Category: English

I silently tore up my husband’s positive HIV test results. Since you two enjoy swimming in the ocean of love so much, I’ve decided to let you drown in it. Just as I received the medical report, I got a call from an unknown number. The intimate voices of a man and woman nearly made me drop my phone in shock. “Liam, be gentle. Don’t hurt the baby,” a woman’s voice cooed. “Alright, sweetheart. Lower your waist a bit,” a man replied. The call lasted less than ten seconds before they hastily hung up, not giving me a chance to speak. Liam Westbrook and I had been in love since we were 18, for twelve years now. This morning, before he left for work, he had thoughtfully bought me breakfast and told me to sleep in a bit longer before going to the hospital for my test results. I wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes and tore Liam’s medical report into tiny pieces, throwing them into the trash can. How laughable. Just a minute ago, I was worried about him, thinking there must have been a mistake with the test. I couldn’t believe that Liam, who had always been so careful and honest with me, could have contracted HIV. Liam Westbrook, since you’re so good at keeping secrets, I’ll learn a thing or two from you. I won’t tell you about your HIV and severe gout either. I immediately went to get a full set of tests done for myself. During the anxious wait for the results, I didn’t want to see Liam. I used the excuse of visiting my parents and stayed at a hotel for two days. During this time, that unknown number called me twice more. Both times were when they were being intimate – once at 9 AM and once at 2 AM. It seems he really cares for this woman, staying at her place while I’m not home. Well, of course. This woman is carrying his child. Liam and I got married right after graduation. We’ve been married for eight years but never had children. When we first got married, we were focused on our careers, wanting to wait until we were financially stable before having kids. When we finally felt ready, we discovered during fertility tests that both my fallopian tubes were blocked. I couldn’t conceive naturally. Liam hugged me and said we could spend our lives just the two of us, and that he’d be jealous if I had to share my love with a child. But I really wanted a child, one that looked like him. For the past three years, since I turned 27, I’ve been undergoing IVF treatments. The embryo successfully implanted five times, but I miscarried early each time. To maintain the pregnancy, I gave myself daily injections in my belly. My once smooth, slender abdomen that I had been so proud of was now covered in needle marks and bruises. When I finally got my test results, I was relieved. I hadn’t contracted HIV. The night I returned home, Liam came back from work earlier than usual. He walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around my waist, enveloping me in his familiar scent. “Smells delicious. What treat have you cooked up for me today, honey?” he asked. “I couldn’t sleep well without you these past two days. The house feels so empty when you’re not here,” he added. Suppressing my disgust, I playfully chided, “I bought some fresh seafood to make you a seafood hotpot. Go wash your hands, dinner’s almost ready.” Liam went to the bathroom, humming happily. Watching his back, I added another handful of bean curd sticks to the pot. Liam had always been particular about food. Whenever he enjoyed something outside, I would tirelessly work to recreate it at home, just to please his palate. I had spoiled his taste buds and stomach. Seeing him eat with such relish, I peeled a shrimp and fed it to him. He smiled at me as he took it, clearly satisfied. “Honey, why aren’t you eating?” he asked. I lowered my eyes to hide my sadness and poured him a glass of beer. “I’ve gained a bit of weight recently. I’m avoiding high-calorie foods at night.” Besides HIV, Liam also had extremely high uric acid levels. He was happily eating the gout-inducing, paralysis-inducing meal I had carefully prepared for him.

“Honey, how were my medical results?” Liam asked. I pulled out a thick stack of reports from my bag and spread them on the table. “The doctor said all your indicators are good, no major issues. Here, take a look yourself,” I said. I knew Liam well. For all these years, I had taken care of every detail in his life, big or small. He trusted me completely. As expected, he didn’t even glance at the papers. “That’s great. It’s all thanks to you taking such good care of me,” he said. I silently put the reports back in the envelope and opened another can of beer for him. After two cans of beer, his fair complexion was flushed red. When he looked at me with half-closed eyes, his gaze was full of desire. Liam was handsome and dashing, standing at 6 feet tall with long legs. I was deeply attracted to him from the first moment I saw him in college. Back then, my heart would race uncontrollably, feeling like it might jump out of my chest. But now, looking into his passionate eyes, knowing he had been rolling in bed with another woman, I wanted to gouge out those hypocritical eyes. Liam finished the last crab, patting his stomach in satisfaction. “Honey, there’s less than a month left before the deadline for this year’s International Jewelry Design Competition. Have you finished your design?” he asked. I nodded gently as I cleared the table. “Just a few more tweaks and it’ll be ready.” Liam excitedly stood up, wanting to hug me. I dodged him subtly, carrying the plates to the kitchen without a trace of awkwardness. He followed me to the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe, gesturing excitedly. “Honey, I need to get an even bigger display case for the company. We’re running out of space for all your awards!” Liam and I both studied jewelry design. The year we graduated, I turned down an offer from a top company because he wanted to start his own business. Out of love for him, I supported him without hesitation. Not only did I give him the $20,000 I had saved from part-time jobs during college to start his business, but I also joined his small studio. In the first few years, to make a name for his studio, he entered all sorts of jewelry design competitions, big and small. But he always got eliminated in the preliminaries, while I won gold awards every time. At that time, the studio was losing money every month. Liam was stressed out, losing 30 pounds in half a year. I couldn’t bear to see him suffer like that. I suggested closing the studio, but he wanted to hang on a bit longer. Until we were completely broke, squeezed into a basement, sharing a bowl of instant noodles a day. He left most of the noodles for me, drinking only the soup to fill his stomach. Liam hugged me, crying, saying he shouldn’t have let me suffer with him. He said he’d close the studio the next day and find a job. I knew that was his pride and hard work. Behind his back, I borrowed $5,000 from my parents and secretly submitted my competition entry under Liam’s name. He had said he lacked inspiration and had no portfolio, so clients didn’t trust him and wouldn’t work with him. With that $5,000, we held on for another three months. And my design won first prize in a top international competition. From then on, Liam made a name for himself in the industry. He never lacked for orders again. The studio grew bigger and bigger, eventually becoming a jewelry design company with over a hundred employees. He became known as Mr. Westbrook, a young talent in everyone’s eyes. But from that point on, all of my designs were submitted under Liam’s name.

That night, as usual, Liam lay on his side, holding me as we fell asleep. In the past, his heavy arm gave me a sense of security. Now I felt suffocated, his arm weighing heavily on me, making it hard to breathe. I couldn’t sleep, lying awake until dawn. At 5 AM, I got up and went to the kitchen to make breakfast for him. I cleaned the shrimp I had bought yesterday, carefully removing the veins, then finely chopped them into a paste to make plump little wontons. The eight-treasure porridge in the pot had been simmering for nearly three hours. The five different types of beans were soft and mushy. When Liam got up at 8 AM, I had already packed his breakfast. He loved to sleep in but didn’t want his employees to think their boss was always late. Every day he arrived at the company just in time. To prevent him from going hungry or eating carelessly, I always carefully prepared his breakfast for him to take to the office. He said I spoiled him like a child, that he wouldn’t be able to live without me. I saw him off at the door, carefully reminding him: “This porridge is good for your stomach, drink it while it’s hot. I cooked the wontons separately and put them in a container. Just pour them into the soup when you’re ready to eat.” Liam was putting on his shoes when he leaned in for a kiss. I didn’t want any contact with him, but I couldn’t let him suspect anything and ruin my plans. I had to suppress my disgust and let my cheek brush against his lips, wet with the scent of his minty aftershave. As soon as he stepped out, I immediately closed the door, rushed to the bathroom, and frantically washed my face. I scrubbed the side of my face he had kissed with alcohol repeatedly until it was red and burning. Looking at myself in the mirror, my eyes were full of hatred and pain. Liam Westbrook, I will make you pay for this. First, I needed to find out the identity of the woman Liam was cheating with. I searched for her phone number on SnapChat. Her profile picture was a selfie – a very young woman. After confirming it was her real number, I saved it to my contacts. I opened Instagram and quickly found her account among my suggested friends. A recent college graduate in her early 20s, with a rich and handsome boyfriend who loved her, a blissful expectant mother. But her most recent status update was posted at midnight last night: “When will you truly belong to me?” The photo showed a full-body pregnancy shot with her face hidden. It seems she knows she’s the other woman but is eager to become Liam’s official wife. However, judging by how Liam is keeping this from me, he doesn’t intend to make her his wife. At noon, I went to the company to bring Liam lunch, carrying a carefully prepared gout-inducing meal. I rarely come to the company, so much so that the new receptionist didn’t recognize me and stopped me from going upstairs. One phone call and Liam came down to get me himself. “Honey, it’s ridiculous that I can’t even enter our own company,” I complained, putting on a hurt expression. “I want to go back to work in the design department. I don’t want to feel like I have no value.” Liam hesitated. “Weren’t you focusing on your health? Work is too tiring.” I lowered my eyes and sighed. “After so many failed IVF attempts over the years, I’m exhausted. Maybe it’s fate that I’m not meant to have children.” “Honey, I’ve told you before, I don’t care if we have kids or not. It’s fine if it’s just the two of us for life,” he said, his face full of sincerity. Seeing his hypocritical act, I could barely keep up my own facade. But I knew that lashing out would only satisfy my emotions momentarily and do no good in the long run. “I’ve been doing IVF non-stop for three years. My body can’t take it anymore. I want to take a break,” I said. Liam looked at me with pity in his eyes. Seeing the emotional card was working, I made my real request: “Honey, I want to come back to work at the company. Let me take charge of the design department.”

The design department was the most important division in the company. Moreover, the star products released each year were all designed by me, just under Liam’s name. He immediately understood that I no longer wanted to hide behind him and be his ghostwriter. From now on, the designs would be credited to me, Amelia Winters. Liam put down his chopsticks and looked at me intently. “Amelia, if I did something to hurt you, could you forgive me?” I gently took out a container of tripe soup, chiding him playfully. “Why are you suddenly saying this? Did you really do something to hurt me?” For a moment, I thought he was going to confess. He just shook his head, took the soup, and sighed after a sip. “Of course not. How could I ever hurt such a wonderful wife?” I nodded with a smile. “I’ll start working in the design department tomorrow then. Remember to assign me two capable assistants, okay?” Before leaving the company, I asked Liam to take me on a tour of each department. He seemed uneasy. When we got to the design department, a young girl gave me an unfriendly look. She was wearing a loose hoodie and tight leggings. I studied her carefully and realized she resembled the profile picture of Liam’s mistress. She must have recognized me first, staring at me with resentful eyes. After all, Liam’s phone wallpaper was my photo. In person, she wasn’t as polished as in her photos. She was rather plain-looking, someone you wouldn’t notice in a crowd. But she was indeed young. Even pregnant, she maintained a slim figure. The loose clothing hid her pregnancy. Liam hurriedly introduced a few people, eager to leave. I smiled and extended my hand to the mistress. “The company is grateful to have such a dedicated employee. How many months pregnant are you?” She barely touched my fingertips before letting go. Instead, she turned to Liam with a blissful expression. “Five months,” she said, then raised an eyebrow at me and proudly rubbed her belly. What an indiscreet girl. I was a bit disappointed that Liam would cheat with someone like her. The mistress was never my target. The one who hurt me was Liam – he was the one who failed to stay faithful to our marriage. But I wouldn’t be kind to the mistress either. I would use her well to get back what I deserved from Liam, and more. I gave Liam’s arm a squeeze. “Pregnant employees need special care. Don’t give the young lady too much work.” The surrounding employees praised me: “The boss’s wife is so beautiful and kind. You two are such a perfect match.” Liam put his arm around my waist, smiling smugly. The mistress’s face had turned almost green with envy. It seems this mistress doesn’t hold much weight in his heart after all. On my first day working in the design department, the employees weren’t very respectful towards me, even though I was the boss’s wife. Artists tend to be free-spirited and a bit rebellious. In their eyes, only Liam was the real boss. The intern mistress, however, seemed quite popular in the company. She smiled warmly like a spring breeze, with everyone greeting her. I calmly exported this year’s International Jewelry Design Competition draft from my computer. When I asked for suggestions on which gemstones to use, the mistress came over and glanced at it. “Mrs. Winters, you design too? We usually just create entries to accompany Mr. Westbrook’s work,” she said. The design director pushed the mistress aside and stared at the computer screen with shining eyes. “Perfect! Absolutely perfect! This is the most stunning piece I’ve seen all year. It’s definitely going to win gold.” He eagerly poured me a cup of water. “Mrs. Winters, you’re a true master! I’m so sorry for my poor attitude earlier. When you have time, could you please give me some guidance on my work?” William Lewis, the design director, was someone who lived and breathed design. Many of the company’s popular pieces were his creations. But he wasn’t arrogant like some artists. Instead, he was very good at management and operations. He had been with Liam since the early days, and the company’s growth owed much to William’s efforts. I chose to work in the design department not only because I excelled at design, but mainly because of William. He had followed Liam out of admiration for Liam’s work – which was actually all created by me. I wanted to take away one of Liam’s arms, to have William work for me instead. I nodded kindly. “Of course. Bring me all your work to take a look.” While working, I continued to be attentive and caring towards Liam. In the past, he often had business dinners and ate out. Since I started working at the company, I prepared all three of his daily meals myself. After keeping this up for a while, Liam started telling me he occasionally felt pain in his legs. I knew this was a symptom of gout. His comeuppance was approaching. One time, when I was bringing Liam his lunch, I ran into the mistress coming out of his office with a lunchbox. She was wiping away tears as she walked. Clearly, she had wanted him to eat the food she made, but Liam refused. I pretended to mention it casually to Liam: “Did you scold Tiffany? The poor girl is pregnant, don’t be too harsh on her.” Liam tried to change the subject. “What delicious meal did you make for me today, honey?” Seeing he wanted to gloss over it, I pressed on: “I saw her throw the lunchbox in the trash right after leaving. What happened?” Liam’s expression turned awkward, his voice tinged with guilt. “She was just trying to suck up, I guess. You know I hate people who rely on tricks instead of real ability. Let’s not talk about her. I’m starving.” Liam had indeed hidden things well. No one in the company knew about their relationship. And since I started working there, Liam and Tiffany hardly interacted at all. At home, he barely looked at his phone and received no suspicious calls. Tiffany’s gaze towards me grew more and more resentful. The results of this year’s jewelry design competition came out a month after I started working. In previous years, Liam always won the awards, but this time it was me. Moreover, the design department staff had witnessed my entire process from initial draft to multiple revisions to the final design. No one doubted this was my own work. Instead, rumors started circulating in the company that Liam’s previous works had all been done by me. William Lewis solemnly invited me out for coffee. I brought my laptop and gladly accepted. When I arrived, he had already been waiting for over half an hour. Actually, I had arrived early and observed him from a hidden corner, watching him fidget anxiously with a furrowed brow. I knew then that my chances of convincing him to work for me had increased to about 20%. “Hi William, sorry I’m late,” I said. Seeing me arrive, the straightforward William got right to the point: “Were all of Liam’s previous award-winning designs actually created by you?” I smiled gently and turned my laptop towards him. I had kept copies of all my design drafts. When designing, I had a habit of hand-drawing my initial sketches and signing them at the bottom of the page. William’s expression grew serious as he flipped through them one by one. As he progressed, his brow smoothed out and his eyes began to sparkle with admiration. He kept muttering, “So beautiful. Your talent is truly unparalleled.” After finishing, he gripped my hand tightly, staring at me intently. His expression was so exaggerated that I uncomfortably pulled my hand away. “You should be shining brightly in the jewelry world. Why did you hide behind Liam?” he asked gravely. “Did he force you?” I shook my head. “It was my own choice. But that doesn’t matter now. William, I’ve come to my senses. I want to have my own independent design studio. Would you like to work with me?” William nodded frantically. “Of course! I originally followed Liam hoping to improve my skills. But all these years, I never created anything that surpassed myself. Just this past month with your guidance, I finally feel like I’m breaking through my limits.” “I’ve never cared about how much money I make. I only hope to design pieces that will stand the test of time. I’d work for you even without pay.” I had bet correctly. William was a born artist. In his eyes, talent and creations were more important than fame, fortune or sentiment. I tactfully told William about Liam’s affair and my future career plans. Though he disdained worldly relationships, he was very perceptive. He immediately understood my true intentions when I explained. I wanted to bring Liam down. But he didn’t care about that. He only asked that I guide him on each of his future designs. I agreed, of course. My studio had actually started being set up two weeks ago. To separate it from Liam, the legal representative was my father. William acted quickly, immediately submitting his resignation to Liam. He didn’t even bother with the resignation procedures. He didn’t want his final month’s salary either, packing up and leaving the very next day. I was in Liam’s office when HR informed him of this. Liam was furious, barely containing his anger as he called William. He couldn’t believe that his right-hand man, who had been with him since the beginning, would leave without a word. When he dialed, he found William had already blocked his number. That was typical of William. I almost couldn’t control my expression, having to bite my tongue hard to keep from laughing out loud. Liam angrily threw his phone, shattering the screen of the latest model. That wasn’t enough. He swept everything off his desk onto the floor. The HR person trembled in fear. I gestured for them to leave and went to comfort Liam. “Honey, don’t be angry. It’s just losing a design director. His work wasn’t as good as mine anyway. I’ll take good care of the design department from now on.” Liam collapsed into his chair, deflated, his hands shaking uncontrollably. “Honey, I’ll have to trouble you with the design department then. It’s good that I have you,” Liam said, looking at me tenderly. “Being a director is hard work. Don’t squeeze time to cook for me anymore. Let’s just eat out.” I stood behind him, gently massaging his temples. “It’s no trouble at all. Taking care of your health and stomach doesn’t feel like work to me. Don’t worry, I’ll lead the design department to create even better pieces.” After becoming the design director as planned, I finally got access to the company’s key clients. These were all ultra-wealthy individuals. For their exclusive custom jewelry, the design director needed to personally bring the designs to show them the renderings before creating the final product. After interacting with these wealthy clients for a while, I locked onto my target – a divorced businesswoman named Vivian King. I took the initiative to build a closer relationship with her. Given her love for jewelry, I would let her see all my new designs first. This time, Vivian had already claimed dibs on my award-winning piece. However, after she purchased the finished product, I successfully convinced her to replace the pendant with an 11-carat pink diamond. This would bring the total value of the piece to $30 million. When I told Liam this news, he was initially worried we couldn’t source an 11-carat pink diamond. After all, gems of this caliber were usually in private collections and rarely came on the market. But I emphasized that closing this deal would bring in nearly $10 million in profit. I told him that in two weeks, at a Sotheby’s auction, there would be a nearly 12-carat flawless pink diamond. Based on historical prices, diamonds larger than this one had sold for no more than $20 million. What I didn’t tell him was that those were prices from five years ago, and that he would absolutely not be able to win this pink diamond at auction. Liam believed that as long as we prepared $20 million, we would definitely be able to acquire it. When he personally signed the delivery contract with Vivian, his hands were shaking uncontrollably with excitement. His leg pain had been getting worse lately, and his hands shook more and more frequently. But with the mess left behind by William’s departure, he was too preoccupied to pay attention. Plus, I reassured him it was just from overwork, which he fully believed. The reason I encouraged Liam so much was that for these custom jewelry contracts, we had to collect full payment from the client in advance and guarantee delivery. Otherwise, we would have to pay the client ten times the amount in compensation. For this deal, if Liam breached the contract, $300 million in damages would be enough to bankrupt him.

