Category: English

After my wife was assaulted, she became emotionally unstable and lost her appetite. Even when I put aside work to focus entirely on her, she would only tell me to get lost. Until one drunken night, my wife sent another woman to my bed. “This way, neither of us can blame the other,” she said. I could only swallow my hurt feelings. Little did I know, beneath this incident lay another layer of truth I was unaware of… The hangover headache made me reach for my phone on the nightstand to check the time. Then a hand helped me grab the phone. Someone was standing by the bed, staring at me ominously with bloodshot eyes, like a predator spotting prey and waiting to strike. “Honey, you’re awake?” It was my wife. I rubbed my head. “Lily, what’s wrong with your eyes? Didn’t you sleep?” Lily didn’t answer. Instead, she picked up the phone and made a call. “Hello, I’d like to report a rape.” Lily’s words shocked me. Just a month ago, Lily herself had been assaulted. Although the perpetrator had been arrested, that night’s events had become a thorn in Lily’s heart. In the weeks since coming home, Lily had seen countless therapists. But any mention of keywords related to that night would instantly send her into a frenzy, smashing things and cursing. She’d accuse us of rubbing salt in her wounds, of not letting her move on. Eventually, Lily’s mental state became erratic and jumpy. If she saw me standing close to any other woman, she would immediately rush over and slap me hard. “I knew you were disgusted by me. I knew it. I’ve been watching you for a long time. You want to divorce me and be with her, don’t you?” “I’m telling you, if I hadn’t gone to bring you an umbrella, I never would have met him. None of this would have happened.” She was right. I bore some responsibility for what happened. That day, I had worked overtime at the office until 10 PM. When I went downstairs, I realized it was raining. I tried to get a ride, but the Uber queue was over 50 people long. I tried to buy an umbrella, but several stores said they were sold out and only had plastic bags left. I declined the bags. So I asked Lily to come pick me up. But before she arrived, I got a call from the police saying my wife had been dragged into an alley and assaulted. She was extremely distraught. In my rush, I ended up going to the police station with a black garbage bag over my head. So in this state, when Lily suddenly and uncharacteristically uttered the word “rape,” I naturally couldn’t understand. “Lily, what are you talking about?” Lily ignored me and continued, “Shisen Road, Linxue Garden, Building 2, Unit 304. The rapist…” Lily glanced at me. “Marcus Wilson.”

She said my name. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t understand why she was falsely accusing me. Until I heard faint breathing behind me. I turned around and realized there was another woman sleeping in the same bed. She was curled up by the edge, which is why I hadn’t noticed her before. At that moment, I finally understood what Lily meant by “rape.” “I didn’t do anything. I don’t even know her,” I said frantically, grabbing Lily’s arm to prove my innocence. Lily just gave me a look, then turned and locked the door, leaving me alone with the woman. I wanted to wake her up and ask what was going on, but she was completely naked. I didn’t dare look. I deliberately made some noise to wake her up. Thankfully it worked, and the woman finally stirred. But the confusion in her eyes matched my own. The unfamiliar environment and my presence made her shriek. “Who are you? Why am I here?” She grabbed a pillow and started hitting me with it, angrily demanding to know what I had done to her. I could only tell her to calm down and try to remember what happened last night. But this was the woman’s first time in this kind of situation. How could she possibly stay calm? After cursing me and my ancestors, she asked where I had hidden her clothes. I looked around and saw her clothes scattered everywhere. Just as I picked them up to toss to her, the door opened again. “We received a report of a crime in progress. Please come with us,” said the police officers who entered.

Sitting at the police station again, I felt like I was on pins and needles. Fortunately, all the evidence showed that nothing had actually happened between me and the strange woman. We were both innocent. As for why she ended up in my bed, it seems she really had just drunkenly wandered into the wrong place. After getting lectured by the police, on the way home I asked Lily why she had said those misleading things. Rape accusations could ruin my reputation for life. Plus, my company was in the middle of a restructuring. I had a good chance at a director position. If anyone at work found out about this, even if it was all made up, it would still become the subject of gossip. Lily glanced at me. There was a hint of some indescribable emotion in her eyes. Her next words shocked me even more. “Because I did it.” “That woman – I carried her to the bed.” My eyes widened in disbelief. I turned to look at Lily, about to ask why. Just then, our taxi rear-ended the car in front of us. The driver got out, cursing loudly as he went to argue with the other driver. I glanced outside. The car we hit was an Audi. Apparently the other driver had changed lanes abruptly, causing the collision. But that wasn’t important. What mattered was my wife, and why she would try to frame me as a rapist. “Why?” I asked. Deep down, I had an inkling. But I needed to hear it from her own mouth, to extinguish that last flicker of hope in my heart. “This way we’re even,” she said. “Neither of us owes the other anything.” What a thing to say – that we’re even now. “Did you think about the consequences of doing this?” I asked. Lily seemed completely unconcerned as she turned to watch the argument outside. “Of course I know the consequences.” “But if you love me, you shouldn’t blame me.” I stared at her. The dim light cast shadows across her face. The red taillights reflected in her eyes, making her words seem even more vicious. On the way home, I didn’t say another word to her. I knew she blamed me for causing her to lose her dignity, for the public humiliation that left her unable to show her face. But if I’m being honest, I had never once looked down on her since the incident. I never showed even a hint of impatience. In fact, worried she might overthink things, I kept my distance from all other women. I turned down any work events I could avoid, just to stay home with her. We even moved far away from where it happened. I promised her parents I would never divorce her. What happened was an accident. More than anger, I felt heartbroken for her. Lily was the woman I had pursued for years, the apple of my eye. Even if her temper had become erratic, I felt it was understandable. But last night, that one work event I couldn’t skip was crucial for my promotion. I had to go. Yet it was this one time that Lily decided to set such a trap.

When we got home, Lily started changing the bedsheets unprompted. Her phone kept buzzing, probably someone calling. I wasn’t in the mood to listen. I went to the bathroom to have a smoke and clear my head. I chain-smoked half a pack, but still couldn’t calm down. I kept thinking about how over the line Lily’s actions were. I considered her in everything I did, but she clearly didn’t think of me at all. This was a critical time for my promotion. I was the sole breadwinner. We’d been married two years, and both sets of parents were eager for grandkids. If I could land the director position, we could significantly improve our lifestyle and reduce a lot of stress. Then we could start thinking about having a baby. But now, it had all gone up in smoke. I regretted asking Lily to bring me an umbrella that night. But I was also angry that she would use such dirty tactics to drag me down with her. I loved Lily, but after this, I wasn’t sure I loved her quite so much anymore. I shook out the cigarette pack and found it empty. I had to leave the bathroom, only to find Lily standing ominously by the door, staring at me. “My parents are coming over tomorrow,” she said. I felt annoyed. This kind of thing didn’t need to involve the parents. Besides, it wasn’t my fault to begin with. But Lily just repeated: “If it weren’t for you, how would I have gotten assaulted? You owe me for all of this.” Her words left me feeling ice cold. Of course, if doing this made her feel better, I wouldn’t hold it against her. But I never imagined she was actually trying to destroy me! Both sets of parents berated me harshly. I couldn’t explain myself. When neighbors asked about the police visit, Lily casually said, “Oh that? It’s because he committed rape.” Let me put it this way – when the incident first happened, Lily appeared as the victim and naturally garnered sympathy. But in her retelling, I was the perpetrator, so of course people condemned me. Everyone advised Lily to divorce me, calling me scum who didn’t deserve to live or even be in the same neighborhood as them. Even my company put me on leave, with no return date in sight. I became a target for everyone’s anger. Meanwhile, Lily transformed into the good woman, saying I had just made a mistake, that she loved me and chose to forgive me. Our reputations were completely reversed. Even when I said it was all a misunderstanding and the police could prove it, people said there’s no smoke without fire. I had no way to defend myself. I asked Lily to explain, but she said this was nothing compared to what she went through. If I couldn’t handle even this much, was I even a man? I laughed bitterly. How were these situations the same at all? Our circumstances were completely different. I had never aired her trauma in public. I protected her, shielding her from harmful rumors. But her? She seemed afraid people wouldn’t hurt me enough. She kept stabbing me in the heart with sharp swords. I thought, surely this is enough? Surely we’ve reached the limit? I went to talk to Lily, telling her she had to publicly apologize to me. Otherwise, I would sue her for defamation. “You wouldn’t dare!” Lily glared at me coldly. Her expression was so detached, as if I were a stranger to her. “You planned this whole thing yourself. I’ve put up with you for a long time. If you’re not willing to apologize…” I paused. “Then let’s get divorced.”

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As an innocent-looking girl (Note: In Chinese internet slang, this refers to a woman who appears pure and naive but is actually manipulative), I found Adrian Evans, the head of the Evans family, too tough to handle. So I decisively chose his playboy nephew instead. To marry into this wealthy family as soon as possible, I deliberately pretended to be drunk and flirted with the campus heartthrob, making Jason both jealous and guilty. Unexpectedly, it was that cold-hearted family head who came to pick me up when he received the call. “Miss Lily, shall I help you sober up?” Adrian asked. I had lived a life of luxury for seventeen years. But suddenly, I fell back into poverty. All of this happened because my dad, who worked in finance, was made the scapegoat by his company. He was an honest man who didn’t dare tell my sick mother the truth. Instead, he resorted to taking out online loans. I had a feeling something was wrong. People’s attitudes towards us changed drastically. On the day I received my college admission letter, my father invited close relatives and friends to celebrate. According to our hometown custom, guests were supposed to give red envelopes for a child’s college admission celebration dinner. The money he had given out on previous occasions should have been enough to cover my first year’s tuition and living expenses when returned. But to our surprise, no one showed up, and we were left with two tables of wasted food. By ten o’clock, with the oil congealing on the dishes, still not a single person had arrived. My dad started drinking alone, his eyes turning red. After settling the bill, he said he wanted to go for a walk. Worried he might do something rash, I followed him. He walked for a long time with a hunched back, reaching the city center where his new company was located. He stopped a car at the exit, saying nothing at first, and then just knelt down. Looking both pathetic and miserable, he explained that his violation of rules was arranged by Mr. Stern for the company’s benefit. He went on about how difficult his life had become, not even having money to buy a burial plot for his wife, and his child about to start college. He said he could barely survive… After he finished speaking, a cold voice came from inside the car. “Oh, aren’t you living quite well now?” The person in the car raised a hand, and a security guard came over, kicking my father’s things aside and roughly dragging him away. The food my dad had been carrying in takeout boxes spilled all over the ground. As he tried to pick it up, he started crying. On our way back, my dad “accidentally” fell into the river. After the accidental death insurance payout came through, we cleared all our debts, with only a small amount left as my living expenses. I was going to college on my father’s blood and sweat. He had done all he could for me, and now I had to do what I could for him. These people who drove him to his death – I wouldn’t let a single one of them off the hook.

