Category: English

A gold digger owes my family money, but she’s trying to seduce my brother to write off her debt. She even wants me to hand over my salary card for her to manage. “Sis, you’re such a big spender. Don’t you want to save up for your dowry? You can’t expect to use my future husband’s money to support yourself, can you?” she says with a sickly sweet smile. What an idiot. She has no idea that the money is mine, and so is the company. I’m actually her creditor, her sugar mama. Come on, let mama teach you how to be a decent human being! That afternoon in our family SnapChat group, my brother announced he was bringing his girlfriend home. Everyone was excited. My brother is short and has always been a bit of a dreamer, spending most of his time playing video games at home. He’s never had a girlfriend before. Now that he’s bringing someone home, and apparently a pretty girl at that, everyone in the group chat is over the moon. I’m happy for him too. Mom prepared a huge feast and told me to come home early. I rescheduled a few meetings, made arrangements at the company, and headed home with a hastily purchased gift for the girlfriend. As soon as I stepped through the door, I heard a sickeningly sweet voice. It was my future sister-in-law, Amber. “What’s the deal with your family? They knew we were coming, so why didn’t your sister come home early to help cook? Look how your mom is sweating from all the work.” My brother quickly tried to appease her, “My sister isn’t very good at cooking, and she’s usually busy with work.” Amber let out an exaggerated sigh, “Why would a woman be so busy? The bosses at her company are all men, how busy could she really be? If she can’t even cook, it’ll be hard for her to find a husband. No wonder your sister isn’t married yet.” My mom’s voice came through, flat and emotionless, “Amber, can you cook?” Amber immediately snuggled up to my brother, acting coy, “If Lucas wants me to, I’ll learn. Lucas, do you want me to?” My brother, clearly under her spell, replied, “I couldn’t bear to see you work so hard.” Amber tsked, “You know, whether a woman cooks or not depends on how much her man cherishes her. If she can get her man wrapped around her finger without cooking, why would she need to?” My mom’s expression darkened even more. At this point, my brother quickly tried to smooth things over, “Mom, Amber didn’t mean it like that. She’s still young, don’t take it to heart.” Amber, trying to change the subject, asked, “Why isn’t your sister back yet?” She shook her head, “You really spoil her. The whole family waiting for dinner just because of one daughter. This would never happen in our family.” Hearing this, I had a pretty good idea of what kind of person this girl was. I pushed open the door, glancing at my embarrassed brother. I unceremoniously tore off the packaging of the new handbag I’d bought as a gift and tossed it on the sofa. This gold digger didn’t deserve such a carefully chosen present.

To my surprise, Amber’s eyes lit up when she saw the handbag on the sofa. She then gave me a once-over, noting my casual, unbranded clothes with a hint of disdain in her eyes. I looked at her too. There was something familiar about this Amber. Before I could place where I’d seen her before, Amber started her act again. She deliberately placed her own handbag on her lap, pretending to reach for a tissue. That’s when I realized that her bag was the same model as the one I’d just bought. Wait a minute, mine was a limited edition that was hard to get. There was only one in our city. Looking closer, I noticed that the hardware on her bag looked dull. Suddenly, it all made sense. It was a knockoff, and not even a good one. She patted her bag, “You know, women should treat themselves well. When buying things, always go for the authentic items. It’s so embarrassing to be caught with a fake.” Then she turned to me, “Sis, where did you buy this bag? Let me check if it’s real. I have an app for that.” My mom, maintaining what little composure she had left, put down a bowl and called to my brother, “Lucas, serve the food.” Amber, hearing this, immediately jumped to “protect” her man, “Sis, you’re closer. Why don’t you do it? I’ll help you check if your bag is authentic.” She opened her phone, navigating through several pages before landing on a QR code scanner. “It’s not showing up. Sis, did you get scammed? Where did you buy this online? Mine is from a professional buyer. I can introduce you if you’d like. If you mention my name, you’ll get a discount.” I looked at my brother, who gave me a pleading look. Giving him a bit of face, I replied, “I bought it from the store.” Just then, the doorbell rang. It was my secretary, who had come specially. As soon as she saw me, she apologized, “Ms. Tang, you forgot to take the warranty card and the complimentary silk scarf when you left earlier.” Amber’s expression changed. She stared at the elegantly packaged items, then at her own bag, speechless. By this time, my dad had finished setting the table and sternly told my brother to invite the “guest” to eat. From the initial smiles to now referring to her as a “guest”, it was clear that my parents had already written Amber off.

Well, this would probably be the last meal we’d have with her anyway. I didn’t pay much attention to her, only feeling sorry for all the dishes my mom had prepared. Except for her annoying smacking while eating, everything else was tolerable. But apparently, even a table full of food couldn’t keep her mouth shut. “Sis, that bag must have been expensive, right?” “It was okay.” “Wow, you’re so generous. ‘Okay’ for such an expensive bag? I guess it’s easy to spend when it’s not your own money, huh?” Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. My dad immediately frowned. I casually picked up a couple of shrimp and put them on their plates. I wanted her to say more, to expose more of herself, so my brother could see clearly what kind of person she really was. My parents understood my hint and kept quiet. I raised an eyebrow at her and smiled, “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” Amber pursed her lips in a smile, “Oh, sis, don’t play dumb. There’s only so much money in this family. If you spend a lot, naturally someone else has to spend less. And you’re a woman, you’ll be married off eventually. So, in the end, aren’t you just spending our money?” So, she was here to grab the family fortune. I looked at my brother. He just kept his head down, saying nothing. A chill ran through my heart. Our parents were always busy with work when we were young, so I was the one who took care of him. From childhood to adulthood, I always gave in to him, and because of his weak health, I almost never refused him anything. I never thought all of that would be worth less than a gold digger he’d only known for half a month. I said slowly, “How we spend our family’s money is our business. If I remember correctly, doesn’t the Ye family still owe our company a large sum of money?” Amber’s eyes immediately welled up with tears as she leaned towards my brother, “Lucas said it was fine. We’re all going to be family soon. Why should family talk about who owes what? The money was used by family, so it should be written off.” I couldn’t help but laugh. My brother immediately tried to comfort her, then turned to me for help, “Sis, can we not talk about this now? Let’s just eat.” Amber immediately put on a pitiful yet insistent face, “Lucas, you can’t spoil your sister like this. You’ll end up ruining her. We need to clear things up. I heard she makes tens of thousands a month at the company. Sis, you’ve got it all figured out, huh? You’ll eventually get married and leave, and all that money will go to your husband’s family. You’re just benefiting outsiders!” It was clear she had rehearsed these words, speaking with such conviction and fluency. My mom couldn’t hold back anymore, “Since when does an outsider get to worry about our family’s affairs?” Amber looked hurt, “Mom, Lucas and I are getting married next week. How am I an outsider?” My dad suddenly looked up at my brother. This time, my brother gritted his teeth and nodded silently, “Amber has given me everything. I… I can’t let her down.” Amber seized the opportunity, “Since we’re getting married anyway, I’ll be the woman of the house soon. I think not only should Lucas give me his card, but sis should hand over her salary card to me too. I’ll manage it to prevent her from overspending. Otherwise, she might end up with no dowry at all.” I looked at her greedy face and smiled slightly. “Just managing the house isn’t enough. How about we register a company and make you the legal representative?” Amber’s face lit up with joy, “That would be perfect!” Looks like she had no idea she was about to get into big trouble.

Amber left, but she kept sending messages on SnapChat, trying to control everything remotely. My mom had barely said two words before my brother jumped to Amber’s defense, saying she was the most pure-hearted and kind girl he’d ever met. “She’s not like other girls on the internet who just want my money. She said she fell in love with me at first sight and only wants to marry me and have my children.” I couldn’t help but laugh, “They say don’t judge a book by its cover. But you’ve seen her true colors, and you still think she’s innocent?” When you’re head over heels in love, you don’t listen to reason. The more you try to discourage it, the more they think it’s true love. My dad, furious, slapped him, “You brainless fool! What does this girl see in you? Your lack of a real job? The fact that you’re still living off us? She comes in demanding we write off over ten million in debt her family owes, and wants to control your sister’s salary. What kind of person does that?” My brother gritted his teeth, “Amber is just thinking about our future.” Just then, Amber’s voice came through my brother’s phone. “Your sister has too much control. She manages everything, so of course Lucas doesn’t get a chance. Does she not want to see us happy? Besides, Lucas is the son. You’ll eventually marry out of the family. Don’t tell me you want to take the Tang family’s assets to benefit outsiders? That would be so shameless…” He had been livestreaming our entire conversation to Amber. My mom clutched her chest, too angry to speak. I quickly poured her a glass of water and asked my dad to help her sit down and calm her. Alright, at this point, I knew that unless we gave him a harsh wake-up call, he wouldn’t realize how foolish he was being. Amber’s voice continued through the phone, sharp and aggressive, “Your sister said she wants to open a company for me? I hope she’s not just trying to fool me like she’s fooling Lucas. Lucas is too nice, always giving in to you, but I’m not a pushover.” I looked at my brother. His expression was indifferent, clearly agreeing with her. Looking at this brother I had cared for so many years, who now seemed like a stranger, I smiled, “As it happens, the company is planning to set up a new subsidiary to handle a batch of auction items. Amber seems to know a lot about luxury goods. Why doesn’t she become the legal representative and director?” Amber was overjoyed, “Now that’s more like it. This is just the beginning. Everything that belongs to us, I’ll take back one by one!” Yes, everything that belongs to you – the debt and the consequences of your greed and incompetence – will all come back to you, one by one.

Under their urging, the sole proprietorship company under Amber’s name was quickly set up. Amber wanted money. I had my boyfriend’s company transfer one million dollars to her company under the guise of purchasing a custom-made painting. Of course, no antique was actually given. But the money was indeed transferred to her account. Amber quieted down for a few days, even putting off the matter of marrying my brother. Soon after, I ran into Amber at a cocktail party. She was carrying a lambskin Hermès bag, not minding how odd it looked in the sweltering heat. The hundred-thousand-dollar price tag of the bag seemed to have given her a sense of belonging in this setting. When she saw me, she seemed a bit flustered. I immediately understood. This kind of event was a great opportunity to network and expand resources. Now that Amber had upgraded her status, wasn’t she eager to find an even better catch? Now that I was here, she must be feeling guilty and probably thinking of ways to make me leave quickly. Sure enough, as I was chatting with two business partners, she walked over with a glass of wine. “Sis,” she said with a sickeningly sweet smile, “You’re so dedicated. At your age, you’re still working on weekends instead of resting. If all employees were like you, the bosses would be able to buy new cars!” I smiled, “Nice bag.” Amber shifted her bag to a different angle. Her Twitter was already full of photos of this bag from every possible angle. She turned to look at my business partners, proudly handing out her business card with an oversized title: CEO. I couldn’t help but smirk. Amber grinned, “Sis, no need to be envious. If you work hard enough, you might have your own company someday.” I smiled, “Ms. Ye, there’s no need to call me ‘sis’. Come to think of it, I’m actually younger than you. By exactly one year.” Amber let out a surprised “Oh,” her face turning a bit awkward. My two business partners looked at me in surprise. Amber clearly misunderstood their surprise and became more animated, “Let me introduce you. This is the assistant general manager of Tang Corporation. Just an employee. If you want to talk business, you should find someone who can actually make decisions. I’d advise you two gentlemen not to back the wrong horse.” One of my partners coldly said, “We don’t care if Ms. Tang is a general manager or the boss. We trust Ms. Tang as a person. And who are you? You look familiar… Oh right, weren’t you the one handing out business cards and trying to add everyone on SnapChat earlier?” The other partner chimed in, “Amber Ye? Isn’t that the name of the local deadbeat distributor who owes Tang Corporation millions?” Everyone around turned to look at Amber. Whispers and murmurs filled the air. Amber’s face darkened, and she turned away in shame and anger. By the end of the party, Amber hadn’t left. She was huddled in a corner. When I wasn’t looking, she had collected countless business cards. I shook my head. There wasn’t a single man here as naive and foolish as my brother. But there might be quite a few con artists.

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On the day of my birthday party, my grandfather, Harvey Macleod, asked me which guy from the Cameron family I was going to marry. I didn’t hesitate for a second and picked Arthur Cameron from the Cameron family. My family’s elders were all shocked as hell. After all, everyone in our circle knew that the heir of the Macleod Group was head over heels in love with Charles Cameron, the eldest son of the Cameron family, and would rather die than marry anyone else. In my previous life, I did get married to Charles. But just three months later, I caught Charles having an affair with my illegitimate cousin, Eliza Macleod. At that moment, his eyes were full of tears, and he begged me for forgiveness. “I’m begging you. It was just an accident.” I softened my heart, but Harvey still found out about it and had Eliza sent far away to a foreign country. Charles thought it was my doing and hated me with a passion. In the following few years, the elders in my family passed away one after another. Our company always got beaten to the punch in the market, and our top-secret documents were stolen. I was hit and killed by a car on the day I found out I was pregnant. Given a second chance at life, I decided to let them have their love. But I never expected that when the news of my engagement was announced, Charles burst into the engagement party and begged me to marry him.

