Category: English

Day one after the breakup. My boyfriend posted a photo with his mistress on Instagram, announcing their engagement. Everyone in our group chat went crazy, tagging me repeatedly. I silently added my ex-boyfriend’s cousin to the group and explained, “Let me introduce you to my real boyfriend.” My boyfriend wanted to sleep with me, but after I refused, he immediately found a so-called true love and got engaged. He happily posted a photo with his new girlfriend on Instagram: “I’m getting married.” The picture showed their intertwined hands and a large bouquet of roses. Our group chat on SnapChat exploded instantly. Everyone who got the first-hand gossip started tagging me frantically. “Congratulations, Sarah! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and many children!” “Sarah, when’s the wedding? Tell us the date quickly!” My boyfriend laughed and explained to everyone that they had the wrong person, and the one he was marrying wasn’t me. Then, he added his new girlfriend “Candy” to the group chat. As soon as she joined, Candy sent a cute emoji and then shyly sent a voice message, “Hi everyone, I’m Kyle’s wife. I hope you all can come to our wedding. We’ve set the date for January 23rd.” The once lively crowd was stunned. Listening to Candy’s sickeningly sweet voice message made me want to throw up. Candy started greeting everyone in the group, asking them to call her “sister-in-law” and demanding red envelopes. Most people sent her $50, but she scoffed at them. She giggled and said to everyone, “I heard from my husband that you’re all rich kids. Usually, you send four-figure red envelopes in the group. Why only three figures for me? Do you look down on me?” With this statement, everyone fell silent. I was a bit shocked. Did she think rich kids’ money grew on trees? What gave her the right to demand money from people she’d just met? Kyle, seeing the awkward situation, quickly tried to smooth things over, “My wife is just joking, don’t mind her.” No one in the group spoke up anymore. I felt disgusted. I couldn’t believe this jerk had stooped so low after our breakup, marrying any gold digger he could find. Shame on him! I immediately blocked him across all platforms. Goodbye and good riddance! That night, feeling down, I went to a bar with my best friend for some drinks. While drinking, I kept hearing them chattering about one-night stands, which made me feel a bit curious. Because of my strict upbringing… my mom said if I wasn’t a virgin when I got married, my husband would despise me for life. So even though I’m twenty-five now, I’m still a virgin. I stumbled to the restroom, feeling dizzy. On the way, two drunk guys tried to hit on me, but I refused. However, these two drunks wouldn’t take no for an answer and kept trying to make me drink with them. I wanted to run, but they held me back. In an instant, all those gruesome news stories flashed through my mind. My heart raced, and I thought about smashing them with a bottle to sober them up, but I knew I couldn’t overpower them. Just as I looked up, I saw a familiar face walking towards me. Lucas Land? Isn’t that Kyle’s cousin?

I never expected to see Lucas Land here. He was wearing a tailored casual suit, drinking wine with a friend. His beautiful, long fingers held a wine glass as he smiled and chatted with the person across from him. Looking at his handsome, chiseled face, my heart couldn’t help but race. No one knew that Lucas Land had been my secret crush during college. Just then, my arm was suddenly pulled hard, immediately snapping me back to reality from my daydream. “Cousin!” I shouted towards Lucas, trying to suppress my embarrassment. Lucas paused slightly, looked up, but didn’t seem to notice anything and went back to drinking his wine. Damn, I was to his left rear, and there was a table of drinkers blocking his view. It would be hard for Lucas to spot me from where he was sitting. These two drunks clearly realized I had seen someone I knew, and their grip on my arm tightened. I struggled hard, raising my voice in desperation, “Brother, help me!” This time, many people heard me and looked our way. Lucas finally saw me too. He seemed to be stunned for a moment, then put down his wine glass, stood up, and strode towards us with his long legs. Soon, he stood in front of me, looking at the two drunks holding me with an expressionless face and a cold voice, “This is my friend. Please let her go.” The two drunks looked at his expensive outfit and aristocratic air, glanced at each other, and sheepishly let go of me before slinking away without a word. “Alright, go home now,” Lucas glanced at me casually after helping me out, turning to leave. Seeing my crush about to leave, I don’t know if it was the alcohol hitting me suddenly, but I boldly grabbed his arm. “Brother, can you take me home?” I clung to his arm shamelessly, my voice soft and pleading. He frowned slightly, his handsome brows knitting together. “You should call Kyle to pick you up.” “We’ve already broken up. He has a new girlfriend and won’t come to pick me up anymore,” I said. At that moment, his eyes seemed to darken a bit. In my hazy state, I couldn’t see clearly, but I felt like I might be drunk. Not wanting him to leave, I stumbled and fell into his arms, then clung to him and wouldn’t let go. His embrace had a nice scent, mixed with a hint of red wine, which I found intoxicating. I suddenly remembered feeling unwell a while ago and going to a Chinese medicine clinic for acupuncture. It was him who did the acupuncture for me. I don’t know if it was because he didn’t often interact with women, but his ears were very red at the time, which was incredibly cute. So, I grew bolder and whispered in his ear, “Brother, I’m not feeling well again. Can you take me home for some acupuncture?” Instantly, his ears turned red again. After a moment, he said in a low, husky voice, “Sarah, sober up. Do you know what you’re saying?” “I’m an adult,” I clung to him tightly, mumbling, “I’ll take responsibility for what I say.” His breathing hitched slightly, and he took my hand, leading me towards the exit. I followed him home, and before we entered, he asked me seriously once more if I wanted to go in. I looked at him with a red face, not saying a word, and directly pushed the door open, answering him with my actions.

Lucas helped me to the couch, then poured me a glass of water. After that, he sat down across from me. I picked up the glass and took a sip. It was sweet honey water. In an instant, my heart felt as if it had been dipped in honey, and I was secretly happy at how thoughtful he was. Thinking this, I remembered that jerk Kyle. That guy hadn’t even poured me a glass of plain water before. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe I had been bottling things up for too long, but I couldn’t help but start complaining to Lucas about Kyle’s various jerk behaviors. Actually, I didn’t like Kyle that much. Being with him wasn’t really my true desire. But some things, I could only keep to myself, unable to confide in others. The more I talked, the more upset I felt. Gradually, as the alcohol took effect, I stopped talking about Kyle and turned my chatterbox tendencies towards Lucas instead. He was the campus celebrity at our school, excelling in all areas – academics, sports, looks – the perfect package. He was always the academic star of the medical school, truly a golden boy. Back then, most of the girls at our school had a crush on Lucas at some point, and I was just one of the countless grains of rice in that pile of admirers. I even told him about my secret crush on him in college, how I often went to watch him play basketball. Not content with just that, I boldly complained to him, accusing him of never talking to me back then. He looked at me helplessly, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something, but my chatter blocked him. I rambled on, starting to talk about my past ‘glorious deeds’ of being infatuated with him. Once, he had a basketball game, and I wanted to get there early to grab a good spot to watch. I was so eager that I skipped breakfast. But halfway through the game, I got so excited that I embarrassingly fainted due to low blood sugar. When I woke up, I found myself lying in the infirmary. I felt utterly mortified and ran straight back to my dorm, hardly leaving my room for several days after that. After that, I never had the courage to go watch Lucas play basketball again. Lucas was about to graduate then and was very busy every day. But I never imagined that the next time we’d meet would be at Kyle’s family gathering for relatives. It was then that I found out Lucas was actually Kyle’s cousin. Seeing him again, I was extremely nervous, but Lucas was particularly cold towards me, sometimes even deliberately ignoring my existence. I didn’t know what I had done to offend him, but I vaguely felt that he didn’t like me, and for a long time, I was secretly heartbroken about it. As I said this, looking at Lucas’s attentive expression, I suddenly felt incredibly wronged and couldn’t help but start crying. Lucas panicked immediately. He sat down beside me, awkwardly patting my back to comfort me. But I felt even more upset and, unable to control myself, suddenly hugged his waist and buried my face in his chest. His body stiffened for a moment, then he hugged me tightly, as if wanting to meld me into his body. His chin gently nuzzled the top of my head. “Sarah.” He suddenly called my name softly. “Mm.” I responded with a nasal tone. “Did you really break up with Kyle?” he asked me, his deep, magnetic voice seemingly suppressing some unknown emotion. “Of course it’s true. He introduced his new girlfriend in the group chat today. I have nothing to do with him anymore.” As soon as I finished speaking, he suddenly lowered his head and tenderly kissed the tears at the corner of my eye. My face instantly heated up. Lucas continued kissing me while carrying me to the bedroom. I unconsciously wrapped my arms around his neck, and he gently covered me…

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At the family reunion dinner, my father pointed at his mistress decked out in designer brands and told me to call her “Mom.” My real mother rushed in, just like in my previous life, only able to wipe away her tears. She had put on her most presentable outfit, yet still looked poor, haggard, and timid. She didn’t even dare to speak up and say she was my birth mother. My heart ached, but I restrained myself from offering her a tissue. I couldn’t choose her again, or we would both die horribly. So when Mandy, the mistress who clearly wanted me gone, fake-affectionately hugged me and said, “Emily, we’ve kept your room just as it was,” I saw my chance. I made sure the cameras were on me as I threw myself into her arms. “Mom, I’ll move in tonight!” My father was stunned, a flicker of embarrassment in his eyes. I knew he wasn’t truly looking for me – he was just using the guise of a family reunion to craft a public image and make money. When I was three, he slapped me for playing with toys that disturbed his nap. My mom quickly took me out to play, afraid I’d keep crying and get hit again. In that brief moment while she bought me candy, I was kidnapped. My always fashionable mom became disheveled after that. She handed out flyers everywhere, kneeling before strangers to beg for help. Soon my father grew to resent her. “Searching for a child is a bottomless pit – even two companies and six houses can’t fund your wasteful spending!” “Besides, you lost the child – why should I suffer for it?” My father constantly blamed my mom. When she suggested selling a house to fund the search, he finally exploded: “Let’s divorce. You leave with nothing and go search on your own!” Out of guilt, my mom really did divorce him and leave empty-handed. Not only that, she naively believed my father’s words were just spoken in anger. She thought if she found me, we could be a family again. But my father didn’t wait for us at all. He immediately married his mistress. Unexpectedly, the mistress was even more extravagant. She wore designer clothes, bought limited edition bags, and only drank $200 imported French water. In just three years, she nearly bankrupted my father. It was then that a parent went viral online while searching for their child, accidentally becoming rich and famous. My father was tempted. He jumped on that trending topic, gaining both fame and fortune. Money was so easy to make this way, my father definitely wanted to keep searching for me. To keep searching, but never actually find me. Unfortunately, I was a DNA match in the database. He had no choice but to host this grand reunion dinner. To maintain his image, he came up with this farce of passing off the mistress as my birth mother. But the mistress had her own agenda. She felt my father was already worth over $100 million – why bother making more money from netizens? Besides, she had given my father a son. She didn’t want anyone else coming to split the inheritance. “That woman in the shabby dress is your real mother…” Mandy whispered in my ear, avoiding my father’s gaze. Of course I knew the haggard woman standing in the corner, crying and smiling as she looked at me, was my birth mother. I also knew that to raise money to find me, she delivered food and collected recyclables, suffering in a basement apartment. So what? I didn’t want to live a life of poverty. My eyes stung. I pretended not to hear, hugging Mandy tightly as I cried, “Mom, I’m willing. I’m willing to officially register as part of the family.”

“What nonsense are you saying! I didn’t even ask…” Mandy was startled, her nails digging into my flesh. My father looked confused, but forced a smile and nodded in agreement for the cameras. Seeing my father nod, Mandy grew anxious. While my father was chatting with other parents searching for lost children, she secretly encouraged my mom to claim me. “Sister, you’ve suffered so much looking for your child. You should let her know.” My mom was oblivious to the manipulation, thinking this was my father’s intention. Her eyes lit up. “Emily, I… I am…” Perhaps daughters are more easily moved by their mothers. In my past life, I chose her without hesitation. And in doing so, I hurt her again. The year of the reunion dinner, I was a high school junior. To pay for my education and move us out of the basement, she worked three jobs a day. In the end, she collapsed and died while delivering food. Her funeral was hastily arranged. No one sympathized with her. My father said, “Your mom just had to prove herself. First she insisted on finding you, then she insisted on fighting for you. Look at her – no skills at all, yet she dared to defy me.” Relatives said: “Your mom brought this on herself. She gave up a life of luxury to suffer like this.” The mistress also said… She covered her mouth and whispered in my ear: “We should thank you both. If you hadn’t stupidly gotten kidnapped, if your mom hadn’t stupidly insisted on finding you, I wouldn’t be living this life of luxury now. Haha, I’m so grateful to you two idiots.” Mandy, my father’s mistress, smugly jangled her diamond bracelet. I didn’t understand – why did a mother so devoted to finding her child not have a happy ending? And I didn’t have a happy ending either. Working part-time through college, I finally graduated and landed a job at a Fortune 500 company. But Mandy was afraid I’d come back for the inheritance since I studied law. She hired some thugs to gang rape me to death. Not only did she turn it around and say I was promiscuous, she spread photos everywhere. And so I died at my most humiliating moment – filthy, degraded, without even getting revenge for my mom. My heart clenched. I couldn’t repeat those mistakes. I couldn’t bear to look my mom in the eye. I tugged on my father’s sleeve. He hadn’t noticed Mandy’s scheming, and instead scolded my mom for being inconsiderate. “Stop crying. You’re just here to see her once, don’t push your luck.” Afraid of being exposed if we stayed too long, he quietly threatened my mom. “Leave quickly. You don’t want to affect her college entrance exams, do you?” My poor mom still harbored illusions about my father even now. She kept looking back as she left, hoping my father would call her back out of concern. But of course, my father couldn’t see how thin she had become. He rushed back to the table, focused only on serving food to Mandy. When the meal was almost over, someone asked if my father had prepared a gift for me. Only then did he pretend to be generous and ask what I wanted. I couldn’t ask for too much at first. I acted shy and mumbled, “I’d like a laptop for studying.” I knew my father couldn’t refuse me in public. But to my surprise, he only bought me a $400 off-brand laptop. Who would believe this was the tycoon who had offered a $3 million reward to find his daughter online? I realized this way of getting money was too slow. I took a photo of the laptop and posted it online with the caption: “My first ever laptop. Thanks, Dad.” My father knew how to play the internet game, but so did I. As expected, netizens didn’t disappoint me. Not only did they curse my father for being stingy and hypocritical, they also dug up Mandy’s identity as the mistress…