During the summer break of my sophomore year, I found a part-time job at a coffee shop below that office building. Soon enough, I met Mr. Stern, my father’s former superior. He was in his forties, well-dressed, and smug with his newfound success. I caught his attention by upgrading his coffee to a large size. He had originally intended to take it to go but ended up staying to drink it in the cafe. Watching me busily working, he came over to place another order. I smiled and said, “Your stomach isn’t good, so it’s not advisable to drink too much iced coffee. How about switching to a hot drink?” He agreed readily and asked how I knew about his stomach issues. I explained that I had seen him holding his stomach when he came to buy coffee last week. I guessed that he probably didn’t have time for breakfast, rushing to work in the morning. Mr. Stern’s eyes lit up slightly. When he looked at me again, his gaze held a deeper meaning. As he took the milk tea, he casually touched the back of my hand. I didn’t shy away, only pretending to be embarrassed as I averted my eyes. Three days later, with Mr. Stern’s help, I entered Tiansheng Company, where my father used to work, as an intern. I heard that he personally delivered my documents to the general manager’s office to open the back door for me. Tiansheng Company’s successful acquisition couldn’t have happened without the “hard work and cooperation” of Tiansheng’s old finance team. But in the end, while others got promoted, only my honest father became the scapegoat, forced to resign and even had to pay compensation. Mr. Stern was now flying high, often talking about how “people should cherish their reputation and integrity.” Huh, just wait until I strip you of your feathers. As an intern in the general affairs department, I quickly memorized the HR system password. But when I logged in, I couldn’t find any of my father’s past records. I was told that due to a system upgrade, some data had been lost. Coincidentally, during the office move, two boxes of financial records were accidentally damaged. And of course, it was my dad’s portion. How incredibly convenient. Interns usually do odd jobs, and my “naive and cute” persona quickly won everyone’s favor. Especially Mr. Stern’s. He was clearly getting ahead of himself, thinking his “mature man” image had attracted an innocent young girl. Yet he was reluctant to invest too much, buying me a bunch of fake bags and clothes as gifts. On the day of the company’s summary meeting, I changed into the uniform cheongsam for receptionists and applied light makeup. Mr. Stern’s eyes lit up when he saw me. During the departmental reports, Mr. Stern came out for a drink of water. I deliberately waited for him on his way back. As he approached, I looked at him innocently. There was no one around, and behind me was the general manager’s office. Not a soul would come by. Sure enough, the moment I touched his palm with my finger, he couldn’t resist and pushed me into the general manager’s office. I only slightly hooked my arms around his neck, and his body immediately reacted. He pushed me to sit on the sofa, grinning as he placed his hand on my knee. I remained motionless, and his hand slowly moved. “You little minx,” he cursed, but with a smile on his face. His hand trembled as he reached for my zipper, which was already loose and suddenly broke completely. At that moment, I burst into tears. Mr. Stern was dumbfounded. I looked at him with a cold smile but cried even louder. Finally, male colleagues burst in, draping a jacket over me, while a female colleague slapped Mr. Stern across the face. Curses, angry shouts, and sounds of scuffling completely drowned out the stunned Mr. Stern’s attempts to explain. I just cried, not needing to say anything. Everyone was on my side. As Mr. Stern left in disgrace, I threw the fake bags and clothes with tags still on them that he had given me at him. Utterly humiliated, he reached out to hit me but was dragged away by security. I lowered my head and cried as the HR girl gently comforted me. “What a scumbag. Always talking about cherishing one’s reputation and integrity, and then he does something like this. Disgusting. He’ll definitely be disciplined for this.” Disciplined? That’s not enough. Just then, the assistant said the general manager wanted to see me. This general manager was Adrian Evans, the new boss from the acquiring company, the one my dad had begged that day. Heh, I’m coming right away.

Adrian Evans wasn’t old, but he had a cold heart. I heard he even snatched his brother’s position to dominate the family business. In the month since I’d been here, I’d seen him three times. Once for coffee, twice for documents. The day before the summary meeting, when I brought him coffee, he took a sip and said he didn’t want sugar. I took the cup back and drank a sip: “But it tastes really good.” Adrian looked up at me. “Really,” I said, looking at him innocently. He had thick eyelashes and deep-set eyes. I just held the cup and kissed him directly. Outside was the bustling corridor. When there was a knock on the door, I said I was momentarily overcome with emotion. He remained expressionless at the time and didn’t pursue the matter further. Then this incident happened the next day. I entered the general manager’s office. He sat in his chair, fingers interlaced, looking at me expectantly. I sat down in the chair in front of the desk, separated from him by the large office desk. On the desk was a photo of him with his family members. My gaze fell on the photo, and I immediately memorized it, a talent from my liberal arts studies. “I’ll help you settle your salary until the end of the month. Take a good rest at home tomorrow.” This was a veiled dismissal. In this matter, I was the perfect victim. All the events captured by the security cameras in the office corridor showed that I was innocent and coerced. How cold-blooded. I thought he would at least comfort me, his little employee, first. “I only want what I deserve,” I said, biting my lip. His gaze fell on my lips. The lipstick was applied just right, along with my shoulder-length short hair and slightly red eyes, presenting a pitiful image. Adrian looked at me for a while, then leaned back in his chair. “Don’t push your luck. Stern is lecherous and bold. But you’re not simple either — newly painted nails, right?” He smiled. “They left marks on the back of his neck. In that position, it’s hard to believe you were forced.” He truly was sharp-minded and ruthless. I had thought that kiss yesterday might have had some effect. I said, “I don’t understand what Mr. Evans is saying, but if this matter gets out on the internet, it will surely have a negative impact on the company…” Adrian thought for a second and chose to fire me. “Now that he’s been fired, at least no one in this industry will hire him. Half a lifetime of work has turned to nothing. Is that enough to satisfy your anger?” Not enough. On my way in, I had anonymously called his wife. She should be downstairs by now. I let go of the model I had been playing with in my hand, stood up supporting myself on the desk, my body seeming to go weak and swaying slightly. The jacket on my shoulders rolled off to one side, half draped over my arm. I stood up and walked straight towards the door. Suddenly, his voice came from behind. “This is an exception. Come back to work after resting for two days.” This was a concession. But I had a new plan now. I watched Mr. Stern’s pathetic beating from the corner window of the coffee shop downstairs. After his futile pleas at Adrian’s car window, he started cursing loudly, accusing Adrian of being ungrateful and abandoning him for a little slut. He asked how they could have easily covered up such a big hole without his suggestion. Security chased Mr. Stern away. Adrian’s car passed by the coffee shop, the window slowly lowered, and the person inside turned to look in my direction. I didn’t flinch, holding my coffee and taking another sip with a smile. Is that enough to satisfy my anger? Not at all. The real show is just beginning.

I returned to school and changed my phone number. After a long time, one day I suddenly received a call from the HR department of Tiansheng Company in my dorm room. They asked about my current situation and said there was a new internship vacancy, considering if I wanted to go back? It was the kind that could be converted to a full-time position after graduation by signing a tripartite agreement. I laughed and said they had the wrong number. The HR manager on the other end was stunned for a moment, saying it shouldn’t be wrong, that the name and photo matched. During the less than two months I worked at Tiansheng, all the addresses and contact information I provided were fake. To be able to call my dorm room, they must have put in quite some effort. But Adrian was too tough to handle, so I decided to choose his weak spot instead. As I was about to graduate from university, I met Jason’s parents once. Jason was known as the campus playboy and was the only son in his family. His mother was no match for him. After a bit of fuss from Jason, she softened and agreed to our relationship. She probably thought it was just dating anyway. Jason liked me for three reasons: first, my face; second, my grades; and third, my innocence. He said I was the only girl he had met who was this beautiful yet had such a clean record when it came to hotel stays. I was also the only beautiful girl he had seen doing such hard work as supermarket promotions. Of course, if I hadn’t known he would go to that supermarket to buy things, that his off-campus apartment was right next to that supermarket, why would I waste half a day doing promotions there with natural makeup? From before I met Jason, I knew exactly what I was doing. He loved to play around, a butterfly among flowers, hating constraints and calculations. He thought he had spent countless efforts to pursue me and cherished me immensely. Little did he know that those chance encounters and perfectly timed meetings, even the image of me that he liked, I had studied carefully beforehand. I planned to find a way to settle the marriage when he graduated, and then meet all of his family. But things happened a bit earlier than expected. One day, I was having dinner with Jason at a restaurant when his phone suddenly rang. He answered it, looking around, then waved to someone on the other side. Following his gaze, I saw his uncle, my former boss, Adrian Evans, who had his arm around Jason affectionately in that photo. Adrian was dressed formally tonight, with a well-dressed female companion. His gaze moved from his nephew Jason to me. Jason hurriedly introduced me. I looked at Adrian and smiled gently. He made a sound of acknowledgment: “Oh, so it’s Miss Lily?” His female companion asked him with a hint of jealousy: “You know each other?” Adrian said: “I happened to hear from my sister-in-law that Jason has a very beautiful girlfriend surnamed Jiang.” This was a cover-up. Jason’s mother hated me to death, and probably only cursed me as a vixen and schemer when she mentioned me. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Adrian and his companion prepared to leave. Jason said to me: “That’s the uncle I told you about, the one on the magazine cover last time.” I shook my head, pretending to be clueless: “Oh, I don’t remember.” Jason pinched my face and laughed: “Well, you’re face-blind. You probably don’t remember anyone except me.” Adrian’s footsteps slowed for a moment.

Leaving the restaurant, I decided to speed up the marriage process while Jason was still infatuated. According to the schedule, Adrian should be about to expose me, so I planned to settle things in two days, racing against time. Jason is usually most infatuated when he’s drunk, jealous, and feeling guilty. So I agreed to the class president’s invitation to a high school reunion this Friday. Conveniently, Jason had an unavoidable dinner engagement on Friday. His cousin, who he grew up with, had returned to A City from studying abroad, and it would surely be a night of wild partying. With many beautiful women present, Jason wouldn’t want me to go with him. On Friday afternoon, I dawdled in the dorm, carefully changed my clothes, didn’t wear any jewelry, just used a hairband to tie up my slightly curled hair. As I went downstairs, I ran into two junior students. I heard them discussing: “That’s Lily, isn’t she? She really is pretty.” Such comments had long become commonplace. The beauty of a young body always presents itself doubly, but it’s all just fleeting fireworks. I took a two-hour taxi ride to A City. More people came to the class reunion tonight than I had imagined. As soon as I appeared at the door of the private room, I heard the commotion inside. “I told you she would come, but they wouldn’t believe me,” the old class president came over first, looked at me with a smile, and pointed out the reserved seat for me. I recognized the boy sitting next to the seat, a cold academic achiever who I heard had already signed a very good job. His face was slightly flushed with alcohol. I went over and sat down without showing any emotion. As usual, there was old classmate sentiment, as usual, there was the clinking of glasses, as usual, there was subtle showing off and discreet probing. Everyone talked about youth, about the future, and it was quite harmonious. I sipped my drink slowly, controlling my alcohol intake. The academic achiever helped me fend off several rounds of drinks. “That’s right, if she drinks too much, Lily’s boyfriend will worry,” the class president said with a smile. The academic achiever immediately looked at me. I timed it just right, ignoring their probing, and just reached out to hold my forehead: “My head is a bit dizzy. I don’t want to drink anymore.” I needed this perfect slight tipsiness. Taking the opportunity to go to the restroom, I called Jason back. Sure enough, he asked why I didn’t answer the phone. It was noisy on his end, like he was still at a drinking party. So I said I was dizzy and whined for him to come pick me up later. He immediately got a bit angry: “You’ve been drinking?” In his mind, I had very low alcohol tolerance, he knew that. The background noise from the phone was chaotic, with young girls’ coquettish laughter. “Aren’t you drinking too?” I said and hung up the phone directly. I knew Jason would always come.

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Before my rebirth, Lucas and I were childhood friends. He was the brightest star in my life. Ten years later, we got married in the most beautiful cathedral in the city. Everyone said we were a match made in heaven. He was the heir to the Carter Group, but he always said he wanted to pursue freedom. So, I took on all the responsibilities for him. That autumn, I was kidnapped in a setup. He rushed into an abandoned factory to save me but was forever lost in the fire. My father-in-law knelt before the memorial tablet, coldly saying, “It’s all because you insisted on taking control. You killed my son!” For three whole years, I worked tirelessly to clear my name, finally waiting for the truth to come to light. On the deck of a cruise ship, I saw Lucas. He was gently wrapping a scarf around Rachel’s neck, with a two-year-old daughter in his arms. He turned to look at me, his eyes cold: “Emily, you were just a stepping stone for me to escape my family. You were never my true love.” As a huge wave capsized the ship, I returned to ten years ago, the day he first proposed to me.