As soon as I stepped out of the study, I saw Charles Cameron. He was sitting in the middle of the crowd, decked out in a designer suit, but his eyes kept drifting towards the door. When his friends saw me, one of them nudged him hard. “Here comes your groupie… Oops, I mean, your fan.” Charles gave me a dismissive glance. “What are you doing here?” he said, sounding disappointed. In my past life, I would’ve rushed over and tried to smooth things over with him. But the image of that truck slamming into me was still fresh in my mind, so I just replied coldly, “It’s my birthday party. Why wouldn’t I be here?” Charles instantly flew off the handle when he heard how icy I sounded. “Violet Macleod, what’s your deal? Looking for a fight? I took time out of my schedule to come to your party, and this is how you act? Just because you ran to your grandpa doesn’t mean we’re getting married.” One of his friends chimed in, “Violet, what’s your problem? Apologize to Charles! If you hadn’t shamelessly pestered Charles every day, he wouldn’t have bothered with you.” I was speechless. “If you’re not happy at my party, feel free to leave. And as for my wedding plans, they’ll be announced at my grandpa’s 80th birthday party next month. It’s none of your business, so don’t bother asking.” Although I intended to marry Arthur Cameron, I had not yet asked him. Though in my previous life… I couldn’t be so hasty as to announce it here now. “Wedding plans?” One guest perked up. “Sounds like their grandfathers are finally ready to step down. We’ll finally know who’s taking over the Cameron Group.” My grandfather, Harvey Macleod, and Frankie Cameron, Charles’ grandfather, had been best friends their whole lives and should have retired ages ago. Since I was the only daughter in the Macleod family, they’d made a deal that whoever I married would get a 20% share of the Cameron Group from Frankie. In my previous life, with the 15% Charles already owned, marrying me made him the boss of the Cameron Group. Things were about to change big time for the Cameron Group. His friends started cheering. “Charles, you’re gonna be the top dog!” Charles looked proud. “Violet, just because I’m marrying you doesn’t mean you’ve won. I can’t stand how smug you look. “I learned my lesson from last time. I’ll marry you, but there’s no way I’ll become a part of your family. Before we marry, you’d better give your poor sister a good job.” I was about to tell him it had nothing to do with him when I realized that he’d been reborn, too. In my previous life, it was a servant of the Cameron family who tipped me off about his affair with Eliza. And now, he was still up to the same tricks. I was about to kick him out when I heard a timid voice behind me. “Violet?” Eliza Macleod came over, looking weak, with bruises all over her face. Everyone started whispering. Charles rushed to her, looking heartbroken. “What happened? Who did this to you?” Before Eliza could answer, Charles turned around and glared at me. “Violet, how dare you play these dirty tricks again?” I tried to explain, but Eliza interrupted me, “It’s nothing serious. I just tripped on the way here. Today’s Violet’s birthday. Even though she’s never liked me, I still wanted to wish her well.” Charles shot me a look of disgust. “Violet, you could never be as kind as she is.” Eliza grabbed Charles’ arm. “Don’t be mad, Charles. I’m sure one day Violet will forgive me.” Charles wrapped his arm around her protectively. “Let’s go see a doctor right away. I don’t want you getting hurt worse.” As they walked away, he shot me a warning look. “Violet, keep your hands off Eliza. If you mess with her again, our engagement party will not happen on time.” With that, he dragged Eliza away.

That night, the birthday party was in full swing, but Eliza and Charles were nowhere to be found. They didn’t show up until the party was almost over and only my close friends of the same generation and a few close businessmen were left chatting. Eliza had changed her clothes. Her face was flushed, and her lips were swollen. Charles looked like he was on cloud nine, and there were faint red marks peeking out from his open shirt collar. Everyone knew what they had done and kept looking at me, while my friends just shook their heads, looking like they wanted to say something but held back. In my previous life, I would’ve stormed over and smacked Eliza. But this time, I just picked up a cup of coffee from the table and took a sip. Charles stood protectively in front of Eliza, waiting for me to blow up. When I ignored them, though, he started scowling, clearly annoyed. Eliza pulled Charles in and started kissing him right there as if no one else was around. Charles didn’t stop her and even let her sit on his lap. It was their business, and I couldn’t care less. But my best friend, Sienna Smith, couldn’t take it anymore and yanked them apart. “Eliza, Charles is practically Violet’s fiancé! You’re so shameless.” Before Eliza could respond, Charles exploded. “Sienna? Last I checked, the Smith family has a bunch of projects funded by the Cameron family. How dare you lecture me? Violet hasn’t said anything. Who are you to butt in?” “Charles, watch your mouth,” I shouted. Sienna was kind to me, and I wasn’t about to let him trash-talk her. “The leading man at the Cameron Group hasn’t stepped down yet. What makes you so sure that I’ll pick you and that you’ll get that 20% stake?” Charles stared at me, then burst out laughing. “Are you trying to play hard to get? Everyone knows you’re crazy about me. Who else is there? One of my sisters has married off overseas, and the other has locked in her room making art all day. And my little brother’s in jail doing time. You wanna join him?” Then, he thought of something and added, “Look, Violet, whatever beef our families had is old news. Your mom’s gone, and no amount of holding grudges will bring her back. Let it go, for everyone’s sake. Eliza’s innocent in all this.” Innocent? I almost laughed out loud. When my mom, Amelia Macleod, was pregnant, Eliza’s mom, Ivy Wilson, showed up at our door with Eliza. She claimed my dad, Blake Macleod, had knocked her up and ditched her, and she called Amelia a homewrecker. During the fight, Ivy pushed Amelia down the stairs, and Amelia and the baby died. But it turned out that Eliza wasn’t even Blake’s kid but was my deadbeat uncle’s, and Ivy was just a cocktail waitress. Amelia and the baby were the real victims. Lost in thought, I didn’t notice Charles grinning. He thought it was my acquiescence and happily said, “Oh yeah, happy birthday.” With that, he added, pulling off his tie and tossing it at me, “Here. It is for you.” Eliza said in a loud voice, “Charles, do you think she’ll like it? She might blame me for stealing her gift again.” As she spoke, she tugged at her collar to show off a necklace. Charles shrugged. “Don’t worry. She doesn’t like anything but what I’ve used. You didn’t steal anything. Once I give something to you, it’s yours.” They snickered as the tie smacked me in the face. It stung like a slap. In my previous life, I had indeed enjoyed collecting things that Charles had used, including the ring he wore when we met, the tie from our wedding, and the watch from his big promotion. I kept them in fancy boxes, thinking they were precious mementos. He laughed at me and said they were all rags that were worn once and thrown away, and that I was the only one who considered them a treasure. Mortal things were precious because they were endowed with feelings, and he didn’t love me, so he naturally wouldn’t understand. I sighed, picked up the tie, and chucked it in the trash can, saying, “Trash belongs in the trash.” Charles went crazy. “Fine, Violet! Our wedding’s getting put on ice!”

That night, Eliza and I got home together, and she had a smug look. “Violet, so what if you marry Charles? You can have his body, but you’ll never have his heart. Oh, maybe he won’t even let you touch his body either,” she said. Without Charles around, she finally dropped her innocent act. “I made your mom dead, and I can sure as hell steal Charles, the man you love the most. Just wait, Violet. Everything that’s yours will end up being mine eventually.” Eliza thought she could get on my nerves, but I just gave her a cold glance. “Then I wish you could move out of the maid’s room soon,” I said. After that, I ignored her and walked straight into the mansion. Harvey came to talk to me and said that Arthur needed some more time to think it over. Charles probably almost forgot that he had another younger brother. Frankie had a daughter who had given up her inheritance rights to become a cop because she had fallen in love with a policeman. Later, they both died in the line of duty, leaving behind only their son, Arthur. Frankie and his daughter had had a huge falling-out because of that marriage decision. After she died, Frankie felt remorseful. But Arthur didn’t go back to the Cameron family very often. With my reminder, Frankie felt that he owed Arthur. Even if Arthur didn’t marry me, Frankie would still leave him a portion of his property. Charles was dead set on getting the Cameron Group, but he had no idea that he could never get it all. I was looking forward to seeing how Charles would fare in this life. On the day of Harvey’s 80th birthday, all the big shots in our circle showed up. To make sure the party went smoothly, I checked Harvey’s health with the doctor one more time. When Eliza saw me there, she walked straight towards me. These past few days, Charles had taken Eliza to a bunch of luxury stores. I checked her social media account, and every single fancy Instagram post was screaming about how close they were. When she saw me, she came over and smiled, “Violet, Charles is such a great guy. He took me to buy so many luxury things. And not only that, he even measured me himself and said he was going to order a custom-made dress for me.” Seeing I ignored her, she continued, “Charles also said that even after you two get married, I shouldn’t be shy around him. We’ll be family, and he should do things for me.” Eliza kept interrupting my conversation with the doctor. I turned around and was about to tell her to buzz off. But when I saw the brooch on her chest, I froze. That brooch was the birthday gift my parents had given me when I was a kid. They loved each other deeply. Amelia had designed the brooch herself, and Blake had found the best craftsman in Winussland to make it. It was a symbol of their wish for me to have a happy and fulfilling life. Later, after that horrible thing happened, Amelia died, and Blake lost his will to live and never came out of his room. So, I never received a birthday gift from them again. There was only one such brooch in the world, and I didn’t even want to wear it myself. I grabbed Eliza’s collar, pushed her into the corner, and looked down at her. “Where did you get this brooch?” Suddenly, Eliza started choking up. “Violet, even though you’ve always hated me, I’ve always thought of you as my dear sister. Charles just bought me a few clothes because he felt sorry for me. You shouldn’t hit me just because you’re angry.” I wasn’t falling for her act. I didn’t ease up my grip and said viciously, “Tell me. Where did you get the brooch? Who gave it to you?” Eliza just stared at me with widened eyes. I was so disgusted that I tried to snatch the brooch, but another hand grabbed my wrist tightly. A cold voice came from behind me. “Violet, what are you doing? Do you want to hit her right in the open?” Charles stood protectively in front of Eliza and glared at me. “Is this how you, the Macleod family, treat your kin?”

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When I was young, I lost a leg saving Jasper. Later, because of that leg, I was bullied and lost my hearing. Jasper rushed back from thousands of miles away and promised with tears in his eyes to take care of me for life. But ten years later, the first words I heard after regaining my hearing were from Jasper’s friend asking him. “Hey, between Nora and Celeste, who do you prefer?” Jasper laughed softly, “Of course, it’s Celeste. Nora’s missing a leg, such a downer.” He seemed to forget that Celeste was the one who caused my hearing loss. “Nora’s missing a leg, such a downer.” When I heard this, I was holding carefully baked desserts, eager to share the good news with Jasper about my regained hearing. But in that moment, I froze, unable to believe what he said. “Nora?” Jasper turned and saw me, quickly taking the plate from my hands, communicating gently in sign language: “Why are you standing there? Come sit.” He always made sure I didn’t stand too long, worried that the prosthetic leg might cause me pain. But the next moment, with the same gentle look, he spoke to his friend in an irritated tone: “If she stands for too long, her leg hurts at night, and I have to massage it. Ugh, sometimes I still can’t get used to seeing her leg.” It was the first time I heard him speak with such disdain, and I almost couldn’t hold back my tears. “I have something to do, you guys chat.” Holding back tears, I returned to my room as calmly as usual. But as I entered the room, I heard Jasper say, “She can’t hear, what are you afraid of?” Tears suddenly flowed, and I wiped my face hard. My eyes fell on the photo on the bedside table. It was a picture of seventeen-year-old me and eighteen-year-old Jasper. Before the accident that year, we took this photo, full of unspoken feelings and hopes for a bright future together. But two months after the photo was taken, during a chain car accident on an overpass, I threw myself on Jasper to save him, losing my left leg, the one I danced with. Eighteen-year-old Jasper knelt by my hospital bed, choked with emotion, promising to take care of me for a lifetime. At twenty-eight, Jasper and I were seen by friends as the epitome of a loving couple. But it turned out, aside from me, everyone knew Jasper was disgusted by my leg and tired of it. He even cheated with the woman who bullied me. When I came out of the room, Jasper’s friend was gone, and I heard Jasper talking on the phone by the window. “Celeste, don’t be afraid, I’m coming home.” A charming female voice gently came through from the other end, and my body stiffened instantly. That voice haunted many of my nightmares. Jasper, with a warm expression, noticed me and calmly hung up the phone. “Nora, there’s something at the company, I need to go. Don’t wait for me for dinner.” I thought of the “home” he mentioned just now. After marrying Jasper, he bought this spacious penthouse, telling me it was our home. Now, which home was he going to? “Okay,” I said with difficulty, trying to remain calm, “You go ahead.” With my agreement, Jasper hugged me and then instructed Mrs. Jenkins, “Don’t forget to make pigeon soup for the lady.” Mrs. Jenkins acknowledged. After he left, Mrs. Jenkins typed on her phone to ask about my dinner preference. After answering, she glanced at the door, then at me, with a hint of sympathy in her eyes, muttering, “Poor lady…” Am I pitiful? I took the health tea she handed me and returned to the room. Sitting quietly by the window for over an hour, I impulsively opened my phone and logged into my long-unused Twitter. I found a few new bot followers. But when I clicked on one of their profiles, I saw a tweet posted just ten minutes ago. “A cockroach appeared at home, luckily my brother came in time, scared me to death — my brother also gave me a new ring, telling me that our love is as eternal and sincere as the ring’s meaning —” The photo showed a slender hand wearing a six-carat pink diamond ring, and when I saw the butterfly tattoo on the thumb, my eyes narrowed. It was Celeste… I’ll never forget the vivid black butterfly on her hand when she burned me with a curling iron.