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On the day my boyfriend of three years proposed to me, his long-lost first love, who was presumed dead in a plane crash, suddenly came back to life. I followed him as he ran to the stairwell, watching them embrace each other emotionally. They were both crying and snotting, and only after regaining their composure did they notice me standing behind them. Sean looked extremely embarrassed. Coco stared at me in shock, unable to utter a word. I caught a glimpse of panic flashing across her face. Her reaction was understandable, given how strikingly similar we looked. The engagement ring on my finger, as big as a pigeon egg, hadn’t even had time to warm up. Though it pained me a little, I took it off and strode towards Sean: “Here, give it back to you. Give it to its rightful owner.” I didn’t love Sean. Our relationship was a mutually beneficial transaction. We had agreed that he would give me $5,000 a month as pocket money, and I would accompany him to complete the hundred things he had once promised to do with Coco. After finishing, he would give me an additional $500,000. I wanted to settle down in New York and end my nomadic life of being constantly exploited by landlords, so we reached an agreement. In these three years, he took me to see snow on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, ride horses on the grasslands, and wait for the Buddha’s halo on the Golden Summit of Mount Emei. I experienced all the love he had for Coco. So this live scene in front of me was very touching, even more intense than watching a Korean drama couple. I thoughtfully put the ring on Coco’s finger – not too big, not too small, just right! I guessed he was nervous that Coco might misunderstand his relationship with me. Thinking of the $500,000 that was about to be mine, I very considerately explained on his behalf: “Miss Lu, I’ve often heard about you from Mr. Shaw. He loves you very much. We’re just friends, and we’ve never done anything inappropriate. It’s wonderful that you’ve returned safely. I sincerely wish you both happiness.” To avoid further misunderstanding, I hurriedly returned to Sean’s mansion to pack my things, intending to move out immediately. After packing everything into my suitcase, the door to the living room suddenly opened. Oh no! The person who came in was actually Coco! It’s inevitable to feel guilty when a stand-in meets the real deal. She stared at me, her surprised eyes brimming with tears: “You two are living together?” Coco looked so pitiful on the verge of tears that even I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. I showed rare gentleness, taking her hand: “Of course not. It’s just that his housekeeper had some business to attend to, so I came over to help for a few days. I’m leaving right away.” Seeing my packed belongings, she finally relaxed and revealed a sweet smile. The car I called had already arrived. I hurriedly loaded my things into the car, eager to leave even if it meant taking a night bus. Coco very kindly came out to see me off. Just as I was about to make my getaway, she suddenly brought out a stack of photos from the master bedroom – pictures of Sean and me on our travels. If she hadn’t taken them out, I would have completely forgotten about them. “Miss Snow, don’t you want these photos?” she asked, examining me with bright, innocent eyes. “No, I don’t need them.” As soon as I finished speaking, she suddenly threw the photos into the trash can. I was stunned for a moment. It wasn’t that I cared about the photos, but it felt strange to see pictures of myself in the garbage. I instinctively glanced inside and noticed a photo of Coco and Sean mixed in. I kindly reminded her, knowing how much Sean treasured that photo. Coco’s face turned pale. She hurriedly fished that photo out of the trash can and lovingly wiped it clean. “We probably look too alike. I didn’t notice,” she explained awkwardly. I thought she must have felt uncomfortable seeing so many photos of Sean and me together. As a fellow woman, I understood her feelings. Coco enthusiastically saw me off to the car, hesitating before finally speaking: “Miss Snow, could you please delete Sean from your contacts?” My heart skipped a beat. Deleting him wasn’t the point. The point was, who would pay me if I deleted him? My $500,000 was still unsettled. “But Mr. Shaw and I still have some financial matters to settle,” I replied in a very official tone. “Sean has already discussed this with me. Let’s add each other on SnapChat. I’ll help him transfer the $500,000 to you.” Can such good things really happen? My eyes lit up, and I immediately took out my phone to add Coco on SnapChat. Then, right in front of her, I blocked and deleted Sean. Even a second of hesitation would be disrespectful to money. …… The first thing I did after moving was to buy a British Shorthair blue cat. I had wanted to keep a cat for a long time, but Sean wouldn’t let me. Funny enough, the reason was that Coco was allergic to cat hair. Coco kept her word. As soon as I moved into my new place, I received a bank transfer notification. The weight on my chest finally lifted, and I immediately called my best friend, asking her to come out and party tonight. The nightclub lights were flashing, and loud electronic music filled my ears. I excitedly patted Lisa’s shoulder: “Drink as much as you want, Miss Emma is footing the bill tonight.” Lisa looked at me with a worried expression: “Emma, is this really how it ends between you two?” Before I could answer, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. “Who is it?” “You’re quite pragmatic, aren’t you? Just got the money and immediately blocked and deleted me?” Sean’s sarcastic voice came through the phone. “No, no, no, that’s not it,” I patiently explained. “I blocked and deleted you before I even got the money.” He was so angry he was speechless, gritting his teeth as he said: “You’ve got some nerve. You haven’t had a job in three years. Can you even find work now? Don’t come begging me if you starve.” “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely spend that $500,000 wisely.” I resolutely hung up the phone after saying that, and then blocked this number too. This man is really ridiculous. …… I bought an RV with cash, leaving me with very little money. I decided to start my own business. As for the capital for the business, my gaze fell on the luxury goods on the shelf. These were all bought by Sean when I was his stand-in. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to use them now, so I might as well sell them. Every little bit helps. There were too many items to carry conveniently, so I packed them all into a large woven bag and lugged it into the mall. I remembered there was a second-hand luxury consignment store here. Panting, I reached the fourth floor, only to see Coco and Sean walking hand in hand out of the elevator. I held my breath and quickly hid in a cosmetics store. The sales assistant looked at me disdainfully and said haughtily: “Ma’am, this is a high-end skincare brand store. Please don’t bring your garbage in here.” I unzipped the woven bag a little, letting her peek inside, then walked out with an unperturbed stride, leaving her utterly shocked. I finally reached a luxury goods recycling store on the fifth floor. Under the watchful eyes of the staff, I took out the items one by one, filling up the glass counters.

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I had been in love with Tara for five years, spoiling her like a princess. The day I returned from a business trip abroad, I wanted to surprise her by secretly attending a private dinner party to see her. But I saw her passionately kissing another man. To my shock, it was Henry, my college roommate. The dazzling diamond brooch on his suit jacket pierced my eyes. Because it was identical to the one Tara had given me. Five years of companionship had become nothing but a joke. It turned out I was the one destroying someone else’s marriage all along. Heartbroken and disillusioned, I quickly wrote an application to become a war correspondent in the Middle East. After I left, Tara turned Shanghai upside down looking for me like a madwoman. I snuck into the exclusive Hong Kong dinner party in disguise, using an invitation I had prepared in advance. This was a private event with no media allowed. I unlocked my phone, the wallpaper showing a photo of Tara and me from our last meeting. I smiled bitterly, realizing it had already been a month since I’d seen her. Just ten minutes ago, Tara had texted asking when I’d be back. “The assignment here isn’t finished yet, it’ll be another two days,” I had replied. Tara sent a sticker saying “Miss you hubby”. I couldn’t help smiling as I imagined her surprised face when she saw me. The crowd suddenly stirred. I turned around, scanning the room. Several VIPs walked by, and I froze when I saw the woman behind them. Tara was intimately holding the arm of an equally distinguished-looking man. It was Henry, my college roommate. His appearance hadn’t changed much. The diamond brooch on his suit jacket was dazzlingly bright, piercing my eyes. I looked down, quietly removing the identical diamond brooch pinned to my own jacket. As soon as they appeared, people came up to greet them, warmly calling her “Mrs. Wright”. Mrs. Wright… No wonder Tara always said there was no rush to get married. She had already become someone else’s wife long ago. “Mrs. Wright, how long have you been married? Any plans for children?” someone asked. Tara smiled and replied, “Henry and I have been married for three years. He thinks I’m still young, so we’re not in a hurry.” I felt my blood run cold. As they walked towards me, I hid in a corner. The two of them made a striking couple, perfectly matched, turning heads wherever they went. Even her hand remained tucked in his arm the whole time. How many passionate nights had she used that same hand to gently caress my body, whispering sweet nothings in my ear? “Jack, why are you so good to me? You’re truly the best gift heaven could give me.” “This business trip will be a bit longer. Take good care of yourself in Shanghai and wait for me to come back.” What frequent business trips? You clearly had a real home here in Hong Kong all along.

As the music began, Henry led Tara onto the dance floor. I masochistically watched their intimate display. When the song ended, amid enthusiastic applause, Henry leaned down and planted a deep kiss on Tara’s lips. After the party, I found myself following them to the parking lot like a man possessed. Tara had changed out of her evening gown and was about to get into a different car. “Where are you going? Back to Shanghai again?” Henry demanded. Tara ignored him dismissively. “None of your business.” “Your home is in Hong Kong. Why do you keep going to Shanghai?” Henry blocked her path, his tone sharp. “You still haven’t completely broken things off with Jack, have you? Tara! I’m your husband, I want you to stay and come home with me!” “You can’t leave! Come home with me!” Tara kept dodging back and forth. “Get out of my way!” Henry was forcefully shoved aside by Tara, left standing there stunned. “Henry, I’ve told you before, I won’t give up Jack. You’re the one who insisted on marrying me by any means necessary. Now you have to deal with the consequences!” Tara got in her car and slammed the door. On the road, she kept messaging me over and over. “Jack, what are you doing?” “Are you asleep?” “Why aren’t you replying?” “…” My phone kept lighting up in the dark room, painfully bright. I tossed it across the room. The fiery alcohol burned my throat, making me cough uncontrollably. This home was filled with sweet memories from our five years together. Now it just made me feel sick. I had thought I was the love of her life. Only now did I realize I was the most pitiful one in this relationship. Deceived in body and soul, forever living in a romance that could never see the light of day. I met Tara right after graduating college. She was gentle, caring and romantic, making my then-roommate Henry envious. Some people had warned me that a girl from Tara’s background wouldn’t be interested in someone like me, telling me to be wary of Henry. Henry came from money and had no shortage of female attention. I didn’t think much of it. Besides, Tara loved me so much. How could she possibly look at another man? Now I realized how foolish I had been. I looked at the company’s transfer notice and applied for the war correspondent position no one else wanted.