I slowly walked down the stairs, holding onto the railing. Lucas was standing at the bottom, holding a cup of milk tea. “Remember your favorite caramel macchiato? I had someone buy it from the mall across the street.” He smiled as he handed me the milk tea, his other hand holding my favorite Japanese takeout. I let him lead me to the Bentley parked at the entrance, my heart churning with indescribable emotions. His palm was warm, but this temperature felt unfamiliar to me. Among the many potential suitors, I chose Lucas not only because we grew up together. More importantly, he wasn’t as worldly and smooth as other rich kids. He was always like an unrestrained youth, with light in his eyes and dreams in his heart. “Emily, why are you so absent-minded today?” He reached out to touch my forehead, his eyes full of concern. “Lucas, tell me, will you always be this good to me?” Holding back tears, I asked him this question seriously for the first time. He was stunned for a moment, then showed an indulgent smile: “Silly girl, for the past ten years, I’ve only had eyes for you. Don’t you understand that yet?” He pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear: “In my heart, you’ll always be the most special person.” At this moment, I suddenly had a glimmer of hope. Perhaps the 28-year-old Lucas didn’t yet know he would change his heart, didn’t yet know he would use an explosion to escape. In this do-over, do we still have a chance to rewrite the ending? As long as I don’t take on the responsibilities he doesn’t want, don’t let him fake his death to save me. I leaned on his shoulder, listening to him hum our song. Before the party started, I was touching up my makeup in the rest room when my assistant rushed in panic-stricken: “It’s terrible! Mr. Carter is beating someone downstairs!” When I reached the hall, the usually gentle and refined Lucas was gripping Ryan’s neck, his eyes terrifyingly red. “I’ll fucking teach you to dare lay a hand on her again!” He punched Ryan in the face, “If you dare touch her, I’ll make you regret being born!” Ryan was already beaten bloody, and the guests were all backing away in fear. In the corner, a girl in a champagne-colored dress was curled up on the ground, sobbing. I rushed forward to stop Lucas: “Calm down first. There are so many people watching. We can settle this privately.” When he calmed down a bit, I walked over to the girl and offered her a handkerchief. “Are you alright? Do you want to go to the upstairs rest room?” She looked up at me, her eyes misty with tears. My heart suddenly tightened. That face, that alluring tear mole, wasn’t she the woman from Lucas’s new family in my past life?

In that instant, I felt the whole world crumbling. Lucas pushed me away forcefully, so hard that I stumbled back and hit the decorative cabinet behind me, cutting a gash on my arm with the glass. “How could you talk to her like that? Do you know how scared she is right now?” He stood in front of Rachel, glaring at me fiercely. “A girl gets bullied, and not only do you not comfort her, but you question her like this? Where’s your conscience?” I bit my lip, enduring the pain in my arm. “Lucas, don’t get so agitated. There are so many people watching. We need to be reasonable.” He sneered, his eyes full of unfamiliarity. “Emily Shaw, when did you become so snobbish?” “For the sake of appearances, you don’t even have basic sympathy? I really misjudged you!” He took a deep breath: “I’ll give you one day. By tomorrow, I want to see the truth!” With that, he took off his jacket and gently draped it over Rachel’s shoulders, carefully supporting her as they left, without even a glance at me. I stood there, watching my fiancé blow up at me for another woman. The whispers of the guests around me were like countless knives, cutting into my heart. The wound on my arm stung fiercely, but I knew this wasn’t the time to treat it. I forced myself to apologize to Ryan, arranged for someone to take him to the hospital, and then retrieved the security footage to clarify the truth. After dealing with all the guests and calming everyone’s emotions, it was already late at night. I could finally check my wound. The blood had long since congealed, and my clothes were stuck to the flesh. The security footage showed that the so-called harassment was just Ryan’s sleeve accidentally brushing against Rachel as he turned around. Lucas didn’t come back all night, only sending a cold text message: “Sorry, I was impulsive.” The next morning, I had just finished processing the termination paperwork for a batch of unqualified interns. Lucas barged into the office, his face ashen: “Why did you fire Rachel? Just because of yesterday’s incident?” The employees outside all stopped their work, pricking up their ears to eavesdrop. I looked up at him: “Lucas Carter, do you defend her so much because you’ve known her for a long time?” His expression froze, then he quickly put on a gentle smile: “Emily, are you jealous?” He tried to take my hand, but I avoided it. Not long after, he came in again carrying a large bouquet of roses. “Don’t be angry anymore. Rachel is my cousin. I just sent her home last night.” “Can you let her stay for my sake?” I sneered: “So now I need your approval to deal with unqualified employees?” “Before you questioned me, I didn’t even know her name.” He frowned at me: “Emily, you’ve been well-off since childhood. How could you understand her difficulties?” “She still needs this salary to take care of her sick grandmother.” His tone was full of reproach: “You’re already so excellent. Why can’t you give her a chance? Do you have to be so ruthless?” I stared blankly at this unfamiliar man before me. So in his eyes, my excellence was an innate privilege. So my efforts should all become stepping stones for others. So my happiness should all be given to that pitiful girl.

After that argument, I took a long leave and didn’t go to the company for fifteen whole days. Partly to sulk with Lucas, and partly to think about whether I should withdraw early to avoid repeating the mistakes of my past life. During this time, Lucas avoided me, but Mrs. Carter called every day asking me to come back to the old house for dinner. After much hesitation, I finally went. As soon as Mrs. Carter saw me, she took my hand sympathetically: “Oh, Emily dear, it’s all that silly boy’s fault for not knowing better. Don’t take it to heart.” “Mommy promises you, I won’t let any improper person enter our Carter family.” “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely stand up for you!” I held the bird’s nest soup Mrs. Carter had personally stewed for me, listening to her gentle words, my heart filled with mixed emotions. Just then, Lucas walked in with Rachel, laughing and chatting. In the short half month since I’d last seen her, Rachel’s fragile aura had completely disappeared, replaced by undisguised smugness. She smiled at me sweetly: “Sister-in-law, hello. This is a handmade aromatherapy candle Lucas and I made together. It’s a bit flawed, but I still wanted to give it to you.” Lucas stood beside her, silently allowing her behavior. I held up the bird’s nest soup. Even the scalding porcelain bowl couldn’t thaw the coldness in my heart. Mrs. Carter immediately darkened her face: “How rude! Giving someone a gift, and you choose a defective one? What were you thinking?” Rachel hurriedly took off the sapphire necklace from her neck: “I’m so sorry, sister-in-law. This necklace is a royal heirloom from the British royal family. I’ll give it to you as an apology!” That necklace, called “Destiny”, was personally bought by Lucas at an auction in London last year. I had naively thought he would put it on me at our wedding. It turned out that in his heart, the real “Destiny” was Rachel. I silently looked at the necklace, not reaching out to take it. Mrs. Carter pulled Rachel away: “Girl, come with me to look at the garden. Don’t always cling to Lucas. He’s about to get married.” Lucas sat down across from me, poured himself a cup of tea, his lips curled in mockery: “Looks like you still can’t let go of your status in this family. Even if you don’t go to the company, you still come to curry favor with my mom.” “Don’t worry, the position of future Mrs. Carter belongs to no one but you. Who else could please my mom so well?” I had never seen him look at me with such cold eyes. Tears welled up in my eyes: “Lucas, you won’t even give me the most basic kindness anymore?” He glanced at me, continuing to drink his tea leisurely. After finishing his tea, he went upstairs without looking back. Late at night, I was clearing my mind in the gazebo in the backyard when I suddenly heard whispers coming from the nearby rose garden. Rachel’s coquettish voice came through: “Auntie doesn’t seem to like me very much. What should I do?” Lucas chuckled: “My mom even dislikes me. In her eyes, there’s only Emily, the perfect daughter-in-law.” “Then in your heart, who’s more important, me or her?” Rachel pressed. Lucas laughed softly: “You’re always so greedy.” Rachel clung to him persistently. “The first time I saw you, I was moved by your innocence. The next time we met, I was conquered by your passion.” “No one in this world can compare to you. Happy now?” “As for Emily, she’s just like my mom. What’s so interesting about that?” “After we’re married and someone’s helping me manage the family business, I can take you traveling around the world. Don’t be angry, okay?” Before he finished speaking, the two were already kissing. I stood in the darkness, tears silently falling, feeling utterly ridiculous. So whether in this life or the last, I was just a bargaining chip for him to gain freedom. He deceived me clear-headedly, while I foolishly believed in this dream.

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I, Olivia Winchester, was abducted and sold when I was a little kid. After I managed to escape with great difficulty, I found out that I was actually the real daughter of the Winchester family. But my biological parents didn’t love me. Instead, they doted on their fake daughter, Shirley Winchester. During an emergency surgery, my mom and dad had put on their protective suits. And my brother, Isaac Winchester, clung tightly to Shirley, shielding her and insisting that she shouldn’t be the one to do this surgery. Yet, not a single person bothered to tell me that the patient had AIDS and that the doctor performing the operation needed to wear protective gear. Just like that, I was left exposed to the patient with my wounds out in the open. After going through such a life-and-death ordeal, what little affection I had for my family was completely drained, and I finally gave up on them. After the surgery was over, I calmly picked up the phone and made an anonymous tip. “I want to report a colleague for deliberately concealing the patient’s medical history, which put me at risk of being exposed to AIDS.”

“Why aren’t you wearing protective gear, Olivia?!” The shocked voice of my colleague, Jeana Louis, came from the doorway, with a hint of terror hidden in her eyes. I didn’t know what she meant at first. I was stunned for a moment and asked instinctively, “Why say so?” I hadn’t heard that the patient had a history of infectious diseases. But Jeana backed away repeatedly as if she was avoiding the plague. Standing as far away from me as possible, she said in a hurried tone, “This patient has AIDS and syphilis. You can’t come into contact with him. Didn’t Mr. Nathan Winchester tell you that? “Oh my goodness, are you crazy? How could you perform the surgery without any protective measures at all? “How old are you? Do you want to get infected with such a disease? Didn’t your teacher remind you during your internship?” Looking at my parents in their thick protective suits and Shirley being shielded by Isaac, I was dazed for a moment. AIDS couldn’t be cured in the medical field for the time being. Once I was infected, I would carry the virus for life. After my heart skipped a beat, I stiffly turned my head and looked at Isaac, who was keeping Shirley behind him. He was the best anesthesiologist in the hospital, and it was his responsibility to check the patient’s medical history before the operation. Words of accusation were on the tip of my tongue, but in the end, I joked, “Isaac, Jeana is just kidding, right? I didn’t hear about any infectious diseases before I came in…” “The patient does have AIDS. This emergency rescue was unexpected, and I didn’t have time to tell you,” he said. The smile on my face froze. My own brother just dismissed me with those few casual words. “Olivia, you’ve always been in good health, so it’s okay. Shirley is in poor health, so that’s why I didn’t let her assist with this surgery. Weren’t you always complaining that we were biased? Now that you’ve participated in this operation, you should be happy,” Isaac said. I couldn’t hear what he said next. My head was buzzing, my face turned pale, my hands were shaking uncontrollably, and tears were gradually welling up in my eyes. In the silence, I let out a scream. “Why didn’t you tell me!” This was an infectious disease. Even if I wasn’t their sister or daughter, but just an ordinary colleague, they should have told me the patient’s past medical history. My heart turned completely cold, but then I heard my mother, Cara Winchester, complaining impatiently, “Olivia, can you stop ruining the mood? “Your father and I guessed that you would put on this affected act, so we decided not to tell you. Besides, you’re just a junior nurse. It doesn’t matter whether you know the patient’s medical history or not. Shirley already knew about it, but she didn’t back down either.” I laughed self-deprecatingly. “She’s the furthest away from the patient and has the most comprehensive protective measures. Dad, Mom, Isaac, she’s the apple of your eyes, but aren’t I your family member too? Why didn’t you tell me about this?” In the silence, the operation went on in an orderly manner. My father, Nathan Winchester, didn’t even bother to spare me a glance. It wasn’t until the stitches were done that he snapped, “Olivia, you’re being so unreasonable! Your mother and I clearly taught you that family scandals should not be made public.”