Jasper didn’t come home all night. When he returned the next evening, he had changed clothes. He walked to me with a bouquet of jasmine, arranging them in a vase one by one. “Jasper,” I called his name, “Have you gathered all the evidence? About Celeste.” Hearing Celeste’s name, Jasper’s hand paused, a hint of guilt in his eyes, but he quickly said, “Not yet. Those people took hush money from the Liang family and are tight-lipped, afraid of retaliation.” At seventeen, Jasper went to study in the U.S., and I stayed home to accompany my grandmother. Because I helped a classmate, Celeste and her group targeted me. Dirty water poured over my head, centipedes in my water cup, dead mice in my pencil case… shards of glass in my knee, cigarette burns on my shoulder, and a curling iron burn on my arm. I sought help, but the Liang family had connections, and no one assisted me. Until one time, I stumbled upon Celeste dating some thugs, and she called me, “Hey, cripple.” She had the thugs drag me away, and I fought hard, biting a piece of flesh off her arm. She went mad, slapped me dozens of times, and slammed my head into the wall. When I woke up, I saw Jasper, who had rushed back to the country, holding my hand, his eyes red, repeating the same sentence. I could only understand through lip-reading, he was saying: “I’ll kill them.” To my horror, I realized I couldn’t hear. The thugs and those who bullied me ended up in jail thanks to the Shen family’s influence, except Celeste, who was sent out of the province the next day. Five years ago, the Liang family had a scandal involving a real and fake daughter, and Celeste, the fake, was kicked out. Two years ago, I saw her again, kneeling on glass, apologizing with tears: “I’m sorry.” But I wanted more than an apology; I wanted legal justice. “I want to see her tomorrow,” I told Jasper. Jasper agreed. Celeste seemed to have something on Jasper, and he made her apologize to me on her knees every month. She complied, month after month. He said it would continue until she atoned for her sins, and I forgave her. But as I returned to the room, he made a call, seemingly instructing someone, “Give those people more money, keep them quiet.” “Ugh, it’s because Nora somehow brought up Celeste again. It’s been so long, and she still can’t let it go, so troublesome.” The tone was clear annoyance, and I clutched the doorframe, heading back to my room. At that moment, my heart shattered into pieces. It wasn’t that Jasper hadn’t gathered evidence; he didn’t want to hurt Celeste, so he pretended he hadn’t. When did Jasper change? I leaned against the door, hearing him make another call, this time speaking softly and intimately to the other end: “Go back to where you were, Nora wants to see you. Don’t be scared, she won’t do anything to you.”

After being kicked out by the Liang family, Celeste lived in a rundown neighborhood. When I arrived, she came shortly after. She wore a cheap, worn-out coat, and her manicures in the photos were gone, even her complexion looked poor. But I didn’t miss her smooth, well-maintained hair, her well-cared-for skin, and the possessive hickeys on her neck. I clenched my fingers, looking at her meek demeanor but harsh words, and said, “Celeste, I’ve found a lawyer. You will go to jail.” Celeste looked up, a sneer flashing quickly in her eyes, then she lowered her head, kneeling before me. But her mouth was full of malice, “I won’t go to jail, you’ll never see that day.” She muttered softly, “Cripple.” Just then, Jasper arrived, passing Celeste like a stranger, sitting next to me, asking, “It’s getting cold, Mrs. Jenkins made you soup, go home and drink it?” He glanced at Celeste as he spoke. I bit my lip; it was only ten minutes, and Jasper couldn’t wait to rescue her. “She just said something to me, I recorded it.” I struggled to keep my emotions in check, took out a recorder from my bag, and handed it to Jasper. For a moment, Celeste’s face turned pale. Jasper frowned slightly, playing the recording, and when it reached the “cripple” part, his brows furrowed, glaring at Celeste. “What did she say?” I looked at him, eyes hopeful. Jasper put away the recorder, his Adam’s apple moved—a sign he was about to lie. Then he signed, “She said she knows her mistake, sorry.” I stood up, my gaze lingering on Celeste, then unexpectedly slapped her across the face! Celeste’s head was knocked to the side, I used so much force that my palm tingled. “What’s the use of knowing your mistake? Going to prison is how you atone.” I said coldly. Celeste’s tears fell instantly, she looked at Jasper with grievance, but Jasper ignored her. “What did she say?” I asked him eagerly, my eyes full of anticipation. Jasper put the recorder away, swallowing hard—a subtle sign that he might not be telling the truth. In sign language, he replied, “She said she realized her mistake and apologized.” I stood up, my gaze lingering on Celeste before I suddenly slapped her across the face. The force of the slap made her head snap to the side. My hand stung from the impact. “Realizing your mistake is pointless. You need to pay for it in prison,” I said icily. Celeste’s tears fell immediately. She glanced at Jasper, seeking some sympathy, but he ignored her. Instead, he took my hand, gently massaging it, and signed, “Don’t get your hands dirty.” Jasper led me out of Celeste’s place, put me in the car, and then seemed to remember something. “I have a meeting with a client around noon. Can you head back first?” The driver was already in the seat. I nodded, and Jasper kissed my cheek before seeing me off. Once home, I put on my headphones and opened the surveillance app on my phone. The sounds of intimacy filled my ears. “She started it. Besides, she can’t hear, so what’s wrong with me saying a few things about her…” Celeste sat stubbornly on the couch in a suggestive maid outfit, her eyes red and on the verge of tears. “I know you’re in love with her. So, don’t come to me anymore. I shouldn’t be alive; dying would be better!” “Why don’t you just send me to prison then?” Jasper had already taken off his shirt and kissed Celeste hard, trying to act tough. “Two years ago, your life was mine. I won’t let you die, so don’t even think about it.” Seeing Celeste about to cry, he quickly wiped her tears away and sighed, “Don’t cry, sweetheart. Why say such things? How could I bear to send you to prison?” Jasper always believed I would eventually forgive Celeste. But that’s impossible. After I finished speaking with the private investigator, Jasper came home. I noticed the Twitter account following me had posted something new. A maid hiding her face, with a Rococo wallpaper background, clearly not the decor of that inner-city neighborhood.