My overseas assignment had been successfully completed, but the editor-in-chief suddenly approached me angrily. My colleagues exchanged worried glances. “Jack, you actually want to be a war correspondent? You did an excellent job on this assignment. Once the article is published you’re due for a promotion and raise. You’re my most talented reporter with a bright future ahead. I really don’t understand why you’re doing this.” “Give me one good reason.” I smiled bitterly. “Because I don’t want to stay in Shanghai anymore.” After a night of drinking and smoking, my voice was terribly hoarse. The editor frowned hearing it. “Why have you done this to yourself?” “Boss, please just do me this one favor.” I looked up at him, my eyes bloodshot. I took some time off. As soon as I left the office, I saw a familiar Maserati parked nearby. Tara strode over, her brow furrowed with irritation. “Jack, what happened? Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” “Do you know I’ve been looking for you all night?” I spread my hands. “I only brought my work phone. The one at home got broken by accident.” My voice was nasal and hoarse. Tara noticed immediately. “You’re sick and didn’t tell me? Haven’t you been taking care of yourself these past few days at home?” Seeing her concerned expression, I felt even more bitter inside. In the past, I definitely would have played up being pitiful, just to see how much she cared. But now, remembering the scene of her passionately kissing Henry, I just felt nauseated. Tara drove me home, took my temperature, and sure enough I had a high fever. After taking medicine, I lay in bed. Tara slipped under the covers, her soft, supple body pressed tightly against me. But I didn’t have any other thoughts. “Jack, are you mad at me? Why won’t you talk to me?” “Are you upset I was gone too long this time?” Tara made to kiss me, but I dodged. “I’m still sick.” Her gaze fell on the nightstand. “Why did you take off that diamond brooch? Wasn’t it your favorite?” Yes, I used to love that brooch because Tara gave it to me. It was supposed to be one-of-a-kind. Now I knew even this handmade brooch had an identical twin, worn by her real husband. How laughable. “I put it away.” My attitude was cold. Tara lost interest and got up to leave. Tara received several strange calls that she angrily hung up on. When I asked who it was, she just said they were spam calls. I gave a soft “oh” and didn’t press further, because I knew it was her lawful husband Henry calling.

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I discovered that my husband had secretly bought an apartment for his childhood sweetheart right above our home. He was literally cheating on me under my nose. Later, a fire broke out in our building due to faulty equipment. As we were fleeing for our lives, I stumbled upon their dirty secret. They joined forces and pushed me into the raging flames. As my soul left my body, I watched from above as the true colors of these evil people, hidden beneath their human facades, were revealed. Perhaps due to the weight of my grievances, heaven granted me a second chance. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself at my wedding with Jack. The wedding hall was packed with guests. Jack, standing opposite me, said with deep emotion, “I do.” But I hesitated, the bouquet slipping from my hands and falling to the ground. Just a moment ago, I had been floating above my own funeral, watching as my husband and his mistress, who had murdered me with their own hands, plotted to seize my family’s assets. They were even discussing using a jade pendant to suppress my soul. Unable to contain my rage, I had lunged at them, seeking revenge, only to be sucked into the jade pendant. And now, I had opened my eyes to find myself back at my wedding to Jack. The overwhelming sense of unreality made me uneasy. I needed to do something to prove this wasn’t a dream. In the next second, a sharp crack rang out, silencing the entire hall. Against the backdrop of sweet background music, Jack’s face was turned to one side by the force of my slap. Only when I felt the stinging pain in my palm did I dare to believe that heaven had truly given me a second chance. From great sorrow to great joy, I suddenly burst out laughing like a madwoman. Jack, his face slightly swollen from the slap, showed no anger. Instead, he came over to check on me, concern evident in his voice. “Lily, what’s wrong?” My parents rushed up from their seats, examining me anxiously. Seeing my parents again, my heart softened. I hugged them tearfully, choking out an apology. “Mom, Dad, I’m so sorry.” Not understanding the situation, they embraced me unconditionally, trying to comfort me. “Sweetie, if you’re unhappy, we can call off the wedding,” they offered. I almost agreed, but then my eyes met Jack’s. His face was half white, half red, as he stood rigidly to one side. Averting my gaze, I noticed my mother-in-law sitting in the family section, looking equally tense. In the fire, I had sworn that if given the chance, I would make them suffer a thousand times more than I had. For now, I needed to let the wedding continue. I explained to my parents, “It’s nothing. I just realized how immature I’ve been and how much trouble I’ve caused you.” My parents believed me and returned to their seats, reassured by my words. I took the microphone from the officiant. Taking advantage of the tears still in my eyes, I forced a choked voice and explained to Jack. “I was just overwhelmed with emotion. I love you so much that I was afraid this wedding might be a dream. I’m sorry, Jack.” My declaration made Jack relax his tense posture. He wiped away my tears and spoke with gentle magnanimity. “Lily, this isn’t a dream. We’ll be happy together.” I nodded emotionally and said the words he was waiting to hear: “I do.” Jack hugged me excitedly, as if clutching a precious treasure. But now, I knew clearly that I wasn’t his treasure. I was just a stepping stone, a ladder for Jack to climb higher. I would make that stepping stone trip him up, let him climb the ladder only to fall hard from the top!

After the wedding, the three of us returned to our new home. Yes, three of us – me, Jack, and my mother-in-law. In my previous life, Jack and I had planned to buy a house for his mother in the countryside. But after seeing our new apartment, she changed her mind and insisted on living with us. The apartment my parents gave me as a wedding gift was a large luxury flat, more than spacious enough for three people. Unable to withstand my mother-in-law’s fuss, I agreed to let her stay. But that decision nearly drove me to depression. She was incredibly petty, raising her voice to argue with me over the slightest things. Whenever I talked back, she would throw tantrums, using every underhanded trick in the book. She even spread rumors in the neighborhood that I was a terrible daughter-in-law, making it impossible for me to show my face in the community chat group. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I moved with Jack to the smaller apartment he had bought with his own money. Now that I think about it, I was such a fool. This was clearly a scheme cooked up by mother and son, forcing me to live in a small apartment where I would be cheated on, while my mother-in-law enjoyed the spacious flat. This time around, I planned to deal with my mother-in-law first. “Mother, I’ve been thinking about what you said before. You’re absolutely right – we shouldn’t let outsiders benefit from our resources,” I said sweetly. “From now on, I’ll give you the money we would have spent on a housekeeper, plus some extra for household expenses. You can manage everything.” My mother-in-law agreed joyfully, even praising me for being good with money. I smiled coldly inside, waiting for her to make a mess of things. On my mother-in-law’s first day in charge: For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the meals were far from what I had requested. Breakfast: soy milk and fried dough sticks. I said nothing. Lunch: noodles with sauce. I remained silent. Dinner: plain porridge with pickled vegetables. Still, I kept quiet. The next morning, the cycle repeated. Breakfast: again, soy milk and fried dough sticks, even less than yesterday. I stood at the dining table, looking coldly at my mother-in-law. “Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” Feeling emboldened by Jack’s presence, my mother-in-law didn’t even bother to feign embarrassment. She was brazenly self-righteous. “Soy milk and fried dough sticks are good enough for breakfast. All that fancy stuff you told me about, I can’t remember it all.” “Back when Jack and I were poor, we ate even worse than this. People should learn to be content.” Ignoring her, I turned to Jack. “Jack, is your mother suggesting that I should suffer along with you? Is that it?” “I married you, and I can’t even have a decent meal. Is that what you’re saying?” Jack looked uncomfortable and was about to explain when his mother cut him off sharply. “You’re just a spoiled princess! What’s wrong with soy milk and fried dough sticks? Didn’t you eat them yesterday? Did they poison you?” This time, I didn’t let Jack speak either. “Fine, I can eat it. But since we’re cutting back on expenses, give me back the extra money for groceries.” At the mention of money, my mother-in-law jumped as if stung, her eyes bulging. “With transportation and labor costs, there’s no extra money!” I crossed my arms and stared at her directly, spelling it out clearly. “Transportation doesn’t cost that much, and labor is your salary, which isn’t included. If every meal is going to be at the level of soy milk and fried dough sticks, you need to return at least $700 to me.” As my mother-in-law tried to argue, Jack suddenly interrupted loudly, “Mom! Listen to Lily.” Jack didn’t understand his mother as well as I did. To her, money was more important than her son’s words. She couldn’t hear a thing he said. Sure enough, my mother-in-law burst into tears, pointing at us and shouting. “I’ve never seen such a daughter-in-law, demanding money from her elders! The woman you married is too much, and now even the son I raised with my own hands doesn’t side with his old mother. What a disgrace to the family!” She waved her arms wildly, crying and complaining as if we had committed some terrible crime. As this farce unfolded, I went to our room to get my bag. Jack stopped me. “Lily, where are you going?” “Home,” I replied. “This is your home,” he insisted. I laughed coldly, giving him a wordless look, then glancing at the old woman who was still wailing nonstop. Jack couldn’t withstand my mocking gaze and let go of me helplessly. Before leaving, I sneaked a glance at my mother-in-law on the floor. Beneath her fake crying, I caught a glimpse of a sly, satisfied smile. Hah, laugh while you can. Your time for real tears will come.

I enjoyed a comfortable life at my parents’ home, eating and sleeping well. The only discomfort came from Jack’s daily phone calls and messages. That evening, I received Jack’s call right on schedule. But this time, when I answered, it wasn’t Jack’s voice – it was my mother-in-law’s. I remained silent, waiting for her to speak first. After some muffled prompting in the background, my mother-in-law started speaking haltingly. “This time… it was my fault. I’ll… give you back the money. I’ll cook better meals from now on. Please come back.” Then Jack’s voice came on the line. “Lily, Mom knows she was wrong. Please come home. It’s not good for you to stay away for so long. My parents already have issues with me, and if you keep this up, they’ll look down on me even more.” The truth was, whether I returned home or not didn’t really matter. What mattered was that Jack was afraid my father would give him a hard time at work. Understanding his ulterior motives, I remained silent, not responding to him. Jack softened his voice, using the approach that had always worked on me before. “Lily, I’ve missed you so much these past few days.” Hearing this, I felt a wave of disgust, goosebumps breaking out all over my skin. Afraid he might say something even more nauseating, I quickly agreed. “Alright, I’ll come back tomorrow afternoon.” The next day, I returned as promised. The table was laden with home-cooked dishes. While certainly not up to the standards of our previous housekeeper, it was a clear attempt at an apology. After the meal, my mother-in-law reluctantly returned the money to me. For the first few days after my return, my mother-in-law did a passable job with her duties. But by the fourth day, she gradually began to show her true colors. Lazy, sloppy, careless. One day, Jack came home with a face as dark as thunder. He went straight to the bathroom and spent a full hour washing up. At dinner, he questioned his mother, “Mom, how did you wash these clothes?” My mother-in-law feigned ignorance. “I wash them every day. What’s wrong?” I saw Jack put down his chopsticks with considerable force, barely containing his anger. “I’ve had a cold lately, so my sense of smell isn’t great. But today, wearing the clothes you washed, everyone at work avoided me. When I asked, they all said my clothes smelled awful. How could that happen if you wash them every day?” I had noticed the smell in the morning, but I hadn’t said anything. My mother-in-law had probably noticed too, but she didn’t dare admit it. Now that the truth was out, she still tried to defend herself. “With so many clothes to wash every day, it’s normal to forget one or two.” Jack gritted his teeth, struggling to control himself. “Mom, stop making excuses! Is it so hard to admit you made a mistake?” I was also struggling – struggling not to laugh out loud. The show of dogs biting dogs was about to begin. My mother-in-law exploded, standing up abruptly. “Fine! So now you’re finding fault with your old mother! When I raised you from a baby, changing your diapers and feeding you, you didn’t complain about how I did things. Now that you’ve grown up, you’re nitpicking everything your mother does…” Jack’s face grew darker and darker as his mother ranted. Spittle flying, my mother-in-law suddenly turned her anger towards me. “And you’re no better! Making me work all day, my back and legs aching. Don’t think you’re some princess! Take a good look at yourself before you start ordering me around. Both of you, ungrateful!” I stepped back to avoid her spray, but still tried to reason with her. “It’s not ordering you around, it’s just work that you’re paid for. If you really can’t handle it, don’t force yourself. I have high standards for my life, and Jack can’t lose face at work. By being so careless, you’re hurting both of us.” My mother-in-law’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver. “I’m hurting you? Jack, search your conscience! Has your mother ever hurt you?” With his mother being so unreasonable, Jack was about to lose his temper. “Mom, I couldn’t hold my head up in front of my colleagues today, all because of you. You’ve really gone too far this time!” This pushed my mother-in-law’s anger to the limit. Before either of us could react, she ran towards the front door. By the time we caught up with her, she was already downstairs in the community. My mother-in-law plopped herself down on the ground and began wailing at the top of her lungs. “Oh, what a miserable life I have! I worked myself to the bone to put my son through college, and now that he’s successful and married, he’s forgotten all his mother’s kindness. He’s ganging up with his wife to bully me!” Her dramatic performance attracted quite a crowd of neighbors. Some were watching from their windows, while others came down for a closer look. Remembering how the neighbors had criticized me in my previous life, I pushed Jack forward, sneering, “She’s your mother, you deal with her. I’m just the evil daughter-in-law, I won’t interfere in your family matters.” With that, I melted into the crowd of onlookers, washing my hands of the whole affair.

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As my stepfather grabbed my hair and slammed my head towards the toilet, Zack appeared out of nowhere and kicked him to the ground. My teenage hero was like a gust of wind, blowing through my entire youth. Later, on the eve of confessing my feelings, I overheard his conversation with his friends. “Zack, I heard that Olivia secretly kissed you last week. Tsk tsk, you actually let that metal-mouth kiss you?” Zack’s nonchalant voice drifted from the private room: “Girls like that who are desperate for love will come running with just a crook of your finger. Besides, you have no idea how thrilling it is to get a blowjob from metal-mouth.” As my stepfather slammed my head towards the toilet, Zachary appeared out of nowhere and kicked him to the ground. My teenage hero was like a gust of fresh wind, blowing through my entire youth. Later, on the eve of confessing my feelings, I overheard his conversation with his friends. “Zach, I heard that Olivia secretly kissed you last week. Tsk tsk, you actually let that metal-mouth kiss you?” Zachary’s nonchalant voice drifted from the private room: “Girls like that who are desperate for love will come running with just a crook of your finger. Besides, you have no idea how thrilling it is to get a blowjob from metal-mouth.” I never imagined Zachary could say such things. In my heart, he was almost a heroic figure. But now, the laughter floating out of the room was so sharp and cruel. This conversation full of insults and mockery continued. Zachary’s voice came through, thick with alcohol: “Do you know how metal-mouth secretly kissed me?” He laughed crudely and lightly touched the corner of his lips: “That day I was napping on my desk, and she suddenly leaned down and kissed me right here.” Amidst the clinking of beer bottles, someone hooted: “Ooh, Olivia’s been secretly in love with you for seven years, she finally couldn’t hold back anymore.” “But Zach, you really let her kiss you?” “It’s all the same with your eyes closed.” He let out a satisfied sigh: “Her neck is sensitive though, she trembles at the slightest touch.” My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. I clutched my clothes tightly, afraid my tears would fall. This wasn’t the Zachary I knew. When my stepfather violently grabbed my hair and slammed my head towards the toilet, Zachary had grabbed the back of my stepfather’s neck with one hand and kicked him to the ground. My teenage hero had a thin frame, wearing only a school uniform. But he was left with an eternal scar above his eyebrow. I curled up in the corner, crying and apologizing to him. The setting sun slanted in, but he just raised an eyebrow at me and said carelessly: “You did nothing wrong. You don’t need to apologize to anyone.” Zachary was like a flame ignited in the snow – it only took an instant to burn through a foolish girl’s heart. But now, through the crack in the door, his voice was so clear. “Her parents don’t even want her. Girls like that who are desperate for love will come running with just a crook of your finger.” He chuckled: “Metal-mouth’s blowjobs are really something…especially when she cries and says no…tsk tsk.” The room erupted in raucous laughter. My body suddenly stiffened, and the tears I had been holding back finally fell. That’s right, I had almost forgotten. In the seventh year of my secret love for Zachary, we were still just ordinary friends. But I had kissed him anyway. And he had slept with me anyway.