There was nothing but blame in his tone. No one could remain calm when they learned that they might be infected with AIDS. What’s more, I had a wound on my hand. I stared at them blankly and finally realized that since I entered the operating room, they had been wrapped up tightly, wearing masks, goggles, and even double-layered rubber gloves. Throughout the operation, Isaac had seriously shielded Shirley behind him, preventing her from getting close to the operating table. I had thought that Shirley was scared, and because my parents had been constantly ordering me to assist them, I was so busy that I was sweating all over and didn’t have the time to pay attention to their strange attire. It turned out that they were so afraid that Shirley might be in danger that they gave this opportunity to me. My hands were shaking more and more, and I couldn’t help but think about how painful it would be if I were infected and had to go through the treatment in the future. But Cara was still scolding me. “The operation is done, and you didn’t have any accidents. I think you’re just being overly sensitive.” But this disease has an incubation period. I felt as if all the blood in my body had turned cold at that moment. Once I came to my senses, I immediately left the operating room, disinfected myself, took the anti-retroviral drugs, and washed my hands countless times. In the end, I lost my strength and leaned against the wall, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. Isaac never ate on time. Yesterday, I was worried that he would be hungry during his shift at the hospital, so I cooked his favorite steak sandwich myself. However, when I was cutting the meat, I accidentally cut my index finger. At that time, when I was holding the lunch box and casually mentioned that I had accidentally cut my hand and it hurt a bit, Isaac even took the first aid kit to put medicine on my wound and told me to have a good rest. He was the most outstanding graduate of his class. He definitely couldn’t have been unaware that AIDS was more likely to be transmitted when there was a wound, not to mention that the patient was constantly spitting up blood. I couldn’t help but wonder if Isaac really wanted me to die. ***** While waiting for the test results, my heart was pounding wildly. On the other hand, my parents, who had finished the operation, didn’t care at all where I had gone. When they passed by me, they didn’t even glance at me. Holding Shirley’s hands on both sides, they asked gently with soft expressions, “Shirley, you’ve worked hard during this operation. What would you like to have for dinner? That new French restaurant? Okay, it’s on us. We’ll take you there.” I opened my mouth, but I didn’t know what to say. I just stared blankly as they walked away. Ever since I was found by my family, my parents had never called me like that. They were not even willing to say one more word to me. “Olivia, come here.” “Olivia, time for dinner.” “Olivia, Shirley has a math problem she can’t solve. Teach her.” After I joined the hospital, their tone towards me was nothing but commands. At this moment, Isaac said, “What are you standing there for? Didn’t you hear that we’re having a family dinner? Hurry up.” These words instantly woke me up, and I instinctively looked up at Isaac. He frowned, still looking as unapproachable as ever, making people reluctant to get close to him casually. Perhaps seeing the tears that hadn’t dried on my face yet, he rarely softened his tone and said, “It was indeed my oversight not to tell you the patient’s past medical history. I’m sorry. But Dad is about to be promoted to vice president of the hospital, and you’ll benefit more when you work here in the future. So, stop making a fuss, okay? The hospital is really busy.” Finally, after thinking for a while, he added, “Also, Shirley has already gotten off work. You can help her write the report. I’ll send you the location of the family dinner on your phone later. You made a scene just now, and Mom and Dad are very unhappy. Apologize to them later.” He still spoke to me in a commanding tone, sounding cold and distant, as if he was just giving orders to a subordinate.

When I heard Isaac say that I would benefit from it, I laughed. But as I laughed, I couldn’t hold back a few tears. Ever since I started working in the hospital, I had been doing the toughest jobs, while Shirley always got the easiest ones. My parents were so afraid that she would get tired that they told all our colleagues that Shirley was too young to endure hardship. Once, I accidentally overheard Cara saying, “Don’t let Shirley get too tired. But you can ask Olivia to do the odd jobs. She wasn’t with us when she was a kid, so she can take the hardship.” She evaded the important facts and ignored the truth that I had been abducted when I was a child. She just said that I could endure hardship, while Shirley, who was showered with all the love, couldn’t. Even though Shirley’s grades were so poor that no hospital was willing to hire her, it was my parents who pulled some strings to get her in. During my internship, I was busy doing the work of two people all by myself. I had to write two reports. Most of the time, I didn’t even have time to eat. I was so exhausted that I would fall asleep as soon as I fell onto the bed. This was what Isaac meant by me benefiting from it. I forcefully held back my sobs and asked sharply, “Isaac, isn’t my life and safety important? It’s AIDS we’re talking about! Once infected, I’ll carry it for life. I’m only twenty years old! If I’m really infected, the consequences will be unimaginable…” Before I could finish speaking, I was interrupted. Isaac frowned even more. He sneered and scolded me in a mean tone, “Are you done? You’re fine now, aren’t you? You’re already a nurse. Can’t you stop being so delicate? I thought you had become independent and strong-willed since you were found…” He shook his head in disappointment as if he had sentenced me to death. “You’re totally hopeless now.” These words were so ironic. My heart, which had been filled with negative emotions, now deflated like a punctured balloon. I felt weak and defeated, and suddenly I thought of the day I was first found and brought back home. I was led by Isaac, tightly clutching the hem of my washed-out white dress, and my heart was pounding. I told myself in my heart that I had to stay calm, that I had to make my family like me and not drive me away. Then, I saw Shirley wearing an expensive little dress, walking down the magnificent spiral staircase step by step. She came up to me, took a good look at me, and then asked innocently, “Isaac, who is she? Is she the new servant in our house?” Isaac’s mouth was set in a tight line. He squeezed my hand a little harder, but he never denied what she said. He just said, “From now on, she’ll be your elder sister.” ***** At first, I was a bit resentful. Due to my parents’ negligence, I got lost and after going through a lot of twists and turns, I was finally sold to a poor rural area. I had been missing for five years. There, not only did I have to do the laundry and cooking, take care of an elderly person who couldn’t get out of bed, and even had to deal with her excrement right on the bed, but I also had to endure hunger. I refused to give up and studied hard. It was not until the family relaxed their vigilance that I walked for three days and three nights to the town and reported to the police. I thought that after being rescued, I could finally return to my happy home. However, by then, there was no place for me in the family anymore. Shirley had already become the apple of the whole family’s eye. After I got lost, my parents transferred all their guilt towards me onto Shirley, who bore some resemblance to me. Most of the time, they even instinctively showed favoritism towards her. Even if I just ate a piece of beef, they would scold me, “Shirley likes this. Can’t you wait until she’s finished eating? Why are you so gluttonous? It’s not like you’ve never eaten it before.” But I really hadn’t had meat for a long time. So I silently put down my fork, held back my grievances and sadness, and placed the plate of beef in front of Shirley, fearing that if I did something wrong, they might abandon me and I would be sent back to that rural area again. I gave in a great deal. Even three years ago, I gave up my secret crush. I wondered, “Haven’t I done enough? Why won’t my family fully accept me?” ***** A long time passed, so long that my colleagues all left work. Isaac glanced at his phone and said impatiently, “Stop playing the victim. Jeana just told me you’ve already taken the meds, so you’ll be fine!” Another message popped up on his phone. He took a look and then sneered at me, “Shirley was worried you’d have a meltdown and asked me to comfort you. So cut out that fake act of yours.” I came back to myself, licked my dry lips, and after a moment’s hesitation, said, “Thank her for me.” In truth, my heart was breaking. After being treated so unfairly by their own flesh and blood, no one could pretend nothing had happened. But I knew that even if I was suffering to the point of collapse, no one would care. My parents would just think I was being dramatic, and Shirley would just wipe her tears, hold my hand, and say in a weepy voice, “Olivia, I wish it had been me who got abducted instead…” Seemingly caught off guard by my response, Isaac froze for a moment before snapping, “Look at the mess you’ve made of yourself!” Before I could reply, he rushed off, no doubt to join the family dinner. After Isaac left, I stood there, rooted to the spot. The words my family had said echoed in my ears, each one twisting the knife in my heart. “When will you be as sensible as Shirley?” “Can’t you stop looking so gloomy all the time?” “If you make Shirley cry again, get out of this house!” These heartless words were like a sharp blade, severing the last thread of warmth between me and this family. I was abducted at eleven and found at sixteen, and I’d tiptoed around them ever since. Now, at twenty-one, I finally realized that my own flesh and blood truly didn’t give a damn whether I lived or died. I suddenly burst into laughter. It was as if a part of my heart reserved for family was cracking open, and a knife was slowly cutting away every bit of affection I’d held for them. As the wounds began to heal, I placed my hand over my beating heart and was surprised to find that I really didn’t care anymore. I no longer cared about my parents’ love, Isaac’s disdain, or Shirley’s constant provocation. Clumsily, I took out my phone and dialed the local health department’s number. I poured out all the words I’d been holding back for so long. “I want to report my colleagues for concealing a patient’s AIDS history and putting me at risk of infection.” Free Point After I finally saw things clearly, it was like a heavy cloud that had been weighing me down for ages suddenly lifted.

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Nathan was ashamed of my stammer and never brought me into his social circle. At a gathering with friends, his buddy joked, “How do you argue with a stammerer?” His childhood sweetheart laughed and said, “It takes her three minutes to say one sentence. So stupid. Last time she couldn’t get the words out, she almost cried from frustration.” Everyone burst into laughter. “Looks like he’s not planning to make it official.” Nathan shrugged carelessly, “She’s just a mute. I’ll dump her when I’m bored.” Later, I appeared at a banquet on the arm of his older brother. Speaking fluently. Nathan grabbed my wrist and demanded coldly, “When did you get better?” The man beside me put his arm around my waist and said with a smile, “Sorry, she’s always been quite sharp when it comes to cursing.” I rushed into the bar through the pouring rain, only to find the atmosphere inside at its peak. Nathan was kissing his childhood sweetheart Sophia amidst the cheers of the crowd. He held her chin gently, a smile playing on his lips. Sophia was crying, tears streaming down her face. She looked utterly pitiful. Nathan’s eyes darkened. “Still want to run away?” She shook her head between sobs. “No more running. I just beg you not to bully me anymore.” “Good girl. Drink this, and I won’t bully you,” he coaxed. I forgot to push open the door, frozen in place. A dull ache spread through my heart, as if countless needles were being buried inside. I had been with Nathan for three years. He was ashamed of my stammer and never brought me into his social circle. His childhood sweetheart Sophia had abandoned the down-on-his-luck Nathan years ago to pursue opportunities abroad. Now that she was back, Nathan immediately introduced her to all his friends. Sophia downed a glass of strong liquor, clearly already drunk. She clung helplessly to Nathan’s neck, looking utterly vulnerable. The possessiveness in Nathan’s eyes grew more intense by the second. Before things could get worse, I chose to push open the door and enter.