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My stepsister, Esme, has dissociative identity disorder and becomes violently aggressive whenever she sees me. She once attacked me with a knife, leaving me severely injured. Yet, my father and brother blamed me for provoking her. “You know Willa can’t handle stress. Why did you have to show up in front of her?” “Willa has nothing, unlike you. As her sister, you should let her have the family home.” These accusations took a toll on me, and I developed a severe mental disorder. Even my childhood fiancé fell for my stepsister, leaving me for her and holding a lavish wedding. Unable to cope with his betrayal, I lost my composure and caused a scene at their wedding. I was subsequently locked in a psychiatric hospital, where I died in misery. Meanwhile, my stepsister enjoyed the wealth I left behind, adored by my family and fiancé. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back at the moment when Esme was brandishing a knife, demanding I leave the house. This time, I vowed to see which was stronger: her disorder or my resolve! 1. “Get out!” “This is my home. I will not let an outsider like you set foot in here!” Esme’s demeanor changed drastically upon seeing me. She picked up a fruit knife from the table and lunged at me. I was ready, sidestepping her attack and then kicking her hard. She crashed to the ground, too pained even to groan. I bent down, picked up the dropped knife, and waved it in the air. “Where were you aiming just now? The arm, neck, or… the heart?” I said as I approached Esme with a cold smile. My actions terrified everyone else in the room. My stepmother rushed to shield her with her body, screaming. My father glared at me sternly and scolded me harshly. “Lydia, what madness is this? Willa has dissociative identity disorder; she’s ill. Why argue with her?” “Your mental state is even more unstable. You seem more like a mental patient than Willa!” My brother, Jasper, grabbed my hand holding the knife tightly, glaring at me with disdain. “Lunatic!” he spat. Instead of getting angry, I laughed hysterically, tears streaming down my face. Yes, I had lost my mind, driven there by them! In my previous life. When mom died in a car accident, dad managed Lydia Corp alone, working late into the night. I felt sorry for him and couldn’t stop him from remarrying. His new partner was his long-time secretary. To blend into the family more easily, my stepmother had her daughter change her name to match his surname. Esme was the opposite of my quiet nature, sweet and understanding, quickly winning Jasper’s approval. They were closer than I, his biological sister, could ever be. Despite feeling sorry for mom, I tried to accept the new family members. But no matter how friendly I was, Esme always showed hostility toward me. My stepmother explained that Esme had been triggered in childhood, developing dissociative identity disorder. Her second personality would emerge when sensing malice. This condition was like an excuse for everything. Esme shredded my clothes, and they sided with her. She destroyed all of mom’s relics, and they sided with her. She didn’t allow me into this house, stabbed me, and they still sided with her. In my past life, I nearly died at this moment. When I finally regained consciousness, I was met with harsh reproach. “You know Willa can’t handle stress. Why do you keep showing up in front of her? Are you trying to push her to her death?” “Willa has nothing, unlike you. Why can’t you give her the family home?” Esme felt so guilty for injuring me that she self-harmed. Dad and my brother blamed me for everything, hating me to the core, constantly abusing me verbally. Even when they learned I had a mental disorder, they didn’t stop mocking me. “We only said a few things, and you can’t handle it? Lydia, if you’re pretending to be sick, at least be convincing.” “Do you think you can take our love for Willa by being sick? Wishful thinking!” My childhood sweetheart, Declan, also thought I was being unreasonable and insisted on calling off our engagement, only to announce his upcoming wedding with Esme. On their wedding day, everyone was happy for the couple, except me. I couldn’t accept Declan’s betrayal and mentally collapsed, repeatedly asking, “Why do you love Esme and not me?” My crazed state terrified the guests. To maintain order, Declan and my family teamed up to have me institutionalized. There, I suffered inhumane treatment and soon died miserably. Perhaps my resentment was too strong because my soul lingered around Esme after death. I watched her enjoy the enormous wealth I left behind, adored by my family and fiancé. Her life was happy and satisfying, and her violent second personality never appeared again. My family also tacitly never mentioned it. Until I overheard her talking with my stepmother. “Mom, thanks to your brilliance in having me fake dissociative identity disorder, I could drive that wretch Lydia out and live such a good life!” My stepmother was quite pleased. “After enduring humiliation for so many years, we finally got what we wanted.” “It’s just a pity that old hag died too early to see her suffering and regret.” The mother and daughter laughed together. That’s when I realized Esme never had dissociative identity disorder. The pretense was revenge against mom, to take everything from her! Gideon knew all about this. He craved power, married into Lydia’s family, but couldn’t let go of his first love. They kept in touch secretly and had an illegitimate daughter. Just when he struggled to keep the secret, mom died unexpectedly. He was overjoyed and hurriedly arranged formal identities for the mother and daughter. To compensate for the grievances they suffered over the years, he chose to sacrifice me without hesitation. Luckily, I was given a chance to start over. This time, I won’t foolishly waste time and energy on unattainable love and family affection. I will expose Esme’s facade and guard mom’s wealth in Lydia Corp! With this in mind, I couldn’t bear to wait any longer. I raised my free hand and slapped Jasper hard. Since they called me crazy, I’ll show them just how crazy I can get! 2. Jasper was stunned by my slap. I took advantage of his daze to easily free myself from his grip. Realizing what happened, Jasper furiously wanted to retaliate. But I was quicker than him. With a sharp slap, the other side of Jasper’s face swelled up quickly, creating a kind of symmetry. I was quite satisfied with my handiwork, though the one being hit didn’t think the same. He was furious, determined to teach me a lesson. I wouldn’t give Jasper that chance. With a twist of my wrist, the sharp knife tip pressed against his vulnerable throat. Jasper’s face turned pale instantly, and his voice trembled. “Murder is illegal! Lydia, calm down!” I took the opportunity to remind him. “I forgot to mention, I do have a mental disorder. When I have an episode, I can’t control my actions. I’m the kind who won’t go to jail even if I kill someone.” “So, Jasper, stop provoking me. Got it?” With the blade so close, Jasper nodded repeatedly, unable to utter a word of defiance. Seeing he was sensible for once, I silently withdrew the knife. There were others I needed to deal with, so I decided to let him go for now. With the immediate threat resolved, my stepmother immediately spoke in her exaggerated, affected tone. “Though you’re reclusive and sullen, you’ve been pampered since childhood. How could you have such an illness? It must be quack doctors tricking you for money!” “Don’t worry, mom will find another doctor for you.” In the past, I would have been moved by her display of concern. But now, I immediately recognized her jealousy of my material conditions. I glanced at Gideon. As expected, I saw intense guilt and remorse in his eyes. It disgusted me so much that I immediately mocked him. “Don’t act all motherly.” “You, a low-class thing, aren’t worthy of associating with me!” My stepmother gritted her teeth in anger. But she had to maintain her dignified and virtuous image in front of Gideon. She could only forcefully suppress her temper, lower her head, and pretend to wipe away non-existent tears. Gideon was heartbroken. Pointing his finger at me, he started cursing. “Lydia, watch your mouth!” “Even if you don’t want to accept Esme, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s my lawfully wedded wife, your stepmother, and your elder!” “As a dignified lady, shouting like a shrew, what does it look like? You’ve disgraced me!” “Apologize now! Or I’ll pretend I never had a daughter like you. Get out of this house immediately!” I snorted disdainfully. “My mom went through all the trouble to give birth to me, not you, who only cares about having a good time!” “Do you think I care about being your daughter?” “And I should remind you, this is Lydia’s family estate. You’re a Gideon. If anyone should leave, it’s you, not me!” Gideon didn’t expect me to defy him too. Trembling, he kept cursing me as a brat. I was tired of listening and coldly interrupted. “If you want me to be filial, it’s not impossible.” “When you’re dead, I can, for the sake of being father and daughter, burn some money for you.” “For example, like this…” Saying that, I took out some leftover ceremonial paper money, lit it with a lighter, and tossed it over. My aim was excellent, hitting Gideon squarely. The flames spread along his clothes. Gideon started screaming and rolling on the ground, trying to put out the fire. Gideon never imagined I would stand up to him. His hands trembled as he called me a bastard over and over. I was tired of listening, so I cut him off coldly. “If you want me to show filial piety, it’s not impossible.” “Maybe when you die, I’ll burn some money for you out of our father-daughter connection.” “Like this…” With that, I pulled out some spirit money I had left over from a ritual and set it on fire with a lighter before tossing it at him. My aim was precise; it landed straight on Gideon. The flames quickly spread across his clothes. He screamed in agony, rolling on the ground trying to extinguish the fire. My stepmother and Jasper rushed over in a panic, creating a scene of chaos. That’s exactly what I was waiting for! As their attention was focused on Gideon, I turned back to Esme. “Finally, we can continue.” Her expression remained angry and fierce, but if you looked closely, you could see the fear in her eyes. She was scared. Afraid I might really kill her. I looked down at her, savoring the moment. Then I tightened my grip on the knife and lunged at her with force! In a life-and-death moment, Esme unleashed unexpected strength and narrowly avoided a fatal blow. The knife only grazed her arm. Fortunately, I had used considerable force, and her wound was deep. In the blink of an eye, blood poured out like a stream, pooling on the floor. She screamed in pain. The others heard the commotion and rushed over much faster than I had anticipated. I had to abandon the idea of finishing the job. Before I could escape, Jasper grabbed my hair. “Lydia, are you looking to die?” His eyes were red with anger. His hand tightened around my neck, and the suffocating sensation overwhelmed me. My hands fell weakly, and the knife dropped to the ground. At that moment, my own brother genuinely wanted to kill me! In my past life, when Esme hurt me, it was considered my fault. In this life, when I hurt her to protect myself, it was unforgivable. In my family’s eyes, Esme was always pure and good; no matter what, everything was my fault. How ridiculous is that? Luckily, I no longer yearn for their love. With effort, I opened my mouth: “If you kill me, they won’t make it either.” “Before I die, I can take two more down with me. It’s worth it.” Jasper followed my gaze. Esme lay in a pool of blood, barely breathing. Gideon was drenched, his chest blackened, his condition uncertain. My stepmother was a mess, crying in panic. Every extra minute we delayed added more danger. Jasper didn’t dare engage with me further. He tossed me aside like trash. I gasped for the precious fresh air, coldly watching Jasper scramble around. Before leaving with the medical staff, he threw one last sentence at me. “Lydia, just you wait, this isn’t over!” Threatening me? Someone who’s already faced death once doesn’t fear threats. My eyes were filled with murderous intent. This isn’t over by a long shot! As soon as Jasper and the others left, I had the locks changed. Once that was done, I discovered Esme’s name dominated dozens of trending topics. I almost forgot she was a beauty influencer with millions of followers. The most popular video showed Esme lying in a hospital bed, her delicate face devoid of color. Even so, she forced herself to endure discomfort and sincerely apologized. “I’ve suffered severe injuries. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to take a break and recuperate.” “Thank you to my fans for understanding. Also, please don’t blame my sister. She just couldn’t accept that the family’s love for her was divided by me, and she lost control, which led to hurting me.” “I believe Sister Lydia didn’t do it on purpose!” Her choked-up voice, along with tears in her eyes, made Esme seem extremely vulnerable and pitiable. Fans, seeing her being wronged, quickly used their skills to dig up all my dirt. My reputation was dragged through the mud: insulting the stepmother, setting fire to the father, injuring the stepsister with a knife… Each incident made onlookers question if a person could truly do such things. Righteous netizens flooded my comments section. “Willa and her mom just joined this family, not to ruin it. Is it necessary to be so hostile?” “Your own mom died, and you can’t stand others being happy. You’re sick, no wonder you’re always going crazy.” “My girl Willa is the most beloved in the world, your jealousy is useless!” “Spoiled, ruthless, inhumane… No combination of bad words can fully describe your malice!” The unpleasant comments were endless. I scanned through them with a blank expression, filled with overwhelming hatred. Again, it’s the same! Clearly, Esme was wrong first. But as soon as she put on another face, played innocent, and acted weak, everyone sided with her, sympathizing with her. Having just saved my life, she immediately provoked me. Does she think the lesson wasn’t enough? Then I’ll make sure Esme remembers it well! I drove to the hospital. Before I even entered, I could hear laughter and joy from inside. “Willa, you can’t move your hand yet. Don’t push yourself. Let Declan feed you.” Faced with Declan’s domineering yet gentle demand, Willa didn’t know how to refuse, and sweetly agreed. “Then I’ll trouble you, Declan ~” Her drawn-out tone was enough to make anyone’s heart melt. Where was the slightest hint of the grievance shown in the video? I raised an eyebrow, pushed the door open, and saw the two on the bed kissing passionately. You could even hear the sticky, intimate sounds echoing in the room. Mouth to mouth. So that’s how he was feeding her. I suppressed my disgust and snapped several photos. After the kiss ended, Declan finally noticed my presence. His previously smiling eyes turned icy the moment he saw me. His voice carried a bone-chilling coldness. “What are you doing here?” “You’re not welcome here, get out!” I laughed mockingly. “What, did I interrupt your little affair?” “Having an affair in broad daylight without shame, but embarrassed when caught? What’s the act for?” I spoke with no mercy. Declan, embarrassed and angry, shouted with a red face. “Lydia, what nonsense are you spouting?” “I’m only atoning for your crime! You’re the one who went crazy and hurt Willa!” “People with dirty minds see everything as dirty!” Esme, on the other hand. Her eyes burned with intense hatred as she threw a bowl of chicken soup at me. I sidestepped it. The porcelain bowl shattered, and the hot soup splashed everywhere. Declan was used to Willa attacking me on sight. After all, in the lies Willa spun about her dissociative identity disorder, one point was her intense possessiveness over Declan. She believed she was Declan’s fiancée, and I was the homewrecker trying to interfere. So whenever she saw me, it was either endless insults or violent attempts to drive me away. Only when I completely disappeared from her sight would she return to normal. Declan’s expression didn’t change. He just leaned over to check if her wound was bleeding. Playing the role of a thoughtful fiancé to perfection. Once he saw no major issue, he relaxed. He continued to condemn me with a tone full of disdain. “You know Willa gets emotionally agitated whenever she sees me talking to you. Yet you still provoke her. Are you trying to leave her with a permanent injury?” “Lydia, you’re too vicious!” Meanwhile, Esme, frustrated by a missed attack, grew even more agitated and rushed at me without care. “Interfering in my relationship, stealing my fiancé.” “Bitch! Homewrecker! Go die!” I knew I couldn’t count on Declan. Acting quickly, I bent down to pick up a shard of the broken porcelain bowl. Then I swiftly got up, seizing the moment, and grabbed the back of her neck. With a slight movement of my wrist holding the shard, a blood mark immediately appeared on Esme’s slender neck. Her sharp, ear-piercing scream abruptly stopped. What followed was Declan’s voice, altered by fear, calling my name repeatedly, urging me to calm down. I found it annoying. I tightened my grip on the shard, about to make a deeper cut. Suddenly, I spotted unexpected guests. Jasper and my stepmother were at the front, uniformed police officers right behind them, with Gideon following, panting heavily. My stepmother wailed, “Let Willa go!” Jasper threatened fiercely, “Lydia, don’t be arrogant! I’ve reported you for attempted murder. Your good days are over!” The police timely intervened, “Release the hostage! If you insist on harming others, I have the authority to shoot you dead!” It appears that there is no original text provided for translation. Please supply the content you wish to be translated, and I’ll be happy to assist. As he spoke, he reached towards his waist, clearly intending to deal with me if I didn’t cooperate. I felt sure I could move faster than the police, but I wasn’t willing to take the risk. Esme was still alive, and I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. After considering my options, I dropped the shards and pushed Esme away with disdain. “Tch, she’s so hard to kill.” She stumbled, nearly falling, but Declan caught her. Noticing her slight trembling, he comforted her with genuine concern. With others around, Esme was cautious not to reveal her fake dissociative identity disorder act, so she only sobbed softly. From a hidden angle, she shot me a taunting glance, as if to say: The one you love has betrayed you for someone else, you pathetic fool. Seeing that made my blood boil, and I wanted to lash out again. The police, sensing my intent, quickly handcuffed me. Declan finally relaxed, glaring at me with undisguised disgust and contempt. “How could you be so cruel to your own sister, Lydia? You’re heartless!” He didn’t bother explaining the situation, just criticized and belittled me. My family didn’t defend me either; they seemed to agree with him. My stepmother declared righteously, “Lydia almost killed Gideon before; she probably has an antisocial personality disorder. Officer, you must keep a strict watch on her, don’t let her harm others!” Jasper nodded repeatedly, “Having such a troublesome sister is my misfortune. Thankfully, Willa is sweet and sensible, nothing like Lydia.” Finally, Gideon sealed it. “Lydia’s actions are unforgivable. Let the law decide her fate!” I was taken away by the police for attempted assault. As soon as the news broke, netizens were elated. “Finally! The always-crazy Lydia is caught! Now my dear Willa can live happily ever after, and her fans are relieved.” “Serves her right! Anyone who harms our younger sister deserves to pay!” “Hope Lydia stays in jail forever!” Soon after, Declan made a public declaration of love. “For years, Lydia clung to me like a parasite, stopping me from being with the one I love.” “Now that Lydia is out of the way, I can finally give Willa the grandest wedding!” Nora wasn’t shy either, boldly responding. “The past hurts are hard to forget, but I’ll cherish every day with my love from now on.” “I hope everyone can, like me, leave the gloom behind and embrace happiness!” Their statements fueled a public backlash against me. “I can’t believe Lydia interfered in Willa’s relationship, how shameless!” “Lydia is so vicious, not only stealing from family but also lovers. Thankfully she’s caught and can’t harm Willa anymore.” “With such trouble around, I can’t imagine the hardship Willa endured at Lydia Corp all these years… My heart aches for our younger sister!” To comfort her distressed fans, Esme decided to livestream her wedding, letting everyone witness her happiness. This decision was widely applauded. Major media outlets eagerly covered this high-profile union of a wealthy young man and a wealthy heiress, gearing up for a big story. And so, Esme’s wedding day arrived amid great anticipation. Esme appeared in a stunning gown. Her white dress and exquisite makeup made her look like a fairy from another world. Declan was mesmerized, reverently kissing her hand. “Willa, my bride, you look beautiful today.” Cameras flashed, capturing the beautiful moment. The livestream chat was filled with praise. Esme, basking in the adoration, finally spoke. “Now, let’s all look back at the journey Declan and I have taken.” “I hope everyone, like me, never gives up no matter how hard it gets, and bravely pursues happiness!” After her words, a pre-recorded sweet video of the two was supposed to play on the big screen. She would then marry the rich and handsome Declan, becoming the envy of all girls. However, the screen showed Esme’s twisted face instead. She tore up my mom’s painting despite my pleas, tearing each piece while cursing. “What ugly paintings, such an eyesore!” But that wasn’t enough. She took scissors and cut my clothes into shreds. “Why should you have what I don’t? I won’t allow it!” She only stopped when my room was in shambles, satisfied, and threw herself pitifully into the late-arriving Jasper’s arms. “My sister was flaunting her stuff, I was so envious. Then, I don’t know how it ended up like this…” With tear-filled eyes, I tried recounting the events. But before I could speak, Jasper harshly reprimanded me. “Enough! I don’t want to hear your excuses for bullying Willa!” “If you hadn’t provoked Willa first, she wouldn’t have damaged your stuff!” The scene shifted to Gideon scolding. “It’s just childhood sweetheart feelings. Is it more important than your sister?” “Since Willa has chosen Declan as her childhood fiancé, you should give up the fiancé title.” “Instead of selfishly holding on and letting Willa be labeled a mistress!” Then, the video showed Esme trying to stab me with a knife. Of course, Declan’s cheating and blaming me for catching him didn’t go unrecorded. Every hurtful deed against me was captured in full. Inside and outside, people couldn’t help but criticize. “Oh my, you never know someone’s true face. Didn’t expect Esme to have two faces!” “Turns out, Esme is the troublemaker, the mistress… Lydia has been bullied and jailed all along, how pitiful…” “Throwing dirt online, bullying Lydia, stealing her lover and family, while pretending to be positive, making fools of us, Esme you’re such a phony!” Overwhelming scorn and disdainful looks deeply stung Esme. She tried to defend herself. “I’m sick, I have dissociative identity disorder.” “I just found out my other personality did so many horrible things to sister Lydia. After the wedding, I’ll definitely apologize to her in jail!” Esme’s tears flowed, making her seem like the victim. Her acting was impressive, and I clapped as I walked from the viewing room to the stage. “No need to wait, apologize and kneel now.” “I will definitely… not forgive you!” Seeing me, Esme looked like she saw a ghost. Her disbelief mixed with fear. Something was clearly wrong. A huge sense of panic overwhelmed her. “Lydia, how are you here! You should be in jail!” Her shrill voice was unpleasant to hear. People who were unsure before now had their minds made up. Yet, some still blindly accused me, despite everything. Jasper looked at me with hatred. “Lydia, how long will you target Willa?” Declan, full of disdain. “Even if you ruined my wedding with Willa using dirty tricks, I won’t marry you, you scheming woman. Give up and stop pestering me!” Gideon sternly ordered. “Lydia, I don’t care how you escaped, go back to serve your sentence! Lydia Corp can’t harbor lawbreakers!” I shrugged and chuckled. “I told you, I have a mental disorder. Why don’t you believe it?” Esme refused to accept reality, mumbling. “Impossible, this can’t be…” Guests in the front row sneered. “Why not? Only you can be sick, and others can’t? What a double standard, quite an eye-opener.” “If I were Lydia, under your daily oppression, I’d be even crazier!” “Lydia was driven mad by your family! You can’t take responsibility, shame!” Everyone chimed in, belittling Esme. Even those who defended her, like Declan, got scolded. “A cheating jerk is no good either!” “Brother’s slap, dad’s two slaps, Esme’s a total disaster.” “Can’t tell right from wrong, twisting the truth, the worst all together, no wonder you’re a family!” “Lydia was too normal for your family before, but now that she’s sick, the whole family can go crazy together.” Esme was humiliated, her face flushed red. Under everyone’s gaze, she only dared to glare at me covertly, not daring to act. After all, with so many people around, including professionals, if she couldn’t hold back and hit me, everyone would know she was faking. Trying to use dissociative identity disorder as an excuse to bully her non-blood-related sister. From now on, she’d be nailed to the pillar of shame, never to wash it off. Seeing her daughter hold back her dissatisfaction, the stepmother was distressed. She quickly pulled out a diagnosis from her bag. On it, in black and white, it stated Esme had dissociative identity disorder. “Willa is really sick, please be gentle with your words, don’t provoke her!” The bright red seal looked quite convincing. People quickly shifted from disgust to sympathy. They didn’t even consider the possibility of a fake diagnosis. I feigned regret. “So Esme really has a mental disorder.” Just wanted to use dissociative identity disorder as an excuse to bully her non-biological sister. From now on, she’ll be forever marked by shame, never able to live it down. Seeing her daughter suppressing her resentment, the stepmother felt a deep heartache. She quickly pulled out a diagnosis certificate from her bag. In clear, stark letters, it stated that Esme was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. “Willa is truly ill, please, everyone, be gentle with her and stop provoking her!” The bold red stamp looked rather intimidating. The crowd’s disdain swiftly turned to sympathy. No one considered that the medical record might be forged. I also put on a show of regret. “So Esme really has a mental disorder, huh.” “It’s a pity she can’t be held accountable or brought to justice.” The stepmother looked at me warily. “What do you mean?” My answer was a snap of my fingers. Simultaneously, a new video started playing on the big screen. A pedestrian was hit on a rainy night. Then, Gideon and Celeste got out of the vehicle. “Such luck, not dead. What now?” “How about hitting again?” “Wouldn’t that be too obvious?” While they were indecisive, a voice urged from inside the car. “Just run over directly.”