From our teenage years to working as adults, Zachary had countless admirers over the years. And I was just the most unremarkable one among them all. The only thing worth celebrating was that I was quite persistent. In the seventh year of my secret love, I had at least become his ordinary friend. For me, being friends was enough. Someone as wonderful as Zachary deserved a goddess. My best friend tried to persuade me: “Olivia, are you stupid? Why waste your best years pining after just Zachary?” But she didn’t understand that falling for Zachary was the most natural thing in the world. He accompanied me through dark alleys, and from then on I was no longer afraid of stray dogs barking on the street. He got into fights with those who spread rumors about me, and after that no one in class dared call me “big boobs” or “cow” anymore. He rented an apartment with heating for me, and from then on I no longer feared my father’s fists. There was no one in the world who treated me better than Zachary. Later I would often secretly watch him play basketball in the hallway. I loved the way he tilted his head back to drink water, loved how his sweat dripped down his neck and into his collar. Love was like a raging fire, and I retreated step by step, until I was burned to ashes. Only now do I understand that the fire in a boy’s eyes is not a fixed star. Those scars he got from fighting for me, the hand warmers he secretly slipped into my desk – they were just ashes falling as shooting stars burned out. But in that moment, I truly felt like I had touched the moon. My phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Zachary. I answered, and his voice came through, slurred with alcohol: “Olivia, we agreed you’d come for my birthday today. Why aren’t you here yet?” “Everyone’s waiting for you. If you don’t come, my birthday won’t be any fun.” The drunk man whined at me: “And don’t forget to bring the scarf you knitted for me.” “I don’t care what anyone else gives me, I just want your gift.” I gave a bitter smile. Knitting a scarf as a birthday gift for your boyfriend had become popular on TikTok. At the time, Zachary had tagged me, strongly demanding that I knit one for him. “Come on Olivia, please agree? You know how much I hate the cold.” What cold could a 6-foot-tall man possibly be afraid of? I couldn’t refuse him, and it took me three months to barely manage to knit something resembling a scarf. I used to be best at handicrafts. But it had been so long since I picked up knitting needles, my technique was rusty. But he had forgotten – the video said this was for knitting a scarf for your boyfriend. And Zachary and I were just ordinary friends. I looked at the crooked, misshapen scarf in my hands. “Zachary, I have something to do, so I won’t be able to come celebrate your birthday.” “The scarf turned out really ugly, you probably wouldn’t like it anyway. I’ll just throw it away.” I hung up the phone. I had no home, no family. Back when we took the college entrance exams, I had scored over 30 points higher than him, but I willingly changed my major from fashion design to finance. All these years, I had treated wherever Zachary was as my home. But without love, this city was just too cold. I bought a plane ticket to Paris on my phone. Let’s just say that $1500 bought out my seven years of youth.

Ever since I threw away Zachary’s scarf, he never messaged me again. I knew he was angry with me. In the past, I would have coaxed him at times like this. But this time I didn’t want to bother anymore. Until our mutual friend Jack called me. “Olivia, you absolutely can’t miss this gathering. Listen, Zachary wants to introduce someone to us. As his friend, you can’t refuse to show your face, right?” Friend. Always just a friend. Even though I had secretly loved Zachary for so long, they were still certain that someone like him would never look twice at me. After a while, I reluctantly agreed. Zachary, let this be the last time I see you. I arrived early at the agreed restaurant, but the guest of honor was late to arrive. The restaurant was decorated very elegantly, with cute balloons even stuck to the walls. They had Hello Kitty designs. A shameful flutter of excitement suddenly rose in my heart. All these years, I was the only female friend Zachary had. For holidays and special occasions, he always gave me Hello Kitty gifts. He said I looked just like Hello Kitty, especially cute. But now, his whole group of friends were gathered around, and they had even queued up “Marry Me” to play. I unconsciously clenched my fists. My heart was pounding loudly. Zachary couldn’t be planning to confess to me, could he? “Sorry I’m late, everyone.” A lazy voice drifted over. I instinctively turned to look. The overhead lights shone on Zachary’s neatly trimmed hair as he greeted us, holding a girl’s hand. The girl had a face like a first love – very pretty. She shyly hid behind him. Zachary ruffled her hair and whispered something in her ear. Her face suddenly turned red, and she playfully hit Zachary. “This is my girlfriend, Tessa.” He sat down casually, pulling the girl with him. The private room immediately erupted in teasing shouts. “Ooh, so this is our little sister-in-law? She’s so cute!” I was stunned for a long time, unable to react. Belatedly, a sour feeling welled up in my nose. I was so stupid to think he was going to confess to me. I had thought that the reason Zachary hadn’t dated anyone all these years was at least partly because of me. Even if it was just a tiny part. But I had forgotten – he didn’t like me at all. Jack slammed his beer bottle on the table: “Zach, you’re not being fair! Isn’t this your high school deskmate? Come on, tell the truth, did you have a secret crush on her back then?” The teasing grew even louder. Someone switched the music from “Marry Me” to “Marry You”. Along with the music, Zachary cursed with a red face: “What are you talking about?! If I liked her in high school, why would it take until now to get her?” Someone pushed me. “Olivia, you were closest to Zachary in high school. Tell us, did he like little sis-in-law back then?” The laughter filling the room felt like shards of glass stabbing my ears. I forced my lips into a slight curve: “Is that so? I might not remember clearly. After all, Zachary and I were just ordinary friends.” It felt like a dull knife was cutting into my chest. How could I possibly not remember clearly when it came to Zachary? But back then, it wasn’t Zachary who liked Tessa, it was Tessa who liked Zachary. Unlike me, Tessa was open and direct about liking Zachary. Passing love notes, giving chocolates, causing a stir throughout the class. Zachary found her annoying and warned her off several times. In the end, when he really couldn’t stand her anymore, he used me as a shield. “Tessa, I already like someone.” The boy had one hand in his pocket as he casually put an arm around me. “Olivia isn’t even pretty, what do you like about her?” Zachary’s expression suddenly darkened: “I just like her, okay? It’s none of your business.” Tessa ran back to the classroom crying and never bothered him again after that. In that moment, I thought there must have been a grain of truth in Zachary’s joking words. Otherwise, why use me as a shield instead of someone else? But now it seems that was just thoughtless words spoken in our youth. They could be blown away by the slightest breeze. But I had foolishly taken them to heart. In the private room, they had started playing truth or dare. Zachary had lost several rounds and was drunkenly leaning against Tessa. His eyes were gentle, his expression adoring. He was just like that 17-year-old boy again. He and Tessa were whispering about something, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. I couldn’t watch anymore and fled the room like a deserter.

I hadn’t gone far from the private room when someone called out to me. “Olivia! Zach says you forgot something!” Zach. She said his name so intimately. I turned around to see Tessa, out of breath from running after me. “Here.” A dirty Hello Kitty keychain lay in her hand. “Zach said to return this to you.” She pouted: “I don’t know why a grown man would have a Hello Kitty keychain on his car keys. It’s so ugly.” She gave me a challenging smile: “But I got him a Hermès keychain instead, and he seems to really like it.” “This one is just too old and tacky.” I stared blankly at the keychain. In high school, when Zachary won an award in the physics competition, he had begged me to make him a little keychain. “Olivia, will you make me a Hello Kitty one?” “That way, when I hang it on my backpack, it’ll be like you’re with me.” Later when his career took off, the keychain moved from his backpack to his car keys. All these years, even as it got worn and damaged, he had never replaced it. But now he had taken it off his car keys. It felt like there was a hole in my heart, with the wind whistling through. I suddenly felt so tired. It was like a reminder – Olivia, your memories with him were just a huge illusion. I pressed my lips together, then suddenly smiled: “It is pretty old. If you don’t want it anymore, just throw it away.” Even though Zachary and I had never actually been together, his home was filled with traces of our life together. My toothbrush, my slippers, my makeup. He said it was more convenient that way, so I could stay over if we hung out late. But now that he had a girlfriend, I should clear out my things completely. As if I had never been part of his life at all. While packing up my things from Zachary’s place, I suddenly found a torn piece of lingerie. Black lace, very sexy. My thoughts drifted back to seven years ago. Puberty had hit me hard, bringing with it pointless mockery and insults. The thin school uniform couldn’t hide my overwhelming insecurity. My mom had run off with someone else long ago, and my so-called father did nothing but yell at me and hit me. I wore my mother’s old bras, hunched over, barely surviving amidst my classmates’ taunts. Until one day Zachary secretly slipped me a box. “I looked it up…you should wear this from now on…” The boy stared at the ground, his face red and uncomfortable. When I got home, I realized what Zachary had given me. It was a training bra. Pink, with Hello Kitty printed on it. Very cute. There was a thoughtful little note attached: “Those guys making crude jokes are disgusting. Olivia, don’t pay any attention to them.” Later when I grew up, I could no longer fit into that training bra. I kept it buried at the bottom of my closet, as if telling me I had finally escaped that damp, miserable adolescence. I grew to love beauty more, got braces, and switched to sexier lingerie. That way I could be a more suitable friend for Zachary. Until that drunken night when I mumbled to him: “Zachary, I really like you so much.” He was asleep, the sunlight shining on the scar above his eyebrow. I gently kissed it. Even now, I still hate that kiss. It broke down some barrier between Zachary and me. Things spiraled out of control after that. Zachary hadn’t actually been asleep at all. He opened his eyes, his gaze dark and intense. My heart dropped. Great, now we couldn’t even be friends anymore. But he suddenly kissed me roughly. That kiss burned away seven years of hurt and resentment, as if trying to make up for all the heartbeats we had missed. Zachary pressed me down, conquering every inch. By the end I could only curl up in his arms, crying softly. He chuckled and stroked my face, saying quietly: “Olivia, you’re so sensitive.” I thought my seven years of unrequited love had finally paid off. Blushing, I asked him: “Zachary, what are we now?” But he just raised an eyebrow carelessly: “Friends, of course.” “Though Olivia, I never realized how soft you were before.”

The memories left a bitter taste. I pressed my lips together and threw the lingerie in the trash. Just as I finished packing, the front door opened. The person who came in was drunk, stumbling towards me. It was Zachary. His face was flushed red as he slurred: “Olivia, why have you been ignoring me lately?” Zachary staggered and crashed into me, dangling a dirty keychain in front of my face. “Look, I picked up the trash you threw away.” It was snowing heavily outside. He had an intricately knit English plaid scarf around his neck. Hand-knitted, very delicate, with a little peach embroidered on it. I suddenly remembered the scarf I had knitted for Zachary. Very crude stitching, hideously ugly. But I had to admit, the scarf Tessa knitted suited him better. Zachary came closer and closer. I could clearly see the scar above his eyebrow. That was a hero’s medal. But only now did I realize that some people’s heroic dreams survive by feeding on others’ sincere hearts. “Tessa was just joking with you. She knows this keychain means a lot to me, since it was the first gift you ever gave me…” He suddenly hugged me, murmuring in my ear: “Sweet Olivia, let me hold you. I’m a bit drunk.” So what was I then? I shoved him away hard, tears falling uncontrollably: “Zachary, you have a girlfriend now. We’ve crossed a line.” He froze, then suddenly gave a mocking smile: “So what if I have a girlfriend? Does that stop you from still liking me?” In that instant, my heart turned upside down. I had always thought my feelings were so quiet and subtle. But it turns out Zachary wasn’t completely oblivious – he knew everything. He just enjoyed my affection for him. Because he knew my love came free of charge. It hurt so much. Too much. “Zachary.” I pried his fingers off one by one: “I don’t want to like you anymore.” I wiped my tears and clutched the boarding pass in my hand. “I won’t be coming back to this so-called home either.”

The boarding gate was crowded. As soon as I turned on my phone, it was flooded with missed calls from Zachary. I closed my eyes for a moment, then turned off my phone. In the past, I was always the one calling Zachary. On the rare occasions when he called me first, I would be overjoyed. Now seeing all these missed calls just irritated me. At 30,000 feet in the air, the light breaking through the clouds stung my eyes. I suddenly remembered altering Zachary’s school uniform when we were 17. He had hit a growth spurt then, and his uniform never quite fit right. After I finished the alterations, he blinked at me, his eyes crinkled with a smile: “Olivia, you were born to be a designer!” Back then he said he wanted me to be his personal designer for life. We let our imaginations run wild, with all of youth ahead of us to paint our dreams. In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. He was still as carefree and unrestrained as before, but I had lost the courage to keep accompanying him. We had journeyed together for a while, but now I needed to look ahead. I had wanted to go to Paris for a long time. My earliest dreams were buried there. I wanted to create clothing that more girls would love. Designs that wouldn’t make them criticize their own bodies, but help them accept themselves more openly. I spent the happiest month of my life in Paris. The city was vast, with no bitter unrequited love, able to contain all my dreams and ambitions. Practice makes perfect – I quickly got the hang of design and was hired as a junior designer at a company. The design director at the company was very kind to me. Even when my designs weren’t perfect, he would patiently guide me. He was very similar to how Zachary used to be. Equally proud and willful, wild and unrestrained. But Christopher had a gentleness that Zachary lacked. These past few days I had been unsatisfied with the design sketches in my hands. I thought Christopher would make me redo them, but he snatched the sketches from me instead. The mixed-race man leaned against the doorframe, a black turtleneck sweater hugging his long neck: “Narrow this part by two inches.” Christopher’s suggestion hit the nail on the head. I jumped up and grabbed the sketches back from him. “Christopher, you’re amazing!” He snorted with laughter: “Well, the student has to have the talent to understand.” “Sometimes when you’re stuck, don’t force yourself. Want me to help you find some inspiration?” Christopher raised an eyebrow at me. “Sure.” I heard the cheerfulness in my own voice. In an old bookstore by the Seine, he gently turned the pages of a book. A bittersweet feeling welled up inside me. This scene was so beautiful, like being back at age 17 again. At 17, Zachary hated studying but often pestered me to tutor him. But he would always end up falling asleep. Now as Christopher flipped through the book pages, the way the wind ruffled his hair, even the corners of his eyes and brows – it all looked just like 17-year-old Zachary. I pressed my lips together, but Christopher tapped my head with the book. “What are you thinking about so intently?” He suddenly turned his head, his nose almost brushing my ear: “Olivia, all the clothes you design are saying the same thing.” “What’s that?” My voice was a bit hoarse. “You can’t see me.” He smiled and patted my head. An indescribable ache burst in my chest. Just as I was about to say something, my phone rang. I accidentally hit the speakerphone button. A young man’s voice filled the bookstore. “It’s raining in Paris.” It was Zachary. A random statement, but tinged with a hint of grievance. My fingers unconsciously fiddled with the edge of a book page: “How do you know it’s raining in Paris?” Mixed with the sound of rain, his low chuckle came through the receiver: “Turn around.” The stained glass windows reflected a tall figure. Zachary stood in the rain, his voice low on the other end of the phone: “Olivia, you found a new man so quickly?”

