between us completely broke, becoming increasingly estranged. That night, Adam and his friends didn’t come back. Mom and Dad were out of town and hadn’t returned. I was scrolling through TikTok when I unexpectedly came across a video of Adam. On the screen, against the background of a noisy bar, the camera was focused on Adam. Someone holding a phone asked loudly, “Adam! Tell us now! Melody or Cassy, who do you choose?” In the video, Adam seemed to have had a bit to drink, but his eyes were still clear. He didn’t even hesitate for a moment, a careless smile on his lips. “Cassy.” Decisive and straightforward. The screen went dark, leaving only my pale face. From then on, I started deliberately avoiding Adam. When he came home on weekends, I would find various excuses to stay at school. Even on days when I had to go back, I tried to stay in my own room as much as possible, reducing the chances of running into him. We became like two parallel lines living under the same roof, never intersecting. But Adam changed a bit. In the past, he never cared about any of my social media posts, but these days he started frequently liking my posts on Facebook. I don’t know how many times I picked up my phone, saw the scenic photos Adam had liked, thought for a moment, and still chose to delete them. Along with the other posts Adam had liked in the past few days. It was as if doing this could really make our relationship return to something purely platonic. But no matter how much I tried to avoid him, when I received a call from Mom and Dad saying I had to come back for dinner tonight, I had no choice. “Melody, your brother has decided to go abroad as an exchange student for a while. Come back tonight, we’ll have a farewell dinner as a family.” I didn’t know how to feel. Perhaps it was relief. If he left, I wouldn’t have to hide so carefully anymore. I couldn’t refuse Mom and Dad again, so I had to go home reluctantly. But as soon as I got home and opened the door, I saw a girl with delicate features standing with Adam. When they heard the sound and looked at me, Adam hadn’t had time to retract his doting smile for her. My gaze lingered on the girl. Wasn’t it supposed to be a family dinner tonight? But why… why was Cassy here?

“You must be little sister Melody? I’ve often heard Adam mention you.” Cassy was beautiful. She took the initiative to shake my hand, then familiarly linked her arm with mine. The moment he saw me come back, the smile on Adam’s face disappeared without a trace, and he turned to enter the kitchen. Cassy was lively, talking about how she was about to go abroad with Adam as exchange students, and might even share an apartment with him in the future. “Adam is so attentive and considerate. He even suggested we live together, worried about my safety as a girl alone. Your brother is really a good man.” I forced myself to squeeze out a smile uglier than crying. “Yes, he’s very good.” Very good indeed, so good that I’ve been chasing after him since childhood, yet I can’t even touch his shadow. I was so immersed in my own thoughts that I didn’t even hear clearly what Cassy said afterwards. At that moment, I just nodded and said “good” mindlessly, not realizing that Cassy had just asked me if I thought it was good for her and Adam to be together. “Dinner’s ready.” I instinctively looked up and saw Adam, who had returned without me noticing, standing in the hallway not far away, his gaze heavy as he looked at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly averted my gaze. Mom and Dad’s attitude towards Cassy’s presence was lukewarm, only polite at best. Cassy kept trying to liven up the atmosphere, but neither Adam nor I said a word. Just then, a pair of chopsticks reached over, placing a glistening piece of sweet and sour ribs in my bowl. I froze, looking up at Adam. A nameless anger suddenly surged in my heart. I silently used my chopsticks to push that piece of rib he had picked for me to the side. My heart felt sour and bitter. He had always disliked me, even hated me a little. Why did he have to create this illusion of caring about me before he left? After dinner, Adam got up to send Cassy home. I returned to my room to sort out some seasonal clothes. As I passed by the living room, I heard Mom and Dad’s lowered voices coming through the slightly ajar door. “…It seems Adam really doesn’t like Melody.” It was Mom’s voice, tinged with a sigh. Dad was silent for a moment before saying, “You can’t force love. We can’t push the kids too much. We’ve always said the two of them would be together when they grow up, thinking that from childhood to adulthood…” Mom continued, “That’s true. By the way, the Chen family brought up the marriage arrangement again a few days ago. I think that Chen boy seems quite steady…” “Mm, I’ve met the Chen boy a few times. His character and abilities are not bad, and his family background is comparable. It’s just that I don’t know if Melody…” Yes, Adam doesn’t like me. Everyone knows that. Even Mom and Dad have finally given up. That’s good. I know Mom and Dad’s business hasn’t been going well lately. The Chen family is someone Mom and Dad want to partner with. If I can play a role in this, it’s a way to repay Mom and Dad for raising me. I took a deep breath and pushed open that slightly ajar door. Mom and Dad looked at me in surprise. I tugged at the corners of my mouth, putting on an obedient smile. “Dad, Mom.” “I’m willing to get engaged to the Chen family.”

The day I met Noah Chen was the same day Adam left for abroad. After that dinner, Adam and I returned to our clearly defined boundaries, though I could feel Adam looking at me several times, but when I turned around, I only saw his back. I met Noah Chen. As the only son of the Chen family, I had often heard about him. He was wild in his youth, but before he even graduated from high school, he had helped his family secure a big project. From the start of college, he had been working part-time at his family’s company while studying at a top domestic university. When Noah saw me, he couldn’t stop smiling. I’ve always felt a bit awkward around good-looking people who act unpredictably like him. So when he rested his chin on his hand and looked at me lazily, I couldn’t help but ask a question. “Why… do you want to…” Get engaged to me. Noah also smiled and gave his answer, “Because you’re beautiful!” I didn’t quite understand. If it’s just about looks, there are so many people more beautiful than me. But at that moment, what flashed through my mind were the words Adam’s friend had said. “…The type men like, and conveniently has an empty head. You can easily manipulate her to do whatever you want in the future. How perfect!” I didn’t say anything more. From the moment I agreed to Mom and Dad’s proposal, I had treated my marriage as a transaction of gratitude. So whatever Noah wanted in the future, I would go along with it. But Noah turned out to be quite different from what I had heard. Before, I had heard that Noah was flirtatious and unreliable, full of nonsense that you couldn’t tell was true or false. I agree with the part about him being full of nonsense. Otherwise, this guy wouldn’t send me a message saying he was going on a business trip and how tired he was, and then appear outside my school leaning against his car the next second. Noah always found various reasons to ask me out on dates. Today is the one-week anniversary of our engagement, today is some random holiday, today is the one-month anniversary of our first meeting… He always came up with new ideas, whether it was picking me up from school or coming to my house to pick me up, always in a high-profile manner. At first, Mom and Dad were worried that we wouldn’t get along well, but when they saw me glaring at him and then unable to hold back a smile, they started smiling along with us. And I seemed to be getting more and more used to Noah’s presence. He never joked about my looks or figure like others did. He sincerely praised my A+ grade report, and affirmed my clumsy but hardworking interest in learning to make clothes. He also didn’t spare his time, accompanying me to the library, to small diners, doing many things that Adam would find a waste of time just hearing about. And I also seemed to be more adapted to having him around, even adapted to the point where I had forgotten how long it had been since I had thought about Adam, or instinctively started to hide when I heard Mom and Dad mention Adam at home.

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My younger sister got pregnant unexpectedly, but my mother said the baby was innocent and begged her to keep it. The daughter of my father’s mistress wanted to go on a trip. My mother took the money meant to save my little brother’s life and used it to sign her up for that tour. To help someone else pay off their debts, she slipped something into my drink and sent me to some stranger’s bed. I never understood why she did all those things. It was only after I died that I found out she was the saintly heroine of some story, and we were just the setup before the real plot began. “Maya, I’m begging you. Please keep this baby. No matter what, the baby didn’t do anything wrong. Having a baby is easy.” A woman’s pleading voice cut through the air as I rushed home. “That’s crap,” I shouted. I burst into the living room, hearing her nonstop begging. I threw the bedroom door open, and the sight made my head spin with rage. My little sister, Maya Henderson, sat stiffly on the bed, looking lost. Next to her, my mom, Amelia Henderson, sat on the floor, tears streaking down her face as she pleaded. Amelia had a tight grip on Maya’s hand. With every word Amelia said, Maya’s face got paler. “Maya, don’t listen to her,” I said. Maya’s panicked face eased a little when she saw me. I stepped forward and stood in front of Maya, shielding her. “Are you out of your mind? Look at what she’s wearing. It’s her school uniform! Are you trying to force a high school student who hasn’t even graduated to have a baby?” I shouted, pointing right at Amelia. Amelia, looking a bit embarrassed by my outburst, stood up awkwardly. “Sienna, what are you doing here all of a sudden?” “If I hadn’t come back, you’d have ruined Maya’s life,” I retorted. How could she say all that nonsense about how having a baby was no big deal and how the baby was innocent? Saying stuff like that to a teenage girl, her daughter? I couldn’t understand it. “How can you talk to me like that, Sienna? When would I ever hurt Maya?” Amelia frowned, clearly annoyed. “She’s a mom now. She’s gotta take responsibility for the baby inside her.” At the mention of “mom” and “responsibility”, Maya behind me was afraid. My heart ached. I turned around and pulled her into my arms. “Maya, don’t be scared. Don’t listen to Mom’s crazy talk. As long as I’m here, no one’s gonna hurt you.” Maya’s hair was stuck to her face with tears. Under her baggy school uniform, her skinny body trembled slightly. “Sienna, there’s… there’s a baby in me. I… I’m gonna be a mom,” she whispered, her voice thick with fear and despair, her hand floating weakly over her belly. I said gently, “Maya, it’s just a tiny group of cells right now, not a baby. You’re still a kid yourself. You can’t be a mom. “Tomorrow, I’m taking you to a hospital. We’ll take care of this. I know you’ve been through a lot. Don’t be scared. I’ll chase away anyone who tries to hurt you.” I held her close, patting her back softly. At first, Maya was silent. Then, after a moment, she started crying loudly. This pregnancy was never her choice. How much psychological pressure did a teenage girl undergo when she was suddenly struck by such an accident and chose to go to a small clinic alone to undergo the operation? When Amelia suddenly showed up, was Maya scared or hoping for help? Was she scared of the truth coming out or hoping her family would step in? But in the end, whatever she’d felt, Maya was scared off by Amelia’s begging her to keep the baby. Amelia, standing there awkwardly for a while, was ready to say something, but one glare from me shut her right up.