My father was furious, blaming me for posting the photo online. I cried silently, “The buyers weren’t nice to me. I just wanted to show off some fatherly love I never had before.” Blood is thicker than water after all. My father hesitated, then couldn’t bring himself to blame me further. He thought staying silent would cover up the truth, and ordered me to delete the photo. But as soon as I deleted it, netizens had more to say. “The old scammer won’t clarify anything, just forces his daughter to delete the photo! That woman at the reunion dinner was definitely the mistress!” My father not only lost a million followers, but his company’s stock price also fell. Because netizens not only found my mom, but also dug up her impoverished living conditions. Now the deceived netizens were truly angry! They rained fire on my father and Mandy. “You heartless bastard! How dare you make your daughter call the mistress ‘Mom’! Have you no conscience?” “Homewrecker! You stole someone’s husband 14 years ago, now you’re stealing their daughter! Have you no shame?” “Damn, they even have a son!” The all-knowing netizens uncovered 5-year-old Tyler. Unexpectedly, this gave Mandy an opportunity. She seized on it to try and take the money and run. “What should we do? They know about our son now. Will they harm Tyler?” “I don’t care, I want to emigrate. I want to live abroad.” When it came to his son, my father hesitated. But he was reluctant to let years of hard work go to waste. He decided to send me to find my mom and put out the fire. My mom was surprised to see me. Her eyes held a glimmer of hidden hope. She nervously wrung her hands, hesitantly asking, “Emily, why are you here? Did your father…” Even at a time like this, she was still fantasizing that my father would take her back and we’d be a family again. I had to be cruel and tell her the truth. “Mom, my father and Mandy have a son. They’re preparing to leave the country.” “Can you help me fight for some of the inheritance?” I knew it would be hard to change my mom’s mind quickly. So I had to use harsh medicine to make her give up hope. In my past life, she washed dishes during the day, delivered food at night, and collected recyclables in her spare time. No matter how difficult or tiring it was, she never asked my father for child support. Because she didn’t know he had a son. She firmly believed my father would feel sorry for her, feel sorry for his daughter. If she had asked for money before that, it would have cheapened her in his eyes. Only then did I learn that my father had lied to my mom. He had promised her he wouldn’t have more children, that all his assets would be left to me… My mom finally woke up. She took out a loan to hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit. That lawyer was incredibly skilled and knew how to use public opinion to our advantage. My father was clearly in the wrong. After consulting many lawyers, he had no choice but to curse and grumble as he gave my mom three houses and $750,000 in cash. To my father’s current net worth, this was a drop in the bucket. But it was enough for my mom to start over. After getting the money, my mom eagerly asked me, “Emily, now that Mom has money, are you willing to live with me?” Her eyes were full of longing. She wanted nothing more than to make up for all the years of lost motherly love. But Mom, you already repaid everything in your past life. This life you should live for yourself. Using the excuse of preparing for college entrance exams and it being more convenient to stay at my father’s, I gently refused her. “When I can earn money, I’ll live with you, Mom. But before then, you need to take good care of yourself. Stay healthy and beautiful.” My mom seemed to understand my meaning. She hugged me and cried for a while, then lightly nodded. At this critical moment, my father didn’t dare stop me from going back. But when I walked in, his expression wasn’t good. Seeing my father’s cold attitude towards me, Mandy couldn’t hide her glee as she taunted me. “Oh Emily, are you really on your father’s side?” “Your father trusted you to find your mom and film a video to clear things up. What did you do instead?” “You helped your mom take your father’s assets!” I definitely wasn’t on my father’s side, just like how his search for me across the country was really just traveling around with Mandy. He wasn’t on my side either. Recalling the details uncovered by netizens, I took out the video I recorded with my mom. “Dad, my mom only found a lawyer after seeing netizens’ comments. I really didn’t know…” My father was still riled up by Mandy’s words and ignored me. With no other choice, I had to take a step back. “Dad, people online are saying you didn’t really want to find me. Is that true?” Of course my father couldn’t admit his hypocrisy. He stubbornly replied, “That’s nonsense!” I seized the opportunity to advise him: “If you officially register me as part of the family, transfer me to a new school, and film a video of Mom agreeing to an amicable split, wouldn’t that disprove the rumors?” “Well…” My father felt my words made some sense. Seeing my father waver, Mandy finally dropped all pretense. She pointed at me and sneered. “It’s either her or me in this house!”

“What kind of talk is that!” Ever since returning from the reunion dinner, my father had been singing Mandy’s praises to me, saying how hard she worked to help search for me. Now that the lies were exposed, my father glanced at me awkwardly before hurriedly pulling Mandy into another room. I don’t know what they said, but when they came out, Mandy was like a different person. She enthusiastically hugged me, “Emily, welcome home.” Much later I finally learned that my father had promised her then, “All the assets will go to Tyler. We’ll just use Emily to make money.” But it didn’t matter anymore. I had finally moved into my father’s mansion and met my 5-year-old half-brother Tyler, who was cared for by two nannies. The household registration transfer smoothed over some of the online criticism. My father was pleased and bought Mandy a Hermès bag. Placated by the bag, Mandy became two-faced. She no longer gave me trouble in front of my father, but secretly schemed against me. She arranged for different thugs to wait outside my school and whistle at me. “Emily, be my girlfriend.” Memories of my horrific death in my past life surfaced. I covered my mouth and retched. I called my father: “I’m being harassed.” He just coldly replied: “A fly won’t bite a seamless egg.” That response was too ridiculous. I carefully selected a male model online and sent him photos of Mandy with her wall of luxury goods. “Want to make big money?” He instantly replied: “Thanks sis.” That weekend, Mandy dressed up beautifully to go out. The nanny happened to have a family emergency and needed time off. I thought Mandy would cancel her date, but she just dumped the kid on me. “Don’t just focus on studying. Take good care of your brother. If he gets even a tiny scratch, your father won’t let you off!” My brother was the apple of my father’s eye. I nodded obediently. In a rush to her date, Mandy warned me sternly before leaving satisfied. Although Tyler was only 5, his destructive power was shocking. He was hostile towards me, muttering “bad sister” while constantly throwing toys at me. I didn’t bother with him. I took out some homework and did my assignments while keeping an eye on him. Seeing me ignore him, he started crying and throwing blocks around with loud crashes. The noise finally woke my napping father. He came downstairs yelling: “Are you all deaf? Can’t you hear Tyler crying?” He was still as hot-tempered as ever. Remembering the slap I got at age 3, I carefully explained: “The nanny had to leave and Mandy went out.” Luckily my father saw I was studying and didn’t take his anger out on me. He tried to pick up Tyler but tripped over some toys after just three steps. This made my father even angrier. He blamed Mandy for going out. His angry appearance was too scary. Tyler cried even louder. “There, there, don’t cry…” My father clumsily comforted Tyler. Sprawled on the couch catching his breath, he finally asked me: “Emily, how… how has your mom been lately?”

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I was deaf, and my husband never avoided discussing matters in front of me. But I never imagined that he wouldn’t even bother to hide when trying out new toys with someone else. On the day my hearing was restored, I happily pushed open the front door, only to hear his female assistant asking in a soft voice: “Ryan, is it me that excites you, or that deaf woman?” In the heat of passion, the man called out the assistant’s name deeply. “So when are you going to divorce her? I’m the one who loves you the most.” Ryan Collins hesitated for a moment before saying: “Give me some more time. She’s been with me for over a decade and lost her hearing because of me. Although I no longer have romantic feelings for her, I still can’t let her go just yet.” I sat in the cold wind for a long time before sending a message to my former mentor, who had expelled me from his tutelage. “I’m willing to abide by the rules and cut off all emotional ties. Please let me come back.” After sending the message, I thought they would finish. But when I returned home with my emotions in check, the two were still going at it. The room was filled with an indescribable odor, and I quickly opened the window to let in some fresh air. Ryan seemed to sense something was amiss. “Did someone just come in? Could it be Aria?” “What are you afraid of? She can’t hear anyway.” “If Aria’s been waiting outside for too long, she might get suspicious. We absolutely can’t let her find out about this. Besides, it’s so cold outside, and her health isn’t good…” Amber, dissatisfied with the man’s distraction, silenced him with a kiss. The sound of their lips smacking together could be heard. “But Ryan, don’t you find this exciting? No matter how wild we get, she can’t hear us. Just thinking about that deaf woman waiting outside gets me all worked up.” Ryan stopped talking, and the noises from the room grew louder. Until a few minutes later when they gradually subsided. The bedroom door opened briefly before slamming shut again. Ryan quickly emerged from the room, putting on a gentle smile as he used sign language to ask me: “Aria, why are you here? I was so focused on painting a crucial part that I didn’t hear you knock.” After I lost my hearing, many of my former friends chose to communicate with me through text messages. Only Ryan didn’t mind the trouble and immediately signed up for sign language classes. He said: “Texting would make Aria feel lonely. By using sign language, I can let her know my thoughts immediately. A little effort is nothing for Aria’s sake.” But now, what was once proof of our happiness had become a tool to deceive and hurt me. The man’s face was flushed with satisfaction, a mixture of musk and perfume wafting from him, clearly an attempt to cover something up. Memories suddenly flooded back. During the time I had lost my hearing, I had smelled this scent many times, but each time Ryan had brushed it off as the smell of paint from his studio. If I hadn’t accidentally regained my hearing, how much longer would Ryan have continued to deceive me? I maintained a calm expression, though my nails were nearly digging into my palms. “It’s nothing, I just wanted to come see you.” “Ryan, you were amazing. I’m already hungry again after that candlelit dinner. I’m craving those little dumplings from South Street.” Amber’s voice came from inside the room. Ryan’s expression softened for a moment before he turned to me and signed: “I’m hungry. Could you go to South Street and buy some dumplings? I can’t continue creating without eating those.” I nodded. As soon as I turned around, Ryan no longer held back, joking with the woman inside. “You really should eat up. How else will you keep up with me in the future?” Amber’s tone was contemptuous. “What’s there to be afraid of? Even if I pass out in bed, isn’t there someone to run errands and buy medicine? Would she dare refuse anything you ask?” At that moment, I could no longer hold back my sorrow and began to cry. Ryan didn’t notice, only watching as I disappeared down the hallway step by step. I bought some dumplings from a street vendor. Just as I was wondering what to do with the rest of my time, a phone call came in. “Aria, my girl, you’ve finally come to your senses?” A familiar and kindly voice came through the phone, and I could no longer hold back the bitterness and sorrow in my heart. “Master, I want to come home.” “Then do you understand that to study music composition under me, the rule is to cut off all romantic entanglements? Only by eliminating the distraction of love between men and women can you quiet your mind and truly comprehend the essence of music theory.” Looking at the steaming dumplings in my hand, I answered without hesitation. “I understand. I studied with you for so long, yet I left everything behind for a man. I was out of my mind then. Now, I want to restart my dream.” “Good. I’ll be waiting for you at the foot of the mountain in seven days. For three years, you are not to leave the mountain until you’ve completed all your studies.”

When I returned home, the room had already been tidied up by Ryan. Buying dumplings was just an excuse to get me out of the house. “Why did you take so long? It’s all my fault. I knew your ears weren’t good, yet I still sent you to buy dumplings. If you got hurt or sick, even ten of me couldn’t make up for it.” Ryan came up to me, looking slightly apologetic. A notification sound came from his phone, and he opened it without trying to hide anything from me. “I’m heading back now. I wouldn’t eat something so fattening while I’m trying to maintain my figure. Leave the dumplings for that scrawny cripple to eat.” The man turned around and sent back a voice message, his tone full of affection. “That’s right, you’ve got curves in all the right places. Keep it up, it’ll all be to my benefit in the end. Next time I’ll take you to that new Western restaurant that just opened.” This was the man I had loved for so many years. One moment he was showing concern for me, the next he was flirting shamelessly with another woman. Amber was a freelance model at Ryan’s studio. He once whispered in my ear with disdain: “If we weren’t short on models, I wouldn’t even look at such a loose woman.” But now that he had achieved fame and fortune, instead of replacing her, he had ended up in bed with the woman he once looked down upon. “Let’s split the dumplings, just like we used to.” Ryan gestured to me, turning to fetch two small bowls from the kitchen. He placed them on the table and began carefully spooning out the dumplings. His expression was focused, as if he were performing some sacred ritual. Meeting the man’s tender gaze, I felt a pang in my heart. When Ryan wasn’t famous yet, we often ate at this dumpling shop. When money was tight, we’d share a bowl. Although it was barely enough to satisfy our hunger, we were happy. The freshly made dumplings were soft and delicious, steaming hot. But now, the dumpling skins had gone soggy, the filling of fresh meat and shrimp had leaked out, and a layer of congealing oil floated on top of the soup. A wave of nausea suddenly hit me. “Aria, what’s wrong?” I pushed away the worried-looking Ryan and ran straight to the bathroom. As I vomited, a terrifying thought crossed my mind. While Ryan was having an affair with Amber, he hadn’t neglected his marital duties with me either. We both wanted a child, so we hadn’t used any protection. I took a pregnancy test, and sure enough, I was pregnant. The bathroom door was kicked open with a bang. “Aria, am I going to be a father? I’m going to be a father!” When Ryan saw what I was holding, the anxiety on his face turned to excitement. He gestured wildly: “When you pushed me away earlier, I suddenly felt so scared. Now I realize it was the baby giving us a sign!” I pressed my lips together, my heart filled with sorrow. Ryan carried me back to bed and tucked me in. “You’re a mother-to-be now, get some rest.” He then turned to answer his phone, which had been ringing non-stop. “What is it?” “Ryan, I’m pregnant! The baby survived even though you were so rough today. This must be a smart and healthy child!” “What did you say?!” “You didn’t use protection, doesn’t that mean you were hoping for this baby too? Let’s get married, okay?” Ryan looked back nervously, but seeing my calm expression, he breathed a sigh of relief. “I meant for you to take the morning-after pill. Never mind, keep the baby. I’ll provide for it, but don’t expect anything else.” “But this is my first time being a mother too. I’m so scared. Don’t be so harsh with me. Can you come over?” Seemingly realizing his tone had been too harsh, the man’s expression softened. “Alright, be a good girl and wait for me.” After hanging up, Ryan kissed me on the cheek and signed: “There’s a problem at the studio. I need to go out for a bit.” The model is pregnant, how is that not a studio problem? As the door slammed shut, I could no longer hide the disgust on my face. The two of them had just been writhing together on this bed. Even though it had been cleaned, there still seemed to be a lingering smell of musk. I got up and walked to the guest room. Did Ryan think he could have one wife at home and keep a mistress outside, enjoying the pleasures of multiple partners? He’s dreaming! I won’t keep the baby. And I don’t want him either.