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Everyone believed that my husband, Felix Hastings, was as cold, distant, untouchable as a glacier. But he chased me for ten long years, like a dog on a leash. When I got shoved into a blazing inferno, he ditched his multi-million-dollar assets and jumped in after me without a second thought. Reborn, I was done being the cold-hearted woman who took him for granted. This time, I was going all in to love him. Only problem? He seemed to have come back from the dead, too. “Amelia, you still think you can boss me around like a mutt? Just like the old days?” He cornered me against the wall, hurling the divorce agreement into my chest and saying that he’d never, ever take me back. When I was eleven, someone snapped five of my fingers. From that day on, I swore I’d claw my way to the top, no matter how dirty the tricks got. I ended up doing some seriously messed-up stuff, and it came back to bite me. Then, I got shoved into a blazing inferno. As the fire closed in, my mind went blank. Then, a white figure rushed in and hugged me tightly. It was Felix, my husband, the one man who loved me deeply. He had no flaws, except that I was his only weakness. When we burned to ashes together, I vowed that if there was a next life, I’d give him my whole heart.

“This is the divorce agreement. “Sign it.” The dazzling lights made my head spin. Felix’s eyes dropped, hiding the arctic chill inside. “Felix. “Please don’t.” I reached for his hand, where his blue veins stood out prominently, but he yanked it back sharply. It’d been exactly one hour and forty-one minutes since I’d woken up in this new life. Suddenly, I felt relieved. Finally, he’d seen me for the con artist I was, using him for his money and his heart. He was done with me.

I sat in the bakery, peering through the thin glass at Felix and a girl inside the school across the street. He had no idea I was spying on him. The girl almost leaned against him while he was helping her work through a problem. This time around, he should figure out who was truly good-hearted and innocent. Still, I propped my chin in my hand and fired off a message to the girl. [Debra, why are you trying to seduce my husband?]

Debra Cooper was my younger sister. In truth, she was the family’s biological daughter while I was the adopted one. Her mother found me on a stormy night when I was twelve. Everyone called it a coincidence, but I knew better. To ensure Debra’s mother would take in the pitiful orphan me, I purposely broke my leg. I craved wealth, glory, and status, anything to never again feel that bone-deep shame of poverty. Debra was brought back by the Cooper family at sixteen. She’d always been kind, innocent, and pure. Everything I fought tooth and nail for was handed to her on a silver platter. So, I resented her. Why should she skate through life without ever feeling the sting of the gutter?

Indeed, I was evil. That was why I endured a living hell in my past life. Maybe Debra truly was the goddess-like girl everyone made her out to be. I must have provoked the gods. Now, in this second chance, the only man who ever warmed my cold world has turned his back on me. I was huddled on the sofa, fixated on the divorce agreement on the coffee table. [Felix, will you be back tonight?] Four hours had elapsed, and there was still no response. Felix had always been the epitome of aloofness. His friends constantly joked that he was as cold as ice. But in our previous life, I saw him differently. I treated him like my loyal dog. He’d come running at the mere scent of me, nuzzling up and always eager to hold my hand. Back then, instead of ignoring my messages, he’d respond with tenfold the words I sent. Now, everything had changed. A message popped up. I immediately checked it, assuming it was from Felix. To my disappointment, it was from Debra, accompanied by a picture. [Amelia, I have no intention of seducing Felix.] [I want to assist you in managing my father’s company, so he’s just introducing me to some people.] In the photo, she was beaming, standing beside Felix, and they looked every bit like a perfect match.

I must have called Felix over a dozen times. He didn’t answer any of them and eventually blocked my number. He was terrible at socializing, a pure academic at heart. In our last life, to grab some shares from Debra’s father’s company, I asked Felix to cozy up to people from pharmaceutical firms. He did it without a single word of complaint. I never once considered how he, a professor at a prestigious university who was always so lofty and proud, stooped to begging those people for help. I vividly remembered one incident from the past. I’d clinched a deal, got drunk, and called him to pick me up. The private room was filled with important figures. Lounging on the sofa, I watched the white figure shuffle towards me and called him over with a whistle, as if coaxing a dog. Felix, a highly respected medical professor who’d never bowed to anyone, was being mocked by me in public. I must have felt so smug back then. Everyone thought he’d storm out in anger. But what did Felix do? He approached me, gracefully squatted down, held my ankle, and put my dangling heels on me. Then, he glanced up at me, his handsome face like a work of art. “It’s getting cold at night. Don’t catch a chill. “Amy.”

Felix used to call me Amy. But since we were reborn, he hadn’t uttered that name once. ***** I was a light sleeper, so when Felix came home, I woke up. I lay still, curious to see what he would do when he found me seemingly asleep. But Felix did nothing. He walked past me, not even bothering to cover me with a blanket. I sat up and threw the divorce agreement at his back. He paused, his back muscles taut and his posture elegant. “Don’t damage it. “If I redraft it, you’ll get a lot less.” The moonlight filtered into the room. I spotted Felix’s calm expression and his deep, cold eyes. “I won’t sign.” I glared at him defiantly. He seemed to have expected this, nodding calmly. “Fine. We’ll settle this in court.” “Felix, you’re a damn jerk!” I lunged at him, but he overpowered me with ease. Under the crescent moon, he pinned me down onto the sofa and gripped my neck without tenderness. I bit the soft spot between his thumb and forefinger, but he remained unfazed, as if he couldn’t feel the pain. Then, he suddenly released me, his knuckles brushing gently across my cheek. [You can cry, huh?] With that cryptic, indifferent remark, Felix left me alone in the living room. I pressed my hands hard against my eyes, as if that could stop the tears from welling up. “Don’t leave me.” This was a plea I’d vowed never to say again since I was ten years old.

I refused to sign the divorce agreement. The very next day, Felix pulled out of every single collaboration that involved me. A huge chunk of the Hastings family fortune was tied up in the medical industry, and as a top-notch academic in that field, he had the power to make a big impact. To be honest, in my past life, I married him because I saw the advantages. I knew Felix was done with me, but when I found out he had handed over all those projects to Debra, it still broke my heart. At the same time, I couldn’t really blame him. In our previous life, he was aware that Debra was the innocent one, while I was the one who used underhanded tactics to get what I wanted. But his decision to cut ties with me was like a warning to everyone else in the business. Suddenly, I was left all alone, with no one to support me. ***** I decided to try and win Felix back. [Felix, are you at school?] [I made some lunch. Can I bring it to you?] Never expecting him to fall back in love with me, I just hoped he’d remember the good times we’d had and not be too harsh on me. Staring at my phone, waiting for a reply that didn’t come, I felt so embarrassed. Even after our huge argument the day before, when it came to my own interests, I was still willing to beg him for help. I planned to cook Felix a nice meal and take it to him myself. But then I realized that I had no idea what he liked to eat. He, on the other hand, probably knew every single one of my preferences by heart. After all, in our past life, one of his favorite things to do was spoil me with delicious food. I wasn’t really that picky, but I loved winding him up. “Felix, this spaghetti’s as tough as shoe leather. “Ugh, now it’s mush! No one will like it. “Felix, you know I don’t like spicy food. “Wait, since when did you start cooking such bland food?” Only once did I truly rile Felix up. He fixed me with a grave stare and asked icily, “Amy, do you really think I’ll always be here for you, no matter what?” I looked down at my nails and replied, “Then leave.” And he did. He stormed out into the freezing 32-degree Fahrenheit chill without so much as a coat, proof he was furious. Later that day, I texted: [Felix, I miss you.] The door flew open almost instantly. Felix hauled me into his arms, the bite of the outdoors still clinging to his skin. His face buried in my neck, he murmured, “Yes. I’ll always be here for you.” In my past life, wrapping Felix around my finger had been more effortless than training a dog. ***** After the third time I cut my hand and stared at the charred wreck in the pan, I came back to my senses. It dawned on me that cooking was a talent I’d never inherited. I ordered from Culinary Delights instead and then artfully arranged the food in a lunch box. Felix might not tell the difference between my “home-cooked” meal and takeout, anyway.

Sorry, Amelia. “I had no clue you were bringing Professor Hastings lunch, too. “He’s already digging into what I made…” Debra blocked my path, looking like a deer caught in headlights. “He’s my husband,” I said with a smirk, watching her hand ball into fists inside her sleeves. ***** “Felix.” I planted myself in front of him as he wolfed down his meal. When he ignored me, I snatched the fork from his hand and swapped out his lunch box for mine. He stared at the food for a beat and then at me. “Check it out.” I shoved my bandage-wrapped hand in his face. “Three cuts, all for you. “I spent a long time preparing the meal. At least give it a try?” I met Felix’s calm gaze. But he seemed heartbroken. He sighed, “Amelia, this looks exactly like the stuff from Culinary Delights. Did you copy their recipes?” I played dumb, shooting back, “Felix, just tell me if you’re gonna eat it or not!” I was so used to him caving whenever I got mad. But I’d forgotten that we weren’t the same people as before. Still, he bent his head and started spooning up the clam chowder, gobbling it down like he used to do whatever I asked. After finishing the meal, he watched me as I bent down to tidy up the lunch box for the first time. “Amelia,” he said, his voice as cold as ice water. “I’m allergic to seafood. “Two lifetimes, and you still can’t remember that.” I froze and glanced up at Felix in shock. He held out his wrist, where the blue veins stood out sharply, already covered in angry red rashes. “Will you be happy only when you’ve tortured me to death?” Felix had a life-threatening seafood allergy. Within minutes of his wrist first flushing red, coughing fits wracked him, quickly escalating to labored, gasping breaths.

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On our fifth wedding anniversary, Emily went hiking and didn’t return all night. It was pouring rain, and I was frantic with worry. After alerting the police, I organized a search party. We discovered her sharing a sleeping bag with her childhood friend, Alex, both enveloped in a close embrace and a kiss. When she saw me, she had an explanation ready. “He has a congenital heart condition, and I was afraid he’d get hypothermia, so I stayed with him!” Alex clutched his chest, feigning distress. “Don’t be angry with her; she was just concerned for me…” I noticed her clothes, including intimate wear, scattered beside the sleeping bag. With a sardonic smile, I taunted them. “You two have been friends since childhood, so is sharing a sleeping bag a big deal? Mind if I join?” When I said this, my friends who had come to search with me couldn’t help but snicker. Despite being soaked by the rain and anxious over Fiona’s disappearance, witnessing their kiss left me feeling hollow. Fiona glared at me, her face flushed with anger, a silver thread at the corner of her mouth from their hasty separation. “Jude, what do you mean by that? Are you doubting me?” I applauded her performance with a cold smile. “How could I doubt you? Why not consider my suggestion?” Beyond witnessing their kiss, I saw Fiona’s underwear among the clothes. Before Fiona could respond, someone came to her defense. “Jude, you can’t talk like that. Fiona is a doctor. She must be worried about Gideon.” It was Fiona’s best friend, speaking as if I were the one being unreasonable. I glanced at her, then stepped forward to pick up Fiona’s bra from the pile, waving it around. Her expression froze, wanting to speak but remaining silent. “I never knew that not wearing clothes is the best way to stay warm.” “Having just me isn’t enough for a woman like you, apparently.” I said coldly, mocking her. Fiona was furious and shouted back. “Shut up! I’m your wife; how dare you speak to me like that?!” She trembled, trying to snatch the underwear from me but failing. Fiona looked at me in disbelief, as if seeing me for the first time. I used to be completely under her control, doing everything she asked because I loved her. But this incident shattered everything, leaving nothing to ignore. “Fiona, don’t be mad.” At this point, Gideon coughed a few times, holding his chest. He emerged from the sleeping bag in his underwear, handing her a jacket. Fiona was all about Gideon, heartbroken by his cough. “Gideon, I’m fine. It’s your health we should be worried about…” Then she rebuked me, “See, I was really worried about Gideon’s health, and you still doubt me!” I felt exhausted, not even wanting to argue anymore. Gideon coughed, and she was heartbroken, but I searched for her for hours in soaked clothes, ignored by her. I used to overlook this double standard, but now I’m curious how I endured it. “Never mind. After we divorce, you’ll have all the time to care for Gideon. How you care for him then is none of my business.” The word “divorce” made Fiona pause and frown at me. “It’s just a small thing; why talk about divorce?” I chuckled, mocking her. “Of course, to make it easier for you to care for Gideon. If he’s a doctor’s family member, it’s more convenient, right?” “By the way, after that kiss, check for STDs.” “Don’t involve me in that mess.” Gideon turned pale and fainted at my words. Fiona ignored everything else, got up, and grabbed the clothes from me to put on. She glared at me, full of hatred, and slapped me. “Jude, if something happens to Gideon, I won’t let you off!” “You’ll be a murderer!” Fiona called 911 and took Gideon to the hospital. I stood there, the sting from her slap making me painfully aware. I laughed bitterly. When we first got together, I had checked on Gideon. He doesn’t have a heart condition; it was all an act. Yet even an act could fool Fiona completely. When I returned home, dawn was breaking. The rain left me dizzy, so I took medicine and slept. Half-asleep, I heard the door open.