After calming Maya down, I called Amelia into the living room. “How did Maya get pregnant?” I asked. Amelia looked a bit shifty-eyed at my question. “I don’t know. Maybe she got carried away with her classmate.” My anger flared up again at her words. “Your daughter had an unplanned pregnancy, and all you care about is making her keep the baby? You don’t give a hoot about her feelings or what actually happened? “Maya’s a senior in high school. Her life’s just starting. She has to have an abortion.” At first, Amelia just kept her mouth shut, frowning. But the second I mentioned an abortion, she shouted, “No matter what, the baby’s innocent! It’s a life! You can’t just get rid of it like that. Sienna, how could you be so heartless!” She scowled at me, looking at me like I was some cold-blooded killer. I took a deep breath, deciding not to argue with her anymore. “You’re staying out of this. I’ll take care of Maya. If you stick your nose in again, I’ll tell the landlord you’ve been keeping cats.” The landlord was allergic to cat hair, and the lease clearly said no pets. But Amelia still snuck stray cats into the house. “Sienna, those cats are living beings too! You’re using them to threaten me? I’m so disappointed in you,” Amelia said, looking truly heartbroken. She always made a big deal out of those cats. Seeing the determination in my eyes, she finally backed down. She grabbed the cat food from the corner and left. Hearing the click-clack of her high heels echoing, I wasn’t sure who she was trying to impress. I rolled my eyes, sneering. If not disappointing her meant giving up our lives, she’d never get what she wanted. In my previous life, I didn’t find out about Maya’s pregnancy until it was too late. By the time I got to the hospital, she’d already died on the bed from complications during childbirth. When I rushed there, Amelia didn’t even look at Maya under the white sheet. Instead, she wailed over the bloody mess in the trash can. Back then, I thought she’d just lost her mind from grief and didn’t think much of it. Then, my little brother, Albert Henderson, who’d been suffering from uremia for ages, finally got a kidney match, but Amelia disappeared with the money meant for his life-saving surgery. That same day, at the same hospital, I lost my second family member. After that, Amelia showed up, begging for my forgiveness. She sat on the ground, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Even passersby couldn’t stand it and tried to talk me into forgiving her. Struck by so many blows, I made the wrong choice again. I finished one drink, and then I woke up in a hotel bed. The chains on my wrists and the man’s brutal assault made me finally understand why Amelia had insisted I drink that cocktail. But I couldn’t figure it out. Amelia loved cats and even took care of a mistress’ kid. How could she be so cruel to her kids? With that question haunting me, I died in that hotel room. Then, I got the answer I’d been dying for. It turned out that our world was just a novel, and Amelia was the saintly female lead. Her first half of life was full of hardships, but she stayed kind-hearted, so fate rewarded her with a domineering male lead to ensure her happiness for the rest of her days. My siblings and I were just the backdrop of her hardships. The story truly began when we were all out of the picture. Maybe my resentment and bitterness were too strong, so fate gave me a second chance. This time, that saintly female lead should just go to hell.

The next morning, I took Maya to the hospital for a checkup. The doctor said she was too young and malnourished, and she needed plenty of rest after the procedure. Looking at her bony shoulders, I felt my heart ached. Since I started working, I’d been busy nonstop outside, barely making it home a few times a year. I thought my hard work would bring happiness to my family. But under Amelia’s “care”, my siblings had ended up in such a sorry state. On the way home, I tried everything to cheer Maya up while figuring out how to ask her about what had really happened. Before I could even come up with the right words, the other person involved in this mess showed up on his own. Downstairs in the hallway, Amelia was grinning like a Cheshire cat, chatting away. Right next to her, a guy sat slouched, puffing on a cigarette with an irritated look. When we appeared, both of them became excited. “Maya, look who’s here,” Amelia said, all excited, shoving the guy forward. I stepped in front, blocking their way. I sized up the guy from head to toe, and a guess formed in my mind. “Sienna, move out of the way. This is Henry Walker, the father of Maya’s baby,” Amelia said, grabbing Maya’s arm to pull her toward the guy. But I pushed her back roughly. I turned to look at Maya. Sure enough, she was trembling, tears streaming down her face. “Are you the one who took advantage of my sister?” I asked, holding back my anger. “Oh, come on. It’s none of your business. It’s just a couple’s thing,” Amelia said, giving me a coquettish shove. I ignored her and slipped my phone into Maya’s hand. Henry flicked his cigarette butt on the ground and sneered, “We were both into it. What’s ‘taking advantage’ got to do with it?” “Did you force her to have sex with you? Isn’t that taking advantage?” I pressed on. “If she wasn’t throwing herself at me after class, why would I even look at her? Now she’s playing the innocent virgin?” Henry shouted, looking like a total sleaze. Maya was shaking with rage. “I didn’t throw myself at you! I came to you after class because the teacher asked me to tutor you. I already told you that. “And the first time you harassed me, I said no. But then, during gym class, you…” By then, she was choking up, unable to get the words out. I quickly patted her back to calm her down. Amelia chimed in again, “Oh, Maya, this is partly your fault, too. You should know your limits when helping classmates. It’s easy to get misunderstood. Henry, don’t be mad. Maya’s just a little shy.” Henry nodded, looking pleased with Amelia’s flattery. “Okay, enough small talk. I came to see how my baby’s doing.” Seeing Amelia calm down a bit, I took a deep breath and shouted, “As a rapist, how dare you ask the victim such disgusting questions? “You’re a menace to society at such a young age. You’re a born piece of trash. You’re the heir to all the scum of the new era, huh?” Henry’s face turned red in anger. He swung his fist, ready to hit me. I stepped back, stuck out my foot, and sent him falling to the ground. “Do you think you can throw a punch? I’ve wanted to beat you since you opened your mouth.” How could someone like this even get raised? Just looking at him made me sick. “Sienna, what are you doing?” Amelia said, frowning at me. “Sure, Henry went too far. But doesn’t Maya share some blame? You can’t just…” “Shut up! Maya didn’t do a single thing wrong. How dare you say something so heartless?” I shouted. I stomped on Henry’s back, my eyes fixed on Amelia. “Your daughter got taken advantage of, and you’re siding with the rapist? Do you even have a conscience?” “I…” Amelia tried to say something. But I interrupted her, “I sent you so much money to take care of Maya, but the doctor says she’s been malnourished for ages. Where’s the money? Did it all go down the toilet? “You don’t care about your daughter, but you’re defending this scumbag? That’s not being kind-hearted. That’s being blind and stupid.” Then, I sneered and ground my right foot down hard. “Remember, you still owe me a beating. You’ll pay for it later.” Just then, police sirens wailed in the distance, getting closer. Two cops walked up, got a quick rundown, and cuffed Henry, shoving him into the squad car. This scumbag should just go rot in jail.

After cooperating with the police in the investigation, Henry was taken into custody. During that time, Amelia even tried to plead Henry’s case, earning herself some seriously perplexed looks from everyone at the station. “Maya, Henry’s the father of your baby! How could you send him to prison?” Inside the station, Amelia cried her eyes out, begging for Henry, her sincere act leaving everyone momentarily stunned. “Ma’am, are you sure you’ve got this right? Henry forced himself on your daughter against her will. He’s a rapist,” a female officer, thinking Amelia had lost her marbles, kindly said. At that, Amelia wailed even louder. “Officer, he’s just a kid! He took a wrong turn. We gotta give him a chance to turn his life around!” The sight of the victim’s mother begging the cops to spare her daughter’s attacker left everyone in the room speechless. “Ma’am, you should go comfort your child. We’ve got work to do here. We’ll contact you if we need your help later,” the female officer said coldly, shooting me a sympathetic glance. I nodded, took Maya, who was still shocked, by the hand, and left. I thought that was the end of it, but the day after Maya’s surgery, I got a frantic call from her. Using the phone’s location, I rushed over to a restaurant. I barged into the private room and saw Maya sandwiched between an elderly couple, looking anxious as hell. Across from them, Amelia sat, grinning, urging Maya to agree with them. “Let my sister go!” I lunged forward, yanking Maya out of their grip, and the other three jumped in surprise. Amelia’s face flashed with guilt. “Sienna, these are Henry’s parents.” Jaxon Walker, Henry’s father, stood up with a smile. “Sienna, I’m Henry’s father. We’re gonna be family now.” I almost laughed out of anger. “It seems Henry’s shamelessness runs in the family. Who the hell wants to be related to you?” How could they raise a rapist and then talk about family? They really had no shame. Jaxon was angry, but he held back his anger, thinking about what he came for. “Sienna, Henry messed up, but he’s just a kid. He’s our only son. If anything happens to him, we don’t know how we’ll go on.” Jaxon and his wife burst into tears, hugging each other. Amelia was moved to tears, too. “Sienna, look how pitiful they are. Let Henry go.” I shouted, “Shut up! Henry put himself there, and the law put him there, not me. They raised a monster, but they’re crying for their kid. What about you? Maya just had surgery, and you drag her here? Are you even worth being a mother?” Amelia went pale at my words. She turned to grab Maya but missed. I continued, “I’ve been disappointed in you for ages, but Maya wasn’t. But now, you’ve broken her heart for good. Stay out of Maya’s life from now on.” With that, I grabbed Maya and walked out of the room. After that, Amelia called me a million times, but I was too busy sorting out Maya’s transfer to a new school to pick her up. When she realized my attitude, she stopped trying to contact me. Then, one evening, after we’d been out of touch for a while, my grandmother, Penelope Henderson, called me. Thinking it might be Albert missing me, I answered happily. But the voice on the other end sent a chill down my spine. “Albert’s gone missing!” As soon as I heard Albert was missing, my gut told me Amelia had taken him. I booked a car ride on the spot and raced home through the night from the next town over, my anxiety boiling over like a pot of water on high heat.