To avoid suspicion, I went to the hospital for my routine check-up the next day as usual. Ryan arrived early, with Amber by his side. Noticing my gaze, he smiled and signed: “Amber is an employee at my studio, remember? She’s not feeling well, so I brought her along for a check-up today.” The woman wore a tight red dress that accentuated her curves, a stark contrast to my style. She gave me a somewhat challenging look. “The baby in my tummy isn’t feeling well, so hubby brought me for a check-up.” Ryan quickly warned her: “This is a hospital, behave yourself.” Amber giggled and stroked the man’s chest where others couldn’t see. “So does that mean I can misbehave at home? Ryan, let’s try the balcony tonight.” Ignoring the conversation between the two, I walked straight into the room and lay down on the examination bed as usual. Everything proceeded as normal until the doctor spoke up. “As per your instructions, I’ve been replacing the hearing recovery medication with vitamins. But Ms. Wells’ ears can’t be neglected for too long. If we don’t start the final treatment soon, I’m afraid she might never hear again.” Ryan frowned in thought, while Amber snapped at the doctor: “You’re just a doctor, why are you meddling? Just take the money we pay you and mind your own business!” Then she turned to Ryan and whined: “Ryan, can we wait a bit longer? It’s so much more fun and exciting when she can’t hear us.” “So what if she stays deaf? It’s not like it’ll kill her.” The doctor continued to persuade: “I can see that Ms. Wells really wants to recover quickly. During her previous treatments, she even told me that composing music was her lifelong dream. Mr. Collins, please consider…” The man’s expression was conflicted, but in the end, the scales tipped in Amber’s favor. “Let’s wait a while longer. Things are fine as they are now. I’ll take you to check on the baby first.” He then warned the doctor: “I don’t want to hear any more unnecessary comments from you next time. I’m paying you good money to be here. How and when to treat this condition is my decision. Know your place.” The doctor could only agree reluctantly. The two left the room. I lay on the examination bed, feeling as if I were in a cold hell, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. No wonder my hearing hadn’t improved despite it being just concussion-induced deafness. It turns out my ears could have been cured. But Ryan deliberately switched my medication to make it easier for him to carry on his affair with Amber! He didn’t know that my hearing had already recovered, and I had recorded all the evidence on my phone these past few days. Back then, I loved Ryan so much that I was willing to give up my dreams for him, even risking never hearing again to ensure his safety. But now, he doesn’t deserve any of it. I didn’t hesitate any longer and went straight to the gynecology department. “Doctor, please help me terminate the pregnancy.” With anesthesia, the process wasn’t painful. But it felt like a hole had been carved out of my heart, aching unbearably.

Ryan didn’t come home that night. Early the next morning, he woke me up, his face flushed, carrying a bag of breakfast. “Aria, I’m taking you out today. Eat something first to line your stomach.” Baguette, bacon, coffee – all things Amber loved to eat. I gave him a cold look. “I’m intolerant to coffee. It makes me dizzy when I drink it.” Ryan’s face showed a flash of embarrassment before he quickly covered it up. “These foods are healthier than the steamed buns you like. Eating more of this is good for the baby during pregnancy.” Good for the baby? Unfortunately, this child had already left this world forever. I nodded. There was no point in arguing with him anymore since I was about to leave anyway. Ryan took me to a wheat field. This was where we first met. I had snuck down from the mountain, disobeying my mentor to find inspiration for composing. Ryan had come here with his easel to sketch the scenery. The moment our eyes met, my heart began to race, and a thousand fireworks exploded in my mind. After we got together, nourished by love, I created many acclaimed musical pieces for a time. Ryan once said: “Aria, you’re my muse. Just looking at you fills my mind with endless inspiration.” It was so beautiful back then. But now, I hadn’t composed anything in six months. And Ryan had started to frequently mess around with Amber to get greater stimulation and inspiration. The wheat field was beautiful, but Amber was standing in it. She was dressed particularly formally, in a shimmering gold gown that complemented the golden wheat. “Amber is not only a model for my studio now, but also my personal assistant,” Ryan signed to me. We spent the whole day together, with Amber following us the entire time. Until it was completely dark. I heard Amber shouting: “Three, two, one!” In an instant, fireworks burst into the sky, illuminating the entire night, gradually forming four large words – MARRY ME. Ryan’s eyes were shining as he knelt before me on one knee, holding out a red velvet box with a ring inside. “Marry me. I’ll be good to you and our baby for the rest of my life.” I once told Ryan that instead of man-made fireworks, I wanted him to propose to me in a field of peach blossoms. Who really likes these showy fireworks? It must be Amber, who was squealing with delight behind us. “It’s so beautiful! I love it!” “Ryan, I do! I do want to marry you!” Ryan’s proposal vows didn’t specify a name, so the person he was proposing to could be me or Amber standing behind us. “I don’t,” I said softly, my voice quickly drowned out by Amber’s screams. Ryan suddenly stood up, his eyes red, and hugged me tightly, as if a wanderer had finally found a home to return to. But behind my ear came the sound of heavy breathing. It was Ryan kissing Amber. He was hugging me, but his heart was elsewhere. “Ryan, let’s do it in the wheat field tonight. I love it here so much.” “Don’t be silly, Aria is still here. What if she finds out?” The first thing Ryan thought of wasn’t guilt, but fear of me discovering them. “There’s a B&B next door. Just send her there. It’ll be so exciting to do it with the baby, out in the open! You enjoyed it yesterday too, didn’t you?” Ryan’s breathing became ragged, and he quickly agreed. After driving me to the B&B, he didn’t even notice anything wrong with my expression. He made up a quick excuse and left with Amber. With trembling hands, I opened the surveillance app on my phone and watched as the two of them clung to each other inseparably. It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that they finally stopped. When I got home, I left the engagement ring on the coffee table in the living room and turned to leave. Meanwhile, Ryan and Amber had rushed to the hospital because Amber had been bitten by an insect while sleeping on the wheat straw. “It’s just a minor injury. The insect wasn’t poisonous, and the fetus is stable,” the doctor said. Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, the doctor who had been treating me burst in, looking panicked. “Mr. Collins, according to the last examination results, Ms. Wells’ hearing has already recovered. She might have heard everything we said. And, and on that same day, Ms. Wells went to the gynecology department and terminated her pregnancy!”

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That day, I got into an argument with my lawyer wife’s male best friend. To get revenge for her best friend, she had me thrown into a detention center. After I was released, I decided to let go. I left divorce papers and walked away, even posting my well-wishes on Twitter before I left. Ten minutes later, she called and cursed me to die. But when her wish came true, she broke down completely. The day I was released from the detention center, I found dozens of unread messages on my phone. They were all photos of my wife with other men. In the pictures, she was wearing a swimsuit, playfully splashing water with a man. I met Isabella during a court case where she appeared as a legal assistant. Her crisp, professional attire in the courtroom caught my eye, and after the case ended, I began pursuing her relentlessly. For two years, my efforts were in vain. Just when I was about to give up, she suddenly appeared before me one day, looking lost and agreeing to my pursuit. She even insisted on getting married right away. It wasn’t until after we were married that I realized some people’s hearts can never be warmed. Before I got together with her, I knew she had a male best friend. She said they were just friends, so I didn’t think much of it. Looking back now, the day she agreed to my pursuit was the same day Liam left the country. And the day we got married coincided with Liam’s wedding day. When I got home, I couldn’t help but call her, but there was no response. Just as I was getting impatient, Liam sent me a video. In the frame, Isabella was sitting opposite him in a stunning evening gown. She took a glass of wine from the man’s hand, took a sip, and flashed a sweet smile. When was the last time I saw her smile like that? Three years ago? Five? Maybe even earlier. Ever since Liam returned to the country, she had grown increasingly cold towards me. At first, I was anxious and tried to communicate calmly with her, but she seemed impatient, thinking I was making a big deal out of nothing. “Jack, I have my own dreams. I can’t be by your side all the time. Don’t be so sensitive,” she would say. But when I saw intimate photos of her with other men on her private Twitter account, I couldn’t help but confront her. Her response was even crueler cold treatment. She blocked me and ignored me for two weeks, showing me through her actions that I shouldn’t lack trust in her on this matter. After that, I never asked her about it again. But I secretly vowed that when I received a hundred such photos, I would leave. It hasn’t reached a hundred yet, but I can’t bear it anymore. Each photo feels like a death warrant, making me more mentally exhausted. At midnight, there was still no reply from her, but I received another video from Liam. The stars were him and Isabella. This video tore my heart to shreds. I packed my bags, left divorce papers, and turned to leave without hesitation. Some things, if not done now, there might never be another chance. The next day, I boarded the first flight to North City. Besides traveling, there was one more crucial thing to do.

I had been diagnosed with intracranial hypertension for some time now, relying on medication to manage it. During my time in detention, the episodes became more frequent, with severe headaches feeling like thousands of needles piercing my brain. The doctor suggested I go to the neurosurgery department at North City Hospital when I had time. It gathered the most renowned neurologists in the country, and there might still be a chance. I had originally decided to accompany Isabella on her birthday before going for the check-up. But on her birthday, I gave up a multi-million dollar order to personally go to the mall to pick out a gift for her, only to find her arm in arm with Liam, shopping. That morning before leaving, she had clearly told me to keep everything simple as she had work and would be busy late into the night. I tried to suppress my anger and calmly inquire, but she accused me of shamelessly stalking her. Seeing Liam’s provocative smile behind her, I could no longer control myself and punched him. Isabella immediately pushed me away as if I had touched her reverse scale, and crouched down to gently caress his cheek. Afterwards, to get revenge for Liam, she actually accused me of intentional assault and sent me to the detention center. My condition was also delayed for a long time because of this incident, and it wasn’t until today that I could come to North City for the check-up. As soon as I got off the plane, Isabella’s call came in. “Jack, congratulations on your release. I hope this detention has made you more mature. I don’t want to see you act like a barbarian again.” Her voice was as cold as an emotionless machine, completely different from the smile that could melt winter in yesterday’s video. I raised an eyebrow and looked at the sky. It was clear and sunny, and my mood improved along with it. “Isabella, let’s get a divorce.” At this moment, my mood was calm, as if I was talking about an insignificant matter. There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by an angry voice. “Jack, I’m very busy here and don’t have time to entertain your childish behavior. It seems this detention hasn’t made you grow up at all. What a waste of my good intentions.” With that, she hung up before I could respond. If it had been before, hearing her rebuke would have kept me awake for days. Now, there wasn’t even a ripple in my heart. Perhaps I had understood long ago, but still harbored unrealistic fantasies. Now that I’ve let go, I only feel a sense of relief. It’s just a pity that I realized too late, and there’s not much time left. After taking care of the hospital procedures, I began to walk along the path of memories. At first, we met in a coffee shop near the law firm to discuss business. At that time, her shoulder-length hair gave me the first impression of being capable and efficient. Not long after, I started inviting her to stroll in the nearby park. There was a popular dating spot for young people in the park. Every time, I would pretend to get lost and lead her through it, while she would lower her head with a slight blush, holding onto the hem of my clothes the whole time, not daring to look around. Later, I found her drinking herself into a stupor at a bar. During that period, I gave up on business and devoted myself wholeheartedly to being by her side, comforting her. I even taught myself how to cook and made her favorite sweet and sour fish. My sincerity finally conquered her. We confirmed our relationship at the dinner table when she wiped her mouth and said to me, “Want to give it a try?” A sharp pain shot through my head, and I suddenly sat down on the ground. The pain spread from my head, and my vision went black again. I frantically took out the pill bottle from my pocket, but my hand wasn’t steady, and it fell to the ground. I panicked, and my head hurt even more. I curled up on the ground, holding my head with both hands. A kind passerby handed me the pill bottle, and I quickly swallowed two pills. It took quite a while before I felt better. Seeing that my complexion had improved, he walked away reassured. From this stranger, I felt a long-lost concern. I had never hidden my illness from Isabella. The medical records were neatly placed on the table, and so were the purchased medications. If she had paid even a little attention, she would have noticed that something was wrong with my condition. I had also had episodes in front of her more than once, but she never gave me a second glance, only focused on grinning at her phone screen. “Jack, you’ve really disappointed Isabella. Do you want her to ignore you forever?” Liam sent me a message. It seems he was right beside her during the phone call. I promptly blocked him. Now, even if she wants to care, I don’t want it anymore. Back at the hospital, the admission procedures had been completed. Lying on the hospital bed, I received a message from an unknown number. “Give up, you’re not good enough for her!” Funny, I’ve already given up, but you think I’m acting. Well, you’re convinced that I love her so much that I wouldn’t give up, and even if it’s true, you don’t want to believe it. Isabella could become a legal consultant for big companies and the star of a top-tier law firm all thanks to my connections. Without me pulling strings to help her gain experience, with her skills, she might have just become a regular employee by now. Moreover, the news of being cheated on would affect my public image more than theirs. My losses would be far greater than theirs. They thought I would choose to keep quiet rather than go public, so they acted without restraint. Clowns! I didn’t bother responding and blocked this number as well.

When Isabella called me, my phone once again popped up with a payment notification for tens of thousands of dollars. From my release until now, adding up all the big and small expenses, it must have been several hundred thousand dollars, all with the memo “Hawaii xxx”. This credit card was Isabella’s own, but to make it easier to pay, I had also linked it to my phone. However, I’m about to be gone, so to remind her, I called her again. “Isabella, you’ve spent so much money, are you feeling better?” I could hear the tour guide’s voice through the phone. “What, are you feeling the pinch?” she said impatiently, “This is all necessary for client relations. And Jack, let me remind you, I allowed you to link my credit card only for the obligation of paying the bills, who gave you the right to monitor my account!” I was about to explain when the nurse’s voice came through, “Bed No. 3, time for blood draw.” “You’re in the hospital? What trick are you playing now?” Isabella’s words made me laugh. Even the old doctor helping me with my illness knew to show some concern, but my own wife’s first reaction was that I was putting on an act. “I’m really sick, feeling unwell, came for a check-up. Isabella, about the divorce I mentioned last time.” Isabella flew into a rage: “Haven’t you had enough, Jack? That’s quite enough, I’m busy as hell here, I don’t have time to deal with your childish temper.” Busy being intimate with Liam? Or busy flirting with him? If the three of us stood together, they might look more like a couple, and I might not even compare to a stranger. I sighed, why is getting a divorce so troublesome? I was about to hang up when Liam’s voice came through from the other end: “Jack, Isabella hasn’t slept well for days worrying about you. I’m accompanying her to meet clients, she’s been absent-minded all day. Isabella, I couldn’t bear to hear him speak like that, so I said a few words. You won’t blame me, will you?” “You’re doing it for his own good. It’s good to have you by my side these past few days.” I didn’t hear what was said after that, I just hung up the phone. A wave of dizziness came over me, and I struggled to endure the pain as I posted their intimate photos on Twitter, with the caption “Wishing you both happiness.” Less than a minute after the message was posted, a news alert popped up about Golden City Group unilaterally terminating their legal contract with Isabella. Immediately after, the phone rang, and cursing came through from Isabella’s end. “Jack, are you determined to ruin me? You’re so disgusting, why don’t you just die!” Hearing such venomous words, I was momentarily stunned, feeling as if the memories of the past had shattered like a mirror dropped on the ground, never to be whole again. Then, I heard someone calling for a doctor, along with Isabella’s impatient voice: “Jack, haven’t you had enough of this act? If you were even half as good as Liam, I would have less to worry about.” When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the hospital bed with a respirator on, and the throbbing in my head had subsided a bit. I felt there might still be hope, but the old doctor’s subsequent words made my mood plummet.