“Nathan, your m-medicine…” I stood dripping wet in the doorway, my voice trembling. On rainy days, the joints in Nathan’s fingers would ache terribly. It was an old injury from when he saved me years ago. I had run here to bring him his medication. Nathan’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “It’s still raining outside. Why did you come?” he asked coldly. “I was w-worried you’d be in p-pain—” Nathan gestured for a waiter to take the medicine, cutting me off. “It’s too rowdy here. Go home.” “Aww, Nathan really cares about his girl, huh?” one of his friends teased. Sophia was curled up in Nathan’s arms, gazing at me through hazy eyes. She was wrapped in Nathan’s jacket. Nathan was afraid she’d be cold, so he’d had the staff turn up the air conditioning. His friends were sweating but didn’t dare complain. Now that’s what you call caring. Suddenly Sophia tugged on Nathan’s sleeve, slurring, “Let her sing for us, okay?” “You want to hear her sing?” Nathan’s expression softened, pleased by Sophia’s conciliatory gesture. He knew full well that with my stammer, singing would only humiliate me. I took two steps back. “I-I’ll go now.” Sophia suddenly burst into giggles, mimicking me: “I-I’ll g-go now.” Nathan’s eyes lit up, a faint smile touching his lips. He grabbed Sophia’s wrist. “Let her go. Why are you leaving?” My face burned with humiliation. I turned and pushed open the door. As I left, I heard one of Nathan’s friends ask: “How do you argue with your stammering girlfriend anyway?” Sophia mumbled drunkenly: “It takes her three minutes to say one sentence. So stupid.” “…Last time she couldn’t get the words out, she almost cried from frustration.” Nathan let out a derisive laugh, his eyes overflowing with affection for Sophia. “You ungrateful little thing. You forget all the good I’ve done for you, and just get jealous of others.” “Nathan, when are you going to break up with the stammerer? Looks like you’ll be taking Sophia to a hotel tonight, huh?” another friend chimed in. Nathan leaned back on the sofa and said coldly, “She’s just a stammerer. I’ll dump her when I’m bored.” Then he looked at Sophia, a hint of something dark flashing in his eyes. “As long as it makes Sophia come back to me, it’s all worth it.” But he didn’t know that my stammer had already improved greatly. I had come tonight wanting to share the good news with him. Now it seemed there was no point.

I walked out of the bar in a daze. The sky was gray and it was still raining. A black Bentley was parked out front. I made my way to the car through the rain, wiping raindrops from my lashes. The window rolled down, revealing a sharp, handsome profile. The man inside wore a black suit that couldn’t hide his noble air. “Mr. Fu, I’m sorry to disappoint you,” I said softly. The cold man sitting in the car was Nathan’s older brother and the head of the Fu family business. Ethan. A few months ago, he had sought me out with a straightforward proposition. “Nathan is my brother, so I hope things go well between you two.” Presumably for the sake of his precious brother’s happiness, Ethan had brought in specialists from abroad and spent a great deal of money. That’s how my stammer had gradually improved. But now, Nathan no longer loved me. Ethan’s gaze shifted from his tablet to me. He uttered two words: “Get in.” I opened the car door, careful not to get water on the leather seats as I climbed in and huddled in the corner. Ethan had a unique aura about him. Dignified and reserved. Inspiring both respect and fear. He hung up a business call and turned to me. “So, want to consider liking someone else?” “What?” I met his cold, emotionless gaze, my heart tightening. Ethan spoke as if discussing a business deal. “You could marry me.” “Everything Nathan has, I have too. Even more.” “In terms of benefits, I’m the better choice.” Silence fell in the car after he finished speaking. Raindrops drummed on the roof. Like a frenzied symphony. I hadn’t processed his words yet. “Why…?” It seemed like he was… trying to steal his own brother’s girlfriend… Ethan’s lips curled slightly, his eyes still cold and clear. “You know Grandfather is pressuring me to get married. If you’re willing to help, all the better.” “As a reward, I’ll give you everything you want.” “Of course, you can refuse me. I’ll give you time to consider.” In that moment, I glimpsed a true businessman. Ethan was more mature and steady than Nathan. He knew how to control the big picture. And how to maximize benefits. The Fu family had saved my life. With such an enormous debt of gratitude, I didn’t seem to have grounds to refuse. Finally, I said carefully, “I’ll think about it. But if you find someone you like in the future, we should still get divorced.” Ethan’s gaze returned to his tablet. He said softly, “We’ll see when the time comes.”

That night, Ethan dropped me off at my rented apartment. I watched the black car disappear silently into the twilight, then opened my phone. Nathan had posted on social media a few minutes ago. The background was a hotel room. Sophia was curled up asleep beside him, her lips slightly swollen and her long hair disheveled. The caption read: “So obedient.” I looked up at the sky, taking several deep breaths to suppress the urge to break down. I sent Nathan a message saying “We need to talk.” He didn’t reply. It was as if he had died. I knew Nathan would never come back to me. For a whole month, Nathan completely disappeared. Finally, I gathered my courage and sent Nathan a breakup message. I blocked him on all platforms and married Ethan. Ethan was very busy with work and left on a business trip the day we got our marriage certificate. After leaving the civil affairs office, Ethan had his driver take me to his villa in the city center. He also had my things moved over from my rented apartment. On the third day after getting married, Ethan was still out of town. As night fell, the villa felt empty and quiet. I turned on a small lamp and walked into the master bedroom. The bedroom was done in gray and white, with a minimalist style and spacious layout. The walk-in closet next door was filled with Ethan’s expensive clothes and watches. And… a few of my clothes. At 10 PM, I heard the front door open. Thinking Ethan was back, I opened the bedroom door. A familiar voice drifted through the crack. It was Nathan. “My brother’s out of town. We’ll stay here tonight.” I heard Sophia’s breathless voice. “Nathan… I can’t breathe.” Nathan’s low chuckle. “You’ll have plenty to endure later.” In the silent, empty night, I curled up on the bed, listening to the sounds from next door, feeling like I couldn’t breathe. When Ethan pushed open the bedroom door, my eyes were swollen from crying. Teary-eyed, I asked, “Mr. Fu, why are you back early?” He had his jacket draped over his arm, as if he’d come straight from the front door. He hadn’t even taken time to put away his clothes. Travel-worn. His body carried the chill of the night air. “Why are you crying?” he asked. That cool tone somehow gave me an immense sense of security. He took off his watch and cupped my chin, leaning down. “This is your house. Why didn’t you ask them to leave?” The hot, rough touch of his fingers scorched my skin. My ears instantly turned red. “He’s your brother…” Ethan had been willing to cure my stammer for Nathan’s sake. What right did I have to throw out his own brother? Just then another strange sound came from next door. Sophia’s voice was soft and coquettish. I tried to get out of bed to find some earplugs, but in my haste I tripped over a stool. My knees hit the floor with a thud. “Ah…” I cried out in pain. Next door suddenly went quiet. Ethan sighed and bent down to pick me up. “What’s the rush?” He was carrying me out of the bedroom when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Nathan called tentatively, “Brother… did you… bring someone home?” The next second the doorknob started to turn. I froze, not daring to move. In the urgent moment, Ethan calmly supported me, pressing my back against the door. Frightened, I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck. Clinging to him like a koala. Hot and cold, our body heat intermingled. I looked down. His clear eyes reflected hints of lazy amusement. I had messed up his tie, exposing a small patch of his exquisite, tempting collarbone below his Adam’s apple. Ascetic yet alluring. It was really… unfair. “Mr. Fu…” My voice was trembling. I suddenly realized what a suggestive position we were in. Ethan suppressed the meaningful look in his eyes. “Can you moan?” I shook my head. Outside, Nathan was getting impatient. “Brother, open the door. Did you bring a woman home?” Ethan smiled at me, but his words held no warmth. “Do I need to report my love life to you?” He was clearly used to being dictatorial. Nathan choked. “I thought I heard—” “You heard wrong.” Ethan stroked down my waist, moving lower. As my breathing grew more rapid, he asked softly: “If you can’t moan, then sing.” “Don’t worry, your voice sounds good.” This was the first time anyone had complimented me. My face flushed red as I held back, not sure what came over me as I blurted out: “Little bunny, be good…” I stopped after half a line. Ethan was looking at me strangely. “That line is hard to resist,” he said, his voice tinged with teasing laughter. Like a feather, tickling my heart. I lowered my head, not daring to look at him. My face felt hot and red. Suddenly it went quiet outside. Nathan’s voice shook. “Brother, who exactly is your girlfriend?” Ethan locked the door with a click. In an unyielding tone, he said: “Tonight is my wedding night with your sister-in-law.” “She doesn’t like noise.” “So take your woman and get out.”

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

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

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

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

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When my childhood friend Liam first awakened his werewolf nature, his friend called me over to help him ease the symptoms. But Liam said: “I really don’t want to give her the satisfaction. We werewolves are the most loyal in love. Whoever we mark for the first time becomes our lifelong, sole mate.” “Even if Aria begs to help me when she gets here, I’ll have to resist.” But no matter how long he waited, I never showed up. He didn’t know that his brother’s bodyguard had been blowing up my phone: “Miss Aria, the young master has long considered you his only mate.” “Please, could you come and give him a kiss?” It turns out that five years ago, when I had a fatal skiing accident and fell into a ravine, his brother saved me by marking me and sharing half of his werewolf lifespan, snatching me back from the clutches of death. Late that night, I wrapped my arms around his brother’s neck and coaxed, “Declan, don’t hold back. Tell me, how many years have you been secretly in love with me?”

Liam’s family all had the werewolf gene. After turning 20, they would go into heat every full moon. Whoever they marked for the first time would become their lifelong, sole mate. I thought the person Liam wanted to mark was definitely me. But when he first awakened his werewolf nature, his friend called me over to help him ease the symptoms. Instead, I overheard Liam saying irritably outside the private room: “I really don’t want to give Aria the satisfaction.” “I want to pursue the campus beauty, but she’s not an easy girl.” “Unlike Aria, who’s like an eager puppy, always at my beck and call.” “When she gets here, even if she begs to help me, I’ll have to resist.” “I don’t want to sleep with her and end up tied to her for life, completely under her thumb.” Standing outside the room, my mind went blank. I never imagined that Liam, who had grown up with me, saw me this way. His friends, always quick to jump on the bandwagon, all laughed: “So in your eyes, she’s just a plaything.” “Why don’t I call and tell her not to come? Save her from taking advantage of you tonight and trying to climb the social ladder through your bed. To be honest, I think you get what you pay for.” But Liam stopped his friend from making the call, saying uncomfortably: “Forget it. If we tell her not to come now, what will she think?” “Even if she’s just a plaything, she’s the one I’ve spoiled since childhood. I can’t bear to hurt her feelings.” “When she gets here, I’ll see if I can resist touching her.” “There are some things I don’t want to spell out. This is a good opportunity to let her see things clearly.” At that moment, I wanted to burst in and shout at Liam: “You can’t bear to hurt my feelings, yet you compare me to an eager puppy in front of your friends, letting them mock and belittle me? You don’t deserve my infatuation!” But I held back. Why waste words on someone who doesn’t cherish me? I turned and fled the scene, telling myself not to cry. After some thought, I called his brother’s bodyguard: “Remember how you begged me to help ease Liam’s brother’s symptoms? Do you still need that now?” “Send me the address. I’ll be right there.”