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In the third month of my pregnancy, my husband, a forensic expert, once again left me to attend a prenatal checkup alone. This wasn’t the first time. During my first checkup, his assistant was called out to a case, and I ended up spending the entire day waiting in the hospital lobby. On the second occasion, halfway to the hospital, he received a call from his assistant, left me on the side of the road, and rushed off. From the day we got married, whether it was a special occasion or a routine prenatal checkup, his assistant always seemed to find a reason to call him away. By the third time he abandoned me at the hospital, my heart was utterly broken. Yet, when I mentioned divorce and boarded a plane to go abroad, he went to great lengths to win me back. 1. At 10 weeks pregnant, Ethan hadn’t accompanied me to a single checkup. Today was the third one, and he had promised he’d stay with me until it was over. But soon after we arrived at the hospital, Chloe called. Ethan quickly pulled his hand away from mine, his expression softening as he answered her call. Chloe’s helpless voice came through the phone: “Mr. Ethan, I’m the only woman on the scene this afternoon, and I’ve never handled such a big case. I’m a bit scared.” Hearing this, Ethan covered the phone and looked at me apologetically. “Willa, there’s a major case at the department, and Chloe is inexperienced. I’m worried she can’t handle it.” “It’s just a routine blood test today. You can manage on your own, right?” Though phrased as a question, it was more of a statement. Despite this scenario playing out many times since we got married, I tried to suppress my anger and quietly asked, “But Ethan, I might faint during the blood test. Plus, the doctor said the early stages of pregnancy are very important. Could you please stay and listen to the doctor’s advice with me?” He frowned, clearly displeased. “Since when have you had a fear of blood? I wasn’t aware of that. I understand you have issues with Chloe, but this is work. Can you please not let your feelings interfere with my job?” Realizing he might have spoken too harshly, he quickly added, “Anyway, you’ll still have a long wait. I should be able to finish work and come to pick you up.” After saying that, Ethan ignored my reaction, reassured Chloe on the phone, and left without looking back. I stood there, stunned, holding the newly prescribed medicine. After three years of dating and two years of marriage, this wasn’t the first time Ethan had left me for Chloe. In the past, I’d probably have argued with him, questioning who his real wife was. Was my unborn child less important than an assistant? Why couldn’t he remember I had hereditary anemia, which made blood tests truly faint-inducing? But this time, I just felt profoundly exhausted. No matter what I said, Ethan’s excuses were always “work is busy” and “Chloe needs me more.” No matter what I did, in Ethan’s eyes, it was just me being jealous. River City was in the height of summer, and my body was weak from the pregnancy. The oppressive heat made me break out in a sweat, but my heart grew colder with each passing moment. I took a deep breath, clutching the prenatal checkup form tightly in my hand. I knew it was time to let this relationship go. 2. After the checkup, I went straight to the police station to tender my resignation to Officer Carter. “Beatrix, are you sure about resigning so suddenly? Does Ethan know?” Officer Carter was surprised by my resignation. As a specially appointed sketch artist for the police, I had helped solve numerous challenging cases over the years and had a promising future. I forced a smile and said, “I’ll tell him later, but he probably won’t care much.” “Sigh, back then, you two were the golden couple—the youngest and most promising forensic expert and the most capable sketch artist. When you got married two years ago, the Chief even officiated the wedding. Everyone thought you two were so happy…” Officer Carter sighed regretfully. Indeed, we were once the envy of others. But now, those memories were just that—memories. After handing over my work, I returned home at nine in the evening. The house was silent and empty. My phone displayed a new post from Chloe, specifically tagging me. “With Mr. Ethan by my side during my first big case, I wasn’t scared at all! To thank Mr. Ethan for taking me home, I’m treating him to a big meal tomorrow~ [heart][sun]” I knew Ethan, who had promised at noon to be home for dinner, wouldn’t be coming back. He had completely forgotten about picking me up from the hospital. In the two years since our marriage, such situations were countless. I cooked myself a bowl of noodles, filling my stomach, and then opened my email. Looking through the invitations from overseas universities in my inbox, I paused at the one from the Royal College of Art. Without much hesitation, I accepted the invitation and booked a flight to London for three days later. Five years ago, Ethan had gone to London for a transnational case. Upon returning, he fell seriously ill and was unwilling to speak about that city since. Not only did he avoid going there, but he also got agitated whenever I mentioned it. Ethan, once I’m in London, we’ll never see each other again. 3. The next morning, I started packing my luggage. Halfway through, Ethan returned, bringing with him a faint scent of perfume. I paused, slightly surprised. He never liked sweet and cloying perfume scents. Because of this, I rarely wore perfume while with him, switching to unscented or mild fragrances. It seems now, he just didn’t like me wearing perfume. Seeing me packing, his eyes flickered. “Last night there was a team dinner, and when it ended, Fiona didn’t look well, so I took her home first. It was too late, so I stayed the night at the duty room.” I looked up at him, feeling indifferent. In these two years of marriage, he rarely explained anything to me voluntarily. I nodded, not saying a word. He approached me and asked, “Are you going on a business trip?” I nodded. “Sort of.” He seemed relieved, pausing before saying, “I came back to get some documents. I won’t be home for lunch.” “Okay.” I didn’t look at him, just continued packing my luggage. Originally, I planned to discuss the divorce over lunch and inform him of my resignation from the department, formally ending our marriage. But it seemed there wouldn’t be a chance. After speaking, Ethan went to the study, took a file and a blue bag, grabbed his clothes hanging by the door, and rushed out. “Crash!” The photo together, hanging on the wall by the door for two years, suddenly fell and shattered as he left. Glass scattered everywhere. I turned to look. It was a picture Officer Carter took of us on our wedding day. In the photo, we were wearing bridal attire, closely leaning against each other, smiling happily. That day, he had promised to always respond, to be kind to me, to love me forever. But since Chloe appeared, all those promises turned into empty words. After a long silence, I slowly crouched down, carefully picking up the broken pieces. Then, I threw away the photo that once held such beautiful memories, along with my last lingering feelings for this relationship, into the trash can. 4. Late at night, after finishing everything, I lay in bed, my whole body aching. Suddenly, my phone rang with a voice message from my best friend, Fiona. “Beatrix, how can Ethan and that Chloe be so blatant about this?” “You haven’t even divorced yet, and they’re flaunting it like this. Ethan is too much!” Puzzled, I opened my phone to see a screenshot of Fiona’s social media feed. In the photo, Chloe wore a deep V-neck dress, her fair chest adorned with a dazzling diamond necklace. On the table corner was a blue bag—exactly the one Ethan took from home at noon. The caption read: “Thanks for the surprise gift, Mr. Ethan. Happy two-year anniversary!” I scrolled through my phone, instinctively glancing at the calendar. Two-year anniversary? Today was also my and Ethan’s two-year wedding anniversary. After our marriage, he was always busy. Busy with various cases, busy with Chloe’s numerous demands. We never celebrated an anniversary properly. Eventually, I even forgot those important days. I chuckled bitterly and replied, “Maybe he’s just taking care of a subordinate.” “Taking care? That’s not taking care; that’s blatant infidelity! Beatrix, what are you thinking? Are you really going to keep enduring this?” Listening to Fiona’s question, I fell silent. Indeed, was I really going to endure this forever? In these two years of marriage, Ethan had been called away by Chloe for various reasons, from holidays to even my birthday and our wedding anniversary. I thought having a child would settle him down. He promised to be a good father one day. But after I got pregnant, Chloe became even more unscrupulous. My pregnancy made me sleepy, and several times I woke up in the middle of the night to find Ethan gone. Even his rare rest time was occupied by Chloe’s calls, one after another. Facing Fiona’s questions, I remained silent. Is this truly something I should continue to endure? Throughout our two-year marriage, Ethan has been drawn away by Chloe for various reasons, even during important moments like holidays, my birthday, and our wedding anniversary. I hoped that having a child would encourage him to settle down. He had once promised to be a good father someday. But after I became pregnant, Chloe’s demands only grew bolder. During my pregnancy, I often found myself waking up alone in the middle of the night, realizing that Ethan had left without a word. Even the few breaks he had were consumed by Chloe’s constant calls. Now, even with a child, he’s left me alone at the hospital three times without a trace of guilt. I looked up at the ceiling, my eyes burning with unshed tears. What have these two years of marriage truly meant? I have no idea. Perhaps it was a mistake from the very beginning. 5. Around midnight, Ethan finally came home. He seemed a little tired, taking off his coat and instinctively reaching to hang it behind the door, only to notice the wedding photo was missing, making him pause.

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For ten years, I was Jack’s secret lover, and during that time, I secretly gave birth to a child. In those days when I sought neither fame nor fortune, Lucas was my only salvation. Later, Jack found out about Lucas’s existence and said he wanted to give the child a family. I was moved to tears. Until that day, I saw Olivia, his first love who had disappeared for ten years, getting out of his car with a child. “Jack, are you sure that child can save Lily?” “Of course! I made her have my child to save Lily!” “I’ve been secretly monitoring his health condition, and all the test results are good! The doctor said as long as the bone marrow matches, Lily can live!” What I thought was stolen happiness turned out to be an elaborately designed scam. That night, I dialed a number I had never called before: “Can Lucas and I become your legal family?” “I’ll take care of the legal documents,” Noah’s firm answer rekindled my hope. As long as the change of Lucas’s guardianship is completed, Jack won’t be able to sign the surgery consent form! After hanging up the phone, I immediately canceled Jack’s guardianship application. We had agreed that the date for the guardianship change would be Lucas’s birthday. I had promised to take him to meet his father. Now it seems I’ll have to break that promise. The next second, Jack’s call came in. “Emma, why did you cancel the guardianship application?” “You think I’m that free? To play family drama with you?” “If you don’t want the kid to recognize me, get lost! I won’t pay a penny in child support!” His barrage of accusations made my fingers go numb. When I accidentally got pregnant back then, I was both anxious and excited. The relationship without status between Jack and me made me too eager to hold onto something. I thought Lucas was a gift from heaven, so I carefully cherished this stolen happiness. It turns out I was able to give birth to Lucas not because I was smart, but because of Jack’s careful arrangement. He wanted to use my child’s life to exchange for Olivia’s child’s life. The image of Lucas’s obedient face floated in my mind, and my heart felt like it was being sliced by countless blades. “Lucas has been sick these past few days, so the guardianship matter can only be delayed for a few days.” I answered with a straight face, but heard a woman’s voice from the other end of the phone: “Didn’t you say that child was very healthy? How could he be sick? She must be lying to you!” The voice was soft, but I guessed it was Olivia. “Jack, do you have a woman with you?” He obviously panicked and stammered: “I’m just worried that I’ll be on a business trip in a few days, and the timing won’t be good.” “Suit yourself.” Jack had always been hot and cold towards me, giving a slap followed by a piece of candy. For the past decade or so, I had been foolishly content with this treatment. I didn’t pursue the matter further and just calmly hung up the phone. Before Lucas was born, I had bought a two-bedroom apartment in the complex where Jack lived. My mom had always been helping to take care of Lucas. I sent a message to my mom, planning to pick up Lucas after school and go straight back to our hometown. But I didn’t receive a reply, and no one answered when I called. Just as I was thinking of going over to check, I bumped into Jack who had just returned as I opened the door. “A gift I bought for you on my business trip.” Jack threw a bag in front of me with an air of condescension. I looked at the bag in my arms and smiled bitterly. This was the third time he had given me this same bag, not even changing the size or color. In the past, I could still comfort myself that he was too busy, and it was already good that he remembered to buy a gift. But now, I couldn’t fool myself anymore. I coldly looked at Jack, his loose collar revealing several hickeys. There was a lipstick stain on the back of his shirt collar. Over the years, Jack would go on business trips every so often, lasting from three or four days to half a month. Now I knew that every so-called business trip was actually him accompanying Olivia and her child. “By the way, Olivia is back in the country.” His somber voice struck my heart. For the past decade, this was the first time I had heard Olivia’s name from his mouth.