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My twin sister ran away just before her wedding. Our parents, desperate to maintain the alliance with the Taylor Family, insisted that I step in and marry Declan Taylor in her place. After the wedding, Declan never laid a finger on me. “Adeline, stop wearing those clothes to try and seduce me. You’re just standing in for Hazel, so keep your little fantasies to yourself.” “If it weren’t for the fact that you and Hazel have the same face, I wouldn’t even look at you.” Declan had no idea, but he was about to get his wish. Fiona had already enjoyed her life outside. Before Declan returned, I sent a message to my father. “I agree to the switch, but you need to set up a new identity for me.” “Alright, I’ll transfer a hundred million dollars to you. Never come back to the country.” Was such a deal even possible? I laughed aloud at the message. Declan put on his coat, returning to his usual composed demeanor, and frowned at my cheerful expression. “Adeline, what’s so funny? Are you thrilled because I touched you today?” I stopped smiling and looked up at him. “I was just thinking about Grandfather’s upcoming 80th birthday.” Declan nodded, a hint of mockery in his eyes. “Another chance for you to seek favor.” “But no matter how much the Old man likes you, he’ll always see you as Hazel.” My fingers dug into my palm. When I decided to take Fiona’s place at the wedding, I was secretly pleased. After all, I’d been in love with Declan for fifteen years. The Taylor Family has a rule: one can only marry once in a lifetime, and breaking it means expulsion from the family. I thought I was finally going to spend my life with the one I loved. On our wedding night, I couldn’t wait to confess my feelings. But he coldly pushed me away and left. The next day, he brought a series of outfits, all in Fiona’s style. “From today on, pretend to be your sister until she returns.” At that moment, I felt utterly ridiculous. The phone rang. “You’re back? Where are you now?” His voice was breathless with excitement. “Okay, wait for me.” He hurried out, and soon the sound of an engine starting downstairs could be heard. He sped off. A few hours later, I saw a picture posted by Fiona on Twitter. “After all the detours, you’re still the best.” The next day, he brought Fiona home and casually instructed me, “Pack your things and move to the secondary bedroom.” I didn’t respond and pushed the suitcase I packed last night towards the door. But he suddenly stopped me, frowning. “I meant for you to move to the secondary bedroom. Hazel just came back and isn’t familiar with the Taylor Family. You must help her adjust.” “You’ve occupied the position of Mrs. Taylor for three years. You owe Hazel this.” Fiona whispered in my ear, “Dad said if you don’t behave, he won’t give you any money.” Declan hesitated a bit, saying, “If you don’t want to leave the master bedroom…” I didn’t let him finish and spoke up. “No need, I’ll stay in the empty nanny room on the first floor.” Declan looked surprised, trying to find a hint of insincerity on my face. But all he saw was calmness. He got angry and said: “If you don’t want to live in the secondary bedroom, go to the basement.” “Then it’ll be inconvenient for my younger sister to live on the same floor as us.” Fiona said with a shy smile as she pulled Declan into the room. Soon, the sound of their kissing filled the air. I silently went down to the basement, feeling a bit desolate. Declan had always been restrained. In the early days, I deliberately tried to provoke him, but he was like a monk. I’ll never forget that night when he came home drunk and kissed me urgently. But in the end, he didn’t touch me. From then on, he moved into the master bedroom, venting every night. It’s laughable that I once thought him using me to solve his needs was a sign of things getting better. What a fool I was.

I never thought there would come a day when Declan, a workaholic, would take a ten-day vacation. Turns out, love and indifference are worlds apart. The upstairs door was shut tight. Breakfast and lunch were delivered to the door by Aunt. I sat on the sofa, scrolling through my phone, looking at Finland travel spots. “Adeline, give the longevity painting you made to Hazel. The birthday banquet is in two days, and she doesn’t have time to prepare a gift.” They appeared at the top of the stairs, looking down on me. Fiona’s eyes were red as she spoke softly, “You must have worked on it for a long time, right? You surely don’t want to part with it.” I hadn’t said anything when Declan casually said, “It’s just a worthless trinket.” Indeed, it wasn’t worth much. The fabric and thread together didn’t cost more than three hundred dollars, but it was a gift I had stitched by hand for a whole year. “It’s in the Carter Family Gallery. You can get it yourselves.” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. I only knew that in two days, the birthday banquet would be my day to leave. As long as the gift reached Grandfather’s hands, I’d be content. But my compliance seemed to annoy Declan. He quickly walked over, grabbing my wrist, a restlessness in his eyes. “You’re being so cooperative, what are you planning? What method are you going to use against Hazel?” “I haven’t forgotten all the things you’ve done before!” I looked down at the ground. Memories of why my reputation had been so bad over the years flashed through my mind. Before college, not many could tell Fiona and me apart. We often switched places. During a piano competition, I took her place. Just because a judge praised “Fiona” for her significant improvement, she pushed me down after the event, stomping on my fingers until they nearly broke. Declan happened to witness this. He carried me home on his back. Mom and Dad said it was “Adeline” who did it to “Fiona.” They always favored Fiona, and I was born later, during a difficult childbirth that almost cost my mother’s life. They labeled me a “disaster star.” Even if they could tell us apart, they’d tell others I was the one who caused trouble. Even when my fingers were broken and healing, they took Fiona on a world tour. Only Declan would visit me daily. From that point, I had no more expectations for my parents. I thought Declan would be different, but they all liked Fiona in the end. Since that’s the case, I decided I didn’t need any of them. “Because I signed the longevity painting under Fiona’s name. I can’t go, so if the gift reaches Grandfather, I’ll be very satisfied.” He sneered, “Grandfather isn’t here, who are you pretending to be filial for?” He threw my hand away forcefully, and I lost my balance, falling to the ground. He paused for a moment, then said condescendingly: “If you want to attend the birthday banquet, you can dress as a server and hide in a corner. But make sure you wear a mask, and don’t let anyone…” “Ah!” Fiona screamed, and Declan didn’t care about me anymore. He gently picked up her sprained foot and went upstairs. I got up from the ground by myself. I received the new identity information that had just been sent and bought a ticket for the day after tomorrow. I sent a screenshot to a longtime online friend in Finland: “I’ll arrive that day, remember to pick me up.” The reply came quickly: “Yay! I’ll jot it down!” I hung up and was about to put down my phone when Fiona sent a GIF of Declan kneeling on one knee, massaging her ankle, his eyes full of unspoken tenderness. “Declan is so considerate.” She sent a happy emoji, “He said that during the years I was gone, he only treated you as a ‘real’ doll, never touching you.” “Having the same face as mine was useless. Even men I don’t want, don’t want you.” “Just like the gifts from mom and dad when we were kids. If I didn’t want them, you wouldn’t get them either.” I didn’t reply, and a few minutes later, she came downstairs. The door was pushed open forcefully. She wore my custom dress, looking at me with disdain. “Aren’t you curious why I let you stay?” She suddenly took out a small knife. Looking at her malicious face, fear rose from the depths of my heart, and I instinctively took a step back. “What are you going to do!” “What am I going to do? Of course, I’m going to ruin your face.” She slashed my face hard with the knife. Pain surged through me as my skin was instantly cut open. Blood flowed down my cheek. Fiona’s delicate features twisted with delight. “Adeline, I’ve always hated your face. Before you leave, I must ruin it.” “Remember, you don’t deserve this face.” As I fainted, I heard Declan’s familiar voice. “Hazel, where are you? The driver is here.” Fiona responded sweetly, “Declan, my sister refused to go shopping with me. She’s upset that I’m back. It’s all my fault…” She tried to block Declan at the door but was a step too late. Seeing the knife wound on my face, Declan frowned. “What happened to your face?” Fiona sighed, “My sister wants me to leave. I refused, and she threatened to kill herself.” “It was the same three years ago, but this time, I won’t part with you again.” Declan, furious, kicked me and sneered coldly: “How could someone be as scheming as you!” “Stop dreaming, Adeline.”