Half an hour earlier, the bodyguard had called to tell me a truth Liam had deliberately concealed: “Miss Aria, do you remember five years ago when the young master took you skiing and you unfortunately fell into a ravine?” “The older young master led us on a rescue mission. We searched for three days and nights before finding you buried in the snow, frozen like an ice sculpture. You had no pulse at the time.” “The older young master told his brother that werewolves could share half their lifespan with their mate through a blood ritual on the full moon night.” “The blood ritual is another form of marking.” “Once performed, they would consider that person their lifelong, sole mate.” “But the younger master wasn’t willing to do it, yet he couldn’t bear to let you die like that. He held you and cried uncontrollably.” “In the end, it was the older master who saved you.” “You were very lucky. It happened to be a full moon night.” “To save you, the older master performed the blood ritual and shared half his lifespan with you. But in doing so, he also marked you, committing to you as his sole mate for life.” “The younger master begged his brother not to tell you about this.” “For the past five years, every full moon night, the older master has endured alone, never bothering you, and strictly forbidding anyone from revealing the blood ritual to you.” “But tonight he really can’t bear it anymore. He’s been severely injured and is fighting for his life. With the full moon, he won’t make it through without you.” “Please, could you come and help him?” At that moment, my mind went blank. I never imagined that I had actually died once five years ago. Liam, who had cherished me since childhood, wasn’t willing to sacrifice half his lifespan to save me. Instead, it was his “cold-faced” brother who had snatched me back from death’s grasp. But I still hardened my heart and told the bodyguard: “I’m sorry, but Liam needs me more tonight.” I was willing to be ungrateful just to rush over and help Liam. Only to be mocked by him as an eager puppy, a mere plaything. Yes, I was truly pathetic. I deserved to be treated so cheaply. But I won’t debase myself anymore. I wiped away my tears of hurt and humiliation, gripping my phone tightly as I told the bodyguard: “Is it too late to repay this life-saving debt now?” “If Lucas absolutely needs me tonight, I’ll go right now. I’ll give it my all!” The bodyguard wept with joy: “It’s not too late, not at all.” “Miss Aria, I’ll send you the location right away.” “If the young master wasn’t critically injured and facing a full moon night, I would never have dared to disobey his orders and reveal this to you. The family rules are very strict.” I understood. Lucas probably just wanted to save my life, nothing more. He didn’t want me clinging to him. And I just wanted to repay his kindness for saving my life. It wasn’t because Liam had broken my heart, and I was running into his brother’s arms.

But I never expected that when I rushed to the VIP ward at the hospital, I would see Fiona, the campus beauty, standing outside the room, desperate to get in: “Let me in, quick!” “Isn’t it a full moon night? How do you know Mr. Declan doesn’t need me?” “Declan, Declan, just let me in to help you, please?” I suddenly found it amusing. Liam said Fiona wasn’t an easy girl, yet here she was, offering herself to his brother. The bodyguards who had refused to let Fiona in immediately opened the door when they saw me, tears in their eyes: “Miss Aria, you’re finally here.” “Please, come in. The young master truly needs you tonight.” Envy and hatred distorted Fiona’s face. She shrieked hysterically: “Why does Aria get to go in?” “Declan got hurt so badly just to save her.” “She’s nothing but bad luck. How dare you let her in?” I froze for a moment. Saved me again? What did that mean? The ward was already in chaos. I saw Declan lying shirtless on the bed, his face flushed, short hair damp with sweat. His fingertips curled tightly from the surging heat, and the thick white bandages on his back were soaked through with bright red blood. The doctor stood nearby, shouting urgently: “For heaven’s sake, stop resisting! I’m begging you, find a woman to help you quickly. The bandages we just changed are soaked through again. How much blood do you think you have left to endure this torment?” “It’s a full moon night. The werewolf blood is raging far beyond normal levels, and your blood’s ability to clot has failed. Even the best hemostatic drugs I’ve given you aren’t working.” “We need to find a way to ease the surging heat in your body now, or you might bleed to death tonight!” “Where is this girl you say can save the young master? When will she arrive?” The bodyguards standing by the bed had already seen me. They bowed deeply to me with respect and gratitude. “Doctor, she’s here.” At these words, the man lying on the bed, enduring his private hell, suddenly opened his eyes. A pair of intimidating dark red eyes, cold yet dazzling, held back the surging, intense desire as they fell unexpectedly on my face, surprised and annoyed: “Who called her here? Take her away!” The bodyguard bowed and said: “Young master, it was me.” “I’ll accept any punishment as long as Miss Aria can help ease your symptoms tonight.” “Besides, you were injured this time trying to save Miss Aria again.” “You’ve risked your life twice to save her without taking credit. You might not feel wronged, but we truly feel it on your behalf.” I secretly observed the imposing man lying on the bed. Although Liam and I were childhood friends, I had always avoided Declan like the plague. Because he was known as the living incarnation of the Grim Reaper. Even the most arrogant troublemakers became meek in his presence. It was an absolute domination of methods and aura. I usually tried to avoid him at all costs when I saw him. Now, this man who struck fear into everyone’s hearts was clutching the bedsheets, his feet involuntarily curling as he tried to resist. Every part of his body radiated heat waves, his passionate breathing becoming more and more evident. The contrast was so strong, it was captivating. A beautiful man in repose, mesmerizing. However, “You say he was severely injured because of me again?” The bodyguard was about to speak, but Declan cut him off harshly: “Shut up! Try saying one more word!” Then he switched to a gentle yet distant tone to address me: “Aria, leave. I don’t need you here.” The bodyguard, risking his life, said: “Young master, stop pretending. You won’t win a wife by being stubborn.” “Your mouth is the toughest part of you, but your heart is as soft as putty. Whenever Miss Aria is in danger, you’d risk your life, even rush into a fire to save her. Do you think we’re blind?”

There was more than one bodyguard in the room, and they all fearlessly started to complain: “That’s right. Last month’s full moon night, who was it staring at Miss Aria’s photo on his phone screen, longing and pining until he was delirious, calling out Miss Aria’s name? I bet she was in your dreams too.” “And the full moon night before that, you parked your car outside Miss Aria’s dorm all night. How many times did you want to rush into the dorm but held yourself back at the last second? Even a ninja turtle would kneel and call you daddy.” “If we don’t say anything, Miss Aria will never know. Do you really want to endure this for the rest of your life?” “Shut up. I can endure it,” Declan said, lowering his eyes. The doctor standing nearby shouted anxiously: “Endure my ass! If you keep this up, you won’t see tomorrow’s sunrise.” “Miss, why are you just standing there? Hurry up and find a way to ease his symptoms.” The bodyguards standing by the bed all bowed deeply to me with utmost respect. But, “What should I do? I don’t know how.” The doctor, while using scissors to cut away the blood-soaked bandages, said: “Kiss him!” I blushed, my cheeks turning crimson. Standing at the head of the bed, I didn’t know how to kiss this aloof man in front of everyone. Suddenly, a bodyguard shouted: “Miss Aria, do you know how the young master got injured?” “Two days ago, there was a fire in your school’s auditorium. Weren’t you trapped inside, unable to escape? You even passed out from smoke inhalation, nearly suffocating to death.” “Let me tell you, it was the young master who rescued you from the fire.” “Because of the marking, the young master can sense when his mate is in danger.” “The young master ignored everyone’s attempts to stop him and rushed into the inferno to find you. When he carried you out, he was unfortunately struck by a falling beam, and his entire back caught fire.” “But he still endured the excruciating pain and used his last ounce of strength to carry you out of the fire, only to have his brother snatch you away.” “When the younger master saw the older master carrying you out of the fire, he immediately rushed over and took you from the older master’s arms. If he was so concerned about you, why didn’t he go in to save you himself?” What? I couldn’t believe it. Was this how Declan got hurt? I remembered waking up from my coma two days ago with Liam by my side. I had assumed Liam had saved me. The information I was receiving today was too much to process, leaving no room for bashfulness or embarrassment. Never mind, saving a life was the priority. In the heat of the moment, I leaned down towards Declan. Staring at his sensual lips, I kissed him hard. “Don’t touch me.” Declan’s tone was fierce, pushing me away, but his hands gripped the bedsheets tighter and tighter. He was trying so hard to resist that his throat bobbed up and down, his eyes red and frightening. The image of this beautiful man in repose was truly tempting. But his tone grew even colder: “Aria, do you know what you’re doing? Don’t you usually try to stay as far away from me as possible? Don’t do something you don’t like just to repay a debt. And don’t listen to their nonsense, it’s useless. Your kiss doesn’t affect me at all.” But the doctor suddenly exclaimed excitedly: “It’s working! The rate of blood loss has slowed down.” “Miss Aria, quickly, keep kissing him!” “The young master’s body is far more honest than his mouth. Kiss him hard!” The doctor’s excited words were like a harsh slap to Declan’s stubborn mouth. Declan’s face grew uncomfortable, and for a moment, he buried it in the pillow. Was he actually embarrassed? The tips of his ears were so red they could drip blood.

The bodyguards also wept with joy and encouraged me: “I knew calling Miss Aria would work.” “Miss Aria, from now on, don’t believe a word the young master says. He’s just pretending to be tough. His mouth says no, but his heart is desperate for it!” “Look at how red his ears are, and his voice is so hoarse it’s about to catch fire. The young master is just shy and doesn’t want to trouble you. After all, your heart only belongs to the younger master, right?” Declan raised his head and coldly glared at the bodyguards: “Shut up!” Unfortunately, for the sake of his life, the bodyguards collectively ignored his angry gaze. I took the opportunity to boldly turn Declan’s handsome face towards me. Holding the back of his head, I directly sealed his lips with mine. No matter how stubborn he was, I couldn’t remain unmoved by his intention to save me twice. I couldn’t let him down. The moment our lips touched, I clearly felt Declan’s whole body tremble with emotion. But he still clung to his last shred of reason: “Aria, don’t you understand? I don’t need you to repay me like this out of gratitude.” “What kind of person do you think I am? Do I need your pity?” My eyes grew moist: “Declan, I’m willing too. There’s no reluctance at all.” I took his hand and pressed it against my heart. His pupils suddenly constricted, as if he had touched something he shouldn’t have. ‘Don’t look, don’t touch’ – he tried hard to pull his hand away. But I held onto his hand, refusing to let go: “Declan, feel my heart.” “There’s truly no reluctance here. Don’t feel pressured.” Declan’s Adam’s apple bobbed faster, his restraint growing even more intense: “Don’t lie to me. I know your heart only has room for my brother, Liam.” “Earlier when the bodyguard called you, I overheard.” “You said Liam needed you more tonight.” I wanted to explain, but Declan’s phone on the bedside table suddenly rang. I glanced at the screen – it was Liam. Declan also looked at the phone and swiped to answer: “Liam, what is it?” Liam’s equally distressed voice came through the phone: “Brother, my werewolf nature awakened tonight. I feel terrible.” “And that damn Aria still hasn’t shown up.” “I thought I could resist, but I overestimated myself.” Declan glanced at me: “Aria, she…” I immediately kissed Declan’s lips, stopping the words he was about to say. Declan lost control due to my repeated initiative, his pupils contracting sharply. His large, powerful hand instinctively held the back of my head, seeming to want more. But reason quickly overpowered impulse. He pushed me away, not having time to tell me I was here. Liam’s complaints came through the phone: “Of course I know Aria is just delayed by traffic.” “She must be dying to fly over and help me ease my symptoms right now.” “Her heart must be bursting with joy.” “But something so easily obtained always feels a bit lacking.” “I really don’t want her to take advantage of my vulnerable state. Why does our werewolf love have to be imprinted with lifelong loyalty from the core?” Declan’s eyes, red and frightening, were tinged with surprise and anger: “You don’t want to be loyal to her?” “Then why have you been leading her on since childhood?” Liam spoke to his older brother without reservation: “I was young and hadn’t seen many women before.” “I didn’t know how colorful the outside world could be.” “Liam!” Declan suddenly called his brother’s name in a heavy tone: “If you don’t cherish her, don’t blame me for cherishing her instead!”