Olivia was a year ahead of us in school, a campus beauty. She and Jack were the acknowledged golden couple of the school, everyone said they were meant to be together. Unfortunately, as soon as Olivia graduated, she dumped Jack and married a high-level executive at a foreign company. Jack hated her but couldn’t let her go. He drank excessively, got into fights, skipped classes, the works. It was I who quietly helped him organize his coursework, attended classes for him, wrote his papers, so he barely managed to get his diploma. At the graduation party, Jack and I had a drunken one-night stand. From then on, I became his hidden lover. I thought that someday Jack would see my goodness, but I never imagined he would only scheme to ruin me, and our child. Now that I’ve woken up from the dream, I should come to my senses too. “She’s here to treat her child’s illness, I heard it’s leukemia,” Jack continued, with a hint of regret in his voice, “She might need to stay at my place for a few days.” I nodded, “This is your home, you can let whoever you want stay.” Jack’s eyes flashed with surprise, just as he was about to ask further. At that moment, my phone rang, and I saw a message from my mom: [Lucas is in the hospital] A buzzing filled my head, and I didn’t care about anything else. I grabbed my coat and headed out: “I’m going out for a bit.” Jack blocked me, his eyes probing: “Where are you going so late?” I really didn’t have the energy to explain, so I pushed past him and rushed out the door. At the hospital, I saw my mom crying uncontrollably. “Emma, I don’t know what happened, he just ended up in the hospital…” “When I picked him up from school, the teacher said he had a stomachache. I went to the clinic to get some medicine, and he felt much better after taking it.” “In the evening, we were playing in the garden of the complex. I walked away for a moment, and he fainted…” Mom was both remorseful and frustrated, her tears unstoppable. I comforted Mom while looking at Lucas in the emergency room. His usually rosy little face was now completely pale. My heart clenched into a knot. Fortunately, the doctor said it was just mild food poisoning, and he would be fine after the IV drip. “Mom, when he’s done, go pack some things. I’m taking you and Lucas back to our hometown.” Mom looked at my grave expression and didn’t ask much, just nodded repeatedly. “Mommy…” Lucas lay on my shoulder and asked weakly, “Why are we going back to our hometown? Didn’t you say you’d take me to see Daddy on my birthday?” “Daddy, he…” “Emma!” Jack’s voice was like a summons from hell, sending a shiver through my body. “You’re delaying the guardianship because you want to take the child back to your hometown?!” “You dare lie to me?” Jack was furious, striding towards us. Lucas and Jack looked very much alike, the kind of resemblance where you could tell they were father and son at a glance. “Daddy…” Lucas cried out, wanting Jack to hold him, and refused to leave with me no matter what I said. My eyes grew hot, my nose stung, and tears fell. Lucas, meeting his father for the first time, made a fuss, insisting on going home with him: “Mommy, I want to see your home.” “Mommy, please?” Before I could answer, Jack was already coaxing Lucas to go home. No matter what I said, Lucas was determined to go with him.

What I didn’t expect was that Olivia and her daughter were waiting for us at home. “Jack, you’re finally back…” As soon as she saw Jack, Olivia clung to him like a bee to a flower: “Lily has a fever again… When can we schedule the surgery?” Her voice was soft, but I still heard it. I carried Lucas back to the room, and he kept asking when Daddy would come to tuck him in. But even late into the night, Jack didn’t appear. “Mommy, the day after tomorrow is my birthday,” Lucas said expectantly, “Is it true that Daddy will throw me a birthday party? I heard from my classmates that birthday parties are so much fun…” I couldn’t refuse a five-year-old child’s longing for fatherly love. Before this, Lucas had never asked about his father, but because of my promise last time, he now had expectations. I hugged Lucas tightly, my heart aching. “It’s true, Lucas’s birthday party will definitely be the best birthday party in the world.” I cried while comforting him to sleep. As soon as we get through the birthday, I’ll take Lucas away from here forever. I swore silently in my heart, not knowing that the next day I would experience an even bigger shock. “Horsie ride! Horsie ride!” I was woken up by a child’s laughter, and as soon as I opened the door, I saw Lily riding on Lucas’s back. She was waving a toy whip in her hand, urging Lucas to crawl faster. “Hurry up! If you don’t go faster, I’ll tell my daddy to beat you!” “That’s my daddy!” Lucas heard this and angrily straightened up to retort. “Jack is my daddy! Not your daddy! My mommy said you were born just to cure me!” “He’s not your daddy!” Lily cried as she swung the whip, leaving a bloody mark on Lucas’s face. “What are you doing!” I rushed forward and snatched the whip from her hand. Lily’s cries grew louder, and I heard a door opening behind me. Olivia saw the whip in my hand and immediately ran over to pick up her daughter. “Emma… how could you hit a child?” Jack followed closely behind, grabbing me and Lucas, his eyes bloodshot: “Emma, who told you to bully her?! Don’t you know this child is in poor health? If something happens to her, will you take responsibility?” “Apologize right now!” Jack forced me to apologize to Lily. “Mommy, if I apologize, will Daddy stop disliking me?” Lucas bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes, and quietly apologized. Lily looked smug, which broke my heart. “Daddy, will you still throw me a birthday party?” Lucas asked cautiously. Jack was still angry and had forgotten all about the promised birthday party. He shook off Lucas’s hand impatiently and said, “What birthday party for a little brat? You’re just as troublesome as your mother.” Lucas’s crying stopped abruptly, and the light in his eyes completely disappeared. That day, Lucas didn’t cling to Jack anymore. He just sat quietly beside me, watching Jack play with Olivia and her daughter. In the evening, Lucas hugged my neck and suddenly said, “Mommy, he’s not my daddy, is he?” “He’s different from the daddies of other kids in kindergarten. He never smiles at me or hugs me.” “Mommy, is my daddy in that hometown you talked about?” “Let’s go back to our hometown!” Lucas said all this without crying, but it made me burst into tears. I held him tightly, comforting and soothing him. It was I who gave him hope, and then made him face the cruel reality. In the darkness, my phone lit up. [Legal documents are done. Meet at the airport tomorrow at 2 PM.] My anxious heart finally settled. I could finally take the child away without any worries. At this moment, I heard the sound of keys outside the door. I alertly got up and met Jack’s eyes. He made a gesture to keep quiet: “Emma, I was wrong about today. How about this, I’ll throw Lucas a birthday party tomorrow, okay?” “Don’t be angry anymore.” This was the first time Jack had been so patient in coaxing me. I knew he was just trying to keep us here. To avoid raising his suspicions, I nodded in agreement.

Early the next morning, the apartment was decorated for a birthday party. But the style was all girly, with a Frozen princess theme. The blue and white decorations were full of Jack’s love for Olivia and her daughter. The name on the backdrop wall was Lucas’s, but I could see at a glance that it was wrong – “Gu Yangyang” instead of “Gu Yanyang”. “Do you like it? Lucas, this is what Daddy specially arranged for you. There will be many little friends coming to celebrate your birthday later!” Jack smiled and pinched Lucas’s cheek. Lucas said he liked it, but secretly grabbed my hand and whispered, “Mommy, when are we leaving?” Seeing the disappointment on the child’s face, my heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. This was even more painful than when I discovered Jack’s betrayal. Just as I was about to answer, the door suddenly opened. Olivia and Lily came in with a group of children and parents, obviously Lily’s classmates. They greeted each other warmly, and Jack politely responded. He and Olivia looked every bit like a married couple, and the whole birthday party turned into Lily’s show. I sat with Lucas in the corner, texting my mom to wait for us directly at the airport. “Wait a bit, we’ll leave after Lucas blows out the candles, okay?” Today is Lucas’s birthday, and I don’t want to deny him even the chance to make a wish. But as Lucas stood in front of the cake, he was forcefully pushed away by Lily: “Who told you to stand here and blow out the candles!” “Get away from here!” Lily pushed hard, and I pulled Lucas away to dodge. She missed and fell to the ground, her foot catching on the table corner, overturning the entire dessert table. Lily, covered in cake, cried and screamed. Olivia shrieked for Jack: “Jack, Lily… she fainted!” Hearing this, I immediately pulled Lucas towards the door. But Jack grabbed us: “You can’t leave!” “Only he can cure Lily’s illness!” Jack picked up Lucas and rushed to the hospital with Olivia and Lily. “Mommy! Mommy! I want Mommy!” I chased after them closely, my heart shattering with Lucas’s cries. “Dr. Zhang! Arrange the bone marrow transplant immediately! My daughter is dying!” The hospital seemed to be prepared. As soon as Jack appeared, everything was arranged. I finally understood that the originally scheduled date for the guardianship change was the surgery date. Lucas had been given a sedative and was already asleep. “Jack, I beg you, don’t hurt Lucas!” I knelt in front of Jack, grabbing his pants leg and pleading: “I know you want to use Lucas to save her, but Lucas is a life too! He’s our child!” “Let’s find another way, please?” The immense fear made me incoherent. Jack looked down at me coldly: “Emma, I have no other way!” Jack’s outright refusal left me completely desperate. I rushed to the operating room door trying to stop the doctor. But Jack held me back, kicking me in the stomach several times. As the operating room door closed, my breathing stopped. “This surgery can’t be done!” Hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor, and a doctor wiping sweat opened the operating room door. Jack looked bewildered and stepped forward to question: “I’ve paid all the money, why can’t it be done?” The doctor looked Jack up and down angrily and said, “Mr. Gu, is this your child? Non-guardians have no right to sign for surgery! Do you know this is illegal?”