“Young man, your condition has reached a critical point and can’t be delayed any longer. The surgery must be done as soon as possible, but the success rate isn’t optimistic. If you have any unfulfilled wishes, you should seize the time to complete them.” The doctor’s words left me stunned, a strange chill rising in my heart. I realized that this probably meant the success rate of the surgery wasn’t promising, and the doctor’s words seemed more like a hint for me to arrange my affairs early. However, faced with this sudden “death sentence,” my heart was strangely calm. After experiencing all kinds of mental torture, death had become a longed-for release for me. I slowly picked up my phone, my fingertips hovering over the screen for a long time before finally pressing that all-too-familiar number – Isabella’s phone. At the end of my life, I realized that the one I couldn’t let go of was still her. My parents passed away early, and I was raised by my grandmother. After my grandmother passed away, Isabella became the longest-lasting companion in my life. However, this companionship was full of twists and bitterness. On the other end of the phone, it was still the cold “The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable.” I put down the phone helplessly, understanding that Isabella had blocked me again. This was her usual tactic. Whenever I did something slightly against her wishes, I would suffer this treatment. She never gave me a chance to explain, unless I knelt down to apologize, her expression would only then improve slightly. Since I couldn’t get through on the phone, I could only try to contact her through Twitter. However, when I opened Twitter, an overwhelming flood of abuse and accusations popped up in my private messages, almost making it hard to breathe. Isabella had accused me on Twitter of long-term cold violence towards her, portraying herself as a victim who had endured humiliation for the sake of the family. She claimed that she had taught herself to cook to please me, leaving countless knife scars on her fingers, but her efforts received not a shred of care or understanding from me. She even said that once, when she accidentally broke a cup, I yelled at her loudly. She even slandered me, saying I often didn’t come home at night and always had other women’s hair on me. Whenever she asked about this, I would hit her and then ruthlessly block her. Reading this tweet that turned black into white, I felt dead inside. These things did indeed happen, but the victim was me, not her, Isabella. Her private message was even more heartbreaking: “Jack, even if I did cheat, what can you do about it? Now everyone is on my side, and you’re just like a clown, losing miserably.” These words undoubtedly stimulated my fragile nerves, and my head felt like it was about to split open. I rolled and struggled on the hospital bed until I fell to the floor, my head continuously hitting the ground. The thudding sound attracted the attention of the nurse. With her help, I gradually eased out of the pain. “Mr. Jack, why do you get a headache every time you look at your phone?” The nurse gently massaged my scalp, asking curiously. I smiled bitterly and mocked myself, “Perhaps this is the obsession before death.” Then, I recounted my story. By the time the story ended, the nurse was crying uncontrollably, tears rolling down like broken strings of pearls. Just then, the phone rang suddenly, and I answered with a glimmer of hope.

“Mr. Jack, in light of your recent lifestyle issues, we have decided to terminate our cooperation with you and withdraw all investments. At the same time, we will pursue legal action for the negative impact you have brought to the company. Please be aware of this.” I hung up the phone dejectedly, not because of the legal action against me, but because that glimmer of hope had been shattered once again. Over the next few days, investors called one after another to withdraw their funds, the company’s stock price plummeted, and my reputation hit rock bottom. Unfortunately, I didn’t care about any of this. What was more terrifying than death was dying alone. Recently, my episodes have become more and more frequent, from initial dizziness to now relying on machines to maintain life. I knew time was running out. During the intervals of consciousness, I signed the surgery consent form, and inadvertently saw the private messages in the backend again. I clicked in, and the image showed Isabella and Liam naked, embracing each other, passionately kissing. The next second, a sharp pain pierced my brain like a needle tip. I bent over in agony, my whole body twisted like a tightly wrung towel, cold sweat pouring down. Using all my strength, I replied to that private message, “Let’s get divorced.” Then, I could no longer hold on and fell into a coma. When I woke up, the ward was quiet. I looked up and found everything pitch black before me, unable to sense any light. I quickly called for the doctor. “Mr. Jack, your condition has become very serious. The intracranial pressure continues to stimulate, causing severe lesions. If you don’t have surgery now, I’m afraid…” The doctor’s words hit my heart like a heavy hammer. I realized that this probably meant the success rate of the surgery was not optimistic. The doctor’s words seemed more like a hint for me to arrange my affairs early. I remained silent for a moment, then nodded firmly: “Let’s begin.” No matter the outcome, I no longer want to live on in such a state of suffering. The surgery process was long and painful. I felt as if I had been drifting in darkness for countless centuries. When I woke up again, I found myself back home. I was stunned when I saw Isabella. How did I come back? Was the surgery successful? However, when I tried to approach her, I found my body seemed to have become transparent. I passed through her body as if passing through a patch of empty air. My gaze fell on the window beside Isabella, where only her reflection was visible. At that moment, I was dumbfounded. No miracle had occurred. My illness had been delayed for too long; if I had had the surgery earlier, there might have been some hope. At this time, the bedroom door was pushed open, and Liam walked out from inside. An ambiguous atmosphere permeated the air, making me feel nauseous. I was clearly dead, but seeing this scene, I could still feel a splitting headache. Do you two dogs have to torment me even after death? Isabella looked at Liam as he approached, her eyes full of tenderness. I was about to leave when Isabella’s voice came, carrying a hint of questioning and confusion. “Liam, why didn’t you agree to let me divorce him?” So it was Liam who didn’t let Isabella divorce me! And I was very curious, from the start, I hadn’t seen the diagnosis report left on the table. Looking around, I couldn’t see that paper, but I clearly remember leaving it on the table when I left. Liam walked to Isabella’s side and held her tightly: “Isabella, trust me, before long, everything of his will be yours.” Isabella opened her eyes wide, looking at him in disbelief. Then, she seemed to think of something and broke free from Liam’s embrace, picking up her phone and repeatedly trying to call me. However, the phone remained powered off. Right, I’m dead, who would charge my phone now. Isabella’s face grew increasingly grim, and she couldn’t help but smash the phone! “Liam, what do you mean by saying this? And why haven’t you let me come back all this time? Are you hiding something from me?” Liam’s face darkened, “Isabella, everything I’ve done is for you. Don’t tell me you’ve really fallen in love with him? You only married him to climb the social ladder using his connections!” I was suddenly stunned, followed by a bitter laugh. Yes, I might have always known. I pursued Isabella for three years, and it wasn’t until Liam went abroad with his mistress that she accepted me. I foolishly believed that sincerity could win someone’s true heart. She liked watching fireworks, so I spent a fortune arranging fireworks shows for her birthday every year. When she felt her work wasn’t going well, I would beg people and send gifts to arrange comfortable positions for her. However, some people’s blood might just be naturally cold. After Liam returned to the country, Isabella began to gradually distance herself from me, and her feelings grew increasingly cold. Having it pointed out bluntly by Liam, Isabella’s face couldn’t hide her discomfort. A crisp sound rang out, and a clear handprint appeared on Liam’s face. Watching these two in conflict made me happier than if I had earned millions. “Isabella, you need to calm down.” Liam left, covering his face. I told him to get lost from behind, and kept slapping my palm on the handprint on his face. Although this couldn’t make him feel humiliated, it certainly made me feel happy. Looking at Liam’s retreating figure, Isabella showed a dejected expression. I had only seen this expression on her face when Liam went abroad. She was already regretting her impulsive action right after slapping him? As soon as Liam left, the phone on the table rang. I looked, and the contact name was mine! Wait, I’m dead, how could I be calling her? After answering, Isabella vented the anger from earlier on me, “Jack, haven’t you had enough!”

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On the day of our engagement, suddenly, a video popped up on the big screen. In it, my boyfriend’s secretary, Debby Clark, was being dragged into the toilet and was getting beaten and verbally abused. Debby, all bruised and battered, rushed towards me crying and pleaded, “Ms. Quincey, I’m so sorry. I won’t talk to Mr. Pierce anymore. Please tell my colleagues to stop bullying me.” My boyfriend, Caleb Pierce, was really pissed off. He announced right then and there to call off the ceremony and threw me into an illegal coal mine to dig coal, thinking it would make me more gentle and obedient. While he took Debby traveling all around the world to unwind. The men in that illegal coal mine were like a pack of beasts. As soon as they saw me, they were all drooling over me. I was chained up in a pitch-black cave and forced to get pregnant over and over again. Three years later, Caleb finally remembered me and asked, “Jessica Quincey, do you regret it?” I just numbly knelt down. Caleb was quite satisfied. But what he didn’t know was that my body had been completely ruined. I only had five days left to live.

When Caleb showed up with his bodyguards, it was just the end of the shift at the illegal coal mine. The men hid in the coal-cinder caves, watching the luxury car of the Pierce family pass by, whispering among themselves. Terry Morrison, the manager of this coal mine, bowed and scraped in front of Caleb. “Mr. Pierce, over these three years, we’ve disciplined Jessica exactly as you ordered. She’s really obedient now. She definitely won’t resist you anymore.” Caleb nodded in satisfaction. Then I was taken out of the coal cave. It was a sweltering summer evening, but I was still wearing the sweater I had when I first came to this illegal coal mine. I stood in front of Caleb in a sorry state. My cheeks were sunken, and I’d lost a lot of weight. Just a short while ago, several men had just left my bed. At the moment, my legs were extremely sore. Barely had I stepped out of the cave when my legs gave way uncontrollably, and I crashed to the ground. The sharp-edged gravel instantly cut my calf. I gasped in pain. But Caleb frowned instinctively. “I thought you’d realized your mistakes in these three years. Turns out you just can’t change your ways. All you can do is play the poor-me card. Debby was bullied and beaten by you before and got depression, but she wasn’t as fake as you.” Terry immediately smiled obsequiously and said, “Mr. Pierce, if you’re not satisfied with Jessica, why not leave her here for further discipline? I promise you, this time I’ll make her completely submissive.” Caleb fell silent, looking at me with a scrutinizing and contemplative gaze. He was actually considering whether to leave me here. I looked at him, and my already broken heart couldn’t help but ache again as if a sharp dagger had stabbed into my chest and was churning my flesh. Blinking my dry eyes, I struggled to get up and knelt down in a humble position, pleading, “Mr. Pierce, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me.” My forehead hit the ground, and the sharp gravel hurt my skin, but the pain was far less intense than the humiliation of having my pride broken and my dignity trampled underfoot. Caleb was a bit surprised. Apparently, he wasn’t used to my humble attitude. I was definitely not like this before. Caleb reached out to help me up, but I flinched and instinctively backed away. He got a bit irritated and pushed me away forcefully. “Jessica, don’t act like someone has abused you.” My body was already weak. With his strong push, I was pushed out and hit the ground heavily. My ankle made a cracking sound. I curled up in pain, unable to speak. The black coal cinders all over the ground covered me. My face and hair that I had specially washed to greet Caleb were covered with dust again, as dirty as a homeless madwoman. Caleb was stunned. He didn’t expect that a little push from him could cause me so much harm. He was about to explain something when a few coughs suddenly came from the car in the distance. Caleb frowned, and his guilt turned into displeasure. “Debby came to pick you up even though she’s sick. She’s so nice to you. How could you have done such beastly things to her? Get up now and go apologize to her.” I endured the pain and tremblingly got up. Three years ago, at my engagement ceremony, Debby accused me of being jealous. She said that just because she talked to Caleb a few more times, I instigated the company employees to bully her. Debby showed the scars on her body and cried her heart out at the engagement scene. Caleb was furious. He announced on the spot to cancel the engagement and threw me into the illegal coal mine, saying I should change my temper. But I had never done those things to hurt Debby. Swallowing the blood in my throat, I limped towards the car. My legs hurt so much that after just a few steps, I fell to the ground again. The loose sweater slipped off my skinny shoulders, revealing a large area of my skin. The men in the coal cave burst into lewd laughter. Caleb’s face turned gloomy, and he slapped me directly. “Jessica, have you no shame? You’re not even wearing underwear in public. Don’t act like a slut expecting to seduce men all the time.” I clutched my clothes tightly as desolation hit my heart. My underwear had been torn to pieces in the first month I was sent here. In the past three years, I hadn’t stepped out of the coal cave once, and there was no chance for me to buy new ones. My embarrassment was caused by these men, but at this moment, they all looked at me with disdainful eyes, as if I were a born slut. I bit my lips in humiliation, trying hard not to let the tears fall, and dragged my injured leg to the car. Just as I touched the car door, a woman’s voice came out. “Mr. Pierce, have you picked up Ms. Quincey?” The car door opened. Debby was wearing a high-end little cocktail dress, looking cute and pretty. But when she saw me, she shrank her neck like she was frightened, with a look of timidity on her face. I also trembled instinctively. Everyone said that Debby was fragile but kind. Even though she was almost driven to suicide by my “bullying” back then, she never took any revenge on me. Only I knew that it was her idea to throw me into the illegal coal mine. All the humiliation I suffered was instigated by her. I ended up like this all because of her. Forcibly suppressing the sarcasm and grievance in my heart, I knelt down numbly. I said, “Debby, please forgive me. It’s all my fault, every single mistake. “I was vain and vicious. I took advantage of my position and instigated the company employees to bully you. “I deserve it. I should die. I shouldn’t have bullied you.” “Ms. Quincey, what are you doing? Get up on your knees. I’m just a secretary. How could you kneel to me?” Debby was like a frightened little rabbit and quickly came to help me. But as soon as she touched my hand, she let out a scream and pulled her hand back abruptly. Caleb’s eyes turned cold. He kicked me away, then got into the car and quickly checked Debby’s body. “Jessica, you’re such a jinx. Look what you’ve done. Debby is allergic just to touching you. You’re so dirty. You’re not allowed to get in the car. Wrap yourself in a plastic bag and get into the trunk,” he said. My body was already at the limit. With his kick, my ribs seemed broken, too. But even though I was pale with pain, no one cared about me. The bodyguard stuffed me into a woven bag like an item and threw me into the trunk. In the darkness, Caleb’s gentle care for Debby became even clearer. I stared blankly at nowhere, and the tears I had held back for so long finally slid down silently. Before I left, the doctor who secretly treated me told me that I had a cervical infection and erosion as well as kidney failure. According to his diagnosis, I could live at most five days. In five days, I wouldn’t have to endure this humiliation anymore. Five days later, even if Caleb searched the whole of River City, he wouldn’t be able to find me because I would be dead by then.