Fiona approached the bed, reeking of alcohol. The smell made me wrinkle my nose. Didn’t she take Gideon to the hospital? Why is she back drunk? Before I could figure it out, she pulled me up forcefully. “Jude, what’s gotten into you today? Why did you say those things in front of everyone?” “Why argue with a patient? Don’t you have any empathy?” Fiona’s face was flushed, acting all wronged. She questioned me as if she hadn’t been in a sleeping bag with Gideon. Being yanked from sleep, I naturally wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. Besides, I was done with her, not planning to have any more ties. She was always so proud, thinking I was her loyal dog, no matter how she hurt me, I’d stick around. But seeing her kiss Gideon, my blood froze. I dared not imagine what I’d see if I had come later. Seeing my silence, she angrily pointed at me and shouted. “You almost gave Gideon a heart attack, and you’re playing silent?!” I looked at Fiona and coldly replied. “Aren’t I just helping you two out? You even went hiking and slept together.” “Didn’t you say if he hadn’t left, you would’ve married him? We divorce, I give him the spot, isn’t that good?” Fiona hesitated, not expecting me to bring up the past. “What nonsense! Gideon and I grew up together, there’s nothing like that!” “We slept together as kids, why can’t you let it go!” She angrily threw a gift box at my face. “Even bought you a gift to make up!” The box hit my nose, blood dripping, staining the tie that fell out. I looked at the tie and sighed. I’ve received seven or eight identical ties. Seeing my nosebleed, Fiona panicked, trying to wipe it but I stopped her. Seeing me hurt, she softened her tone. “Jude, I don’t want to fight. Let’s each take a step back and move on.” “I promise, once Gideon is well, I’ll leave him alone.” This was the first time she lowered herself, at the cost of my injury. Hearing her say she’d leave Gideon, I chuckled. “Stop giving him those prescription drugs, and he’ll be fine.” Fiona, as a doctor, secretly gave Gideon illegal prescription drugs with strong side effects and addiction. She knew, but she’d do anything for her childhood friend. I felt utterly drained, unwilling to talk more, packed and headed to work. Before leaving, Fiona quietly pleaded for me to stay. Seeing my resolve, she glared at me. “Jude, you’re so ungrateful! Don’t come back if you leave!” I turned away without regret. She still thought showing weakness would mean I’d forgive her endlessly. But that was based on love. Now there’s none, it’s all empty.

“Mr. Jude, your wife is here.” My assistant rushed into my office. I’ve been staying at the office, but I’d told my assistant not to let Fiona in. I was exhausted, having focused solely on her, I’d neglected work. Taking the reins now, I felt overwhelmed. Before I could respond, Fiona barged in with a cake. Her eyes lit up seeing me, putting the cake down and crossing her arms. “Jude, I missed our anniversary, and you missed my birthday.” “We’re even.” She didn’t wait for my reply, saying it all herself. I was speechless. I’d been so busy I forgot Fiona’s birthday. Since being with her, her birthday was my top priority. I’d always prepare in advance to surprise her. When she saw me, her eyes brightened as she placed the cake on my desk and crossed her arms, looking at me with a sense of superiority. “Jude, I missed our anniversary, and you missed my birthday. So, we’re even now.” She didn’t wait for my response and continued talking on her own. I was left speechless. I’ve been so caught up with work that Fiona’s birthday slipped my mind. Ever since we started dating, her birthday was a day I never failed to plan for, always trying to surprise her. Yet, no matter what I did, she never seemed to care. Meanwhile, Gideon could do the smallest thing, and she’d be touched for days. Last year, I went all out, taking her to her favorite place, buying expensive front-row concert tickets for her favorite singer, and even spending half a month at a temple praying for a peace charm. But none of this made her as happy as the roadside flower Gideon gave her, which is ironic since she’s allergic to pollen. Forgetting her birthday this time felt like a weight off my shoulders, a sign that I was finally moving on. I looked at Fiona’s haughty demeanor, my expression icy. “Do you really think we’re even?” “Maybe I should spend a night with my ex, then.” Predictably, Fiona was furious. She lashed out at me. “Jude, how did you become like this?” “You’re my husband, and you forgot my birthday. Only Gideon remembered!” Her accusation was laughable because she forgot that I had never missed her birthday before. “Fiona, I think I’ve made myself clear. There’s nothing between us anymore.” “We’re getting a divorce, and I’ll make room for Gideon. It’s that simple.” Gideon always enjoyed Fiona’s favoritism, while I naively believed that time would eventually win her over. I was so wrong. Fiona’s expression wavered, as if she couldn’t believe I was serious. She lit the candles on the cake and said, “Didn’t you promise to grant my birthday wish every year?” I frowned, sensing something. “This year, my wish is for you to forgive me.” “Okay?” Unexpectedly, I saw a hint of vulnerability on her face, but I quickly realized it was just a façade. I shook my head and said bluntly, “If you really wanted to be with me, you wouldn’t keep falling for Gideon’s lies.” I looked at her, and all the past emotions were gone. “You’re a doctor and his childhood friend. Don’t you know if he has a congenital heart condition?” That statement ignited the awkward tension between us. Fiona threw the cake at me, nearly hitting my eye with the candle. “You’re still slandering Gideon!” Her chest heaved with anger, her eyes filled with hatred. “I misjudged you. You’re a company owner, so why do you have to be against Gideon?” “How could I not know if he has a heart condition? You’re just ignorant of his suffering to say such disgusting things!” With that, she turned and left, leaving only her determined back. I signaled to my stunned assistant. “Draft a divorce agreement for me.” I thought everything was settled, just waiting for the papers to be signed. But that night, Fiona called, her voice tearful. “Jude, come quickly. Daphne is in trouble!” Daphne is our daughter, spending her summer vacation with my mother. Hearing something happened to her, I rushed home. The only thing holding me back from divorcing Fiona was Daphne. I didn’t want her to grow up in a broken family. Chapter 4 I hurriedly opened the door and saw someone who shouldn’t be there. Gideon was there, holding a sobbing Fiona, comforting her. “It’s okay, it’s okay. We’ve done this so many times, and nothing happened, right?” Their clothes were disheveled, Fiona’s bra hanging loosely. I didn’t understand their cryptic talk and rushed to push them aside, looking at Daphne on the couch. She was foaming at the mouth, unconscious. Panic overwhelmed me, and I went to call 911, but Fiona stopped me. “No, you can’t.” I looked at her awkward expression and shouted. “Are you crazy? Daphne is your daughter too, how can you just let her die?!” Fiona couldn’t hide it anymore and confessed everything. It turns out they found Daphne noisy, so they gave her too many prescription meds. It wasn’t the first time, but this time Gideon gave the wrong medicine, causing an allergic reaction. Fiona grabbed my hand, gritting her teeth. “If anyone finds out I stole prescription meds, I’ll lose my job, and Gideon will go to jail.” She almost begged. “I’m a doctor. I know Daphne’s condition, she just needs some meds.” “You’re the boss, you have money, can’t you find a shady clinic for her? Don’t let anyone know.” I looked at Fiona in silence. She knew she was a doctor. Daphne is only four, and many prescription drugs have strong side effects even for adults, let alone a four-year-old. My heart turned cold, and any last bit of love for Fiona vanished with her words. Even in the wild, animals protect their young, yet she would risk Daphne’s life to save herself and Gideon. Compared to the panicked Fiona, Gideon was calm. He seemed sure I would help Fiona. “Jude, stop wasting time. Hurry and find a hospital to take her.” “Don’t let her die here, it’s bad luck.” He looked at Daphne with disgust, as if she was a piece of garbage he could toss anytime. I couldn’t take it anymore and punched Gideon to the ground. Then pointed at Fiona, speaking clearly. “Fiona, we’re completely over.” I’m sorry, but the input text for translation seems to be missing. Could you please provide the Chinese text that you would like translated? Chapter 5 I called emergency services and reported the situation. Click. I locked the door and gave a steely glare to the two anxious people in the room. “You’re not going anywhere with me here.” The police and ambulance arrived almost simultaneously.

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Eight months pregnant, I was forced to kneel on the cold marble floor in the snowy night, all because my husband’s childhood sweetheart falsely accused me of killing his mother. Alexander Foster, my husband, was in the glass greenhouse warming the frozen feet of his sweetheart, his expression full of doting affection. I caught a chill and my water broke. I was rushed to the emergency room, but Alexander accused me of acting weak. I suffered severe bleeding and faced a life-threatening situation, yet Alexander callously signed a life-or-death agreement: “As long as the child can be saved, there’s no need to rescue Olivia if she dies.” However, I gave birth to a stillborn child and fell into postpartum depression, while my husband was accompanying his sweetheart for prenatal checkups. To please his sweetheart, on my birthday, Alexander even forced me to eat the placenta raw. “You killed my mother. This is the retribution you deserve.” It turned out that the love and marriage I had been guarding was nothing but my own wishful thinking. Filled with endless anger and humiliation, I decided to seek revenge.

After the delivery, I was extremely weak due to severe blood loss. Lying on the hospital bed, I took the medical notification handed to me by the doctor. The words “No signs of life after the fetus was delivered” jumped out at me, and I was struck as if by lightning: After severe hemorrhaging, I had given birth to a stillborn child?! Struggling to sit up despite the tearing pain in my body, I asked the doctor in a hoarse voice: “Doctor, is my child really dead? Please, let me see the baby one last time…” The doctor, wearing a mask, looked at me coldly and said, “The child is already dead. There’s no need to see it.” Dark red placental tissue was scattered in the cracks of the floor tiles, making me feel nauseous. I held the life-or-death agreement Alexander had signed, and anger gradually filled my heart. During the surgery, when I was barely conscious, Alexander pressed my hand to sign the “prioritize saving the baby’s life” clause. The expression he gave me was unprecedentedly cold, with a hint of mockery in his tone: “Olivia Reed, someone like you isn’t worth saving. The child in your womb is far more important than you.” I left the delivery room alone, only to see my husband Alexander Foster in the hospital’s prenatal clinic. It turned out Alexander hadn’t left the hospital early, but was accompanying his beloved sweetheart, Zoe Summers. He intimately embraced the equally pregnant Zoe, his face full of doting smiles. I had been pregnant for eight months, and Alexander had never shown me any care, but now he was attentive to every need of his sweetheart Zoe. I had been rushed to the emergency room for premature delivery due to severe bleeding. Alexander disregarded my life, signed the life-or-death agreement, and abandoned me to accompany Zoe for her checkup. I tightly gripped the life-or-death agreement in my hand, pushed open the door to the prenatal clinic, and confronted Alexander: “Alexander Foster, you are my husband. What right do you have to be here accompanying Zoe for her checkup?” Seeing me, Alexander looked as if he had seen something dirty, and a look of disgust immediately appeared on his face. Before he could speak, Zoe mockingly taunted me: “Olivia Reed, you vile woman who killed Alexander’s mother, what right do you have to come here and question us?” Again, this baseless accusation. Ever since Alexander’s mother died in an accident, Zoe had used every trick to paint me as a “murderer.” Under Zoe’s instigation, Alexander’s attitude towards me grew increasingly cold, gradually developing into disgust. And at eight months pregnant, it was because Alexander punished me by making me kneel on the cold marble floor in the snowy night that I went into premature labor with severe bleeding. Endless anger and grievance welled up, and tears burst from my eyes: “Zoe, why are you slandering me? Alexander, I really didn’t kill your mother…” But Alexander stepped forward and berated me harshly: “Olivia Reed, you vicious woman, you’re not worthy of being my wife, and you have no right to call my mother ‘Mom’!” With a loud slap, he struck me hard across the face. I looked at Alexander in shock, the slapped side of my face stinging fiercely. “Alexander, you actually hit me…” Zoe’s face bore a smug smile: “Haha, Olivia Reed, you look like a filthy beggar with your disheveled appearance!” Then she looked at my lower body with contemptuous eyes and screamed in fright: “How disgusting, get out of here!” Zoe grabbed a disposable cup from the table and threw it at me, splashing hot water on my face. Her smile grew wider and deeper: “Olivia Reed, look at yourself in the mirror now. You’re like a drowned rat!” Through the mirror in the clinic, I saw my miserable state: My hair was disheveled and soaked with scalding water, and my hospital gown was stained with dark red blood. After the severe bleeding from pregnancy, my body had suffered serious damage, and the postpartum bleeding had soiled my gown. At that moment, grievance and embarrassment welled up, and I ran out of the room in tears. In the hospital bathroom, I was shaking all over in pain. Lochia flowed from my body, dripping onto the floor to form a pool of blood. However, the real pain came from within. Alexander’s cold attitude was like a sharp knife stabbing into my heart. My true love had also been thrown into this pool of blood. Alexander, you promised to love me for a lifetime. Why did you lie to me? I could only cry out loud in the empty bathroom, letting despair occupy my heart.

After giving birth to a stillborn child, I suffered from postpartum depression, feeling gloomy all day, but Alexander was completely unaware. Because he was in the warm greenhouse taking care of the heavily pregnant Zoe. Through the translucent glass, I saw Alexander kneeling on the ground, gently massaging Zoe’s feet. I was supposed to be Alexander’s wife, yet he brazenly brought his mistress home to care for her. The glass greenhouse was Alexander’s wedding gift to me, but now I was shut out. After seeing the death certificate of the child, Alexander not only didn’t comfort me but cursed at me: “Olivia Reed, you’re a jinx. Not only did you kill my mother, but you also caused the death of your own child!” “Evil people get evil rewards. This is the retribution for all your wrongdoings!” Zoe then moved into the Foster home with the air of the true mistress. “Mrs. Foster’s last wish before she died was for Alexander to bring me into the Foster home to take care of.” “I’m the daughter-in-law truly accepted by the Foster family, while you’re just a gold digger who schemed her way into a wealthy family.” In the warm greenhouse, Alexander embraced Zoe and kissed her, both looking intoxicated. And I, because of unfounded accusations, had lost my dignity and love, becoming a “Mrs. Foster” in name only. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I fell into memories. That day, I accompanied Alexander to a family dinner, only to be met with cold stares from countless people. I had always been low-key, dressed simply. But Mrs. Foster looked me up and down coldly, her words full of sarcasm: “Olivia Reed, coming to a family dinner dressed so shabbily, aren’t you embarrassing our Foster family?” In stark contrast to me was Zoe. She walked gracefully behind Mrs. Foster in a pink dress, thoughtfully giving her a massage. “Mom, I brought you some homemade pastries. Please try them.” Mrs. Foster beamed with joy, accepting the homemade pastries from Zoe’s hand, praising Zoe incessantly for her thoughtfulness. Seeing how close they were, I could only smile awkwardly: “Mom, I also brought you some pastries. They’re imported from abroad.” Before coming, I had inquired about Mrs. Foster’s favorite pastry flavors and specially flew abroad to buy imported pastries for her. But Mrs. Foster didn’t even look at me, as if I were invisible beside her. It was the same flavor, yet I unexpectedly lost to Zoe’s homemade pastries… If I had made the pastries myself, Mrs. Foster would probably have accused me of being “stingy” and “unwilling to spend money.” I understood that gifts weren’t about their value, but about the person giving them. The Summers and Foster families were old friends, and Zoe had grown up with Alexander. Naturally, Mrs. Foster would favor her. But such differential treatment still made me extremely uncomfortable. I left the gifts and pastries and departed in distress. Zoe, however, pretended to be understanding behind my back and said: “Mom, after all, this is Olivia’s gesture of goodwill. Why don’t you try a piece…” But halfway through the family dinner, Mrs. Foster suddenly collapsed, foaming at the mouth. Alexander turned pale with fright, kneeling beside his mother to check her breathing: “Call an ambulance quickly!” When Mrs. Foster was sent to the emergency room, it was already too late, and the hospital doctors could do nothing to save her. With her dying breath, Mrs. Foster called Alexander in and, with her last words, instructed him to take good care of Zoe. The hospital’s test results came out – she had eaten pastries containing severe allergens, leading to shock and death. Alexander returned to the family dinner, slamming his fist on the table, his voice full of anger. He pointed at the opened pastries on the table and shouted, “Who brought these pastries?” Everyone present didn’t know what had happened and was too scared to make a sound. I stepped forward and, seeing the opened pastries, turned deathly pale – The opened pastries on the table were actually the imported ones I had brought for Mrs. Foster! “Alexander, these are the pastries I specially bought from abroad for your mother…” Before I could finish speaking, the cold gazes of everyone present fell upon me. Zoe furrowed her brow, walked in front of me, her voice full of disbelief: “Olivia Reed, you’re Alexander’s wife. How could you be so vicious as to want to kill his mother?” “These pastries contain concentrated peanut butter. Mrs. Foster was severely allergic to peanuts. Didn’t you know that?”