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After my parents divorced, my dad dumped me on my mom’s lover to raise. He beat and scolded me constantly, only hoping I could quickly repay the debt my mom owed him. But ten years later, when my mom wanted to take me away, he cried and said he’d give up everything just to keep me. [1] When I was seven, our once-harmonious family shattered overnight because of my innocent comment: “When daddy’s not home, mommy brings other uncles to sleep over.” My mom moved out that very night, and my dad dumped me on my mom’s lover to raise. The man’s name was Frank. My dad looked at the man before him and said coldly, “If it weren’t for you, our family wouldn’t be in this mess.” “As compensation for destroying my family, take care of Mandy for a while until I get settled in my new job.” With that, my dad pushed me towards the man opposite him. Seeing the scar on Frank’s face, I cried and turned back to run to my dad. “Daddy, I promise I’ll never say anything wrong again. Please don’t leave me!” My dad didn’t hide the disgust in his eyes. Even though I had his blood, I was still the child of that unfaithful woman. But my dad still forced a smile, “Mandy, be good and sensible. Only then can daddy come back for you sooner.” I could only wipe my tears and obediently return to Frank’s side. Frank hadn’t looked at me once. As my dad was about to leave, Frank grabbed him and said, “Room and board not included.” My dad gave an awkward smile and took out $50 from his bag to hand to him. Watching my dad’s retreating figure, Frank said coldly, “If you don’t come back for her within a month, I’ll dump her.” My dad nodded repeatedly, “She’s my own daughter after all. How could I possibly abandon her?” With those words, my dad turned and left without looking back. And so, I was temporarily taken in by Frank. As we lived together, I discovered that although he was my mom’s lover, he was actually a pitiful man who had been scammed out of his money by my mom. He originally had some small assets, but after my mom took everything and ran, he could only move into a run-down house rented in the countryside. Within a month, I endured all kinds of cold treatment from Frank. He always dumped all the dirty and tiring chores on me. “Seeing your face that looks just like your mother’s makes me angry! You’re both good-for-nothing freeloaders!” I knew he was taking out all his resentment towards my mom on me. To be able to stay in this house temporarily, I could only humbly obey any of Frank’s arrangements. Every day, my only motivation was the hope that my dad would come to take me away from this misery soon. But as the one-month deadline approached, there was no news from my dad’s side. Frank’s calls to my dad went unanswered. Frank’s face grew darker and darker. He spat on the ground viciously, “You little brat, if your dad doesn’t come to get you in the next couple of days, I’m going to sell you to old man Johnson at the end of the village!” A wave of panic washed over me, and I could only work even harder. The month passed, and I waited from dawn till dusk, but still didn’t see my dad. It was then that I realized I had truly been abandoned by my father. Frank grabbed me and said, “Come with me.” He dragged me towards the direction of the village’s end. Seeing he was serious, I panicked completely and desperately clung to the ground. “I don’t want to go! I don’t want to!” “You think you have a choice? Since you’re your mother’s daughter, you should pay off her debts!” Just as I was still struggling desperately, old man Johnson from the village’s end actually came to the door. [2] “Frank, I couldn’t wait any longer at home.” Old man Johnson grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. The fear in my heart was like a lake, drowning me until I could barely breathe. Frank took advantage of my daze and hoisted me onto his shoulder, following old man Johnson towards his house. I desperately pounded on Frank’s back, “I don’t want to! I don’t want to go with him!” Tears of grievance soaked Frank’s back, but he showed no sign of stopping. “I’m begging you, I’ll do whatever you say from now on, just please don’t send me away.” Frank ignored my fear and helplessness, casually discussing the price with old man Johnson. “As agreed, $400 a month.” At old man Johnson’s house, he turned and went inside to find an iron chain. Frank’s brow furrowed slightly, “Old man, what are you doing?” Old man Johnson smiled slyly, “Well, since I paid for her, I naturally have to prevent her from running away.” With that, he locked the huge iron chain to my foot. Old man Johnson handed the money to Frank, who counted it, satisfied, and turned to leave. No matter how much I cried for help behind him, he never looked back at me once. Abandoned by my parents, and now abandoned by my mother’s lover, it seemed I was destined only to be discarded in this life. Old man Johnson closed the door and immediately slapped me across the face, “From now on, you’re my property. You’ll cry when I tell you to cry, and laugh when I tell you to laugh, got it?” I nodded, clutching my stinging cheek. “Now take off your clothes!” I looked up in disbelief, meeting old man Johnson’s leering gaze. My whole body trembled uncontrollably. Seeing my reluctance to move, old man Johnson slapped me again. “What are you playing at, acting all pure?” “Your mom is a big slut who seduces men everywhere, and you’re just a little slut too! Do you want me to do it myself?” Despite the tears of humiliation falling non-stop, I still hugged myself tightly, not giving him any opportunity. Old man Johnson grew increasingly impatient. Sure enough, the next second he pounced on me like an evil ghost. “No! No!” I closed my eyes tightly, hearing only the sound of clothes being torn. His disgusting, dry hands groped all over my body. Fighting the nausea, I bit down hard on his hand, but it only earned me an even more vicious beating. “You little slut, you dare bite me? I’ll teach you a lesson today!” I wanted to scream for help, but found I was too scared to make a sound. Just as I was about to be forced to accept my miserable fate, the door behind me was kicked open. Before I could even look back, I saw a figure rush in front of me and kick old man Johnson away hard. “You bastard!” “Didn’t I say I was bringing her over just to do your laundry and cooking? What the hell are you doing?” Old man Johnson looked at Frank with an awkward smile, “Frank, why are you protecting this little brat so much?” “Don’t forget, she’s the daughter of that woman who hurt you. Didn’t you want revenge on her?” “How about this, I’ll give you an extra $50 a month, just let me play with her a little…” Before he could finish, Frank punched old man Johnson in the face, “If you dare touch her again, I’ll kill you!” With that, he threw the $400 old man Johnson had given him earlier onto the ground. He unlocked the iron chain from my foot and picked me up. “Let’s go home.” [3] After returning home, Frank stopped making me do heavy chores. He turned around and sent me to the only elementary school in town. “Your mom owes me so much money, it would take forever if you just worked to pay it back. Better to send you to school, you’ll make money faster that way.” “Remember, you’ll have to pay me back double for your school fees in the future!” He rubbed his stomach, “I’m hungry, go make dinner.” Frank used to be a small factory manager. He had the opportunity to gradually expand his business, but then he met my mom. He gave my mom everything he could, but she turned around and betrayed him. The factory went bankrupt almost overnight. I heard all this from the neighbors. Soon it was time to start school. Frank handed me a new backpack and clothes with a blank expression. “I’m telling you, if your grades aren’t good, I’ll send you off to work!” I excitedly took the clothes and backpack, “Thank you, Uncle!” Frank said he was afraid I’d run away, so he personally took me to and from school every day. He now worked at a parts factory just outside the small town. Although his work hours didn’t match my school schedule, he still managed to drop me off and pick me up on time. I thought things would continue peacefully like this, but before long, the story of my background spread through the school. The school bully, Fatty, and some other kids cornered me in a secluded spot by the school wall. “Mandy, my mom said your mom is a big slut who seduces men everywhere. You little slut came to our school just to corrupt us.” “You should go seduce men everywhere like your mom. Our school doesn’t welcome people like you!” Looking at their faces, I mustered up the courage to retort, “Your whole family are the sluts!” Fatty glared at me, nostrils flaring, and with a few others, locked me in the equipment shed. “Mandy, no one wants you. Even if you die in here, no one will know!” They laughed at me as they ran away. Frank waited for me at the school gate for two whole hours. By the time he found out where I was, it was already midnight. Curled up in a corner, I shivered from the cold. In my daze, I heard his scolding. “Useless thing, don’t you know how to fight back when they bully you?” “Your mom is so capable, how did she give birth to such a wimp?” His reprimands gradually grew quieter until he held me in his arms, wiping away my tears with his calloused hands. All my insecurities instantly vanished. Later I found out that to find me, he had searched every corner of the small town. Those bad kids only revealed my location after he repeatedly questioned them. Seeing the scrapes on his arms, he must have fallen in his haste to find me. The next day, Fatty’s mom came to the school to make a scene. She pointed at my nose and started cursing. “This little bastard not only uses foul language but also tells lies.” “My son was just joking with her, and look how badly beaten his face is now?” I looked at Fatty’s swollen face, knowing it must be Frank’s handiwork. “Principal, you must expel this little bastard!” “You’re the bastard!” I snapped back immediately. The fat woman flew into a rage, “You unwanted child, if you’re not a bastard, what are you? Am I wrong?” “Let me tell you, it’s your honor that my son even joked with you…” Suddenly the office door opened, and Frank, who should have been at work, appeared. “You call that a joke? How about I lock your son up for a night too?” Seeing Frank, Fatty quickly hid behind his mother. Such a comical sight made me burst out laughing. “If your kid dares to bully my daughter again, I won’t be so lenient next time!” At that moment, I felt the whole world go quiet, with only Frank’s word “daughter” echoing in my ears. My eyes stung, and I quickly ran out of the principal’s office. [4] By 2008, I was old enough to start middle school. Remembering Frank’s “threat,” I got into the best middle school in the city with the top score in town. At this time, there were layoffs at the factory where Frank worked, and he was on the list. He wasn’t cut out for physical labor in the first place, and these years had taken a toll on his health. He hadn’t saved much money, and now things were even worse. A female employee who had once been helped by him at his factory suddenly approached him, saying she wanted to marry him and live together. Although friends advised him to send me away, he sighed helplessly: “The child is so big now, we can’t let someone else benefit from the bride price for nothing.” The woman’s arrival gave this home a chance to breathe. This pieced-together family finally had a hint of home-like warmth. Frank relied on a second-hand motorcycle he got from a friend to start a passenger transport business in town. The income wasn’t much, but it was stable. But good times didn’t last long, and the woman gradually revealed her true intentions. Whenever Frank wasn’t home, she would drag me to meet various old ladies. “Mandy, remember, these might all be your benefactors.” At that time, I didn’t understand what she meant, and seeing how hard Frank worked every day, I didn’t dare to bother him. But that day, she and an old lady said they were taking me to a banquet. I was forcibly dragged to someone’s house, only to see a big red “Double Happiness” character pasted on their front door. I was pushed into the main seat, and next to me sat a man wearing a red flower on his chest. “Mandy, just enjoy your meal. I’ll come pick you up later.” With that, the woman left with the old lady, and they were counting some cash that had appeared from somewhere. It was then that I finally realized – she had sold me! I threw down my chopsticks and tried to run, but the man next to me grabbed me, “Wife! Where are you going?” “After we finish eating, it’s time for our wedding night!” I panicked but forced myself not to cry. “Let go of me. If my uncle finds out, he’ll kill you!” The man smirked, “You mean that lousy motorcycle driver? The money I gave him is more than he could earn in decades of driving. He’d be overjoyed!” “Just stay here obediently and give me a big fat son. I promise I won’t mistreat you!” The man hoisted me up to leave when suddenly there was a loud bang. Frank had crashed right in on his motorcycle. He threw his motorcycle aside with a flourish, “Put her down!” The man was intimidated by his aura, and I quickly broke free to hide behind Frank. “Frank, I’ve already given the bride price to your wife. You’re not thinking of going back on your word, are you?” Frank snorted coldly, “I never married that woman!” Just then, the woman came back crying with the money. “Frank, why are you doing this? I really wanted to live with you!” “If we sell this girl, you could open your own factory again. You wouldn’t have to ride that motorcycle in the wind and sun anymore!” But faced with such a huge temptation, Frank didn’t even bother to look. He directly slapped away the money the woman was offering. “I don’t need it.” With that, he put me on his motorcycle and left. After that, the woman never came back. But one day, the motorcycle he relied on for a living was smashed to pieces. It didn’t take much guessing to know who did it, but without evidence, he could only swallow his anger. As the start of my school term drew nearer, Frank started coming home later and later. I also tried to find whatever part-time jobs I could do. But when I came home that day, I saw Frank had returned early. He sat on the doorstep, chain-smoking the cheapest cigarettes. Seeing me, he slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn’t understand. Putting out his cigarette butt, he finally spoke, “Your mom’s back. She’s inside.”

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In the seventh year of my secret crush on Jasper, I ended up marrying him. On our wedding night, he handed me a divorce agreement. ” After a year, we’ll go our separate ways peacefully,” he said, glancing at my lace nightgown with a slight smile. ” Miss Adeline, is there something on your mind?” When the year was up, I asked, “When are we going to the civil affairs bureau?” He acted as if he didn’t hear me. “Who was that guy earlier?” I laughed and replied, “Mr. Lu, is something on your mind?” During my graduation internship, right after I was offered a full-time position, Jasper approached me. He asked if I would marry him—a marriage of convenience. In a year, he promised to give me ten million. Who can afford to let pride overshadow money, right? I was afraid if I hesitated even for a moment, he’d change his mind.

From the time we got our marriage certificate to our wedding night, less than a month passed. That night, I dressed up intentionally in a lace nightgown. But Jasper handed me a divorce agreement. “After a year, we’ll part ways.”

He had grown a lot more refined and composed since high school. I was momentarily stunned. “Should I sign it now?” Jasper seemed in a hurry. ” Just give it to me before the contract ends.” I nodded. “Where will you be sleeping tonight?” The air was filled with silence. I really wanted to slap myself. Jasper paused, then briefly smiled, his gaze lowering with meaning. “Miss Adeline,” he chuckled, “is something on your mind?”

Following his gaze, I suddenly covered my chest. “Shameless!” Jasper raised an eyebrow, leisurely leaning against the doorframe, teasing me on purpose. ” On such a joyous night, should we sleep together?” We were both adults, and given how I was dressed, any man would misunderstand. I slammed the door shut, both angry and embarrassed. This guy was still the same bold rogue from high school!