It was already three hours later when we got back to Pierce Villa. I had been curled up in the small trunk for a long time. As soon as I put my feet on the ground, my legs were so numb that I almost fell. So I instinctively grabbed the small tree beside me and finally managed to steady myself. When Debby saw this, she was almost in tears. “Ms. Quincey, I know you don’t like me, but you can’t damage my wisteria. Mr. Pierce and I planted it with our own hands.” Her eyes turned red, and tears started streaming down. I was stunned and looked at the wisteria tree beside me. In my memory, there should have been a swing here that Caleb built with his own hands to make me happy back then. But now the swing was gone, and Caleb’s love was gone, too. The wisteria had just lost a few insignificant little flowers because I leaned on it for support. Without any warning, Caleb rushed over and yanked me away from the tree. He roared, “Jessica, I knew it. I knew you would bully Debby as soon as you got back. “I’m telling you, although I can’t cancel the engagement with you, you’ll never be the hostess of the Pierce family. “Get back to your room. Even looking at you makes me sick.” I was thrown aside by him, and my back hit the elaborately arranged rose flower wall. A section of the flowers and leaves collapsed because of that. Debby bit her lip and was crying so hard that she could barely breathe. Caleb hugged her as a comfort while giving me a cold, sidelong glance. “Debby has asthma. Are you happy making her cry like this? I think you’ve had it too good there, that’s why you’re so out of control. Today, no, you don’t need to come for meals until the day after tomorrow.” Upon hearing these words, my stomach twitched in pain instinctively. The work in the illegal coal mine was physically exhausting. Not providing food was the easiest way to control someone. After I was thrown into the illegal coal mine, Terry was quite respectful to me in the first few days. But when he found out that Caleb didn’t even call to ask about me, he was certain that I was a worthless stupid woman. I was locked deep in the coal cave and became a tool for those men to vent their lust. I tried to commit suicide countless times but failed, and what I got in return were beatings and “discipline” again and again. To make me surrender, Terry once didn’t give me food for ten consecutive days, only giving me a cup of water each day. I became skin and bones, and my stomach problems got worse. During the toughest times, it felt like my stomach acid was about to burn through my stomach and intestines, and I was rolling on the ground in pain. Caleb and I grew up together. He clearly knew that I would get a stomachache if I didn’t eat. Feeling my back, which was bleeding from being pricked by the rose thorns, I lowered my head numbly and obediently. “Yes, Mr. Pierce.” The utility room at the corner of the villa was where I would stay tonight. It was dark and cramped, filled with all the old junk of this house everywhere, and there was a single bed in the corner. The servant, Maggie Robinson, secretly told me that ever since I was driven away by Caleb three years ago, Debby had moved into Pierce Villa. Caleb claimed to compensate her for the evil deeds I had done to Debby. When Caleb’s grandfather, Charles Pierce, was still alive, he doted on me the most. Even though I didn’t come often, he still reserved the largest and best room in the Pierce Villa for me. But after Debby moved in, Caleb gave my room to her. I hurriedly asked Maggie what had happened to my old things. “They were all packed and thrown here by Mr. Pierce,” Maggie said. After Maggie left, I endured the pain in my body and started rummaging through the piles of old furniture. I first found a teddy bear. One of its eyes was missing, its pretty little dress was dirty, and its belly was torn open by someone, with cotton sticking out. I remembered the gentle look on Caleb’s face when he gave it to me. He said, “Jessica, you’re afraid of the dark. When I’m not around, let this teddy bear be by your side instead of me.” But later, he threw me into the illegal coal mine for three whole years. I struggled and cried hysterically in the darkness, but he never looked back at me again. Tears welled up, and I quickly wiped them away. Then I found a wrinkled school uniform jacket. I remembered that I suddenly got my period on the way home from school that year, and my pants were stained by the blood. The teenage boys on the road were all laughing at me. I lowered my head, feeling ashamed and furious. But then a jacket was suddenly wrapped around my waist. I looked up and saw the ferocity in young Caleb’s eyes. “Whoever laughed at you just now, I’ll go smash their mouths,” he said. Scenes from the past flashed through my mind, and in the end, all that was left for me was the darkness in the room. But it didn’t matter anymore. The current Jessica was already used to the darkness, and after days and days of humiliation, she had lost her sense of shame and sensitivity. Tears flowed even more fiercely, but I didn’t stop what I was doing. The pain from my broken ribs and sprained calf made my movements extremely slow. My body was severely exhausted. Every time I took a breath, I could taste the blood welling up in my throat. My forehead was burning hot, and my vision was gradually blurring. Just when I could barely hold on, I finally touched that thing. My USB drive. It had the evidence that I hadn’t had time to give to Caleb back then, proving that Debby had staged the bullying herself. After finding the USB drive, I could no longer hold on and passed out in pain on the bed. In a daze, the door of the utility room was suddenly pushed open. Someone strode in. Free Points

That man seemed to be Caleb. He was dressed in a sharp suit, his shirt was spotlessly white, and he held his chin slightly up, just like the proud Caleb in my memory. Suddenly, I recalled the first time I saw him when I was a kid. My grandfather, Frank Quincey, took me to Pierce Villa to visit Charles, his old friend in arms. Caleb was sitting in the pavilion and playing chess with Charles. At that time, he made a promise to me that he would treat me well forever. But later, when Debby framed me in front of so many people at the engagement ceremony, Caleb pushed me to the ground without hesitation. He said, “Jessica, Debby said before that you didn’t like her. I endured it. I thought it was just some petty squabbles between women. “But this time you’ve really gone too far. You actually instigated the company employees to bully her just out of jealousy. “You don’t really think that just because Mr. Quincey asked me to marry you before he died, you’ve been elevated from your original class, do you? You make me sick.” In less than a day, all the employees who had picked on Debby were fired, and before I could hand the evidence I found to Caleb, I was sent to the illegal coal mine. There, I was treated like an animal, and my health was completely ruined. “Jessica, don’t pretend to be asleep. I know you’re awake,” Caleb said with a cold face, carrying a tray of delicious-smelling food. “Debby had a nightmare because of you again. I should never have brought you back.” He kicked the teddy bear away irritably. “As long as you sincerely admit your mistake and crawl on your knees from here to Debby’s room to apologize to her, I’ll give you food. You’ve always wanted to marry into the Pierce family, right? After you apologize, I might even let you stay here for the rest of your life,” he said. I opened my mouth. My mind was drowsy from the high fever, and for the first time, I didn’t obey him. “I… don’t want to stay here. I want to go home. Grandpa, I haven’t seen him for three years…” Caleb looked very displeased. He wanted to drag me out but was disgusted by the dirty dust and sweat on me. “You’re ungrateful. Then don’t eat a single bite. Starve to death,” he roared. My lips trembled, and tears rolled down. “Fine.” In four more days, I’d be dead as he wished. Caleb really did what he said and never came to see me again. I curled up in bed and slept for a whole day and night with a lot of sweat. The wounds on my back and calf split open again because of my unconscious tossing and turning in my dreams. Blood and sweat soaked the quilt. During this time, a servant came to knock on my door and brought me a soft silk blanket. I was flattered, but the servant told me that Caleb had built a luxurious manor for Debby in the suburbs, lavished with all kinds of things. All of Debby’s things had been replaced with new ones, and this was what she didn’t want. I lowered my eyes and remained silent. On the third day, the wounds on my body not only didn’t heal but showed signs of rotting and suppurating. They were swollen and itchy. The worst thing was that the blanket stuck to the wounds, and it took me a long time to tear them apart with my teeth gritting. But this made the scabs break again. They were not serious wounds, but the blood just wouldn’t stop. I lay on the bed, icy all over, feeling like I was really going to die. But before death, I had to see Frank. Frank was in good health. Three years ago, when Debby caused a scene at my engagement party, it was Frank who stopped Caleb from hurting me with his cane. Frank had always demanded to check the surveillance to prove my innocence, but unfortunately, he had no power or influence and was nothing in front of the Pierce family after Charles passed away. Caleb sent me away behind Frank’s back. Frank didn’t know where I was. In the past three years, I hadn’t sent him a single message. He must have been crazy looking for me. On the fourth day, I didn’t even have the strength to move. Maggie saw how pitiful I was and secretly slipped in with medicine and bread. While I was wolfing down the food, she quickly took off my clothes to apply medicine for me. Maggie touched my bony body and couldn’t help crying. “How could Mr. Pierce be so cruel? What kind of suffering has he put you through all these years? Jess, if it’s really that bad, just run away.” With tears in her eyes, she said, “I’m on shift at midnight tonight. Everyone will be asleep then. I’ll open the back door for you. Just live your life from now on and never come back.” I forced myself to perk up and pleaded with her to find me a set of clean clothes and some makeup.

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Ever since I became pregnant, my health hasn’t been the best. Once my mother-in-law found out, she moved into our marital home, under the guise of taking care of me, along with my younger brother-in-law’s wife. Her demeanor changed drastically from her usual kindness, and she started saying absurd things: “My son is the eldest, so he has the duty to support his younger brother and sister-in-law.” “Besides, he’s a high achiever, so he should be in charge. Always listening to women won’t get him anywhere.” “Declan is no longer with us, and it’s Jasper’s responsibility to continue the family line. Since you’re pregnant and can’t look after him properly, let Declan’s wife do it.” My anger rose to my throat, but just then, Jasper came in and refused her. “I’ve already promised Nora that she is the only one for me, no exceptions.” Seeing my husband stand firmly by my side, I felt reassured that I had chosen the right partner. I gritted my teeth, working overtime to save for baby supplies, while drinking the special nourishing soup Jasper made for me. However, I discovered that the soup was drugged, and my husband was having an affair with his sister-in-law right under my nose.

I’m 37 this year, and it took two years of marriage with Jasper Thompson before I got pregnant. As soon as we confirmed the pregnancy, Jasper shared the good news widely. When my mother-in-law heard about it, she moved in with my younger brother-in-law Declan Thompson’s wife and child, under the pretense of taking care of me. Declan was a son-in-law my father found for me, but he had a strong sense of pride, and I never refused any of his harmless requests. The marital home, a spacious 300 square meters, was bought by my father, so there was no sense of overcrowding with them living there. Seeing Jasper trying to please everyone, I eventually softened and allowed them to stay. I never expected my mother-in-law, who appeared so kind before the wedding, to change so drastically, forgetting her son was a live-in son-in-law, and started acting domineering in my home. On their first night, I symbolically had the housekeeper prepare a table full of dishes. But I didn’t expect my mother-in-law to say something utterly absurd at the dinner table. “Jasper, Declan died young, so I arranged a posthumous marriage for him. This is your sister-in-law, Adeline Carter.” “Adeline is divorced and has a child, making it difficult for her to remarry. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to a posthumous marriage with Declan.” “You married into the Thompson family, and your children won’t carry the Thompson name. Why don’t you and Adeline have a child, as if it were Declan’s, to continue the Thompson lineage?” “This won’t affect your marriage; it’s a win-win.” Hearing this, the cup in my hand fell to the ground with a “crack.” I knew my mother-in-law was uneducated, but I didn’t expect her to be so absurd. Not only did she arrange a posthumous marriage for my deceased brother-in-law, but she also wanted my husband to father children for both families. I, Nora Thompson, the only daughter of the Thompson Corporation, cannot accept sharing my husband with another woman. With displeasure, I tapped the dining table with my hand. “Jasper, what do you think?” He hesitated for a long time, “Mom, I can’t do that.” I breathed a sigh of relief, not noticing the flirtatious glances between him and that woman. “Why not? You’re the eldest son of the Thompson family, and you have a responsibility to continue the family line.” “Besides, you’re a high achiever. Your children will be smart and bring honor to the Thompson family.” “If you hadn’t married into the Thompson family, why would I have to beg her?” She tried to persuade Jasper with bitter words and lectured me. “Nora, you should be more generous. You’re an only child, aren’t you lonely? When you and Adeline’s child are born, they’ll be siblings, and it’ll be lively.” “Also, I think this house is nice, big, and well-located. Adeline can stay here and keep you company.” “What?” I felt a surge of anger, raising my voice. Seeing me upset, Jasper quickly tried to smooth things over. “Mom, what are you talking about? Nora just got pregnant, and the baby isn’t stable. She can’t get upset.” Jasper signaled Declan to pull the excited mother-in-law aside and held my hand to comfort me. “I’ve always said, I only love Nora in this lifetime. I can’t agree to this.” Some of my anger dissipated, thankful that even Jasper couldn’t accept such a ridiculous idea. Otherwise, the Thompson Corporation wouldn’t stand for it. I left a note saying, “It better be that way.” Slamming the door shut. Jasper still followed me, explaining nonstop. “Mom is just like that, uneducated, doesn’t understand anything. Don’t take it to heart.” “You’re pregnant, getting angry affects our baby, it’s not worth it.” “I absolutely won’t agree to mom’s idea of fathering children for both families.”

For the sake of giving the child a complete family, I eventually softened my stance. I didn’t delve into their wrongdoings, focusing on my work instead. In the two years of marriage with Jasper, my mother-in-law never urged us to have children, so I thought she was understanding and cared for her deeply. I never thought that once I got pregnant, she’d show such a different side, making it unbearable. Fortunately, Jasper was still clear-headed, always standing by me. But I didn’t expect that I was still wrong. Pregnant women get hungry easily, so Jasper learned a few of my favorite dishes from a chef and made nourishing soup for me every day. One night, after dinner, I got hungry again. Jasper brought a bowl of soup to the bedroom as usual. I drank it without suspecting anything. Soon after, I felt sleepy and went to bed early. In the middle of the night, I woke up thirsty. The other side of the bed was empty. Jasper still wasn’t sleeping this late? I put on my shoes, planning to go to the kitchen for water. Unexpectedly, as soon as I stepped out of the bedroom, the sounds from the sister-in-law’s room stopped me in my tracks. Their door was wide open, and I saw Jasper and the sister-in-law in a compromising embrace. I swayed, ready to confront them, when I overheard their malicious conversation. “Jasper, I thought you had forgotten about me.” “How could I? You were my first. Nora Thompson can’t compare to you.” “Stop it. Don’t forget about us, Little Rain still doesn’t have a father. If not for you, why would I agree to a posthumous marriage with your deceased brother?” “I feel for you, Adeline. Little Rain is my son, I won’t mistreat him.” “Who believes you? That woman is pregnant with your child.” “Don’t worry about that. Her child won’t be born. At the hospital, I’m her husband. If I don’t sign, who dares to deliver her baby? Childbirth is like walking through death’s door. One wrong move, and it’s all over…” “Then, won’t her house, car, and savings all be mine?” These words struck me like a lightning bolt, destroying any hope I had left. Jasper, how dare he!? I wanted to barge in and expose their scheme, but I held back. Now wasn’t the time; there was no evidence. I clenched my fists, desperately suppressing my emotions. I don’t know how I got back to the bedroom last night. When I woke up the next day, the bed was still empty. I got up and went to the kitchen, finding Jasper there. Watching him busily preparing breakfast, I couldn’t help but gag. “What’s wrong, Nora? Feeling unwell? Are you too tired?” “Why not take a break from work today, rest for a few days.” His caring words came one after another, leaving me unable to distinguish which was the real him. Was the man in the sister-in-law’s room last night really this seemingly devoted man? The vile plots and sickening sweet talk were warning me not to be deceived by the high-acting man before me.