“Even if you drive Hazel away again for three years, ten years, twenty years, it will only make me hate you more.” I looked at him in disbelief. Clearly, it was Fiona who disappeared the day before the wedding, leaving only a note. “Mom, Dad, I don’t want to get married now. I’m young and want to see the world.” But my parents didn’t want to offend the powerful Taylor Family or lose the opportunity. They forced me into the wedding dress. I tried to speak up, but anger overwhelmed me, and I collapsed backward. As I fell, I instinctively looked at Declan, not far away, at his hesitant feet. But Fiona held onto Declan’s arm, leading him outside, “She’s at it again, ignore her. Teach her a lesson. She’s always been like this, pretending to be sick to get her way.” Fiona Carter vanished the day before her wedding, leaving behind only a note. “Dear Parents, I don’t want to get married right now. I’m still young and want to explore the world.” However, my Parents were reluctant to offend the influential Taylor Family or let such a lucrative opportunity slip away. They pressured me into the wedding dress. I wanted to explain, but I was so overwhelmed that I fainted. As I lay there, I instinctively glanced at Declan Taylor standing nearby and noticed his hesitance. Fiona Carter, meanwhile, wrapped her arm around Declan Taylor’s and headed toward the door, saying, “She’s at it again. Just ignore her. Maybe this will teach her a lesson. She’s always been like this, pretending to be sick to get her way.” She playfully urged, “Let’s hurry, we have a lot of shopping to do today.” When I woke up, I had no idea how much time had passed. The room was dim. I checked my phone. The Fake Friends Group chat had blown up with over 99 messages. “Declan Taylor ordered a million-dollar custom dress for his wife.” “Declan Taylor bought a diamond ring worth tens of millions.” People in the group kept tagging me. “I heard the mall music couldn’t even keep up today. Mr. Taylor sure knows how to spoil his wife. How much did he spend this afternoon!!” “Fiona, I remember Mr. Taylor never went shopping with you before. What’s your secret? Share it with us.” I looked at the photos of him being kind and attentive. He was personally carrying a Victoria’s Secret bag. I chuckled bitterly, but it hurt my wounded face, making me wince in pain. Training? Who needs that? The problem was the wrong person. I had the Nanny bandage me up, took my belongings, and left the Villa. Back at my home, I overheard my father and mother talking. “Isn’t giving Adeline Carter a billion too much?” Father took a sip of his drink: “Hazel Carter is going to ruin Adeline’s face.” Mother exclaimed, “Ah… really?” Father sighed, “Consider this billion as compensation for Adeline Carter.” Mother said coldly, “Even so, it’s too much. What does she want in exchange for a new identity? Ungrateful child.” I forced a smile, but my body trembled uncontrollably. I couldn’t hold back and burst into the room, shouting: “Why are you doing this to me? Am I not your child?” Mother stood up with confidence: “Your body and skin come from your parents. I can take what I want.” “Your life was given by me, it’s just a face.” My mind buzzed with shock, and my hands clenched into fists. I stood there, feeling utterly helpless. “Enough, stop causing trouble,” Father ordered coldly, “I’ve already instructed the secretary to transfer a billion to your account. Leave. Declan Taylor was meant to marry your sister.” I looked up and laughed through my tears. These were my Parents. After checking into the Hotel, Declan Taylor unexpectedly sent a birthday banquet invitation. “You can come as the Carter Family Second Daughter, but behave yourself. Don’t cause trouble for Hazel Carter.” The invitation showed my seat was on the very edge of the room. There was even Security nearby. Was this constant vigilance? I laughed at myself, deleted the chat, and removed Declan Taylor. The next day, I booked an early flight. Before canceling my phone number, I sent Grandfather an early birthday wish. The next moment. Grandfather sent a long message: “When Declan visited today, I sensed something was wrong. Whatever decision you make, Grandfather wishes you all the best.” My eyes burned, and tears fell uncontrollably. I canceled my number and removed the SIM card. It seems you’ve provided a placeholder or an incomplete text following “———-此处为截断点———-“. Could you please share the actual text you would like translated?

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I had been with Chloe Sinclair for ten years, helping her climb the corporate ladder at her family’s company. To secure deals for her, I attended countless business dinners and client meetings. She kept delaying making our relationship public, saying she wanted to wait until her career was stable. But on the day she became CEO, she publicly announced that her childhood friend Lucas was her fiancé and set a wedding date. That same night, I was at a business dinner celebrating her promotion, trying to close a big deal for her. I ended up drinking too much and got sick. The client’s husband misunderstood the situation and had me beaten up. Limping and bruised, I brought her the signed contract. But she allowed Lucas to run over my foot with his car, then casually said, “Lucas just learned to drive. Don’t take it personally if he bumped you by accident.” The pain I had been enduring exploded as Lucas’s car crushed my foot. I doubled over in agony. Lucas feigned innocence, saying, “Zach, why did you suddenly step out?” Every cell in my body was screaming in pain. The contract I had been protecting fell to the ground. The clean white paper looked out of place next to my blood and dirt-stained clothes. Chloe walked over and picked up the contract. After glancing through it, she put it in her bag and looked down at me condescendingly. “Lucas just learned to drive. Don’t take it personally if he bumped you by accident.” I was in too much pain to speak. I reached out to her, but she made no move to help me up. It seemed Chloe’s CEO celebration party was ending, as more and more people walked out of the hall. “Isn’t that CEO Sinclair and her fiancé Lucas? Who’s that man lying on the ground?” Fiancé? Lucas? What about me? I struggled to prop myself up on my arms, wanting to ask Chloe what was going on. But my arms seemed to be broken too – I couldn’t put any weight on them. The murmurs of the crowd continued. “Isn’t that guy the model Chloe keeps around?” “Shh, keep your voice down. Rich people having boy toys is nothing unusual.” “Did Lucas’s car hit him?” Hearing this, Chloe finally reacted. She signaled her bodyguards to pull me up, then addressed the crowd: “Lucas didn’t hit him. He fell in front of the car himself.” I was lifted like a rag doll by the bodyguards. I kept replaying the word “boy toy” in my mind, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth. Chloe and I had been together for ten years. She had cried to me about her father favoring her brother for the family business, even though he was incompetent. She said her father was trying to force her to marry a much older divorced man. I felt for her and wanted to help. After graduation, I came to work for her, closing deal after deal to help her prove herself to her father and gain a foothold in the Sinclair family business. But after all I had done, I was still a nobody with no official status. And now I had the degrading label of “boy toy” who was just there for her entertainment. “What?! So he’s trying to scam them!” “He looks so young, how could he stoop so low?” Chloe’s explanation had turned everyone against me. My consciousness was fading. The last thing I heard was one of the bodyguards yelling to Chloe, “Ms. Sinclair, this guy passed out.” When I woke up, the sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose. My hand was wrapped in bandages and my leg was in a cast. The slightest movement sent waves of pain through my body. Those men who beat me up had clearly gone all out. The doctor noticed I was awake and glanced at me. “You’re up. Contact a family member to pay the bills and take care of you. The men who brought you here left right after dropping you off.” I had no money on me. Chloe had grown up in a wealthy family and seen a lot of scheming and betrayal. She lacked a sense of security. To reassure her, I had voluntarily given her control of our finances, letting her manage all the money. But now, she wouldn’t even pay for my medical bills. After the doctor left, I called Chloe, hoping to ask her to transfer some money for the hospital fees. But a man’s voice answered the phone. “Chloe’s in the shower. Talk to her assistant if you need something.” He hung up abruptly. The vague words, along with the “fiancé” from last night… A fire of anger ignited in my chest. I felt like a complete fool. Ignoring the nurse’s protests, I yanked out the IV and grabbed the crutches by the bed. I stumbled out, desperate to get to the Sinclair house and catch Chloe with her lover red-handed. I finally made it to the Sinclair house, but when I opened the door, I saw Chloe sitting with my family, looking happy and relaxed. Lucas was chatting with my mom, making her laugh. I staggered over and grabbed Lucas’s arm. I glared at Chloe and snarled, “Chloe, isn’t Lucas supposed to be your cousin? How did he become your fiancé?!” Before Chloe could respond, my mom stood up and slapped me hard across the face. She pulled Lucas away from me. “Zachary Miller, what the hell are you doing?! For years, Ms. Sinclair has given you a job, paid you well, and even sent food and gifts to our family. Instead of being grateful, you’re acting crazy now?” The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. My mom had worked as a farmer for years and had very strong hands. The slap made my head spin. I belatedly realized that Chloe had never publicly acknowledged our relationship. Chloe didn’t want to go public, and I respected her wishes as a man. When talking to my family, I just said I worked for the Sinclair company. But now, this had become a knife stabbing me in the back. My brother also stood up with a frown. “Zach, what are you doing? You’re acting like you and Chloe were dating or something. We need to know our place with families like the Sinclairs.” Chloe just sat there sipping her tea, making no move to explain things for me. Lucas put on an act of being magnanimous. “Chloe has probably been too nice to him, leading to some misunderstandings. It’s okay, Mrs. Miller.” One mouth can’t win against several. I looked at my family in despair as they all took Chloe and Lucas’s side. Chloe finally spoke up. She handed my mom a bright red invitation. “Mrs. Miller, Lucas and I are getting married next month. You’re welcome to attend. Zach has contributed a lot to the company. More than an employee, I see him as a brother. So you’re like family to me too.” My mom was overjoyed, clutching the invitation to her chest. She couldn’t stop smiling. “Oh my, Ms. Sinclair, you’re too kind. You’ve been such a blessing to our Zach. His father passed away when he was young, and I struggled to raise the two boys on my own. Life was so hard back then. But after Zach met you, our lives improved so much.” I stared at that invitation with bloodshot eyes, my chest heaving with anger. Chloe and I had been together for ten years. I cared for her, respected her, and helped her climb to the CEO position. But she had used me and tossed me aside, turning around to marry another man. What was I to Chloe Sinclair? Just a stepping stone on her path to success? A dog she could kick around? I leaned on my crutches, feeling waves of hatred and regret wash over me. In the end, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. My laughter drew everyone’s attention. My brother looked at me with disgust. My mom rushed over to try to cover my mouth. She awkwardly explained to Chloe, “My son must be excited to hear about your wedding, Ms. Sinclair.” Chloe looked at my pathetic state – one hand on a crutch, the other in a sling. “I should thank Zach too. He closed a big deal for me yesterday. You’re injured, so take some paid leave. Get well and then come to my wedding.” I stared at Chloe in disbelief. I had loved her for ten years, only to end up stabbed in the back. And now she wanted me to attend her wedding. For any man, this would be the ultimate humiliation. But my mom’s eyes lit up at the mention of paid leave. She ignored my struggles and had my brother help me out. “Thank you, Ms. Sinclair. We’ll definitely attend your wedding.” I didn’t want to go to Chloe’s wedding. But my mom threatened to hang herself to force me to go. She said, “Zachary Miller, Ms. Sinclair invited you. If you don’t go, you’re disrespecting her. Where would our family be without Ms. Sinclair? Or are you saying you actually have feelings for her? Know your place!” My brother held my mom back from finding a rope. He also complained, “Bro, are you trying to get our whole family killed?” But they had no idea that our family’s comfortable life wasn’t thanks to Chloe. It was from all the drinks I had with clients to close deals. I wanted to explain, but their eyes were full of contempt and distrust towards me. So I swallowed my words and just said, “Fine, I’ll go.” On the wedding day, I watched Chloe walk down the aisle in a white dress towards Lucas. Lucas was in the spot that that should have been mine. I pushed down the bitterness in my heart and signaled my friend Leo to play the video I had prepared. The video that was supposed to show Chloe and Lucas’s love story suddenly changed to moments between Chloe and me. There were photos of us from college, handwritten letters we had exchanged, records of our anniversary celebrations. The video caused an uproar among the guests. “Who is that guy? He doesn’t look like Lucas.” I picked up a microphone, ready to tell them everything. But as soon as I started speaking, I realized there was no sound coming from the mic. I looked over at Leo, but he avoided my gaze. Meanwhile, Chloe calmly raised her own microphone. “I’m so sorry for the confusion, everyone. The man in the video is Zachary Miller. We dated in college, but broke up due to incompatibility.” “Out of consideration for our past, I gave him a job at Sinclair Corp after graduation. But he didn’t take it seriously and kept trying to hit on wealthy clients.” “As you can see, his arm is in a sling. That’s because one of the client’s husbands had him beaten up.” As she spoke, a spotlight shone on me, nearly blinding me. My heart sank as I realized Leo had sold me out. Chloe continued relentlessly, “In fact, Mr. Jackson is here today. His wife was harassed by Zachary.” A heavyset man stood up from the audience, pointing at me and yelling, “You little punk! I warned you to stay away, but you dare show up at Ms. Sinclair’s wedding to cause trouble!” He waved his hand and several burly men came to drag me out. I struggled desperately, “Mom! Tyler! Help me!” But they turned away, pretending not to know me. One of the men knocked me to the ground. Then a barrage of fists and kicks rained down on me. I could only use my one good arm to protect my head. When the men got tired of beating me, one of them spat on me and cursed, “I hate pretty boys like you the most.” “Take a look in the mirror, you piece of trash.” “Let’s go, it’s a waste of energy beating up scum like this.” I lay on the ground like a dead dog while the wedding continued inside. I heard the officiant say, “The groom may now kiss the bride.” My face was wet with tears as I remembered Chloe scolding me for being clumsy during our first kiss, saying I had cut her lip. I’m not sure when the wedding ended, but I felt people walking past me. I grabbed a familiar ankle and looked up to meet Chloe’s cold eyes. With my last bit of strength, I croaked out, “Why?” She crouched down and pried my hand off her ankle. Without a hint of emotion, she said, “I got bored of you.” This time, I didn’t hesitate to raise my hand and signal the person who had been hiding nearby. “My dear sister, how could you not invite your brother to your wedding?”