I didn’t see Jasper again after that. I heard he went abroad for business. Living in a mansion with a husband who was never home was quite relaxing for me. Late at night, I heard the sound of an engine downstairs. After seven months, Jasper was back. He slept in the guest room. I relaxed and turned over, then suddenly opened my eyes wide. Last night, I had drunk too much and fell asleep in the guest room. I had even taken out the love letter I wrote to him when I was young to read, and it was still there.

The hallway was chilly. I quietly opened the guest room door. I heard water running in the bathroom. Jasper was showering. Holding my breath, I searched around but didn’t find it. The next moment, the bathroom door opened. Jasper was only wearing gray lounge pants. His skin was pale and muscular, still dripping wet. Our eyes met. He said calmly, “Are you hiding someone?”

I glanced at his abs, “No.” Jasper leisurely dried his hair, “Did you need something?” I made up an excuse. “Um… just checking if you’re hiding a woman.” Jasper chuckled, “If I were hiding a woman, I wouldn’t be back tonight.” “So, you’ve been with other women these past seven months?” Realizing I said something wrong, I shut my mouth. But Jasper wouldn’t let it go, looking at me with interest, teasingly. “Do you want to talk about this with me?”

Without waiting for an explanation, I suppressed the discomfort in my heart, wanting to say something. The phone rang. Jasper put on a short T-shirt and stepped out onto the balcony to answer in English. I wasn’t interested in his call. I searched again and decided to pretend to sleep. Jasper was unlikely to share a bed with me; I’d search again in the morning. I couldn’t let him find it first. Half-asleep, I felt the bed sink beside me. That night, I dreamed of Jasper from high school. The transfer student from Hong Kong, smart, handsome, and well-off. His name was once popular throughout the school. He had a girlfriend. I didn’t know why they argued back then, but she cried. Jasper, holding his school uniform, bent down to comfort her helplessly. I stood not far away, feeling a profound silence.

reams are always nonsensical. One moment, I was heartbroken and suppressed. The next, I dreamed of pulling up a radish. The bedroom light suddenly turned on. Still immersed in the dream, I mumbled, “Why can’t I pull it out…” Jasper took a deep breath, “Open your eyes and see what you’re doing.” Just as I was about to open my eyes, a warm hand grasped my wrist and moved it away. Jasper got up and went to the bathroom, not waiting for me to speak. He said in a cold voice, “Keep causing trouble, and you’ll sleep on the floor.” “…” He’s really fierce.

Waking up the next day, it was bright outside. I felt the cold spot beside me. Slowly, I finished breakfast. Jasper was already waiting in the car. We were going to the family estate today. In the car, we said nothing. Finally, I said, “Sorry about last night.” Jasper was working. He glanced at me, “What were you looking for last night?” I paused, then honestly replied, “A love letter.” “You wrote it?” “Yes.” Jasper’s gaze landed on my face. He asked, “A secret crush, huh?” My cheeks warmed, “It was my senior from high school, very handsome, you know.” I spoke while looking at him. Jasper chuckled briefly, as if unconcerned. I felt like a clown. What was I expecting? “So what now that you’re married?” I looked up, stunned. Jasper turned to me, teasing, “Should I sleep between you two?” “…”

When we got out of the car, I boldly tugged at his sleeve. ” We need to act the part; I want to hold hands.” Jasper’s expression didn’t change, still on the previous topic. “So do I sleep between you two, or what do you want?” He smiled, but I felt it was empty, like there was nothing inside. As if he seemed easygoing but was actually cold inside. I said, “I’ll put on a grand show for you!” With that, Jasper looked down at me, seemingly genuinely smiling. Then he gently took my hand, intertwining our fingers. “Then you have to mourn for me, wife.”

At the family estate’s entrance, I knew he was acting. He didn’t really want to hold my hand. But hearing him call me ‘wife’ made my heart race a little. As soon as we stepped into the living room, “We’ve waited from the beginning of the year to the end, and the third child finally brings his wife home to meet us?” Jasper was the third child in the family. He probably married me to avoid an arranged marriage. Jasper pulled out a slight smile, “Mom, I didn’t want to disturb your peace.” “You mean you didn’t want me to disturb yours.” The middle-aged woman, draped in a shawl, sneered, looking at me. “Miss Adeline, right? Come and have a cup of tea.” But there was no tea in front of her. She meant for me to make it. Just as I was about to stand, my wrist was held down. Jasper leaned back in his chair, playing with my fingertips, “With two maids standing by, does she have to do it?” “Can’t I want a cup of tea made by my daughter-in-law?” “Of course, but my wife isn’t for serving.” Stop acting… I damn well like you even more.

The Aiden family children are usually busy. So it’s a rule that they must come back for a meal and stay overnight once a month. The dining table was cold and quiet. This house didn’t feel like a home; it was oppressive and serious. In the bedroom, I was nervous again, “I can sleep in the guest room.” “That would be a breach of contract.” The contract stated that if Party B caused others to find out it was a fake marriage, Party B owed Party A five million. I changed the subject, “Do you have a lot of conflicts with your mother?” Jasper, not done with his work, replied dismissively, “Are you into me? Want to save me?” “Didn’t the woman you spent seven months with save you?” He laughed, “If I had someone I liked, why would I marry you?” “…” He said he didn’t have anyone he liked now. I felt a bit disappointed. I opened my mouth to speak. Suddenly, everything went dark. Later, I heard it was because the second brother and his wife were fighting next door. A cup of water spilled into the electrical outlet, causing a blackout on the entire second floor. By then, I was already startled and ended up sitting on Jasper’s lap.

I wasn’t at a loss. I just wanted to be close to him. “I’m so scared.” Jasper paused, “I’m more scared.” The room was dimly lit. “What are you afraid of?” His voice was playful, “Afraid of losing both money and love.” He’s been in social settings for so many years, understanding people well. Like he saw right through my feelings for him. I pretended not to understand, “So why did you marry me?” Jasper, with little emotion, draped his arm lightly over my knee, “Be good, short of money.” When did I lack money? Thinking of something, I didn’t explain. Seeing his brows furrowed, he was probably about to say, “Keep it up, and you’ll sleep on the floor tonight.” “Jasper.” “Hmm.” “Do you believe I can guess what you’re thinking?” We were so close, almost feeling each other’s breath. Jasper lifted his eyes, his gaze brushing over my lips. “Do you think I dare?”

Under the moonlight, his eyes were very dark. I saw myself in them. I whispered, “You probably dare.” Jasper seemed surprised by my words, gently tapping my knee with his finger. After a while, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and he shifted his gaze, “No protection.” “…” I then realized we weren’t talking about the same thing. The light finally came back on. I stood up in a panic, palms a bit sweaty, “Rogue.” I said, escaping into the bathroom. Coming out, Jasper was still at the computer. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up, his side profile sharp and refined. As if he’d forgotten what just happened. I felt uneasy. In the dead of night, once again sharing a bed. After his shower, he came out. I instinctively pulled the blanket a bit. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you.” His tone was light. I couldn’t tell if he was reassuring me or telling me not to get my hopes up. I turned my back on him in anger. “Turn off the lights; it’s too bright, and I can’t get used to it.” Jasper, being obedient, said, “You sleep first.” I snorted, “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you either.” After hastily finishing my sentence, I dashed into the bathroom. When I emerged, Jasper was still seated in front of the computer. His white shirt sleeves were rolled up, highlighting his sharp profile. It was as though he had completely forgotten the earlier conversation. I felt a pang of discomfort. The night was quiet, and once again, we shared a bed. After his shower, he came out, and I instinctively pulled the covers up. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you,” he said with an indifferent tone. It was hard to tell if he was trying to reassure me or make me abandon any hope. Annoyed, I turned my back to him. “Please turn off the lights; it’s too bright for me.” Jasper complied, “You can sleep first.” I scoffed, “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you either.” “Well, once you’re asleep, who knows.” My ears burned red as I recalled the sensation from last night, something I struggled to control. … Jasper always seemed busy, often returning home late when I was already asleep. On the phone, my best friend was incredulous, “How can you sleep next to such a handsome guy and not do anything?” I whispered, “He doesn’t seem to like me.” “If he did, he would have made a move on your wedding night. You know, sometimes love and family grow with time.” I hung up, realizing she had a point. I might not win his heart, but I should at least try to experience something with him. Lost in thought, the department manager called me over, “These are documents Mr. Jasper needs delivered, Miss Adeline. Could you please take them over for me? Thanks a lot.” He handed me the documents and left. Over the years, I’ve faced many humiliations, one after another. But I took a deep breath; once I get the ten million, I’ll quit immediately! The location was just at the hotel across the street, and I could see Jasper. As I counted the room numbers, a woman opened the door. She was wrapped in a bath towel and, seeing the documents in my hand, said understandingly, “My boyfriend just stepped out. You’re his employee, right?” In that moment, I forgot how I felt. Numbly nodding, I handed over the documents and turned to leave, my steps unsteady and my mind blank. I wanted to call and ask him something, but I realized I had no right to interfere in his private life. After all, our marriage was fake from the beginning. I felt a rush of sadness and wanted to cry. To ease the pain, I went to a bar and hired a couple of male escorts. My best friend had to cancel last minute and advised me over the phone to take it easy and not let things get out of hand tonight. But I couldn’t hear anything. My phone lit up again. Jasper was asking, [Where are you?] I pretended not to see it, but after a few seconds, I replied anyway, [Working overtime] [Thank you for your hard work.] Such a considerate reply. I felt a bit emotional and typed back fiercely, [Good thing you know!] [Hmm, should I come toast a drink to you?] … I suddenly looked up, neon lights flickering before my eyes, and sighed with relief. Jasper was likely cozied up somewhere and wouldn’t be here. As I withdrew my gaze, I glanced casually and locked eyes with the man not far away. Jasper stood in the shadows, a faint red glow at his fingertips. In his suit, tall and long-legged, he took a drag of his cigarette. Through the smoke, his gaze was emotionless as it fell on me. At that moment, I had a male escort on each side, one pouring wine, the other feeding me fruit. In a daze, Jasper leisurely stubbed out his cigarette and walked over slowly. The escorts sensed trouble, “Violet, who is he? He looks so fierce.” I suddenly didn’t know how to explain. The escorts wouldn’t let up, “Aren’t we enough? Did you call another one, Violet, speak up, Violet.” Jasper turned his head, “Try calling one more.” The escorts shrank back, too scared to speak. I awkwardly stood up, feeling a bit dizzy, “Let’s go home…” Jasper looked amused, “Where do I sleep this time?” “Don’t worry, you won’t have to sleep in the middle.” He laughed angrily, “So you’ve rearranged things for me, huh.” His expression turned cold as he grabbed my wrist, leading me to the door. I struggled, equally angry, “You’re allowed to have a girlfriend, but I can’t have fun? You have to let me make mistakes too.” Mistakes, indeed. He frowned, “What girlfriend?” “She’s all showered and waiting for you!” The phone rang. Jasper answered it, and as he paid the bill, he also covered the cost of the escorts I had hired. Such a nice guy, so generous. After hanging up, he sent a message on the screen, then looked at me, “Who taught you to make such a fuss?” I got into the car, “Who’s really making a fuss!” Jasper sighed inwardly, choosing not to argue, “You’re drunk, stop it.” The phone rang again. It was my department manager, Zane. As soon as I answered, he was angrily scolding, “I told you to deliver the document to 913, where did you send it? The business partner is still waiting in the conference room, and Mr. Jasper is urging, if you don’t want to work, just leave tomorrow!” I was already in a bad mood, drunk, and spoke without thinking, “You’re just a scapegoat always shirking responsibility! You clearly told me to send it to 319…” After saying that, I paused, realizing I might have misunderstood something. The voice on the other end was clearly confused, “Iris Adeline, you’re something, I ask you to do one thing and you throw a fit, if I were Mr. Jasper, I’d fire you right away!” I impulsively said, “He’s right here, tell him yourself.” It was on speaker. My head was dizzy, leaning against the car window, resting my eyes. The person next to me had a deep and pleasant voice. In my haze, it felt like a dream. I heard him say—if you speak to her like that again, you’ll be packing your things and leaving. … It started raining. When I woke up, we were home. I didn’t open my eyes, and Jasper didn’t wake me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and carried me. His chest was warm with a hint of moisture. I couldn’t help but open my eyes a crack, quietly watching him, strangely reminded of him in high school. In the cafeteria, on the sports field, even in the store when we brushed past each other. Those memories stayed with me for many years. Maybe my gaze was too intense, like I was looking through him at someone else. Jasper suddenly stopped, lowered his eyes, “Who are you looking at?” My face was flushed, murmuring, “Someone I like.” His fingers tightened on my waist for a moment. Jasper’s eyes turned cold, perhaps remembering the love letter I was looking for last time. He placed me on the bed, pinched my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Iris Adeline.” “Hmm.” “Look closely,” he said in a deep voice, “I’m not him.” … The memory of the hangover was fragmented. Jasper got up half an hour earlier than me. Washing up, changing clothes. Neither of us spoke first. It felt like an unspoken cold war. I asked about the important matter, “What about the document I delivered wrong last night, is it important?” Jasper was tying his tie, and in the morning light, his face looked even more handsome. Some people, just standing there, can provide emotional value. He said, “It’s the project promotion plan, it’s fine.” I was relieved. Jasper glanced at me, “Nothing else to say?” Thinking of last night’s awkward misunderstanding, I shook my head, wanting to leave, “Nothing.” As I was about to pass by, he held my arm for a moment. He sighed, “During our marriage, I won’t do anything to betray you.” I took a few seconds to react, fearing he’d bring up the male models, “Got it, I’ll head downstairs first.” Jasper didn’t let go, thinking I was still angry, “Really, no girlfriend.” His eyes were dark. His tone coaxing. My thoughts slowed, suddenly feeling a bit envious of the girl who occupied his youth. This person is gentle and restrained. Being in a relationship with him must be a delightful thing. “Are you explaining to me?” Jasper paused, wanting to ask, “What do you think?” Silence between us. He continued looking at me, not sure what he was thinking. I stood awkwardly, also asking, “What are you thinking?” Jasper leaned against the wardrobe, a faint smile on his lips, “Thinking if you get drunk, do you like to kiss people randomly.” I didn’t kiss him last night, did I? Zane seemed to know something shocking. Today he was extra attentive, offering two hot drinks as an apology. I didn’t want to engage, thinking all day about when I might have kissed Jasper. That night, there was a dinner gathering. The business partner was hosting. I was involved in the project, so I was naturally invited. Jasper arrived late. He sat right next to me. Zane, ever the opportunist, used the chance to bond with me over drinks. The business partner jokingly asked if he had a thing for me, being so attentive. Zane shook his head repeatedly, glancing at Jasper, “Miss Adeline has a boyfriend.” I was stunned, not wanting more misunderstandings, I explained, “No, I’m single.” The table fell silent for half a second. Then the laughter resumed. The business partner smoothed things over, “Young people these days focus on their careers, marrying late. But Mr. Jasper, you should hurry up, almost thirty, let me introduce my daughter to you sometime.” Jasper remained unreactive throughout, smiling, “Sorry, I’m married.” In an instant, some were surprised, some were confused. Zane was the latter, his gaze at me changing multiple times. Finally turning disdainful. Our marriage agreement was mutual, not public. Now, something felt off. I couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. I glanced at Jasper next to me, sending him a message. [Mr. Jasper, what do you mean?] The screen lit up, Jasper glanced at his phone. But showed no intention of opening it. I anxiously nudged him with my knee. Jasper finally, generously, replied. [Don’t want to meet his daughter.] So that’s it. I lowered my gaze