I looked at him, saying nothing. He tried to reach out and support me, but I sidestepped away. “Oh, sister-in-law is back.” My mother-in-law and Adeline Carter were already up, sitting at the table ready to eat. That woman wore an emerald green dress and an expensive jade necklace, giving her an air of elegance. “Who told you to wear my clothes, to go through my jewelry box?” I was furious, slapping her across the face. This was my favorite dress before I got pregnant. That jade necklace was a birthday gift from my dad, truly priceless. “Take it off immediately, or I’ll call the police for theft!” I’ve never flaunted my status as the Thompson Corporation’s heiress in front of them, letting them think I’m easy to bully. Adeline was startled, hiding behind Jasper, explaining pitifully. “I came in a rush, didn’t bring clothes. Just borrowing yours, I’ll return them…” Her pitiful look made it seem like I was the one at fault. When she moved in, she brought plenty of things, so it’s impossible she didn’t bring clothes. She just wanted to disgust me. My mother-in-law came over upon hearing the commotion, seeing Adeline looking like I’d bullied her terribly. “It’s just a dress, why make such a fuss?” “Your clothes and jewelry could open a store. One more or less doesn’t matter.” “Just pity her, let her wear it.” “Besides, she’s your sister-in-law, don’t be so petty.” Before, to respect his pride, I would always compromise on what he said. Now I realize I’ve been too accommodating. Just trying to make me sick. My mother-in-law rushed over when she heard the commotion, seeing Adeline Carter putting on an act as if I had severely bullied her. “It’s just a piece of clothing, why make a fuss?” “You have enough clothes and jewelry to fill a store. One more or less doesn’t make a difference.” “Show some compassion and let her wear it.” “Besides, she’s your sister-in-law. Don’t be so stingy.” In the past, to save his pride, I would always give in a little. Looking back now, I realize I was letting him walk all over me. I ignored his words and turned to him, saying, “I’ve been sleeping deeply these days, but last night I didn’t sleep well. I woke up and didn’t see you in the bedroom. Today, you’re defending her so generously. Did you actually do something behind my back, like your mom suggested?” My words clearly rattled the three of them. My mother-in-law, who’s not accustomed to such situations, couldn’t hide her panic. Adeline Carter, who acts high and mighty thanks to my mother-in-law, even wrinkled my expensive dress. Jasper Thompson was the quickest to recover. He was only caught off-guard for a moment before he replied smoothly. “That’s ridiculous, Nora. How could I do anything against you?” “Last night, Mom had terrible back pain. I was giving her a massage for a while. You seemed to be sleeping soundly, so I didn’t wake you.” “Isn’t that right, Mom?” Jasper even shot a glance at his mother to back him up. “Yes, yes, maybe I’ve been too tired from taking care of you lately. My back has been hurting.” What a joke. During their stay, the housekeeper has been preparing meals for their entire family, truly wearing herself out. As for my mother-in-law, she wouldn’t lift a finger if she saw a bottle of oil toppled over. I coldly watched their poor performance, feeling a wave of disgust rising up. I quickly walked to the bathroom, unwilling to see their hypocritical faces any longer. I had just finished a project and was ordered by my dad to rest at home. As lunchtime approached, my mother-in-law insisted on going out to eat. “Nora, eating this bland food with you every day is making me sick. Today, we’re going out to eat.” “Jasper, take me and Adeline shopping at the mall. Buy more clothes and jewelry so others won’t think we’re poor.” She even made a point to look my way as she said this. I really didn’t want to stay with them, seeing their ugly faces. Jasper looked at me, then at them, and finally spoke up. “Nora, rest well at home. With the housekeeper taking care of you, I’m at ease.” Jasper ultimately chose them. “Go if you want. Stop pretending here.” “Buy a few more clothes to change into. Don’t keep taking others’ clothes. That’s what thieves do.” I retorted mercilessly. My mother-in-law and Adeline Carter looked humiliated at my words, leaving with Little Rain without looking back. Jasper raised his hand, but before he could speak, my mother-in-law pulled him out the door. I watched them from the window. Jasper was sandwiched between two women, holding a child’s hand, chatting warmly, as if they were the real family. Ever since I got pregnant, everything seemed to change. Did Jasper think that just because I was pregnant, he could easily control me? He’s sorely mistaken. Since he dared to provoke me, the entire Thompson family shouldn’t expect an easy time! Since marrying Jasper Thompson, he had always treated me well. Pregnant women are naturally sensitive. I easily noticed even the slightest change. Today was supposed to be my prenatal check-up day. I waited all morning for Jasper to bring it up. As expected yet unexpected, he forgot. Watching their car drive away, I called the housekeeper to go to the hospital. The hospital wasn’t far. My primary doctor was a student of my dad’s, and also my old friend, Finn.

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I lost my ability to speak due to childhood trauma. My parents, not wanting me around, arranged for me to marry my sister’s fiancé, Jasper, who was in a coma. Through three years of dedicated care, Jasper eventually emerged from his coma. Yet, his first request was for a divorce. He believed my sister had been the one caring for him all these years and insisted he would marry no one else. Later, I overheard his friend explaining it had actually been me caring for him. Jasper merely shrugged it off, saying, “I knew all along, but I can’t have a wife who doesn’t speak.” Feeling utterly defeated, I sought the help of a hypnotherapist to erase my memories, hoping it would restore my speech. When I awoke, I looked at the man by the hospital bed and asked, perplexed, “Who are you?” The man in front of me was stunned… 1. Jasper had been in a coma for three years, and when he opened his eyes, I was the first person he saw. However, his gaze was filled with a fleeting disappointment. I was too elated to notice and eagerly helped him sit up, sharing the joyous news with my friends. Soon, the room was bustling with people. Meanwhile, I, who had been by his side for three long years, found myself pushed to the sidelines, unnoticed. Lydia arrived fashionably late, clad in a stunning blue dress, as if she’d just come from a celebration. Jasper grasped Lydia’s hand, his eyes brimming with emotion, “My love, thank you for everything over these three years.” His words left everyone in the room momentarily frozen, the air thick with tension. I stood awkwardly, fiddling with my clothes, unable to voice my side of the story because of my speech disorder. His friend tried to clarify, “Jasper, it’s Cora who’s your wife.” Jasper’s expression turned cold, glaring at me as if I were the intruder in his and Lydia’s relationship. I had always known Jasper was fond of my cousin Lydia. They were to be wed, but a car accident left him comatose. My cousin, unwilling to face hardship, had pleaded with my parents. Upon learning it was Jasper, I agreed to marry him in her stead. I never imagined that after three years of meticulous care, this would be the result. I quickly picked up my phone to type out an explanation, only for Lydia to snatch it away. She smiled insincerely, “Sister, Jasper just woke up. He can’t handle too much information right now. You should leave.” Sensing the uneasy atmosphere, others in the room made their excuses to depart. As the door closed, Lydia threw herself into Jasper’s arms, tears rolling down her cheeks, “Jasper, you’ve finally woken up. I’ve waited for you for so long…” A sharp pain clenched my heart, and my hand trembled slightly on the door handle. After some time, Lydia opened the door, her face still streaked with tears. Suspiciously, I stepped into the room, only for a glass to crash at my feet. “Cora, you really went to great lengths just to marry me!” “Using such despicable tactics, aren’t you ashamed?” The shattered glass cut my leg, but the physical pain paled in comparison to the hurt inside. Jasper was my childhood friend, the one person who didn’t mind my inability to speak and encouraged me to seek help. But after meeting Lydia, he became drawn to her. The boy who once promised to marry me slowly drifted away, and now he saw me as the villain disrupting their relationship. I anxiously gestured in sign language, only to remember he couldn’t understand it, and shakily picked up my phone to type an explanation. Lydia looked at me mockingly, knocking my phone to the ground, rendering it useless. “Sister, please let us be together!” I stood there, frozen. Sign language and my phone were my only means of communication, and now I couldn’t even defend myself. I shook my head in desperation, but the world can be a cruel place, especially for someone who can’t speak. 2. My parents somehow got wind of the situation and rushed to the hospital. I felt a flicker of hope, stopping them and frantically gesturing for them to explain on my behalf. They could only understand basic sign language. Mom gave a slight nod, but Dad merely brushed past me, leading Mom into the room. After some small talk, Mom hesitated, “Cora, she…” Sensing what Mom intended to say, Lydia interrupted, “Mom, my sister just cares too much about Jasper. Don’t blame her.” My eyes widened in disbelief as I grabbed Lydia, gesturing furiously, “You’re lying! You’re lying!” She rubbed her wrist, nestling into Jasper’s arms, looking pitiful, “I’m sorry, sister. Don’t be angry. I won’t say more.” I gestured desperately at Mom, my vision blurring, “Tell him it’s not like this!” Mom avoided my gaze. A sense of hopelessness washed over me; caring for Jasper alone for three years hadn’t felt as despairing as today. Dad’s face darkened, “Weren’t you the one who insisted your sister step aside? Saying Jasper wouldn’t know anyway.” I could hardly believe my own father would distort the truth so much; his words pierced my heart like needles. It was my sister who had refused to marry Jasper, deeming him worthless, and my parents who had made me marry him instead. Jasper sneered, “Cora, it’s a good thing I woke up, or I would have died with regrets.” I bit my lip hard, the taste of blood spreading in my mouth, realizing how little I meant to him. Mom pulled me out of the room, her face apologetic, “Don’t blame your dad; we owe it to Lydia.” My cousin’s parents died saving mine, so they took Lydia in, treating her as their own. Out of guilt, my parents made me yield to her in everything. If I disagreed, Lydia would cry, lamenting how things would be better if her parents were alive. After I developed my speech disorder, when I needed company the most, Lydia had my parents take her on a vacation abroad. Her mocking words from three years ago still echoed, “A mute and a coma patient, perfectly matched!” Mom continued, “Now that Jasper is awake, he will divorce you sooner or later.” “Leaving a good impression will raise your sister’s status higher, right?” Tears fell to the ground, and I pounded my chest hard, the only way to ease the pain in my heart. But it was them who owed my uncle and aunt, so why should I have to repay it? Jasper acted quickly. In the morning, he decided to divorce, and by the afternoon, the divorce papers were ready. Afraid of any trouble, he hired bodyguards to ensure I signed my name. I let out a bitter laugh, slowly writing my name. Jasper had once saved my life; I had cared for him for three years. We were even now. 3. The evening autumn breeze carried a chill. Once my phone was repaired, I immediately messaged Dr. Wesley, “I want to try the hypnosis therapy you mentioned.” Dr. Wesley quickly replied, “After hypnosis, you’ll lose some memories.” “And you’ll need a family member to sign a consent form, ensuring someone takes care of you during recovery.” My eyes lingered on the words “family member,” unable to think of anyone who could sign for me. I scrolled through my contacts, hesitating over one name. Unexpectedly, a message popped up, “I’m back in the country today. How about a meal together?” I quickly replied, setting a meeting place. I gazed out at the scenery, my thoughts drifting far away. Asher was the son of my sign language teacher; I became familiar with him while attending classes at their house. Three years ago, when he discovered I was marrying someone in a coma, he angrily smashed the birthday gift he had for me, saying his mom teaching me sign language was a waste. I retaliated with harsh words in sign language. Later, he studied abroad, and I thought we’d never meet again. I never expected him to return, looking more mature, with an aura that warned strangers away when not smiling. I got straight to the point, asking in sign language if he could pretend to be my family member and sign for me. His expression froze, clenching his hands tightly as if suppressing something. “Are you sure?” I nodded slightly; these memories meant nothing to me, and erasing them would allow me to speak. “Okay.” Returning to the house, it was already evening, and my belongings were carelessly thrown in the hallway. Jasper glanced at me indifferently, “Cora, don’t say I didn’t leave you any dignity; from now on, you’ll stay in the guest room.” I nodded slightly; he didn’t expect me to be so calm, examining me up and down. I would soon forget him; where I lived no longer mattered. A small dog suddenly ran out of the house, and I froze, instinctively grabbing Jasper’s arm. He frowned displeasedly, harshly shaking off my hand. “Cora, know your place.” His force was strong, catching me off guard, and I fell to the ground, pain shooting through my wrist. I’ve been afraid of dogs since childhood, and the boy who once promised to protect me for life now let go of my hand. He hesitated, wanting to reach out and help me up. I pretended not to notice, enduring the pain to stand up. Lydia emerged from the room, clinging to Jasper’s arm, acting coy. “The little one doesn’t like being confined; let’s give it a bigger room.” Jasper dotingly ruffled her hair, “Alright, let’s give it the newly tidied guest room.” “Cora, move to the basement.” How ironic; in his eyes, I’m worth less than a stray dog they took in. While packing my things, I suddenly noticed a strange smell. He looked at me with a trace of annoyance and reached out to grab my arm. I pretended not to notice and endured the pain as I sat up. Lydia emerged from the room, holding Jasper’s hand, speaking sweetly, “Little Cutie doesn’t like being confined. Let’s move it to a bigger room.” Jasper gently tousled her hair. “Alright, let’s give Little Cutie the guest room we just prepared.” “Cora, you’ll move to the basement.” How absurd. To him, I’m not even worth as much as the stray dog they’ve taken in. While packing, I noticed a strange smell. I traced it to find a large yellow stain on a red coat. This coat was a birthday gift from Jasper. My birthday coincides with the day my uncle and aunt are memorialized, so my parents never allowed me to celebrate it. Jasper had secretly given me the coat, promising, “Cora, from now on, I’ll celebrate every birthday with you.” Promises hold value only when there’s love behind them. I treasured that coat so much that I never wore it. Now, it seems I never will. Seeing the coat, Jasper seemed momentarily moved and instructed the butler to have it dry-cleaned. But I threw it into the trash bin, along with all the photos of Jasper and me over the years. I want no ties to him in the future. Jasper fixed his gaze on me, speaking slowly, “Lydia has such a kind heart to adopt Little Cutie. If you upset her, there will be consequences.” Sometimes, when words fail, all you can do is laugh. It seems Jasper has completely forgotten that I’m afraid of dogs. Apparently, Jasper had given orders, as not one servant offered to help me. I endured the pain in my wrist, packing until evening, clearing out everything connected to Jasper. For the first time in three years, I was staying at home. Ever since Jasper became comatose, I practically lived in the hospital. Initially, people visited, but eventually, his family gave up on him, and it was mostly just the two of us in the hospital room. Just as dawn broke and I had drifted off to sleep, a basin of cold water jolted me awake. Jasper looked down at me, “Cora, you’re getting lazier by the day.” “You’re no longer the mistress of this house. How dare you sleep in?” Dazed, I nodded slightly to show I understood. I wiped the water from my face, got up, and changed my clothes. In the villa, the servants were bustling about. The butler glanced at me and directed me to clean the piano. It dawned on me that today was Lydia’s birthday. My fingers brushed over the keys, releasing beautiful music. Jasper once said my hands were meant for playing the piano, but now they’re used for cleaning it. A self-deprecating smile appeared on my lips. Sweet words are only genuine at the moment they’re spoken. Halfway through cleaning, I received a message from Dr. Wesley: [Tomorrow at ten in the morning.] I quickly replied with “okay” and forwarded the message to Asher. The prospect of being able to speak again lifted my spirits. I thought this party had nothing to do with me, but Jasper dragged me into the dressing room, and I was surprised to be handed a dress. He looked impatient. “Hurry up and change. If you don’t participate, how will people talk about Lydia?” It turns out he was just worried about gossip concerning Lydia. I touched the large stain on the dress, feeling numb inside. I remembered Lydia’s Snapchat story from an hour ago: [It doesn’t matter if the dress gets dirty. Jasper will prepare two for me.] Lydia stood by the cake like an elegant princess, while I felt like a clown for their amusement. I tried to make myself as inconspicuous as possible, sitting in the corner. Yet, the whispers still reached my ears. “What’s on her dress? It’s disgusting!” “She’s shameless enough to steal her sister’s engagement.” “I heard she’s mute too.” The mocking voices were relentless, and I clutched the hem of my dress tightly. Lydia sat by the piano, the spotlight on her, capturing everyone’s attention. The music abruptly stopped, and she exclaimed, “It hurts! Why is there a blade in the piano?” The butler pointed at me in the corner. “Only Miss Cora touched the piano!” Jasper glared at me, roughly dragging me to the piano and pressing my hands onto the keys. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe. “Cora, this is the price of your wrongdoing.” After saying that, he ignored my bleeding hands and carried Lydia out. I clearly saw Lydia give me a triumphant smile. Later, an ambulance took me to the hospital, but all the doctors were called to consult for Lydia. Before I passed out from blood loss, I heard a nurse shout angrily, “If her hands aren’t treated in time, she’ll be permanently disabled!” Tears slid from the corners of my eyes. I wish I had never met Jasper. Meanwhile, a doctor recognized Jasper and greeted him. “How’s your wife? She took care of you for three years. It’s good to see her suffering is over.” It looks like there’s no text available for translation. Could you provide the Chinese text that you want translated?