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At an extravagant celebration party, my husband Caleb Winters once again ordered me to play the role of a maid. He pushed me in front of the new model his company had just signed, introducing me flippantly, “This is the dog I keep at home. If it weren’t for my mother’s kindness years ago, she’d have starved to death on the streets.” He commanded me to bow and scrape, to massage the model’s shoulders, to serve her with all my skills. Everyone laughed, waiting to see how I would continue to show my gratitude. Instead, I inappropriately brought up divorce. Caleb acted as if he’d heard the most ridiculous joke. He grabbed my neck, snarling viciously, “Aria Sinclair, you dare mention divorce? Have you forgotten who’s keeping your sick mother and paralyzed brother alive?” “If you keep acting up, I’ll cut off all your brother’s medical expenses right now!” Everyone bet that I would immediately cry and beg for forgiveness, saying I’d never let go of this golden opportunity I’d managed to grasp. But they didn’t hear his usually silent uncle, Lucas Winters, the true power holder of the Winters family, whisper behind me: “Divorce him. I’ll take care of you.”

“How dare Aria Sinclair mention divorce?” “Hah, she’s just talking big. Would she really leave? Her paralyzed brother, her half-dead mother, which one of them could survive without the Winters’ money?” “Exactly. Look at how submissive she is to Caleb. That maid outfit really suits her.” “Let’s place bets! I’ll put down a million that she’s just putting on a show today. In the end, she’ll obediently stay.” “I’m in. It’s a sure win.” I clenched the hem of my maid outfit, looking towards Caleb. The girl beside him was Mia Sullivan, a new model his company had just signed. She was now giggling as she poured more wine into his glass. Caleb held his wine glass, looking at me with a mocking smile. “Look at that. The person we Winters raised can’t even serve properly now?” “Who was it that knelt and begged us Winters to take her in back then? What’s this? After being Mrs. Winters for a few years, you’ve gotten too proud to serve?” Mia giggled and stretched her foot towards me. “Mr. Winters, my feet are so sore. Make her rub them for me?” “You heard her,” Caleb tapped my calf with the tip of his shoe. “Get to it.” He always did this, pushing me into the mud in front of everyone, watching me struggle. I crouched down, took off her shoe, and started massaging, one press at a time. His friends burst into raucous laughter, their faces full of schadenfreude. Just when everyone was waiting to see me swallow my pride as I had for the past seven years, I put Mia’s shoe back on, slowly stood up, and met his gaze. “Caleb Winters, let’s get a divorce.” The room fell silent for a few seconds, then erupted into even more unrestrained mockery. Caleb acted as if he’d heard something unbelievable. The casual smile on his face vanished completely. He shook off Mia and strode over to me in one step, his large hand violently gripping my neck. “Say that again?” His voice was low and vicious. “Aria Sinclair, have you forgotten how you begged like a dog at my family’s doorstep, asking my mother to take you in?” “You want a divorce? Fine!” The force on my neck suddenly increased, forcing me to look up at him. “Do you believe I’ll cut off your brother’s medical expenses right now? Let him die along with your half-dead mother!” “What you owe our Winters family, you can’t repay even in your next life!” Tears finally fell uncontrollably. That snowy winter night seven years ago floated before my eyes once again. My father was driving us to pay New Year’s visits when he swerved to avoid a child who suddenly ran into the road. The car lost control and crashed into an oncoming vehicle. In that car sat Caleb Winters’ father. The accident scene was horrific. My father died on the spot, my mother became a vegetable, and my brother suffered a severe spinal injury, condemning him to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. And Caleb Winters’ father couldn’t be saved either. I knelt for a long, long time outside the Winters’ mansion. Snow and blood from my forehead mixed together as I kept kowtowing, begging Mrs. Winters to save my mother and brother who were still in the hospital. I was willing to do anything, to atone for the Winters family for a lifetime. Mrs. Winters finally nodded. She said, “Stay. From now on, take good care of Caleb.” I moved into the servants’ quarters of the Winters house, serving wholeheartedly. One night, Caleb, reeking of alcohol, barged into my room. The smell of liquor and hatred hit me: “Marry me! You have to live under my nose for the rest of your life, watching how I suffer because of your family! That’s how you atone!” To atone, I agreed. To repay Mrs. Winters’ kindness, I endured Caleb for seven whole years. But Mrs. Winters passed away from heart disease six months ago. I could no longer find a reason to endure. This kind of life, I didn’t want to suffer through for even one more day. Just as I was about to pass out from being choked, I seemed to hear a vague sentence float by. “Divorce him. I’ll take care of you.” It must be some bored person playing a prank on me. My vision was blurring, and I had no strength to see clearly.

Back at the Winters mansion, Caleb once again threw me into the servants’ room. “Don’t come out without my permission!” He slammed the door shut with a bang. I slid to the floor. My neck, which had just been gripped, was still throbbing with pain. My heart felt numb. I don’t know how long it had been when my phone suddenly rang shrilly. It was an unknown number. “Is this Ms. Aria Sinclair? This is Central Hospital. Your brother Alex Sinclair has developed post-operative complications. His condition is critical. Please come immediately!” My head felt like it was exploding. I sprang up from the floor, frantically pounding on the door. “Caleb Winters! Open the door! I need to go to the hospital!” “My brother is in trouble! Please, open the door quickly!” There was no response from outside, only faint music. “Caleb Winters! Open the door!” I pounded on the door with all my might. My hands turned red, and my throat went hoarse. After a long while, the door was finally opened. Caleb stood in the doorway, his clothes somewhat disheveled. “What are you making a fuss about in the middle of the night?” Mia was clinging to him, looking at me with seductive eyes and a smile. “What trick is big sister trying to play now? Mr. Winters is quite busy, you know.” “My brother needs surgery! Caleb, take me to the hospital, please!” I rushed forward to grab his arm, but he shook me off in disgust. “Aria Sinclair, haven’t you had enough of this act?” Mia whispered in his ear: “Mr. Winters, I think she’s just trying to get your attention like this. What a manipulative bitch.” Caleb pinched Mia’s chin, smiling. “You’re such a good girl.” When he looked at me again, his eyes were cold as ice: “Weren’t you so good at crawling back then? All the way from my family’s doorstep, making my mom soft-hearted enough to take you in. Now if you want to go to the hospital, you can crawl there yourself.” Mia laughed, looking at me with triumphant eyes. Caleb no longer looked at me. He left with his arm around Mia, slamming the door again. “Caleb Winters!” No matter how I shouted, there was no more movement outside. This won’t do. I can’t wait! I looked around this small room. The windows were sealed with iron bars. The only way out was that door. I found a broken mop handle and tried to pry the door lock with all my strength. The lock was very sturdy. It didn’t budge after several attempts. Time ticked by, and I was frantic with worry. I spotted a fire extinguisher in the corner. Without thinking, I grabbed it and smashed it against the door lock! The loud noise was particularly jarring, but finally, the lock was broken! I rushed towards the main door as fast as I could. The security guards tried to stop me, but I just kept running, heedless. Rain mixed with tears blurred my face, biting cold. Just when I despairingly thought I would run my legs off, a beam of headlights illuminated me. The window lowered, revealing a sharply defined profile. It was Caleb’s uncle, Lucas Winters. “Get in,” he said concisely. I practically crawled into the passenger seat on all fours. With no time for thanks, I blurted out the name of the hospital incoherently. He said nothing more, driving quickly towards Central Hospital. As I got out of the car, Lucas handed me a business card, telling me: “If you encounter any trouble you can’t solve in the future, try contacting this number. Remember, you are your own person first.” My mind was in chaos. I clutched the card and ran out of the car. Rushing into the emergency room, I grabbed a nurse and asked, “Alex Sinclair! How is my brother Alex Sinclair?” The nurse looked at me, her face full of hesitant sympathy. The door of the nearby operating room opened just then. The doctor walked out wearily, taking off his mask. “We did our best.” “The patient insisted on having that surgery himself. The success rate wasn’t high, but he persisted, saying he wanted to stand up, to give his sister a surprise…” The doctor sighed, “This is the letter he wrote before the surgery, asking us to pass it on to you.” The nurse stuffed a letter into my hand. “Sis, by the time you read this letter, I might have succeeded, or… I might have gone to find Dad. Don’t cry, big sis.” “I know how much you’ve suffered for Mom and me all these years. It’s all because I’ve been holding you back. I want to stand up. I don’t want to watch you being bullied by Caleb anymore.” “The doctor said there’s a new surgery. Although it’s a bit risky, what if it works? I want to stand in front of you like a man and tell you that I can take care of you now.” “Sis, none of this is your fault. Don’t blame yourself. If it fails… don’t be sad either. I’m just going to find Dad. He must miss me too. You have to live well, live for our share too.” “Your brother who will always love you, Alex.” I hugged that letter, sitting in the hospital corridor, crying my heart out.

My brother’s ashes were light, fitting into a small ceramic urn. I knelt before my father’s grave, hugging the tombstone, my fingers tracing the engraved words. “Dad, Alex has come to keep you company.” “You won’t be in pain anymore where you are.” I went to the hospital, holding my mother’s withered hand against my face. “Mom, I’ll take care of you from now on.” The money I’ve saved from taking on private jobs over the years is enough to pay for medical expenses. I don’t need the Winters family’s support anymore. Leaving the hospital, my feet unconsciously led me back to our old house one last time. I dug out an old photo album from the corner. There was a photo of Alex when he was fifteen. He was on the green field, wearing a jersey, smiling like the sun. Holding that album, I returned to the Winters mansion. Pushing open the door, it was still the same deafening music and flirtatious laughter. Caleb was slouched in the center of the sofa, Mia nestled against him, surrounded by several young and beautiful female artists, all signed to his company, chattering away. Over the past seven years, I’ve grown tired of this scene. He had made me dress up as a bunny girl, as a snake woman, just to give them more amusement. But today, I won’t play along anymore. I walked over and put the divorce agreement on the coffee table in front of them. “Caleb Winters, sign it.” Caleb picked up those few pages, his gaze falling on the title. He snorted. “Aria Sinclair, you really don’t give up, do you? Coming with this again?” He crumpled the agreement in his hand, contemptuously throwing it on the ground. “Getting smarter now? Forgot how you were begging me to open the door yesterday? Now you’re putting on this act again?” “Want a divorce? I’ll tell you what, in this lifetime, you can forget about it!” I don’t know why, but tears suddenly fell, without warning. Caleb looked at the wet trails on my face. He reached out his hand, almost touching my cheek, then suddenly stopped, throwing his hand back even more forcefully. “Put away this crying act of yours! Who are you trying to fool? I’m telling you, Caleb Winters doesn’t fall for this!” I looked at him, forcing back the tears: “Caleb Winters, it’s been seven years. I’ve used everything I have to atone. Now Alex is dead. This debt, I don’t want to repay anymore.” “What did you say? Alex is dead?” Caleb’s face changed. Mia bent down to pick up the album from the table. She acted as if she had discovered something particularly interesting, speaking in an affected voice: “Is this your crippled brother? He looked quite lively back then.” She then picked up Alex’s letter, “What’s this? Oh my, this handwriting is so ugly! It’s like chicken scratch. He wasn’t illiterate, was he?” The people around laughed uproariously. Mia fanned herself with the letter, her hand slipping, the letter fluttering to the ground. She raised her foot, about to step on it— That letter was written by Alex, using fingers that couldn’t bend properly, painstakingly forming each stroke! I lunged forward, grabbing Mia’s hair, pulling her down and pinning her to the carpet! “Don’t touch that!” Caleb answered a phone call, his face turning ashen as he hung up. He turned back and with one move threw me off. My lower back hit the corner of the coffee table hard, the pain making my vision go black. “Aria Sinclair, have you gone mad?! Seducing me wasn’t enough, you’re even going after my uncle?! Does our Winters family owe you or something?!” He dragged me by my hair like a dead dog: “Shameless! Go kneel in the ancestral hall! Apologize to my father, to Mia!” He kicked away the prayer mat in the ancestral hall, “Kneel properly!” I looked at his twisted face, hunched over as I knelt down, my forehead slowly touching the stone tiles. The ancestral hall was very quiet, with only the sound of my heavy breathing left. I don’t know how long I knelt there. My consciousness gradually blurred, sinking completely into darkness.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296428”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