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I never imagined my wife Olivia’s job as a sleep therapist would lead to such a shocking discovery. She helps insomniacs fall asleep through voice or video chat services. At first, I didn’t understand and thought the job was ridiculous. After all, I’m well-off enough that she doesn’t need to work. I tried to talk her out of it, but she got furious. She accused me of trying to hold back her career and insulting her dreams. Her parents are both teachers, and she was known as the ice queen back in college. I trusted her not to do anything inappropriate. I chalked it up to her pride and stopped questioning it. That is, until I came across a certain video… One evening, I was lounging on the couch scrolling through my phone as usual. As I was swiping, a video in a local group suddenly caught my eye – “Sexy Married Woman”. The video showed a couple getting intimate, even more explicit than what I normally watch. But their faces weren’t visible. It got me all hot and bothered. Too bad my wife wasn’t home. I left a comment saying the woman was such a tease. The screen was filled with flashes of pale skin as the camera shook violently. It was charged with desire and pheromones. The woman called out “Master” in a husky voice, clearly trying to please. That voice sounded exactly like my wife’s when she’s doing her sleep therapy sessions! It was uncanny how similar they were. My heart dropped. It felt like a knife was hanging over my head. I quickly brought the phone closer and listened over and over again. No way, it couldn’t be! My wife was supposed to be on a trip right now. I even paid for it myself. There are plenty of women with similar voices and bodies. Plus, videos online are often fake. My wife was never this wild in bed. But that voice kept pounding in my ears, stabbing at my nerves. I desperately tried to reassure myself. But another voice kept whispering: “What if?” I spent the next hour frantically examining the video. I slowed it down to a crawl, analyzing it frame by frame. My heart was racing as I stared at the screen. The image was still shaky, never revealing the woman’s face. Some details of her body were blurry too. But suddenly, a detail caught my eye like a sword piercing my heart. The woman’s hand lifted slightly. As she made a flirtatious gesture, I saw a flash of silver on her wrist. It was a silver bracelet, simple yet unique in design, with a soft, mellow glow. It was the custom gift I had made for our 5th wedding anniversary. It was her. Olivia. My wife of 5 years was cheating on me.

In that moment, my sanity crumbled. Every nerve felt like it was on fire. A deafening ringing in my ears made it impossible to think. Every inch of my anger was mixed with humiliation – I’d been made a cuckold! I scoured the video but still couldn’t make out the other man’s face. But the evidence of my wife’s infidelity was irrefutable. How else could I explain her wanton, debauched behavior in the video? That enthusiastic, frenzied performance. I had to find this man. I decided to start by contacting the person who posted the video. I created a new account and sent him a friend request. Luckily, he accepted quickly. To avoid suspicion, I pretended to be a sleazy guy thinking with his lower half. I eagerly asked: “Bro, where’d you get this video? It’s got me all worked up, I can’t take it.” He was silent for a few seconds, seemingly testing me: “Why do you want to know?” I could tell he was wary, so I gritted my teeth and sent a big cash gift, saying: “Come on man, this sexy lady’s got me going crazy. I can’t help myself, please!” After getting the money, he loosened up and became friendly: “Well since you’re so sincere, I’d hate to leave a brother hanging.” Then he sent me several more videos, each one more explicit and graphic than the last. The man and woman’s faces were still hidden, but the body, the movements… every detail confirmed it was my wife. My mind went blank, filled with endless humiliation. It felt like countless little people were mocking me. I felt both ridiculous and pathetic. In all our years of marriage, my wife had never been this passionate with me. She was always cold in bed, hardly ever initiating. Whenever I tried to initiate, she’d always say she was too tired or change the subject. Even when she agreed, she’d just lie there like a dead fish in our dark bedroom. I always thought she was just shy or not that interested in sex. But now, the truth before my eyes told me otherwise – she wasn’t frigid or reserved. She just couldn’t let loose with me. With another man, she could be this uninhibited, like a completely different person. I silently lit a cigarette, trying to calm myself down. Even though it was all hard to accept, the most important thing now was finding out who the other man was.

The man in the videos never showed his face, but I should be grateful my wife was only cheating with one guy. The only clue was a distinctive tattoo on the man’s arm in all the videos. I asked him: “Bro, how’d you get these videos?” He vaguely replied: “Special channels, don’t ask too many questions. Just enjoy, man.” I wanted to probe further, but he was clearly getting suspicious, his words guarded. I had to play dumb: “Next time you get good stuff like this, hook a brother up. I’ll make it worth your while.” I logged off and collapsed in my chair, completely drained. I decisively tossed my wedding ring in the trash. This marriage was over. No man could continue living under a cloud of infidelity like this. But before divorcing, there were some accounts to settle. All these years, I’d given my all to her and her family, never shortchanging them. I never imagined this is how she’d repay me. We met in college. She came from a poor family, both parents were teachers, and she had a good-for-nothing brother. Back then she was known as the campus ice queen. She’d even rejected the advances of a rich guy. That’s actually why I pursued her – I admired that she didn’t care about money. I thought an educated family would be easy to get along with. But on my first visit to her home, her mother immediately demanded a $40,000 bride price. The greed in her eyes made it seem like a business transaction, not marrying off a daughter. I hesitated, and her mom immediately changed her tune, kicking me out. She went on and on: “My daughter is highly educated and beautiful. We have suitors lined up. If you can’t afford the bride price, don’t waste her time.” I thought I was a decent catch – I had a car, an apartment, and a sizable inheritance from my parents. I assumed I’d be their ideal son-in-law. But reality slapped me in the face. Her mother’s greed made me want to back out. But then Olivia showed up at my place crying. The usually cold girl’s breakdown that day softened my heart. She said her mom didn’t mean it, that her dad had accidentally hit someone with his car recently and the victim was demanding $40,000. Their family just didn’t have the money. If I didn’t marry her, she’d have to marry some 40-year-old guy. Her tears made my heart ache, and I finally bit the bullet and paid the $40,000 bride price. But that $40,000 was just the beginning. After we got married, my mother-in-law and good-for-nothing brother-in-law kept finding excuses to borrow money from me. They said it was borrowing, but never paid back. And my brother-in-law was useless – drinking, gambling, whoring, he did it all. I was constantly cleaning up his messes. With no other choice, I arranged for him to work under me at my company. Better to keep an eye on him than let him cause trouble elsewhere. I’d had enough of this life long ago. But every time my wife would beg me with tears in her eyes, and I’d soften and give in. I admit I was whipped, but ultimately it was because I loved her and felt bad for her. Now, it was all going to end. I’d settle accounts for everything they owed me. I contacted a lawyer to draft divorce papers. Just as I finished, I heard the sound of a key in the front door. She was back.

As soon as the door opened, I smelled an unfamiliar perfume on her. Faint, but unmistakable. Like marking territory. I took her luggage from her. Feigning calm, I smiled and asked: “How was your trip?” I watched her face closely, looking for any trace of guilt or unease. Her eyes flickered for a moment. She mumbled a few vague words, not at all like someone just back from vacation. I remembered something she’d said before leaving: “Don’t worry about me, I’ll make sure to relax and enjoy myself.” Thinking back now, it was quite telling. I felt a wave of bitter mockery. I’d been so naive before, missing such obvious signs. I was already glowing green. While she was in the shower, I secretly went through her bag. Unsurprisingly, there was an opened box of condoms. Even though I was prepared, it was still hard to process. Next, I took out her phone. I scoured her contact list and chat history but found nothing suspicious. I hesitated for a moment, then tried switching accounts. Sure enough, there was a hidden account – her work account as a sleep therapist. This account had a contact pinned at the top labeled “Hubby”. I clicked to view his profile, but there were no photos. Clearly he was using an alternate account too. I frantically scrolled through their chat history, trying to figure out when they’d started hooking up. The filthy messages on screen were like knives stabbing my heart. I couldn’t believe these words came from my usually cold wife’s mouth. Every line felt like it was mocking me. “Be gentle tonight, you hurt me last time. I almost got caught.” “Good thing I pretended to be drunk, or we would’ve been busted.” “Next time let’s do something even more thrilling. Video call me while you’re next to your wife.” “Hehe, you’re so bad.” I nearly threw up. My blood was boiling, and it took all my willpower not to rush over and slap her. I vaguely recalled a night a few weeks back when my wife came home very late. Her hair was messy, her face flushed, her voice soft and breathy. She stumbled in and collapsed on top of me. I could feel she wasn’t wearing a bra, and I was secretly thrilled my wife was being so forward. But she pushed me away, saying she’d been drinking and felt awful. I rushed to make her a hangover soup, but by the time it was ready she’d fallen asleep. Now I realized how foolish I’d been. Olivia does her sleep therapy work every night. Who knew she was actually getting therapy in bed. I wanted to make this pair of adulterers pay. I kept searching her bag and found a bottle of lube. Damn, things must get pretty wild if they need that stuff. I dumped out the lube and replaced it with super glue. You like playing risky games? I’ll make sure you two are inseparable from now on. I quickly jotted down the man’s account info, but found this alternate account didn’t allow friend requests.

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My lover suffers from delusional disorder. He imagines me as his enemy, his nemesis, the person he hates the most. Day after day, I play along with his delusion. Until one day, I can’t pretend anymore. I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. When I returned home, the room was dark. I put down my bag, took off my shoes, and slowly felt my way along the wall. The moment I touched the switch, a plate flew towards me. I tilted my head and dodged it. The lights came on. The man standing on the stairs looked at me expressionlessly. “So you remember to come back.” “…” I smiled and walked towards him. I reached out and hugged him. “Can you stop acting like a resentful housewife, Lucas?” He had a faint floral scent, the one I had chosen. I thought it might neutralize the coldness he emitted. But it didn’t. His eyes still looked at me with disgust.

The crystal chandelier scattered fine light. But the living room, though lit, was unusually cold, and the man sitting beside me had no warmth at all. I placed the tablet on my knees, showing him page after page. “Look, for our wedding, how about I wear this?” “This skirt design is mermaid style.” “It’s so beautiful, like light flowing over it.” “I also really like this one, the veil has a star design, just like the one you took me to see-” A sneer interrupted my words. He looked up, his dark eyes staring straight at me. “Do we have a past?” I wanted to tell the man in front of me that we did, we had many, many good memories. But the person in front of me always saw me as a heinous villain. He turned my chin and kissed the corner of my lips. His cool voice carried a hint of wanton allure, elegant yet dark with desire. “Be good, give me the medicine.”

The reason Lucas listens to me so obediently is because I have something he desperately craves. If he had looked through the internal reports from the bureau a few years ago, he would have found his name in the columns for drug enforcement commendation and injuries in the line of duty. Lucas became addicted to drugs during his undercover period. And after ending his undercover career, he developed paranoid personality disorder. In other words, delusional disorder. He categorized almost everyone around him as enemies, including me. Including me, whom he once said he loved the most and would protect with his life. The once gentle person was long gone, dragged into a hell of no return, looking at me with eyes as cold as a thousand-year-old cave. The bedroom light was dim. I grabbed his collar, and though I had him pinned beneath me, his gaze remained calm. Though addicted to drugs, he remained as pure as a high and mighty god. Even a slight curl of his lips was pleasing to the eye. I leaned down to kiss him, but with a deft move, he flipped me underneath him. He felt around in the pocket on my chest for a while, found the syringe. Skillfully, he injected it into his right arm. … This syringe, to him, was like a drug. In fact, it wasn’t. It was a mental medication containing sedatives, specially formulated for him. Quitting drugs can’t be done overnight; the dosage needs to be gradually reduced. I suddenly understood why he hated me so much. Because in his eyes, I wasn’t his closest lover. I was someone who got him addicted to drugs, and then hypocritically dangled a bit of drugs in front of him every day… Just a bad person…

I had a dream. I dreamed of several years ago, when Lucas was still undercover. One Christmas Eve, I went to see him. We passed through the crowds, but could only see each other from behind the cover of newspapers. He had his hands in his pockets, leaning against the railing as if boneless. Lucas was handsome; even a slight curl of his lips was both cool and bad, attracting glances from the girls nearby. Right in front of me, he whistled at those two girls. I kicked his foot. He yelped, then called to me in a low voice. “Babe, I have to play the part fully, you know.” He had already started to take on the air of the underworld, but his eyes remained clear. As the sound of Christmas carols drifted by, he tilted his head back, his words tinged with teasing. “Three years, then another three years, then another three years.” That was a line from the movie “Infernal Affairs”, our favorite cop and gangster film. He turned his head, our eyes meeting through the reflection in the glass. “When will I be able to marry you?” … I put down the newspaper and brushed past him. “When the mission is over, I’ll be waiting for you to marry me.” … The mission was over, but I didn’t get to wait for him to marry me. The next morning when I woke up, the space beside me was empty, no one there. Of course, I knew he hated me and didn’t want to stay in the same bed with me. But when I went downstairs and couldn’t find him anywhere, I panicked. I searched every corner of the house, but couldn’t find him. I called my friends, my hand shaking as I held the phone. But he was nowhere to be found. I hugged my head and crouched down. Lately, I often got headaches when I thought too hard about things. The increasingly throbbing head made my vision swim, but the anxiety of not finding him was the real torture. I frantically typed out messages, even thinking of asking my former colleagues at the bureau to help me search. My wildly beating heart grew hotter and hotter, until a pair of white shoes appeared in front of me. “What are you doing?” A steady voice, still cold and indifferent. Lucas wasn’t Lucas anymore, yet Lucas was still Lucas. But the man standing before me with an indifferent expression could no longer be reconciled with the boy in my memories. I stood up and hugged him. I don’t know why, but I really liked hugging him. It was as if I could leave my warmth on his body this way, even though he never hugged me back. “I thought you left, Lucas.” He stepped back, subtly pushing me away. “I just went to water the flowers.” “…” I smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “What do you want for dinner? I’ll cook…” “Stop pretending. You don’t even let me go out.” He cut me off, picked up a book from the dining table, and went upstairs. I didn’t let Lucas go out because I was afraid he might be targeted by remnants of the drug organization he had infiltrated. But the more I did this, the more he became like a white dove trapped in a cage. The more he hated me.