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I was shipwrecked during a voyage, and after escaping from the doomed vessel, I found myself on an uncharted island inhabited by a local tribe. A female crew member and I were captured by them. Fortunately, they didn’t plan to kill us right away. Instead, they intended to keep us for breeding. The female leader seemed to have a particular interest in me… My name is Ethan, and I’m a sailor. During a voyage, the cargo ship I was on was overturned by a storm, forcing us to abandon ship. Two lifeboats carried about a dozen survivors, drifting aimlessly at sea for days. We received no rescue, and our supplies of fresh water and food were nearly depleted. Just as despair began to set in, an island emerged on the horizon. From afar, it was clear this wasn’t a barren place; the lush vegetation suggested it had a water source. “We’re saved!” I exclaimed, reaching for the motor. “Hold on a second!” Someone held my hand back. “We should conserve the fuel; we might need it later.” I looked at the others, and they all nodded in agreement. So, to save the precious fuel, we didn’t use the motor. Instead, we gathered our remaining strength to row towards the island. Exhausted, we finally reached the beach. Just as everyone was relieved to have made it, something flew out from the dense forest near the shore with a “whoosh.” “Ah—!” A scream erupted from Nora, the female intern. Two bone spears had pierced her calf and shoulder. Before we could grasp what was happening, we heard shouting, getting closer and louder. A group of armed tribesmen emerged from the forest, hurling rocks and bone spears at us. “Run!” someone yelled. We scrambled to our feet. Several bone spears landed near me but missed. Unfortunately, the two people next to me weren’t as lucky. They were hit by the sharp bone spears and couldn’t move. “Help! Ethan, help me!” Nora cried out, but no one could spare her any attention. I was about to run too, but her plea made me pause for a second. That second was enough for a rock to hit my head, knocking me down. Soon, we were surrounded by tribesmen, who pointed their bone spears at us, snarling and jeering. A strong male tribesman approached Nora. “Please, let me go. I’ll do anything.” Nora was crying, her body trembling with fear. The tribesman grabbed her hair and pulled it back, roughly handling her. Despite the pain, Nora was too terrified to scream. The tribesman sniffed her and then shouted. Several tribesmen rushed over, tearing her clothes amid her screams, binding her to a tree branch, and carried her away like a captured animal. Nora’s life was barely spared. But the two male crew members weren’t as fortunate. The strong male tribesman made some sounds, and a dozen tribesmen repeatedly stabbed them… Seeing my colleagues brutally killed was horrifying. I knew I was next. Suddenly, a sharp whistle came from a distance. The tribesmen stopped and made way. A female tribeswoman approached. She wore a necklace of skulls and a headdress made of woven vines and bone decorations, suggesting she was the leader. I’d heard rumors about matriarchal societies in tribes with scarce females. The female tribeswoman inspected me and tugged at my clothes. Then she grabbed my lower body, making me almost faint from the pain. She then lunged at me, ripping my sailor T-shirt into strips. But my work clothes were sturdy, and I had a belt on. She couldn’t tear them open. Frustrated, she shouted at me. The male tribesmen seemed to understand, threatening me with their bone spears. I was unwilling, but seeing my dead colleagues, I knew I had to endure to survive. The female tribeswoman quickly pulled down my pants and excitedly shouted. Then, she pinned me down and bit me…

The pain was excruciating, and I was bleeding. But I was powerless and too scared to resist, letting her do as she pleased. The male tribesmen were excitedly shouting around us. After a long while, the female tribeswoman finally stood up, panting heavily. The male tribesmen tied my limbs with vine and hung me from a thick branch, carrying me into the dense forest. My two male colleagues’ bodies were tied similarly, hanging on either side of me. I was taken to a village under a waterfall deep in the forest. A bonfire burned fiercely, with a large pot above it. A nauseating stench wafted from that direction. I was taken to a cave while my colleagues’ bodies were thrown into the pot. I realized I was among a tribe of cannibals. Soon, I was thrown onto a pile of straw in the cave. I don’t know if they thought I was too weak to resist or for some other reason, but no one stayed to guard me. I immediately wriggled my body towards the cave wall. I sat up against the wall and found a sharp edge to rub the vine on my wrists against. Suddenly, shadows flickered at the entrance. A few tribesmen with spears appeared. I held my breath in fear and stopped moving. But they weren’t coming for me. After some grunts, they walked past the cave entrance. Soon, I heard heart-wrenching screams and the shouts of tribesmen from next door. It was Nora! She was right next door. The matriarchal tribe saw her as a “resource,” so they spared her life. I increased the pace of rubbing the vine. After some time, the vine finally broke. I quickly untied my legs and went to the entrance, sticking to the wall to peek outside. “Thump, thump, thump…” A series of knocks sounded, as if signaling the tribesmen, who began to move towards the sound. I quickly hid in a corner. Shadows passed by the entrance, but luckily, no one looked inside. Confirming the tribesmen were gone, I boldly went to the neighboring cave. Nora’s limbs were still tied. She lay limp on the straw pile, covered in bruises, with a pool of blood beneath her. The only relief was that the tribesmen had treated her leg and shoulder wounds to keep her alive. Hearing a noise, she thought the tribesmen were back and was about to scream. I quickly covered her mouth. “Don’t scream, it’s me!” Nora nodded, and I let go. I looked around and found a bone spear nearby. Having grown up on a farm and often fishing in the river, I could manage this weapon. I picked it up and cut the vines binding Nora. “Can you run?” Nora nodded. We cautiously left the cave. Outside, the tribesmen were dancing around the pot, seemingly performing a ritual. The female tribeswoman was leading it. This was the perfect chance to escape! “Don’t make a sound. Stay close to me!” I held the spear, leading the way, with Nora close behind. Just as we were about to leave the village, we ran into a patrolling tribesman. “Oh oh oh—!” I thrust the bone spear into his chest. But it was too late; his shout interrupted the ritual. Although we were about a hundred meters away, I felt as if the female tribeswoman instantly locked eyes with me. She smiled at me, and despite our earlier encounter, that smile seemed wickedly charming. Suddenly, the woman from the tribe emitted a piercing scream. As if on command, the tribespeople armed themselves and rushed toward me. “Run!” I grabbed Nora, who was still in shock, and sprinted into the depths of the forest. The tribespeople’s howls echoed just behind us, and bone spears and blow darts zipped past. Fortunately, the thick foliage blocked their view and their missiles, so none struck us.

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Zachary, my ex-boyfriend whom I once destroyed, has returned to the country with a billion-dollar fortune. But he has only one goal: to humiliate me mercilessly. However, when he finally finds me, all he sees is a small gravestone overgrown with grass. I died three years ago, just three months after our breakup. It’s been three years since I died, and I still haven’t been able to reincarnate. My soul wanders the world. I waited early at the airport exit, my transparent body giving me a significant advantage. As Zachary stepped out of the airport, screams erupted from the crowd. I stood in the spot closest to him, feeling an inexplicable ache in my chest. How wonderful, he’s still as handsome and dashing as ever. Unlike three years ago, he now exudes confidence and success, his eyes twinkling with joy. I had learned of Zachary’s imminent return from the news. Over the past three years, he had successfully built a business abroad and was now returning to expand his enterprise. Countless people cheered for him, even praising his family. Only I, his ex-girlfriend who had abandoned him in his darkest hour, was vilified on social media. Thankfully, I can’t even touch a phone now, or I’d surely try to defend myself. But what would be the point? I laughed bitterly at myself when suddenly a familiar figure appeared before me. The person ran towards Zachary, nearly tripping several times due to the crowd. Instinctively, I reached out to help, but my hands passed right through people’s bodies. I froze. So I stood still as the figure pushed through the crowd and ran up to Zachary, almost falling to her knees. “Mr. Zhou, I’m Wendy, Sophia’s friend. Could you spare some time? I have something important to tell you.” The speaker was my best friend in life, and also my brother Samuel’s true love. They were about to get married when Samuel had a car accident the day before. The hit-and-run driver was never caught. Since then, he’s been bedridden, often mentally unstable, only kept in check by medication. Mostly imported and expensive drugs. I suppose this is why Wendy is here. We’ve sold everything we could over the years, but it’s still not enough to cover the costs. I looked hopefully at Zachary, wondering if he still had a place for me in his heart. “Sophia? Who’s that?” “What? Another person trying to use my brother’s connections?” “How shameless! He doesn’t even know her.” “Hey, isn’t that name similar to his ex-girlfriend’s?” The crowd murmured, some even starting to push Wendy away. Her face turned red, but Zachary’s bodyguards were already clearing a path, shoving her aside. I wanted to comfort her, but as I reached out, I froze. Ah, even after three years as a spirit, I still haven’t learned. The truth is, I couldn’t even comfort myself. Every word he said felt like a knife to my heart. In an instant, Wendy wiped away her tears and tried to push through the crowd again. This time she wasn’t so lucky. The tall bodyguards wouldn’t let her get close. After what had just happened, more people in the crowd started to interfere. A scream made Zachary stop. All the reporters turned their cameras towards the two of them, and even the air seemed to go still. Wendy, ignoring the pain, tried to speak, but he turned and walked away. As one of the bodyguards helped her up, the main group had already walked far away. After the car had driven some distance, Zachary had Wendy brought to him. Her hair was disheveled, and there was some dirt on her face. I followed her closely, unable to hold back my tears. She used to be such a free-spirited, romantic girl. It was only for my brother that she gave up all her dignity. At this moment, I desperately hoped Zachary wouldn’t be too harsh with his words, but he didn’t grant my wish. “Please, save Samuel! I really don’t have money for the imported medicine anymore. Please, for Sophia’s sake, help us!” “Her sake? She doesn’t deserve it! Unless she comes and begs me on her knees herself!” Wendy’s eyes widened, as if she had heard something unbelievable. Her hands were shaking slightly, like she might lose control at any moment. “But Sophia, she…” “Trying to play me like three years ago? Hah, I’ll give her three days. Not a day more.” Then Zachary had his bodyguards take Wendy away. After she left, he immediately furrowed his brow. A phone call came in, the contact name reading “Darling Baby”. Rumor has it that Zachary has been keeping a beautiful petite woman by his side these three years, and they’re supposedly getting married soon. When I was with him, I once saw this caller ID, but Zachary quickly hid it away. It must have been his true love. This is for the best. Our relationship was just mutual use anyway, so I shouldn’t feel so guilty. When I first met Zachary, I was just a lowly employee at his family’s company. Beauty without the ability to protect oneself is a sin. During a team-building event, a sleazy superior dragged me into a small room. I managed to scare him off by cutting my wrist and then opened the door to escape. I ran straight into someone’s arms – it was Zachary. Later, when I woke up in the hospital, I learned that he had chased away the superior that day and offered me the position of his personal assistant, which was currently being recruited. After we got together, he told me that he thought it was better to find an assistant from someone he knew. He happened to look through my file and learned that I had a bedridden brother, which piqued his interest. Zhou Corporation was the top company in River City, with a wide range of business interests. Zachary, who had been groomed as the heir from a young age, was highly talented but didn’t like business. He preferred tinkering with electronic products. Unable to defy his father, he reluctantly became a deputy director, secretly focusing on his interests. When I first became his assistant, I was warned. His father, with a smile on his face, said words that cut to the bone. “You should do what’s appropriate for your position and be aware of your place. Otherwise, you might not even be able to keep that position. Don’t you agree?” He said this to me one afternoon in a coffee shop, and I’ve always remembered it. Zachary had been engaged since childhood, but they never got along. He often complained to me about her, and gradually I came to know her better than Zachary did. I didn’t follow his father’s advice, instead growing closer to Zachary day by day. Because my place was never meant to be here. It was about two months after Samuel’s car accident when someone approached me at my part-time job with a large sum of money. The Zhou family hadn’t fallen from grace yet, and I knew some people from when we were still wealthy. The person wanted me to steal a business secret from the Zhou family. I immediately refused. “Miss Shen, don’t you want to save your brother?” “I’ll earn the money myself.” “Haha! Maybe you could have done that before, but now only two people are left in your family. How will you earn it?” On the day of bankruptcy, my father jumped from a building and my mother committed suicide. Not long after, my brother had the car accident. Only I remained intact. Although I didn’t want to face it, it was reality. That evening, I went to Samuel’s hospital room and happened to catch him during one of his episodes. He was tightly gripping a fruit knife with both hands, and no one dared to approach him. As he was about to leave the hospital, I steeled myself and rushed to stop him, but my arm was cut with a long gash. The nurses who had been waiting for an opportunity swarmed in and gave him a sedative, finally calming him down. After my arm was bandaged, Samuel regained consciousness. Seeing the wound, he started hitting his head violently. Wendy hurried to stop him but was pushed away, tears streaming down her face. “Isn’t he taking his medication every day?” “The medicine ran out, and we don’t have money to buy more. I thought he had been doing well lately, so I figured it would be okay to stop for a few days. I never expected this to happen when I left for just a moment. I’m so sorry.” “It’s not your fault. I still have some money, take it and use it.” Wendy could have left, but she didn’t. Just for this, I already felt incredibly guilty. How could I blame her? She wiped her tears and left with the bank card I gave her. I could vaguely hear her talking to the medical staff outside. Samuel sat blankly on the bed after his outburst, his face expressionless. “It would be better if I just died.” This sentence was like a small stone thrown into water, setting off alarm bells in my mind. In this world, he was my last remaining family member. No matter what, I couldn’t let anything happen to him. I couldn’t bear the pain of losing another family member. So I agreed to that person’s request. They would arrange everything and cover all treatment costs, even bringing in a specialist from abroad. The condition was that within three months, I had to obtain that item at any cost. We quickly fell in love, always together wherever we went. During a business trip, we ran into William, who had relentlessly pursued me in school. He blocked my path, insisting on catching up. Zachary shielded me behind him, his tall figure exuding a sense of security. “Who are you?” William’s voice was almost trembling. Zachary looked back at me, then at him, and smiled. “I’m her boyfriend.” William left sheepishly, no longer as arrogant in front of Zachary. After getting rid of William, Zachary suggested we go for a walk. I was still shocked by what had just happened and nodded without thinking. The gentle breeze on my face felt refreshing, as if memories from the past were becoming clearer bit by bit. Back then, I was carefree, not having to think so much about everything like I do now. He noticed my low spirits and took great care of me throughout the journey. How wonderful it would be if we could stay in this moment forever? I knew I shouldn’t indulge in such fantasies, but my heart couldn’t help it. “Do you… like me?” This was the first time he had asked me this. Before, when we got together, a simple nod was enough. I smiled, my face stiff, then nodded heavily. ———-This is the breakpoint———- Liking someone doesn’t need a reason. I smiled from the bottom of my heart, as if I had truly fallen for him too.