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After fourteen years of marriage, Liam betrayed me. I was pushed down the stairs by his mistress and died. Then, I was reborn eighteen years in the past. In a small alley, Liam was being trampled in dirty water by some thugs. Seeing me pass by, he begged for my help. Liam had an affair. When I found out, I was holding a pregnancy test with two lines. I had accompanied him step by step from the bottom to the top. In our toughest times, we only had ten dollars in our pockets. On the day he proposed, he swore to the heavens that if he ever betrayed me, he would find a cliff and jump off. On our wedding day, Liam cried like a child, saying how fortunate he was to have me as his companion. Fourteen years of marriage, two seven-year itches. In the photo, the child was smiling brightly. Liam was holding him, his eyes gentle. Everything was as I had imagined. Except the main character wasn’t me. When I was young, I traveled frequently for work, which damaged my health. For this child, I took countless medicines and injections. When the pain was unbearable, Liam would hold me, his eyes full of concern, telling me over and over: “We don’t need a child, I only need you.” But at that time, I always thought love could overcome all difficulties. I never imagined this day would come. Out of a woman’s intuition, I checked his suit. On the collar of the suit, there was a barely visible lipstick mark. I held the suit, stunned for a long time. Actually, there had been signs all along, but I never thought Liam would betray me, so I subconsciously ignored them. In a daze, I heard a voice behind me. “Nora, I have a dinner tonight. You should go to bed early.” Liam quickly kissed my forehead, took the suit from my hands, and hurriedly left. I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but the door had already closed. I only heard the sound of the car engine. It seemed that this had become the norm between us for some time now. Once, we had endless topics to talk about. Now, when we face each other, there’s only silence. The next day, I went to the company alone. The company was called Promise, named after me, Nora. The receptionist had changed, and they didn’t recognize me anymore. They asked for my appointment number in a businesslike manner. After some awkwardness, an old employee of the company saw me and took me upstairs. The office door wasn’t closed. The new secretary was helping Liam tie his tie. The young girl wasn’t very old and seemed clumsy while tying the knot. Liam didn’t mind, just lowered his head and looked at her with a smile. I was lost in thought, remembering when the company was just starting and urgently needed funding. We spent all our savings to buy Liam’s first suit. Back then, I was just as clumsy tying his tie, and Liam would look at me with the same gentle smile. I got annoyed and pulled the tie too tight, making him yelp. It all seemed so close, yet it had been over a decade. When did things change? I pushed the door open with a creak. Liam looked up and saw me, seeming a bit flustered: “Nora, why did you come to the company today?” “No reason, I just missed you,” I said softly, stepping forward to carefully tie his tie. He wanted to say more, but his team was calling him for a meeting. Before leaving, Liam specially turned up the air conditioning and prepared a blanket and snacks for me. He was so thoughtful, he loved me, but this didn’t prevent him from having an affair. The young girl was more impatient than I had imagined. Liam had barely left when she started probing me intentionally. I just leaned back on the sofa, looking at her carefully. When we first got together, I joked with Liam: If he ever had an affair in the future, he must bring the person to me so I could check them out. I never thought this joke would come true. He broke his vow, and now I wanted to see. The young girl’s features were somewhat similar to my younger self – the same big eyes, a bun hairstyle, with an air of innocence. I touched the fine lines around my eyes, feeling a bit sentimental. The young girl was young and impetuous, her tone becoming aggressive. She was young and didn’t know that in the circle of wealthy wives, there were many ways to torment people without making a sound. But I didn’t bother to do that. At this moment, I only felt utterly exhausted. I regretted coming here today. It all felt so pointless.

As I turned to leave, she grabbed my arm. I had no intention of tangling with her, but as we struggled, we had already reached the stairway. She flashed an extremely innocent smile. Before I could react, we both fell. As we fell together, I saw Liam grab the other person’s hand. I tumbled down the stairs heavily. I tried to protect my abdomen, but it was all in vain. Something was flowing out of my body, blood everywhere. Liam stumbled down the stairs after me, holding me in panic like a child, no longer showing any of his usual calm composure: “Nora, ambulance, Nora, please don’t sleep, ambulance” I gradually lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I was back to when I was 18 years old. In a small alley, on a rainy day, a young man was being pushed into a puddle of dirty water. I looked over belatedly and met Liam’s eyes. His eyes were full of hatred and unwillingness, like a wolf cub. This was my first meeting with Liam. Later, when we talked about this first encounter, Liam would always look at me with tender eyes: “You were clearly terrified, but you still trembled as you stood in front of me.” “I thought then, how could there be such a foolish person in this world!” I would get annoyed and try to hit him, and he would just look at me with a smile as I fussed. But at this moment, I stared steadily at the young man lying injured on the ground. “If you don’t want to die, get lost,” the thug with dyed hair said menacingly, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. I took the lollipop out of my mouth and asked calmly: “Can I watch? I’ve never seen someone being beaten up before.” The man seemed a bit surprised, looked at me, and laughed: “Interested?” I nodded, and he had his men throw Liam back into the mud puddle, tormenting him over and over. Liam lay on the ground like a lifeless object. I just watched expressionlessly. I had originally thought I might get some satisfaction from this. But there was nothing – no excitement, no sadness, no anger, like an ancient well that had been still for ten thousand years. I shrugged, “Boring,” and turned to leave. Behind me, Liam’s suppressed cries of pain continued. But all of this had nothing to do with me anymore. If the story had developed as before, Liam would have originally chosen me as his deskmate. And thus began our ill-fated relationship. But now… I looked up at Liam who was entering the classroom door. The young man was thin, wearing a slightly yellowed school uniform. Backlit by the sun, his expression was unclear. At this moment, he was leaning against the podium with his hands in his pockets, looking at me with a half-smile. I lowered my head and continued to focus on the problems on the paper. The questions weren’t difficult, but it still took some time to pick it up again after so long. A loud thud sounded beside me as Liam dropped his desk next to mine. He spoke in a mocking tone, arms crossed: “Hello, new deskmate.” I glanced at him indifferently, not wanting to engage. But he persisted, seeming determined to get to the bottom of that day’s incident. Annoyed by his questions, I finally replied: “There’s no reason. I just don’t like you.” “Why don’t you like me?” I slammed my pen on the desk and glared at him fiercely: “Phoenix eyes, passionate; thin lips, fickle; thick eyebrows, promiscuous.” “I’ve studied physiognomy. You’re naturally a heartless, unfaithful person. I can’t stand it, okay?” Liam was clearly stunned for a moment. When he tried to speak again, I had already put on my earphones. But my heart was in turmoil. I wasn’t as indifferent as I thought I was. After being together for over a decade, Liam’s betrayal had left a hole in my heart, filled with nothing but pitch-black hatred. But the 18-year-old Liam knew nothing of this. The young Liam had a vindictive personality. He resented me for laughing at him that day, so he started opposing me in everything. Young people have their own ways of tormenting others, yet leaving no evidence. He knew I was terrified of insects, so he would catch them and hide them in corners. When the insects crawled out during class, I would be on edge the whole time. At those times, Liam’s phoenix eyes would be full of mirth, taking pleasure in my panic and distress.

He still hung out with those thugs from outside school, his brow bone still bruised. I heard that he had beaten those guys who bullied him very badly, breaking several of their ribs and costing a lot in compensation. Liam’s parents had divorced when he was young. He was given to his mother, who had remarried and had a new child, so no one really cared about him. He was never one to follow rules, and not wanting to go home, he often wandered outside. Moreover, his stepfather liked to get violent when drunk, which was why Liam’s face was often bruised. Liam was very resistant to this part of his past. Even after being together for over a decade, I still knew very little about it. The young Liam was actually a very difficult person to get along with, solitary and obsessive. The teachers treated him like an invisible person, assuming he would just fend for himself. Back then, as class monitor, I was too responsible and always thought I could save everyone. I talked to Liam over and over, trying to open up his tightly locked heart. And after learning about his family situation, I tried to help him every day. I told him the world outside was vast, and this small county town shouldn’t trap us for life. I shared my dreams with him, gazed at the starry sky together, telling him that even in darkness, we should look up at the stars. Every day I was like a broken record in his ear, talking and talking until he got annoyed and coldly asked if I knew no shame. After hitting so many walls, I privately swore several times that I wouldn’t bother with him anymore, but I still kept trying. Finally one day he opened a book. Liam was very smart, and after finding something he liked in books, his grades started to improve rapidly. Later Liam said it was me who saved him from the mire. Starting over this time, I just wanted to watch how he would rot and stink in the mud. When the midterm exam results came out, Liam was still undisputedly in last place. Liam and I both used the college entrance exam as a springboard to reach places we had never imagined before. But now, how fate would develop, I no longer knew. Liam had disappeared after the midterm exam results came out. As class monitor, the teacher asked me to go to his home to inquire about the situation. I had originally planned to go after school, but I was delayed by a problem, so it was already getting dark when I went. His house wasn’t far from mine, on the edge of the village, with its own small courtyard. I really didn’t want to make this trip, just going through the motions. After a long time, I reached the door and was about to knock when I heard the sound of things crashing inside, and also… Listening carefully, I heard Liam’s whimpers. I quickly found a corner to hide myself and peeked through the cracks in the door. A middle-aged man, reeking of alcohol, red-faced, was beating Liam with a stick, not holding back. He was muttering something, getting angrier and angrier, hitting harder and harder. In the end, he even tried to strangle Liam. Liam struggled desperately. At 18, the young man already had some strength, and for a moment the man couldn’t subdue him. The man became enraged and shouted something. A middle-aged woman ran out from the inner room. Though older, you could tell she had been a beauty when young. Liam’s eyes were very much like hers. “Hold him down.” The man had completely lost his reason, his eyes full of bloodshot. The woman hesitated, her body trembling constantly, but she still went forward. The moment she approached, I noticed Liam stopped all struggle. He just lay quietly on the ground, looking up at the starry sky, a strange smile on his lips, as if he was going to some sweet rendezvous. A sudden pain gripped my heart. Liam had always told me that life was too bitter, and I always thought it was just young people’s affectation. I never imagined that for him, life really was this bitter. The moment his mother stepped forward, he had already lost all will to live. The gears of fate had started turning again when I came to the past. I still hated him, the hole in my heart now cold and empty. It had brought me here to see how I would choose?