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When I was seventeen, the boy I liked committed suicide. His blog was made public online. In millions of posts, his hidden sorrow and feelings for me became known to thousands. At the end, he wrote: “Only you can save me.” That night, I went back to the day we first met and hugged him. The usually aloof and proud boy fumbled: “Classmate, this isn’t appropriate, is it?” Zack died. I heard the news while squeezed in a crowded subway during rush hour. Next to me were two high school girls in uniforms, whispering to each other. I caught some fragments: Zack, sleeping pills, Chris remembered. These keywords connected together easily made me think of something unpleasant. There was a moment of ringing in my ears, and I turned my head to look at the two girls. Perhaps frightened by my blank stare, one girl hesitated: “Sister, do you like Zack too?” I was stunned by this question, nodded, and the girl immediately showed a sympathetic expression. “My condolences.” What a pity, only after you died did I have the chance to say I liked you in front of others. The topic of Zack’s suicide had already risen to number one. His good friend Chris made all the private posts on Zack’s blog public according to Zack’s last wishes. I scrolled through his blog posts one by one. He wrote about how painful it was in his creative process, how difficult it was to maintain his sharp edges in the entertainment industry. My heart seemed to feel the same pain. In these articles, he kept reminiscing about a person called ‘Lily’. What a coincidence, we have the same name. If I didn’t know that I had almost no contact with Zack during high school, I would have thought it was me. But when I saw the last post, my tears instantly dried on my face. “09/02/2014 Today, a classmate listened to my original song seriously. What a strong sense of achievement! I really want to hold a concert and sing just for her.” “I’m thinking, even if many people don’t understand me, what does it matter? As long as I’ve been treated seriously by one sincere gaze, I’m lucky.” “If there ever comes a day when I want to give up, only Lily can save me.” In an instant, the hundreds of articles with ‘Lily’ in them had an answer. ‘Lily’ was me. My heart started beating uncontrollably, but what followed was a deep sense of helplessness. If… if I had been a little braver back then, could I have saved him? The dead are gone, and the living still have to go to work tomorrow. I looked at the redness under my eyes in the mirror and sighed. Zack… I hope in your next life you can be an ordinary but happy child. That night, I dreamed of Zack. In the dream, the sky was orange-red like an oil painting. I stood on the playground, with unfamiliar classmates playing basketball in the distance. Everything was so familiar. Eight years ago… Just then, a guitar sound came from behind me, accompanied by a boy’s low singing. In an instant, I suddenly froze. This scene, I would never forget in my life. It was because I accidentally heard Zack’s original song that I started to have a crush on him. The voice from behind continued, and I turned around stiffly, staring at the boy in front of me. Zack was only seventeen at that time, his face still had baby fat, his hair fell on his forehead, and his eyes were pure. His temperament hadn’t yet developed the melancholy of his post-debut days. Sensing my burning gaze, he stopped. “Classmate…” He was about to say something when he suddenly stopped. My tears also instantly slid down my cheeks. Zack stood up, put everything else aside, and fumbled in his pants pocket to find a pack of tissues. “I don’t think I was singing a sad song, was I?” He handed them to me: “Or do you have something upsetting you?” From Zack’s personal diary, I knew that Zack had also fallen in love with me at first sight because of my appreciation for his music. I threw aside my former reserve and shyness, and suddenly hugged Zack’s waist without warning. “Zack… you’re still alive… that’s so good.” I said these words chokingly. Zack raised his hands the moment I hugged him. Behind us, many classmates started whistling teasingly. “Classmate, this isn’t appropriate, is it?” Zack’s ears turned red, and he stood stiffly, not daring to move. I let go, took out a jade pendant from my neck. This jade was given to me by my grandfather at a scenic spot when I was a child, saying it could bring safety. It had always been with me, and I indeed had been healthy and safe since childhood. Now I laid this jade in front of Zack. “It’s for you.” Since it could protect me, it could protect you too. After all, it was in my dream, I could do whatever I wanted. Zack’s ears turned red, a bit bewildered by my behavior. “This…” His clear eyes seemed to have a glimmer of water, his hand took it. “Thank you then…” He gripped my jade in his palm, tightening it. When he looked at me again, his gaze was a bit serious. “Classmate, have we met before?” I paused, shook my head, and tried hard to suppress the sourness in my heart to give him a smile. “Maybe, just seeing you, hearing your music, I felt a special sense of familiarity.” When I first met you, it was like reuniting with an old friend. My consciousness gradually recovered, and when my eyes opened, my face was cold. Indeed, dreaming of Zack still makes me sad. When I arrived at the company, the atmosphere was gloomy. As soon as I sat down, a colleague came over. “Have you seen Zack’s public blog?” My heart was suddenly pierced by a thorn, but I still nodded strongly. The colleague immediately opened up. “I didn’t expect Zack to have so many painful aspects inside.” “And, I didn’t expect such a handsome guy would have unrequited love.” “But that girl must have liked him too, right?” “Otherwise, how could she directly give Zack that jade pendant?” In an instant, my eyes suddenly widened, and even my breathing became heavy. “What did you just say?” As I said this, I opened Zack’s blog and turned to the last post. “A jade pendant?” The colleague’s words suddenly came out, and I also saw the content in Zack’s blog post that wasn’t there yesterday. “This girl suddenly cried when she saw me.” “She took off her jade pendant without saying a word, her neck instantly turned red.” “But when I asked for her name at the end, she ran away without saying a word.” But this… was what I did in my dream… “How is this possible?” I muttered to myself, and my colleague’s eyes showed a bit of confusion. “Didn’t you see the news? Zack was clutching this jade pendant when he died.” “But you have the same name as this girl, it’s really such a coincidence.” If I understand correctly. Last night’s dream really gave me a chance to save Zack. But why… did he still commit suicide? I was so uncomfortable at my workstation that I could hardly breathe, hating myself for not seizing the opportunity. Back home, after a simple wash, I fell into a dream again. This time, I must hold onto him. Today’s dream scene was on a dark path outside the school gate. It should have just missed the crowd after the evening self-study session, now there were very few people on the small path. I wonder which scene of me and Zack this is? Suddenly, I heard an angry shout from the alley beside. “Don’t touch my guitar.” In an instant, I had an impression. In the second year of high school, there was a nasty off-campus fight incident involving Zack. To say it was a fight, it was almost one-sided with him being beaten. The cause was that Zack accidentally discovered his classmate being extorted for protection money by boys from a vocational school. So he took his classmate away. Zack had quite a few brothers, so those people were wary of Zack and let him go at that time. Later, they found a few small-time thugs from society and took Zack to a small alley when school was over. I heard they smashed Zack’s guitar that he had used for a long time, and Zack was outnumbered. Afterwards, Zack bought a new one, but obviously, every time he played the guitar, his expression wasn’t as immersed. So, this was Zack. And at this moment, I was just a seventeen-year-old girl. I thought calmly, every time Mr. Harrison was on duty, he would stay in the office for a while after the evening self-study session. The school, now with only a few lonely lights, became my reassurance. I first hid to one side and called the police. Then I sent a message to Mr. Harrison: “Mr. Harrison, there are students from other schools extorting our school’s students at the school gate.” After sending the message, I stuck to the wall, covering my breath. Now in the alley was an oily voice. “Actually, we don’t have to touch this, but you have to apologize to my brother.” “Why should I?” A sound came from inside, as if someone had hit the wall with the guitar. “Don’t move!” Zack’s voice in the quiet alley was like a whimpering lion. ———-This is the breakpoint———- Even though I knew I should protect my own safety, I really couldn’t sit by and do nothing.