My fiancé, Nathaniel Reed, told me the company was facing financial difficulties and suggested we temporarily cancel our plans for the wedding house. He wanted me, Seraphina Calder, to continue living with him in a rental and for me to use my savings to help the company in an emergency. I agreed, but the next day, I saw his most beloved assistant, Madison Wells, post a photo of a property deed with both her and Nathaniel’s names on it. I paused for two seconds and then gave it a like. Madison, feeling guilty, broke down and cried. To comfort her, Nathaniel did something unprecedented. He called a company-wide meeting and insulted me, calling me petty. He demanded that I publicly apologize and compensate Madison for her emotional distress. The room fell silent. Everyone held their breath and stared at me, waiting for my response. I reluctantly set my chips down, raised my arm, and said, “Why are you just standing there? This joke is too good. Let’s all give a round of applause!” Before anyone could respond, my fiancé, Nathaniel, angrily grabbed the microphone and slammed it into my body. I couldn’t dodge in time and stumbled backward. The room gasped in shock. Madison hung her head, looking sad, but secretly enjoying my misfortune. I looked up at Nathaniel, only to find him frozen for a moment, with a brief flash of guilt in his eyes. But it quickly disappeared, and he returned to his usual self. “Seraphina, can you stop being so unreasonable? “This house is for Madison’s brother, Connor Wells, to use for school. He’ll return it in five years. What are you complaining about? “Why don’t you learn from Madison? She’s kind and strong. But you? All you do is act selfish and petty.”  Nathaniel’s voice was cold and filled with disdain. I looked around at the sympathetic or mocking gazes directed at me, and the initial embarrassment was long gone. All that was left was numbness. After all, this kind of absurd situation had happened so many times that I had grown used to it. Madison came from a poor family with a gambling father, a mother who favored boys over girls, and a five-year-old brother. Life was hard for her. In contrast, I came from a middle-class family and had been my parent’s precious daughter since I was little. My ten years with Nathaniel had been smooth sailing, with hardly any major setbacks. Nathaniel always said I hadn’t experienced hardship, that my character was nowhere near Madison’s. So, under the guise of toughening me up, he showered Madison with money and affection, compensating her for everything she lacked, while at the same time, he imposed the same pain Madison had endured onto me. Not long ago, he finally quieted down and, for the first time, even brought up the topic of our wedding. I thought he had finally realized his mistakes. But I didn’t expect him to make things worse. At this point, Madison, covering her face, began crying pitifully. “Seraphina, I really didn’t mean to upset you. “But I had no choice! The school said my brother can only attend if we have a house nearby. “Our family is struggling. I couldn’t finish college, and I don’t want my brother to go through the same thing. I’ll do anything to get him into a good school.”  Someone couldn’t help but speak up for me. “If he’s willing to study, he can still get into a good school somewhere else. Why does he have to take someone else’s house to go to this school?”  “Exactly, he’s your brother, not Seraphina’s!”  A few people agreed, and the room murmured in agreement. It was common sense that even everyone else understood, but Nathaniel seemed oblivious to it. His brow furrowed. He probably didn’t expect anyone to speak up for me. Before he could say anything, Madison, with a pitiful look, turned to me and said, “Seraphina, if you’re worried about losing out, I can let my brother call you sister. He’ll promise to repay you in the future. “If he doesn’t repay you, you can hit him or scold him however you like.”  She purposely glanced at Nathaniel. Nathaniel was very fond of Madison’s brother. Every time he went on a business trip, he would bring back gifts for him, and whenever he found something tasty, he’d make sure to bring back a portion for him. If the boy wanted toys, even if Nathaniel was overseas, he’d have someone buy them overnight. These were privileges I had never experienced. When I heard this, Nathaniel’s brow immediately knitted together, and he slammed the table, glaring at me. “Seraphina, is that all you think about? Your own interests? “Children are like flowers. It’s our responsibility to help them grow up healthy and happy. “Is it really shameful to use a little child like this?” After speaking, Nathaniel turned toward Madison. His tone suddenly softened, completely different from the tension he had when facing me. “Madison, don’t worry. I’ve made a decision. From now on, Seraphina will cover the cost of your child’s college tuition. “You don’t need to worry. I’ll transfer her bonus and half of her salary directly to your account.” Madison’s eyes instantly lit up, and she excitedly said, “Thank you, Mr. Reed.” “Don’t mention it. It’s only right,” Nathaniel responded casually. I couldn’t help but laugh in anger. A colleague who had a good relationship with me couldn’t hold back and said, “This is ridiculous. First of all, Seraphina should be able to manage her own salary. And why should anyone else handle Madison’s personal matters? “If we go by the logic that the weaker party is always right, should we be expected to save up and pay it off for those who owe money for some reason?” Everyone chimed in with their opinions. Soon, the room fell into complete silence. Everyone saw Nathaniel’s face grow darker, but he didn’t speak. This was a clear sign he was about to lose his temper. After three seconds of silence, Nathaniel kicked the table in front of him over. I was closest and nearly got hit. But Nathaniel ignored it and stormed angrily. “I never imagined there were so many selfish people in this company, but don’t forget, our company’s core values are harmony and friendship! “I’ve already made my decision. From now on, anyone who makes comments like ‘it’s none of my business’ will be kicked out of the company!” No one dared to say a word. Nathaniel stormed off, and Madison quickly followed him out. My colleagues looked at me with sympathy but didn’t know how to comfort me. In the end, they patted me on the back and offered a few half-hearted words of consolation. Everyone gradually left. Soon after, I heard Madison’s sweet voice from outside the door. “Mr. Reed, I know you’re doing this for me, but please don’t be so harsh on Seraphina. What if she gets so mad she decides to quit?” Nathaniel sneered. “She won’t. The company is doing so well now. She wouldn’t want to leave. And even if she did, you’d still be here, wouldn’t you? You’re way better than her now.” The two of them laughed. Their voices were grating. I had left my parents’ arranged plans to move far away and help Nathaniel start his business, raise investments, and endure the kind of cold stares I’d never seen before in my life. I stayed up late working on projects, my dark circles deepening, and built the company from just the two of us to a hundred people. Not only did Nathaniel never thank me, but he also made an exception and brought Madison, who had no qualifications, into the company. Even though I didn’t understand, I still seriously taught her and helped her fix many major mistakes in her work. Right now, one of them was trying to steal my credit and leech off me. The other just turned a blind eye, only looking for ways to manipulate me. I let out a bitter laugh at myself. At the same time, my phone vibrated. I opened it to find this month’s salary. As mentioned in the meeting earlier, all the bonuses and half of my salary were deducted. I no longer endured in silence like I used to, holding onto the hope that he would eventually wake up and realize his mistakes. This time, I took out my phone and directly dialed the police. Chapter 2  The police arrived quickly, and they were at the company within ten minutes. Nathaniel didn’t expect me to actually call the police. He stood there, stunned, for a long while, trying to process what just happened. When he finally reacted, he glared at me in anger, accusing me of being heartless and unreasonable. “You’re calling the police over a little bit of money? Is this how much you value such a small amount of cash?” I didn’t respond. Seeing my silence, Nathaniel thought I was reflecting, just like I had done in the past. His face softened a little, and he calmly told the police that I had voluntarily given money to Madison’s brother for tuition. The police asked me to confirm. I replied seriously, “I never said that and never agreed to it.” Nathaniel furrowed his brows. “Seraphina, why have you become so selfish now? I warn you, if you keep causing trouble, don’t stay here. Go back home and play the role of the young heiress.” He dared to threaten me, knowing full well that I couldn’t bear to leave him. We had been together for ten years. In the past, I let him be overbearing. He had done worse things than this, but I always thought that men needed to grow and needed care, that eventually, they would mature and take responsibility. But now I understood he and I would never reach the day we’d get married. I shook my head, still insisting that I had never agreed. Nathaniel’s face darkened, and he finally told the police that we were a couple and that my salary was his to control. The police immediately reprimanded him, ordering him to follow the contract and pay the missing salary and bonuses, or face a lawsuit. Knowing he was in the wrong, Nathaniel had no choice but to instruct the finance department to reissue my salary. After the police left, he looked at me helplessly. “Seraphina, how have you become so stingy? “I’m your fiancé, and everything I do is for your own good. When you have money, you buy favors and build connections. Isn’t that the basic principle? “You’re my fiancée, and once we get married, everything I have will be yours. The connections I’ve built will be yours, too, in the future.” I looked at his earnest expression, and perhaps I would have believed him in the past. But last year, during Christmas, one of our long-time partners was short on cash and urgently needed funds. I offered to help, but Nathaniel outright refused. His reason was that the company was facing a financial crunch. But later, I found out that the company actually had plenty of liquid assets at that time. He refused to help simply because Madison had been upset over a project handover, where the other party’s tone had been a little harsh, making Madison unhappy. Nathaniel refused to help just to get back at Madison. I snorted and asked him, “What kind of connections does Madison have, and didn’t you just say yesterday that we’re facing financial difficulties?” Caught off guard, Nathaniel fell silent. He awkwardly cleared his throat. “Madison’s abilities are actually quite impressive…” I didn’t want to listen to his excuses anymore, so I calmly interrupted him. “I don’t think so. In fact, I think she’s useless and want to fire her. “Now, either she leaves the company, or you return the money for our wedding house, every penny, back to my account. The choice is yours.” Nathaniel stared at me in disbelief, perhaps not expecting me to speak to him like this. He was angry. “Why are you so petty? Are you jealous of Madison?” I couldn’t help but laugh in frustration. “Jealous of her? Jealous of her being incompetent? Jealous of her stealing credit?” “You…” Nathaniel’s face turned pale, and he pointed at me. “Seraphina, I think you’re just making trouble for no reason! “Just take a taxi home today. Calm down and think about it on your own.” With that, he turned and walked away. This was always how he started a cold war with me. In the past, I would’ve rushed to apologize, swallowed my pride, and admitted I was wrong. But now, I felt calm inside. I didn’t care at all. What he didn’t know was that I no longer wanted to marry him and didn’t care about anything he did. I drafted a resignation letter, planning to have him sign it, but I still hadn’t seen him by the time work ended. It wasn’t until the evening that Madison posted something on Instagram. [Money and everything else in this world is a false proposition. Only love is the true proposition.] The picture was taken in a bar, showing her and Nathaniel sitting closely together, with the lighting being poor, but it looked like Nathaniel was holding her. Within a minute, Nathaniel liked the post. Then he commented: [A thousand cups are never enough when drinking with a true friend.] He added a facepalm emoji. I knew he was doing this on purpose. Every time, he would use this kind of tactic to make me jealous. When I got angry and rushed over, he would turn it around and accuse me of being petty and overthinking. But the real question was, was I overthinking, or were they not as innocent as they seemed? I didn’t know, and honestly, I didn’t want to know anymore. When I got back to the apartment Nathaniel and I rented, I knew I should leave immediately. But after everything that had happened today, I felt drained. It was getting late, and I didn’t want to look for a hotel. I quickly packed up a few things, and before long, I fell asleep. When I woke up again, Nathaniel had just returned from outside. I checked the time. It was 2 a.m., still early. In the past, he often didn’t return until 3 or 4 a.m. after social events. I would worry and stay up, waiting on the couch for him to contact me so I could go pick him up. “I called you so many times. Why didn’t you pick up?” Nathaniel tugged at his tie in frustration as soon as he saw me and angrily demanded an explanation. I noticed then that there were two missed calls from him on my phone. “I was asleep. I didn’t hear it,” I replied calmly. “You were asleep?” Nathaniel frowned. I nodded. “Yeah.” “Seraphina, you know I can’t drive after drinking, and you still managed to sleep? Don’t you worry that something could happen to me on the road?” He looked at me in disbelief. I remained calm. “If you were worried, you could’ve called a cab. “I’m not your personal driver, and you’re not paying me like one.” I answered him with his own words from the past. Nathaniel’s anger flared. “Seraphina, why are you so obsessed with money? If I’d known you were like this, I wouldn’t have come back tonight.” With that, he grabbed his coat and turned to leave. “Wait.” Nathaniel seemed to have guessed I would stop him, and he looked at me smugly. “What now?” I pulled the resignation letter from the table. “Sign this.” Chapter 3 Nathaniel’s brows furrowed as he looked at me with suspicion. “What’s this?” “You’ll know once you open it.” Nathaniel thought for a moment, then showed a smug smile. “A gift for me? “Seraphina, don’t think that by making me angry and buying me some gifts, you can make me forgive you. “What I want is your attitude toward me and our relationship.” He raised an eyebrow, and his tone returned to its usual condescending manner. It took me a moment to realize what he meant. When we had fought the worst before, I had secretly bought him his favorite car and registered it in his name just to make him happy. So he thought that this time, I was just trying to appease him again. I scoffed inwardly and was about to tell him, but then a knock came from the door, followed by Madison’s gentle voice. “Mr. Reed, are you asleep?” Nathaniel’s eyes lit up. He was anxious and didn’t even look at me, quickly signing my resignation letter. “Don’t think you can just buy me something to win me over. Whether I forgive you or not will depend on how you act later.” He said this in a rush and quickly got up to open the door. Seeing how eager he was, I found it amusing. I tucked the resignation letter away and went back to my room. When I came out again, I saw that it wasn’t just Madison but also her brother, Connor. As usual, Connor ate snacks without manners, leaving a mess of wrappers and juice stains all over the carpet. Madison apologized awkwardly, but Nathaniel generously said it was fine and that it could be cleaned up later. But he never cleaned up himself. Every time, I was the one who silently cleaned the whole room without complaint. When I later complained, he would always tell me I was being petty and then drive off in frustration. Now, I pretended not to notice. “Seraphina, I’m sorry. Connor needs to wake up early tomorrow for an entrance exam. “The house over there isn’t ready yet, but this place is close, and there’s an empty guest room, so I was hoping to have Connor stay here for the night. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Madison asked, knowing full well the answer. Her words weren’t a request but more of a notification. But Nathaniel seemed not to notice. He shot me a warning glance as if afraid I’d refuse. I smiled lightly. “It’s fine.” After all, I was only staying here for the night. Perhaps he didn’t expect me to be so agreeable. Nathaniel paused for a moment, then looked at me with a complex expression, unsure whether he was pleased or not. I ignored him and turned to go back to my room to rest. Outside, I could hear laughter and excited shouts from the child. Ten minutes later, Nathaniel knocked on my door. “Seraphina, I know you’re awake. Open the door, let’s talk.” I glanced at the time. “Rest, it’s getting late.” Nathaniel then spoke through the door, “You did well today. You’re being sensible, and I like it. Let’s put today behind us. Once this time passes, we’ll talk about the wedding.” I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew he was trying to make amends. This was usually a sign that our cold war was ending. But this time, it seemed he hadn’t realized that I no longer intended to marry him. The next morning, I was awakened by the lively laughter outside my door. Stepping out, I saw Madison and Nathaniel sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast together like a happy family of three. Madison passed her milk to Nathaniel. “Try this. It’s not sweet at all.” Nathaniel took it and sipped through the straw, and their seamless understanding seemed like it wasn’t the first time. Yet, I remembered at last year’s company party, he accidentally used my fork and grimaced, complaining that he could taste my saliva and found it disgusting. Back then, I was considerate of his germophobia, but now it seemed that only Madison’s saliva wasn’t disgusting in his eyes. At that moment, Madison saw me and smiled, “Seraphina, you’re awake. “Sorry, I didn’t know when you’d be up, so I didn’t get your breakfast.” Nathaniel covered for her. “It’s fine. She’s on a diet. She skips breakfast. “By the way, Seraphina, why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be at work by now?” Nathaniel frowned at me, scrutinizing me. He allowed Madison to go to the company anytime for her brother. But I would lose half a day’s salary if I was even a second late. I ignored him, pulling out my suitcase that was already packed. “What are you doing with a suitcase?” Nathaniel furrowed his brows. “I don’t recall any business trips scheduled for your department.” Just as I was about to speak, Madison intervened with a pretense of hurt, “Is it because we’re staying here that Seraphina is angry and wants to leave?” As usual, without waiting for my explanation, Nathaniel believed Madison’s words. His expression immediately darkened. “Seraphina, I thought you had grown wiser, but you’re still being unreasonable. “I order you to come back to the office immediately, or it’ll count as a severe tardiness! “Three instances of severe tardiness could get you fired.” Madison hypocritically tried to persuade me while her brother clapped his hands rhythmically, chanting, “Fire her! Fire her!” “See? Even the kid knows…” Nathaniel was about to lecture me again, but I said quietly. “Don’t bother. I’ve already resigned. “And Nathaniel, let’s break up as well.” Chapter 4 “What did you say?” Nathaniel’s eyes widened as he stared at me. “You want to break up with me?” We had been together for ten years, and even when he bullied and humiliated me the most, I never once mentioned the word breakup.

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