The moment I pushed the door open, all movement stopped. The man looked at me with murderous intent, as if he wanted to silence me too. But standing here now was the 36-year-old Nora, who had been through all sorts of situations in life. “Stop now, and I’ll pretend I saw nothing,” I said coldly. The man still wanted to move, but I stared straight at him: “Liam is your son. If he dies, no one will investigate. But if I’m harmed, my father will level this village.” The bloodlust in the man’s eyes completely dissipated. He asked hoarsely what I wanted to do. “He’s under my care now,” I said, pointing at Liam lying lifelessly on the ground. The young man seemed to have become a skeleton, as if he had already died just now. I used a lot of strength to drag him out of the small courtyard. Throughout, Liam had no reaction at all. In the moonlight, I looked down at him for a long time, then cleanly and decisively slapped him: “There’s nothing easier in this world than dying. If you really don’t want to live, there’s a river right there.” I grabbed his collar and continued fiercely: “Liam, you owe me too much. This life is no longer your own.” Liam suddenly looked up at me. Our eyes met, and finally, there was emotion in his. Perhaps it would take a long time to fully understand, but at least for now, he wouldn’t take his own life. I turned and left decisively, feeling completely lost. By chance, I had saved the person I should have hated the most. The web of fate had woven us two together, getting tighter and tighter, more and more entangled. After that day, Liam seemed to suddenly change his ways, studying day and night. Almost every monthly exam, his ranking would jump up several dozen places. He became even more silent, hiding in corners, as if he didn’t exist. One day I was doing problems late and took a shortcut home, but unexpectedly encountered the group that had surrounded Liam that day. The leader was very interested in me and insisted on having me drink with him. We reached a stalemate. It was getting dark, and it started to rain. Summer clothes were thin and transparent, clinging to the body when wet, inevitably revealing curves. The group laughed lewdly. During the standoff, unexpectedly, Liam kicked the leader to the ground. He had several people behind him, and it quickly developed into a brawl between two groups. I stood in the corner watching Liam. He fought viciously, aiming for vital points with every strike, like an untamed beast. I called the police. When they arrived, Liam was already covered in injuries, but his expression remained defiant. He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, got on the police car nonchalantly, and even whistled at me before leaving. Liam was detained for several days before being released. I heard his stepfather had slapped him hard in public. When he returned, there was still a visible handprint on his cheek. Many classmates were whispering about it, but Liam just silently continued to do problems. From then on, every day when I went home, Liam would quietly follow behind me, leaving only after seeing me safely home. He didn’t say anything, and I pretended not to notice. After the college entrance exam, Liam followed me and got into the same university. I wanted to get rid of him, but unexpectedly, he never left. He was like a shadow behind me, stubbornly following, impossible to shake off or escape. ———-This is the breakpoint———- The whole university knew that Liam was Nora’s number one admirer.

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Eight years of marriage, and my wife had threatened divorce 99 times. I thought she was just throwing tantrums to test me. Until I discovered that for eight consecutive years, she had been transferring $520,000 annually to another man. Note: In Chinese, 520 sounds similar to “I love you,” making this amount symbolically significant. When she threatened divorce for the 100th time, I signed the divorce papers and withdrew my investment from her company. I shifted my business focus overseas and vanished from her world like I had evaporated into thin air. But she went crazy, searching for me all over the world. For eight years, I had quietly invested in my wife’s wedding planning company, providing her with financial support. With the contract expiring in two days, I sat with my fists clenched, contemplating whether to continue investing. My wife had already threatened divorce 99 times. I had always thought it was because I was too busy with work and didn’t spend enough time with her, which made her angry. But today I found the reason: for the past eight years, she had been transferring $520,000 annually to a man named Ethan. Ethan was a new employee at my company, and this information was discovered during his background check. My chest felt tight and congested. I gave my wife $600,000 every year for her to spend as she pleased. But I never imagined she would give $520,000 of it to another man. My assistant gave me a video recording. When the investigator asked Ethan about the person transferring the money, Ethan smiled shyly and bashfully: “A female friend.” The investigator immediately understood, his face full of envy, and eagerly asked: “Is she pursuing you? Will you accept her advances? Will you marry her?” Ethan avoided answering this question directly, instead smiling faintly and talking about something else: “For the past few years, I’ve been studying and living abroad. She comes to spend a month with me every July and December.” “She also prepares many surprises and small gifts for me, like a designer watch, a tie, or a bottle of cologne…” My heart felt like it was blocked by a huge stone, oppressed and suffocating. Every July and December, my wife would go on overseas trips, not allowing me to go with her or contact her, saying she needed to clear her mind. I thought it was because her work pressure was too high, so I silently endured the pain of missing her. Now it seems she was going abroad to be with another man. Looking at the watch Ethan wore in the video, wasn’t it the one I had lost? Over these eight years, every time my wife went on a trip, I would lose something. Sometimes it was a suit, sometimes a tie, sometimes cologne… I always thought I was just too preoccupied with missing my wife, leading me to be absent-minded and careless after she left. Because of this, I specially wrote her a handwritten letter every day expressing my longing, personally made the chocolate she loved, and even learned to cook, just to get through that long and unbearable month. But I never imagined it wasn’t that I was careless, but that she was giving my things away to someone else. Soon after, I received a text message from my wife: “Let’s get divorced. My wedding planning company is growing bigger, and I’m really busy every day. I don’t want to waste time on relationships anymore.” This was the 100th time she had mentioned divorce to me.

On the second day after our wedding, my wife cried to me about how difficult work was, so I voluntarily offered to give her $600,000 every year. But on the third day of our marriage, she printed out a divorce agreement: “Jack, if you’re insulting me with money, why don’t I just sign this divorce agreement now? You can sign it whenever you want!” With that, she quickly signed her name in two or three strokes. I felt suddenly panicked, constantly coaxing her, begging her, apologizing to her, even kneeling before her and slapping my own face. As I was breaking down, scratching my head and at a loss, she cried and hit me a few times, then broke into a smile through her tears: “Alright, I’ll forgive you then.” After that, I became even more cautious around her. When she wanted to start her own business, I secretly injected capital. But now, she felt her wings had grown strong, that she was a powerful career woman, and increasingly looked down on me, whom she considered a “nouveau riche.” Since the beginning of this year, she had frequently mentioned divorce. In just half a year, she had brought it up 99 times. Seeing the divorce text she sent, and thinking about the annual $520,000 transfers, the two months she disappeared each year, my mysteriously missing items, the divorce agreement signed eight years in advance… A chill ran down my spine. She had too many secrets. Just as I was about to turn off my phone, my wife called. The other end of the line was noisy, as if they were playing a dare game at an entertainment venue. This call was probably dialed by accident. “Sarah and Ethan, drink from intertwined arms!” “Your lips have to touch!” “Carry her like a princess, lock them in the dark room, don’t come out for at least an hour. Hope you two fulfill your years-long dream.” After a while, an unfamiliar female voice came from the other end: “Who’s 1874? Probably a telemarketer, oh well, hang up!” Then the call was disconnected. My heart ached. She had saved my contact as my phone number “1874”. Looking at the prominent four words on my phone screen: “Darling Wife”, I felt it was ironic. There was a lot of work, and I wanted to stay up late to finish it, but I really wasn’t in the mood, so I went home. After opening the door, I searched for a long time but couldn’t find my slippers, so I walked to the sofa in my leather shoes. At this moment, looking around, all of my things in the house were gone. As I was puzzled, my wife came out of the bedroom. She was startled when she saw me. Last week she had said to me: “I’m too tired of being with an unemployed loser like you. I need a husband who can support my career. But you? You’re out gallivanting all day, then come home to do laundry and cook. Can’t you find a decent job and work hard?” When I retorted, telling her I was the CEO of the Smith Group, she just mocked me: “Even dreams should have limits! You’re not making any progress, and your money will be squandered sooner or later. In a couple of years, you’ll be relying on me for food.” She had seen me drinking with clients in private rooms too many times, so she automatically imagined me as a wastrel. “The $600,000 a year was something you voluntarily gave me. You don’t need to give it anymore starting this year. But if you’re going to hold this over me for the rest of my life because of it, I’d rather return the money to you now.” She said she needed some space, so she kicked me out: “Go stay somewhere else for a week, let me have some peace and quiet!”

A week later, I returned home. But it seemed she hadn’t expected me to come back tonight. Just as I was about to get up to take a shower, a man came out of the bathroom wearing my bathrobe. I immediately recognized him. He was Ethan, the man my wife had been transferring money to for eight years. Seeing this, Sarah hurriedly pushed me away and explained to Ethan: “He’s the male housekeeper I hired. He’s used to being casual around my house, don’t mind him!” She then pulled me to the sofa and pushed me to sit down. The words I was about to say got stuck in my throat. She brought a man home and actually said I was the housekeeper. Just as I was about to speak, she sat down next to me and made a pleading gesture, whispering: “He’s my client. If I can keep him happy, I’ll land a big deal. It’s not easy for a woman to start a business, and you’ve never been able to help me with anything. I’m begging you this time.” “He just got his clothes dirty earlier, so he’s only borrowing our shower. Don’t overthink it.” “Everyone in the industry thinks I’m single. I can’t suddenly reveal that I have a husband.” Her three sentences were so seamless and watertight that they completely blocked whatever I was about to say. If I were to question further, it would make me look inconsiderate. I lowered my head to deal with some urgent company matters. Ethan walked over and sat down beside me, speaking to me with the air of a master: “These days, it’s rare to see a man living off a woman’s money, Mr. Housekeeper.” Saying this, he handed me a business card, his eyes filled with mockery: “I’m Ethan from the technology development department of Smith Group.” Sarah looked at him with adoration, as if he were a deity. Neither of them knew that I was the CEO of Smith Group at this point. Ethan because he was new and hadn’t had time to find out. Sarah because she had always focused only on her own affairs, disdaining to learn about me, only thinking of me as the nouveau riche who had won a $100 million lottery eight years ago. Seeing that I remained expressionless and didn’t want to take Ethan’s card, Sarah exploded in anger: “A housekeeper being offered a business card is a courtesy. How dare you act so arrogant?” “There’s nothing that needs cleaning in my house today, you can leave now!” Sarah said, pushing me towards the door, then handed me a bag of trash: “Take the garbage out when you go!” I clearly saw that there were two used condoms in the trash bag. I was furious and wanted to rush up and slap these two cheating dogs. Just then, Ethan picked up a pocket watch from the table: “This watch must be quite valuable, right?” This pocket watch was left to me by my mother, her only keepsake. I often cried while looking at it. I polished that pocket watch many times every day, and would be heartbroken if it got even slightly scratched. Sarah knew this.

But she only glanced at me awkwardly, lasting only half a second. Then she walked over to Ethan with a smile and replied: “Do you like it? Then I’ll give it to you. It’s of no use to me anyway.” As Ethan was about to put it in his bag, I couldn’t bear it any longer. I quickly walked up to him, snatched the watch, then raised my fist and punched him in the face. After that, I stormed out without looking back. I didn’t want to stay in this house for another minute. As I slammed the door shut, I heard Sarah comforting Ethan: “You must have noticed that this male housekeeper likes me, so he doesn’t want to see me giving you things.” “It’s all my fault for spoiling him too much. I’ll definitely fire him tomorrow!” Angrily returning to my office, I received a call from Sarah: “Jack, how can you be so petty? It’s just a watch. Did you have to make my client angry? Do you know he works for Smith Group?” “You broke nouveau riche, do you even know what Smith Group is? The people working there are all elites. Why did you have to offend him of all people? I had to spend two hours appeasing him so his company wouldn’t cancel their cooperation with me.” In the past, I would have definitely lowered my head and apologized, whether it was my fault or not. But now, I let out a cold laugh. I didn’t know when my company had decided to cooperate with Sarah’s company. No, there was. I suddenly remembered the contract that was about to expire in a day. I made a call to my assistant: “Stop the investment in Sarah’s company. I’ll personally handle the negotiations tomorrow!” “Starting now, consolidate and reduce the group’s domestic operations, and shift the focus overseas.” The core of Smith Group’s business was originally overseas, but because I wanted to be with Sarah, I forcibly shifted operations to the domestic market eight years ago. Now, I’ve decided to develop abroad and disappear from Sarah’s world forever. Sarah sent me another text message: “Let’s get divorced. I’m tired.” This time, I didn’t try to salvage anything, only replying with a single word: “Okay.” The next morning when I woke up, it was already 8 o’clock. As I got up, I heard a commotion outside. Opening the office door and looking down, I saw a woman in a wedding dress proposing to a man. I had already lost faith in relationships, so I just glanced briefly, intending to turn back to my office. But as I turned, I heard Sarah’s voice. The CEO’s office was on the 31st floor, Ethan was on the 29th floor, and the three floors were connected internally. Although it was a bit far, I could still hear clearly. Looking back, I saw Sarah in a white wedding dress, kneeling on one knee, holding out a ring to Ethan: “Will you marry me?”

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