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It had been three months since I found the werewolf when he ran away on a dark, windy night. Before leaving, he warned me fiercely: “Werewolves only have one mate for life. I already have a wolf I like, and I’ll never accept you! “Get rid of those dirty thoughts. I won’t like you!” With that, he ran off, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded. What was he talking about? I had been treating him like a dog all this time. What did that have to do with being mates? Finding the werewolf was purely accidental. At first, I thought he was a dog. On the third day after bringing him home, I discovered he had turned into a human. He was lounging lazily on my sofa cushions, eating chips and watching TV. When he saw something he liked, his fluffy tail wagged happily back and forth. In that moment, I don’t know how many times I recited the core values of society in my mind. Later, he explained the werewolf species to me with a look of disdain, and I realized he was actually a normal evolved creature. “So can you eat dog food?” I asked, rubbing his ears. “Don’t- don’t rub them!” His face turned red and steamy as he stepped back, seriously answering me: “I need to eat meat, not dog food. “I’m not like those lowly dogs who fawn over humans.” Me: “…” He’s quite high-maintenance.

The werewolf’s disappearance was inexplicable. I thought about it for a long time but couldn’t figure out what he was doing, so I gave up thinking about it. Life was very peaceful after that. Until two weeks later, when a business partner invited me to a coffee shop to discuss a project. I brought my laptop. While chatting, by chance, I spotted that werewolf with one glance. He was in human form, very tall and muscular, wearing a suit. His eyes were cold and indifferent as he leaned on the railing, looking down at the crowd below with an impatient expression. “Miss Emma, do you know Mr. Lucas?” the business partner asked eagerly when he noticed me looking: “Mr. Lucas is a major shareholder of Rong’an. I chose this place today because I knew he often comes here. “Why don’t you introduce us?” I was stunned for a moment, then realized he was talking about the werewolf. I shook my head: “I don’t know him. I just thought he looked handsome. Sorry.” The business partner sighed, his expression clearly disappointed. His attitude towards me became somewhat colder afterwards. I didn’t mind. After finishing explaining the project, I got up to pay the bill and saw the werewolf tilting his head, talking to an elegantly dressed urban beauty. The two were standing very close, so close their bodies overlapped, like the man was holding the woman in his arms. [More like they were kissing.] I turned my eyes away without any particular thoughts. On the way home, I passed by a pet hospital and saw a big dog displayed in the window. A yellow Labrador. I put my hand on the glass, and it happened to look up, grinning at me and lifting its paw to press against my palm through the glass. In that moment, I made up my mind. I’m buying it!

Raising a dog is much more comfortable than raising a werewolf. The dog doesn’t talk, loves eating dog food, and is very well-behaved. When I’m not home, it always lazes around on the carpet, waiting for me to come home and walk it. I took it to many places. The beach, the ocean park, the seal aquarium… One day when I went to buy coffee at a cafe, the staff wouldn’t let the dog inside, so I tied it up outside and warned it to be good. Suddenly two people appeared beside me. The werewolf and that woman he was intimate with the other day. The woman stared at the Labrador’s wagging tail and sneered: “Dogs are such fawning creatures, a disgrace to canines.” Beside her, the werewolf’s eyes were also dark and gloomy as he looked at me. I ignored them, patted the Labrador’s head and said softly: “Be good, baby. Mommy will make you meatballs tonight.” With that, I got up and walked past the two of them without giving them a single glance.

When I came out, my dog was gone. The leash I had tied was loose, and both the leash and dog had disappeared. My movements froze for a moment. The werewolf was standing at the door smoking. Seeing the situation, he said very disdainfully and excitedly: “See, it doesn’t want you anymore. “How could such a mindless creature be loyal to its owner?” Wolves can smoke? I walked away in disgust. I called the dog’s name while looking for it, asking passersby if they had seen a yellow Labrador. After walking nearly two kilometers without finding it, I started to panic. Just as I was about to call animal protection for help, an annoying voice came from beside me. “If it’s lost, it’s lost. What’s so great about that stupid dog? “It can’t even track its owner by scent, truly a disgrace to canines. “What’s so good about it? Yellow and ugly, like a pile of human excrement. “Don’t casually raise dogs, canines are very possessive…” I finally couldn’t hold back anymore. I scolded him, suppressing my anger: “Are you sick?” He was stunned for a moment, then said in disbelief: “You’re scolding me for that stupid dog? “You’ve only had it for two weeks, and you’re scolding me because of it. Are you going to set the dog on me next… You can’t treat me like this.” He looked very wronged. So wronged that he was about to cry, his originally narrow wolf eyes widened, faintly tinged with red. But I was very annoyed. I couldn’t understand what he was doing. “It’s my dog, of course I’ll protect it… And you’re the one who said we wouldn’t have any relationship in the future.” I looked him up and down for a moment, seeing his high-end tailored suit, and reached out my hand to him: “You seem to be doing very well in human society. “Pay me back for the meat I fed you before. I want to buy toys for the dog.” “You- you!” He looked like he was about to die of anger, his words becoming incoherent: “What toys does a stupid dog need…” “Mr. Lucas!” Someone suddenly called out to him from across the street, interrupting his words. The person ran over excitedly, looking at him with burning eyes. It was that business partner from the other day. He turned to talk to me, his attitude much warmer than before. “Miss Emma, why didn’t you say earlier that you knew Mr. Lucas? We can sign that contract right away! I’ll have legal draw it up now. “If I had known you were so close to Mr. Lucas, we wouldn’t have dragged this out for so long, right?” Me: “…” Lost my dog and now forced to work on my day off. Damn wolf! I smiled politely, and when the client wasn’t looking, I turned my head and glared fiercely at the werewolf. His expression became even more innocent and wronged, his big eyes filled with tears that looked like they could fall at any moment.

It was already 7 pm when I finished signing the contract. Tired, I walked out of the company to see a man and a dog facing off at the entrance. The yellow Labrador’s body was tense, its paws scratching the ground as it growled a warning at the “wolf-scented” bad guy opposite. Meanwhile, the werewolf stood relaxed with his arms crossed, looking very disdainful and saying things I couldn’t understand. …Was he communicating with the dog? Can dogs understand wolf language? I watched in disbelief for a while before going over to rub the dog’s head. I comforted it: “Don’t be angry, baby. Mommy’s back.” The werewolf was silent for a moment, then came over and crouched down beside me, head lowered. “What are you doing?” I asked. “I want to be petted too.” He moved his head closer: “You raised me too. You can’t just pet it and not me.” I was a bit speechless. I had just learned his identity from the business partner. Lucas Gu. The youngest son of the Gu family in the capital, a shareholder of Rong’an, the country’s largest semiconductor manufacturing company. He could be considered in the top tier of wealth and power. How could he be such a shameless wolf… I stood up and asked him coldly: “Did you steal my dog earlier?” “I didn’t steal it.” He mumbled: “That leash was too loose. I just tugged and it came undone. The dog followed the ham on its own, I couldn’t do anything…” I stared at him silently without saying anything. He bit his lip: “Okay, I was wrong.” He looked very dejected: “You’re too good to it. You pet its head, buy it toys, even kiss it. I was jealous. “After all, you used to only raise me, this one wolf.”

“Weren’t you the one who said you had a wolf you liked and would have nothing to do with me in the future? You told me not to covet you, right? “That secretary lady today, is she the wolf you like?” I asked him coldly: “You like her but still come to play with me. Is this the loyalty you talked about?” “I’m not disloyal! That wolf is my sister, born from the same mother.” He explained anxiously: “You were the one hugging and cuddling with other men. I got angry, that’s why I said those hurtful things. “Werewolves only have one mate for life, unlike you pure humans who are fickle and so disloyal…” His voice got smaller and more wronged as he spoke, until he finally wiped his tears with the back of his hand: “You saved me, saw my pure wolf form, and petted and hugged me so many times. You’re the mate I’ve chosen… You can’t betray me!” Me: “…” Can it work like this?

“I don’t like you. I petted you before because you were a dog… no, a canine. “I don’t know how your werewolf tribe defines the term ‘mate’, but in our human world, hugs and petting don’t determine a relationship.” I told him very frankly: “For that project, I get a commission. Consider it compensation for your food expenses at my place these days. We’re even now. “I don’t like you, and I don’t want to be your mate. Please don’t do any more weird things in the future. “Goodbye… No, never see you again.” With that, I pulled the Labrador away. Walking quickly, wanting to get far away from this weird werewolf. He didn’t chase after me. I breathed a sigh of relief. After getting home, I made beef tofu vegetable soup for the dog, along with a bowl of dog food. I sat beside it and watched it lick the plate clean, feeling very sorry for it. “That bad werewolf made my baby go hungry for a day,” I said, petting its head. “Next time we see him, let’s bite him, okay?” The dog grinned and raised its paw to high-five me. That night, as I was sleeping hazily, I suddenly felt something furry rubbing against my chin. Thinking it was the dog, I pushed it away subconsciously: “Baby, don’t bother Mommy.” The thing paused, then rubbed even more vigorously, even sticking out its tongue to lick my neck. Again and again, the wet and sticky sensation made my whole body tingle with heat. I opened my eyes and found myself staring into a pair of pitch-black, narrow eyes. They were staring straight at me, as if wanting to devour me whole. — It was that werewolf.

I tried hard to push him away. His pitch-black eyes flashed with crimson as he raised his paw to press down my hand. His huge wolf body covered me, enveloping me completely. Black fur fell on my cheeks. I turned my head away awkwardly and angrily kicked him: “Get off!” He let out a muffled groan, his body trembling, but pressed down on me even more— “What are you doing? Get off! Did you hear me? Are you trying to commit a crime? You bastard…” I was about to cry out when I heard his muffled voice: “I’m in pain. Can I just hold you for a while? “I’ll just hold you, nothing else. Please.” His wolf head nuzzled my cheek, his furry ears inadvertently brushing my forehead. His mouth let out uncontrollable whimpers. I was stunned for a moment: “…Mating season? Sensitive period? Or are you on drugs?” He shook his ears but didn’t answer my question. His wolf body was twice my size, his fur covering the entire king-sized bed. It was really heavy on top of me. I was silent for a moment, then patted his paw: “Can we change positions? “Let me be on top.”

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