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I swallowed all the warnings I wanted to give her. Including but not limited to: your father is skilled at burying people, your mother likes making dolls, and that mute housekeeper… Never mind, let her explore and discover for herself. Later, I agreed to help her by locking her in a room to do homework, slapping her once for each wrong answer. She endured the slaps and thanked me from the bottom of her heart. When I was six, a nanny joked: “Lily really doesn’t look anything like her parents. She must be adopted, haha!” The next day, that nanny disappeared. I was digging in the garden with my little shovel, tending to my roses. When I dug down, blood seeped out of the soil. Mom picked me up and gently wiped my face: “Stop playing, you’re filthy. Don’t be like your dad.” Mom brought me to the dining table. I stared at the fancy china plate holding a bloody steak, hugging my teddy bear silently. Dad’s smile was even gentler than Mom’s: “Why isn’t Lily eating?” “Daddy found you a new nanny. She definitely won’t say anything to upset you.” Because she couldn’t speak at all. “It’s okay, even if you’re not our biological child, you’re still Mommy and Daddy’s precious daughter.” My hand shook a little as I cut the steak. I accidentally knocked a piece off the plate. It flew across the table, leaving a trail of blood. The mute nanny quickly pulled out a napkin and wiped the blood off the table and my hands. Just as efficiently as she had cleaned up the previous nanny’s blood in the kitchen. Before she arrived, we went through nannies quite frequently. But she ended up staying with our family for ten years. From that moment on, I knew there wasn’t a single normal person around me.

They finally found my parents’ biological daughter. She lived in a run-down house. Her mother – my birth mother – had committed suicide years ago due to mental illness. All that was left was an alcoholic, gambling addict father. The day we arrived, he was grabbing his daughter’s hair and slamming her head against the wall. “I told you to go work the streets, why did you run away?!” “You’ve been freeloading off me for years, time to earn your keep!” “Useless, just like your crazy bitch of a mother!” Dad cleared his throat at the door: “Ahem.” When the drunk realized the daughter he’d raised for years belonged to the wealthy man before him, his eyes lit up greedily. “I raised her for 12 years, a full 12 years. $120,000 wouldn’t be unreasonable, right?” Turns out he wasn’t my birth father either. My mom had remarried him when the real daughter was 4. I had no idea who my birth father was. After the tearful family reunion, the true daughter cried hard. Her gaze towards me changed from envy to hatred. Mom took us home first. Dad stayed behind to discuss “compensation” with that man. I turned back and gave him a sympathetic look. The man’s greedy gaze grew stronger. Clearly he had no idea what was about to happen. The true daughter, now renamed Daisy, sobbed in the car: “Why did it take you so long to come get me?!” Thunder suddenly cracked across the sky as rain began to fall. I answered for Mom: “Because it’s raining today.” Rainy days make things easier to clean up. Mom smiled, giving me an approving look. Daisy paused, then continued crying. Ten days later, when debt collectors came looking for that man, he had vanished. Rumor had it he’d suddenly come into money and left the country. No one cared which sewers he’d been washed down.

My parents renamed the true daughter Daisy Foster. Her room was arranged next to mine. The night she arrived, Mom and Dad prepared a feast. Our dinner conversation was perfectly harmonious. Except for when we each went upstairs to our rooms. SLAP— Daisy slapped me hard across the face. She lifted her chin haughtily: “Listen here you little bastard. You’ve been impersonating the real daughter for years. From now on, you’d better know your place.” She glared at me one last time before slamming her bedroom door. After her light went out, I changed into a white nightgown, let my hair down, and grabbed my teddy bear before slipping out of my room. Her door was unlocked. How careless. How convenient for me. I opened her door just wide enough to peer inside, standing perfectly still. Motionless, I stared at her. The hallway was lit. When she rolled over, she’d be able to see me. Ahhhh— AHHHHHHHHH! Daisy’s bloodcurdling scream echoed through the entire house. Mom and Dad came running, flipping on the lights. Daisy was huddled in the corner. When she recognized my face, she flew into a rage: “Lily Foster, are you trying to kill me?!” I squeezed my teddy bear’s paw. “I couldn’t sleep. I just wanted to talk.” Daisy refused. In the end, Mom and Dad soothed her briefly before we all returned to our rooms. This time she locked her door and drew the curtains tight. Mom and Dad knew about Daisy slapping me earlier. They were observing in secret, waiting to see how I’d react. Judging by their smiles just now, they seemed satisfied with my “performance.” Mom and Dad hate boring people. Mom and Dad don’t like useless children. Oh right, when I was little, after the DNA test results came back, Mom and Dad went to check the hospital security footage. There was a gap in the nursery camera feed. They searched for a long time before finally spotting a woman in black. Unfortunately she wore a hat and mask, so nothing could be made out. Two weeks later, the hospital went bankrupt. The kind where even the building gets demolished. This was followed by reports of missing hospital staff, but those were quickly buried under other news. Dad patted my head at the time: “What do you think we should do with you?” I patted my teddy bear’s head: “Turn me into a teddy too?” Dad laughed heartily and scooped me up: “You’re thinking too much, Lily. You’re Daddy’s adorable daughter.” Mom smiled: “That’s right, Lily’s not some boring little kid.” Dad chimed in: “You’re far more interesting than those teddy bears. It’d be such a shame if you couldn’t talk.” I smiled faintly and bit down hard on my tongue. I didn’t even dare pinch my arm or leg, afraid they’d see through my forced composure. I didn’t want to be turned into a teddy. I didn’t want to be made into a doll. So my every word and action had to mimic what they liked.

Daisy transferred into my class. She was very popular. The other students loved hearing her rags-to-riches story. With her outgoing personality, she quickly gathered a large group of friends. In comparison, people didn’t like me much. “Bastard child, it’s a miracle the Fosters were willing to keep you.” “You barely say three words a day. What’s the difference between you and a mute?” “Look how gloomy she is, I bet she’s growing mushrooms. Ugh, I can almost smell the stench of decay.” “Daisy, it must be awful living with her, right?” They said these things right in front of me while Daisy smirked. At first it was just mean words. Then they started hitting me. Daisy especially loved slapping my face. She said she enjoyed the sound and rhythm as she hit me over and over: “This is all payback.” “You stole my parents for over a decade. You deserve to suffer. I’ll make sure you pay for every day.” “How dare you try to scare me that night, you little mongrel.” SLAP— SLAP SLAP— Two girls flanked me, pinning my arms so I couldn’t fight back. “Still not making a sound? You really are pathetic.” She grabbed my face. I cried out in pain, whimpering: “Please, stop…” They all burst out laughing. A boy eagerly filmed the scene on his phone. They had taken over the girls’ bathroom. No one else would come in. Daisy’s arm got tired. She shook out her wrist and kicked over a red bucket. The bucket was filled with dirt they’d dug up from the school garden. They smeared mud all over my face and clothes. “Tsk tsk, so filthy. Let’s clean her up.” I was dragged to a toilet. The two girls shoved my head towards the bowl. “Please, don’t—” I had already begged them. I had already given them a chance. “AHHHHHHH!!!” The two girls shrieked like pigs being slaughtered, even louder than Daisy that night. “Snake! There’s a snake! From her bag, ahhhh!” “Get away!” “Kill it! Kill it!” I was there when they dug up dirt from the garden. I could guess what they were planning, so I brought my pet along. It’s very obedient and listens to me well. The three girls and one boy ran for their lives, screaming the whole way. The little snake slipped out the window, returning to the garden. I calmly walked out of the bathroom. They stared at me in shock as I entered the classroom, stuttering: “Y-you… did you b-bring it in?” “No,” I answered honestly. I would never actually hurt them at school. It was just to scare them. I smiled. “But if you try to hurt me again, it might come back.”

After this incident, my classmates avoided me even more. I overheard them whispering about going to my house to tell my parents what happened. “We’ll back you up, don’t be afraid.” “We have to get her kicked out, or who knows how you might end up dead one day.” Daisy glanced at me nervously before nodding to them. As school let out, our housekeeper pulled up in the car. There was plenty of room for all of them. They kept their distance from me and hailed a taxi instead. I sat in the front seat. Ms. Yang tilted my chin up, examining my face. Her eyes held a questioning look. I knew what she wanted to say. [Did she hit you again?] I pushed her hand away. “It’s fine. I already got revenge.” Ms. Yang shook her head, her face as expressionless as ever. She signed to me: [How rude. The master and madam should teach her a lesson.] Teach her a lesson? If they found out, they’d probably just enjoy the show. After all, those two often ended up with bruises themselves. From the sounds I occasionally overheard, it was very violent, but they seemed to like it. When I got home, Daisy and her friends had already arrived. They sat on the living room couch. In front of them was a white coffee table with gold trim, set with delicate cake plates and a vase that always held fresh red roses. Mom sat in an armchair, hand on her chin, smiling as she listened to them. “Lily’s home!” The room fell silent when I entered. Only Mom spoke enthusiastically. “You must all be hungry. I’ll check on dinner, it should be ready soon.” “Didn’t you want to see the doll collection room? Lily can show you.” Their faces fell. “Mrs. Foster—” Mom smiled. “I’m sure there’s just been some misunderstanding at school. Why don’t you clear things up today?” “Lily, be a good host. Don’t scare your classmates again.” I nodded to show I understood.

The doll collection room was exactly what it sounded like – filled with dolls of all sizes. And many teddy bears too. At first glance, I couldn’t even tell which were real dolls and which were… “Wow, so pretty!” “There’s so many! The whole room is full!” The girls were excited. Even Daisy had never been in here before. She had a girlish look of wonder. The boy was clearly uninterested. He poked and prodded randomly before bumping a music box. It began to play. “The dolly and the teddy bear dance, dance, dance…” One girl hugged an ornate Baroque-style doll, her eyes full of envy. “Daisy, your mom is amazing. Look at this dress, it’s so beautifully made!” “Um… can I have this one? I really love it…” Daisy was very generous of course and immediately agreed. I looked carefully at the doll and said, “Maybe you shouldn’t take that one. How about choosing a different doll?” She glared at me. “Daisy already said yes. It’s none of your business. This isn’t your house anyway.” They mocked and ridiculed me. The boy chuckled. “This reminds me of a horror movie about creepy dolls. Have you guys seen it?” “Shut up!” the girls yelled, but their voices lacked conviction. He continued, “It was also set in a mansion. The lady of the house loved collecting dolls. Guess what the dolls were made of?” “Real children.” “Ahh! Shut up!” The girl holding the Baroque doll screamed and started hitting the boy with it. Crack— thunk thunk— The doll’s head fell off and rolled away. “Oh no, I didn’t mean to…” The head rolled into another room. The lights were off and it was very dark. “Lily, where’s the light switch…” After I turned on the lights, they were shocked by the scene before them. “Is… is this a workshop?” There were syringes, gauze, and a trash can with bloody bandages. The table held various knives and a half-finished project that looked quite disturbing. A strange smell wafted from the bathroom, like a foul odor mixed with air freshener. The music box outside was running out of power. It made a buzzing sound and seemed to slow down. “The… dolly… and… teddy… dance…” A girl’s voice trembled: “This is creepy. I’m scared.” Another agreed: “Me too. I want to go home.” BANG— The door suddenly slammed shut, making everyone jump.

The boy yanked on the handle, pushing and pulling with all his might. “It’s locked!” “What’s going on? Is someone out there?” I walked to the window and closed it. “Probably just the wind. This door is a bit old. Don’t worry, I’ll call the housekeeper.” A girl crouched on the floor, sobbing: “Parents who raise a kid like that can’t be normal either. We shouldn’t have come here today!” Another girl scolded her: “Why didn’t you say that earlier?!” “You didn’t say anything either!” Daisy yelled at them: “Shut up! My parents aren’t like that. Do you want me to hit you?” “AHHHHHHHH!” The two girls clung to each other, screaming even louder than before. “Bones! That doll!” They hadn’t dared retrieve the fallen head. Only now did they notice the headless doll still in their hands. “It’s made from a real person, right? Isn’t it?! ISN’T IT?!” They grabbed Daisy by the neck, shaking her violently. The boy panicked too, trying even harder to open the door. The wood creaked loudly with each attempt. Knock knock knock. Someone was at the door. “AHHHHHHH!” They were all in a state of terror. “W-who’s there?!” There was no answer from outside. Daisy suddenly got excited: “Ms. Yang! It’s Ms. Yang! Quick, open the door!” Daisy hated Ms. Yang. She had never sounded so eager to see her before. I warned them: “Step away from the door.” BANG— After two or three hits, the door burst open with a loud crash. Ms. Yang walked in, closed the door behind her, and stood blocking the exit. “Let us out!” “Please, I’m begging you, let us go!” The corners of Ms. Yang’s mouth turned up slightly. This was the closest she ever came to smiling. She began to sign. “Get out of the way!” “What are you saying?! We can’t understand you!” Their voices were filled with terrified sobs. I translated with a cold smile: “I begged you like this too. What did you do then?”

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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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