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Five Years of Marriage, I Suddenly Called My Wife by Her Full Name I’ve been married to Sarah Mitchell for five years. Today, I suddenly started calling her by her full name. I also stopped caring about our daughter’s health. Sarah and Emma were stunned and asked why I had suddenly become so cold. I just smiled and said, “It’s nothing. You’re overthinking it.” They believed me and immediately started discussing their plans to go out with Mark the next day. They didn’t know that I had initially stayed with them only to complete a mission from headquarters. As long as I made Sarah fall in love with me, I could get $50 million. However, I ended up falling in love first. But now, I don’t want to continue anymore. I made a phone call: “Mission terminated. I don’t want the money anymore.” A voice came from the other end: “Are you sure about this? She might have already fallen in love with you. We’re talking about $50 million here.” “I’m sure,” I replied. “Alright. I’ve bought you a ticket to Norway. From now on, all your information in the city will be erased.” “In just half a month, you’ll be able to leave.” After the call, I dumped all the food into the trash can. That’s when Sarah and Emma returned home. As soon as they got home, Sarah tossed me a piece of clothing: “This is for you.” In the past, I would have been happy that they thought of me even when they went out without me. But now, looking at the clothes in my hand, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. Still hoping against hope, I asked, “Did you buy this especially for me?” Sarah glanced at me, frowning: “Who else would I buy it for? Come on, is it because we didn’t take you out today? We’ll bring you along next time, okay?” Emma made a face at me: “Daddy’s a miser! Emma doesn’t want to go out with Daddy anymore.” Emma was still eating candy she had brought back from outside. Worried she might get a toothache, I took the candy from her hand: “Emma, you can’t eat any more candy. Your teeth might hurt tonight.” To my surprise, as soon as I took the candy, Emma reacted violently. She glared at me, pointing her little finger and shouting: “I don’t want you to be my daddy anymore, you’re a bad daddy!” She turned to Sarah and said: “Mommy, can you let Uncle Mark be my daddy instead?” Sarah looked at me and just said to Emma: “We can’t do that, honey. He’s your daddy.” Emma burst into tears and ran over to me, hitting and kicking: “Bad daddy, I don’t want this bad daddy. Daddy, why don’t you just die? If you die, I can let Uncle Mark be my daddy.” Emma’s words shocked me. I knew she liked Mark, but I never imagined she would want me to die so Mark could be her father. My heart was pierced once again. I took a deep breath and, for the first time, didn’t crouch down to comfort Emma. I firmly pulled her away and gave mother and daughter a cold look. After going upstairs, I opened my phone. The screen was still on Mark’s social media post from half an hour ago. The post showed a picture of the exact clothes Sarah had just said she bought especially for me. He had captioned it: “Bought the wrong size. Shame to throw it away.” So he thought it was a waste to throw away, so he gave it to me instead. Because I’m only worthy of wearing what he doesn’t want, is that it? A bitter smile crossed my lips as I started packing my clothes. Sarah thought I didn’t know about her and Mark, but six months ago, when she first cheated, Mark had sent me a message. After that, every time Sarah cheated, Mark would send a message taunting me. Each time, I endured it for the sake of our daughter. But later I discovered that even Emma was on Mark’s side. So since they’ve betrayed me, I don’t want them anymore either. There’s only one day left before I leave. I’ve prepared everything, just waiting for the time to come so I can fake my death and leave. When the time comes, headquarters will prepare a body that looks exactly like me. And I will be completely free. But on this day, someone suddenly came to our house. Seeing Mark next to Sarah, I didn’t know what expression to make anymore. He was holding a dog in his arms. When the dog saw me, it started barking loudly. As it moved, dog hair flew everywhere. I felt my nose start to itch and quickly covered it, stepping back half a step. Seeing my reaction, Mark turned to Sarah with a troubled look: “Sarah, I think I should go back. It seems Jason doesn’t welcome me.” Sarah frowned, looking at me with displeasure: “Jason Carter, Mark hurt his foot and has no one to take care of him at home, so I invited him to stay with us for a while. He’s a guest, don’t be so rude.” Emma chimed in: “Bad daddy! Uncle Mark, you can stay in daddy’s room, it’s the biggest!” Mark smiled: “Thank you, Emma, but your dad doesn’t seem to like me. I should go back.” He turned to leave, but Emma quickly grabbed him and glared at me: “Bad daddy, if you don’t want Uncle Mark to stay with us, you should get out!” Mark’s dog was still barking furiously. This season was when animals shed the most. Dog hair was flying everywhere. I couldn’t help but sneeze repeatedly, feeling my body start to itch. I said nothing, just moved aside half a step to let them in. Only then were Sarah and Emma satisfied. The two of them carefully helped Mark inside. Due to my dog hair allergy, my body had already broken out in red spots. I quickly went back to my room to take allergy medication. There was only one pill left. Just as I was about to take it, Mark came over and deliberately bumped into me. The pill fell to the ground, and Mark stepped on it. “Move your foot,” I said. Mark looked at me challengingly, his eyes full of smugness. I was having difficulty breathing and was about to forcefully move his foot. At that moment, Mark let out a cry and deliberately fell to the ground. The next second, Sarah and Emma came running over. They helped Mark up, looking concerned. Mark looked at me with a hurt expression: “Jason, I know you don’t like me, and I’ll leave. But did you have to push me?” Hearing this, Emma ran over and started hitting me with her little hands: “Bad daddy, you deliberately hurt Uncle Mark. Why are you so mean?” Sarah also looked at me accusingly: “Jason Carter, I never thought you’d be this kind of person. Mark’s foot is already injured, why would you do this to him? Let me tell you, this is my house. If you’re not happy with the friends I bring home, then please leave immediately!” By this point, I was in so much discomfort that I didn’t even know how to refute. I looked at the pill on the ground, now broken in half by Mark’s foot, and quickly went to pick it up. But Sarah stepped on it again. She looked at me coldly: “Jason Carter, apologize to Mark.” I was shaking all over from discomfort, no longer caring about anything. In a hoarse voice, I said, “I’m sorry.” Only then did Sarah move her foot. They thoughtfully helped Mark sit on the sofa. I looked at the even more broken pill, and like a pathetic dog, picked it up. After swallowing it down with some water, I finally felt a bit better. I sat weakly in a chair. Looking at the happy scene of the three of them, I quietly comforted myself. “Jason Carter, it’s okay. You’re leaving tomorrow anyway.” Suddenly, I heard Sarah’s voice: “Leaving? Where are you going?” Looking at Sarah, I forced a smile: “It’s nothing.” Sarah then noticed the red spots on my neck: “What happened to your neck?” I laughed weakly: “Don’t you know I’m allergic to dog hair?” Sarah froze, suddenly remembering the dog Mark had brought. She hurriedly tried to explain: “I’m sorry, I forgot.” “It’s fine.” After all, in Sarah’s eyes, nothing I did could compare to Mark. It’s normal that she forgot about my dog allergy. I stood up, and Sarah grabbed my hand in a panic: “Where are you going?” I pulled my hand away, saying coldly: “I don’t feel well. I want to rest in my room.” Sarah then said: “Okay, get some rest.” For once, forgetting about my dog allergy made her feel a bit guilty. I laughed bitterly inside, no longer looking at her. As I passed through the living room, Mark gave me a smug look. I ignored him too. Back in my room, I gathered all the photos of me with Sarah and Emma. Looking at the stack of photos in my hand, I felt no attachment as I threw them all into the trash can. When I went downstairs to take out the trash, Sarah asked: “Didn’t I tell you to rest in your room? What are you doing?” “Nothing, just throwing out some trash.” Sarah made a sound of acknowledgment: “Alright, since you seem fine now, we’re heading back to the old house. You come with us. Mark’s foot is injured, so you can drive.” Not wanting to cause any more trouble before I left, I said flatly: “Okay.” At the old house, Sarah was called away by her father, while Mark was chatting and laughing with Sarah’s grandmother. The old lady had mobility issues and was already in a wheelchair. Mark was pushing her outside. I called out to him: “Your own leg is injured. It might be dangerous to push the old lady.” Mark sneered: “Jason Carter, are you jealous because you see me getting along well with the old lady?” The grandmother also glanced at me. She had never been satisfied with me as her granddaughter’s husband, so she never had a good attitude towards me. She patted Mark’s hand: “Little Mark, don’t mind him. Push me out for a walk.” Mark shot me a smug look. I sighed and didn’t stop them anymore. When I went outside, I found Mark pushing the grandmother by the pool for a walk. Emma was playing with them nearby. I turned my head, not wanting to look anymore, but the next second, I heard a splash from the distance. Somehow, the grandmother had fallen into the pool. Mark was standing nearby, looking helpless. Without thinking, I quickly jumped in. The old lady was quite heavy, and due to drowning, she was struggling fiercely. I couldn’t pull her up alone. I quickly shouted at Mark to call for help. Only then did he react and find the house staff to help. After we rescued the old lady, they hurriedly sent her to the hospital. I was soaking wet, and no one paid any attention to me. At the hospital, Sarah was fuming: “Who pushed grandmother out there?!” Seeing me arrive, Mark pointed at me: “It was him! Sarah, I said we shouldn’t take the old lady out, but he wouldn’t listen!” Sarah looked at me with a furrowed brow: “Jason Carter, is what he’s saying true?” I was disgusted by Mark’s behavior and shook my head: “No, it wasn’t me.” But at that moment, Emma shouted: “Mommy, daddy is lying. It was him who pushed great-grandma out! If it wasn’t for him, great-grandma wouldn’t be hurt!” I looked at Emma in shock. I really didn’t expect that at a time like this, she would lie for Mark’s sake. I was more than a little disappointed in her. I wondered how this daughter, whom I had always taught to be honest and trustworthy, could become a child full of lies after knowing Mark for just half a year. I looked steadily at Sarah: “I didn’t do it. They’re lying. It was Mark who pushed the old lady out.” Mark’s eyes flashed with panic, but he still said: “Sarah, my leg is injured. How could I push the old lady? Jason, if you don’t like me, that’s fine, but why are you falsely accusing me?” With these words, Sarah immediately became furious. She walked over and slapped me across the face. “Jason Carter, I never thought you’d be so petty, and now you’re full of lies. You’d better pray that grandmother is okay, or I won’t let you off!” Mark looked at me, his eyes flashing with malice. “Sarah, if we don’t teach him a lesson, he’ll keep doing this. Why don’t you let me talk to him? I’ll make him understand what he should and shouldn’t do.” Just then, the grandmother woke up. Sarah hurried to check on her, agreeing without a second thought. Mark and I returned home together, and he shoved me into a room. Then he threw his dog in there too. I huddled in the corner while Mark stood at the door, smiling: “I heard you’re allergic to dog hair. Since Sarah left you with me, why don’t you enjoy this for a while?” With that, he closed the door. I shouted at Emma, who was by the door: “Emma, quick, open the door for daddy.” But Emma yelled back: “I won’t! You’re a bad daddy. You should be locked up!” “Uncle Mark, let’s go. Don’t bother with him.” “Okay.” Their voices gradually faded away. The room was left with just me and the dog. The dog bared its teeth, looking like it might pounce on me any second. I quickly ran to the window and opened it, trying to breathe in some fresh air. Then, as if sensing something, the dog kept coming closer to me. Red spots started appearing on my body again. This time, I didn’t have a single allergy pill with me. I was in such discomfort that I kept scratching, and in the midst of my movements, the dog suddenly lunged at me. I instinctively grabbed a nearby vase and hit it. The dog was struck on the head and fell to the ground, convulsing. The dog was dead. I took out my phone to call Sarah, wanting her to come back and open the door. Before I could speak, Sarah said coldly from the other end: “Jason Carter, thankfully grandmother is fine. You better reflect on your actions. Don’t call me again!” With that, she hung up. I looked at the ended call, forcing a smile. The door was locked from the outside and I couldn’t get out. The only option now was to jump from the window. It was only the second floor, which wasn’t a big deal for me. After jumping down, I found that Mark and Emma had disappeared somewhere. I returned to my own room, took the suitcase I had already packed, and took one last look at this home where I had lived for several years. I once thought this home was my warmest haven. I even thought that even without the $50 million, it would be okay because I had the person I loved. But now I realize that this home means nothing to me. I no longer lingered. I called headquarters: “The body can be placed now.” When Sarah returns home, all she’ll see is a “me” who died from a dog hair allergy.

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