Category: English

I had just gotten off work when Elvis surprisingly asked me to get dressed up and go out with him. Full of excitement, I arrived at our meeting spot, only for the scene before me to completely shatter my hopes for Elvis. Fiona was wearing the wedding dress I had picked out for our wedding, kissing Elvis in front of some strangers filming them. Seeing my upset expression, Elvis pulled me aside: “Can you stop looking so sour all the time?” he scolded. “You’ve enjoyed the good life thanks to Fiona for so many years. Now that she’s lost her memory because of you, the least you can do is make it up to her a bit.” I lowered my eyes, feeling utterly heartbroken. Just a few days ago, I had suddenly found out I wasn’t the Johnsons’ biological daughter – Fiona was. After she was brought back home, she saw Elvis holding my hand to comfort me and suffered a shock that caused her to lose her memory. Ever since returning from the hospital, she had been adamant that Elvis was her boyfriend and that I was the Johnsons’ housekeeper. Fiona noticed Elvis and I standing close together and came over smiling, taking Elvis’s hand: “Lisa, you’re just in time! I want to do some role-playing – will you join us?” “Elvis and I are the real couple. We’ll pretend to be husband and wife, and you can play the other woman trying to break us up. What do you think?” I frowned, thinking her suggestion was utterly ridiculous. Her eyes immediately welled up with tears as she turned to Elvis: “I just saw people posting these kinds of videos online and getting lots of attention. I wanted to try it too. Is that not allowed?” Elvis lovingly stroked her head, then bent down to kiss her eyelids, full of concern. “Of course it’s allowed, sweetheart. We’ll do whatever you want.” Fiona smiled and put on the veil, leaning into Elvis’s arms as she began her act. Ignoring my wishes, she pointed at me and shouted: “Why are you trying to seduce Elvis? He and I are so in love – we’ve been together for 9 years and are about to get married! How could you be so evil,Lisa?” “Is it because you’re jealous of me? But I’ve always treated you so well. Why would you do this to me?” She cried and yelled, drawing the attention of passersby who started looking over and pointing at us. People who didn’t know the situation assumed a real argument was happening. Some onlookers took out their phones to record, yelling that they should “beat up the homewrecker!” Others even grabbed props to throw at me. Elvis stood by watching me get humiliated without doing anything, instead shielding Fiona to protect her from getting accidentally hurt. I had become the biggest joke of the night. So this was what I got after loving him for 9 years. My nose stung as I quickly lowered my head and ran out of the crowd. I didn’t want to continue this relationship anymore. Back home, I lay in bed masochistically scrolling through videos of Elvis and Fiona over and over. They had kissed in front of every popular creator filming them. Now the whole internet was envying their love story, while I had been reduced to the “other woman.” I closed my eyes and calmly dialed Galen’s number. “I’ve made up my mind. I’ll marry you.” There was a long silence on the other end before Galen finally spoke, his voice cool and gentle: “You’re sure?” Hearing me start to cry, he paused before softly comforting me: “Don’t cry over someone who doesn’t deserve it.” “Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll come pick you up.” I buried my head as tears fell, choking out a quiet “Okay.” Elvis, Galen and I had all grown up together. But after Elvis and I started dating, Galen went to develop his career in the capital and we lost touch. It wasn’t until recently when he found out about my situation that he proposed we get married. I thought he was joking at first, but it turned out he was serious. I had been reluctant to let go of Elvis before, but today I finally understood that what had been holding me back was just my memories of the old Elvis.

When I woke up, the dining table was already full of people, with only Fiona missing. I knew this was an ambush against me. Mrs. Johnson’s face fell as soon as she saw me sit down. “Lisa, you and Elvis’s wedding will have to be cancelled for now.” I lowered my head and took a sip of porridge, emotionless. “Okay.” I don’t know how I had angered Elvis again. He slammed the table hard, looking at me with disgust in his eyes: “If you hadn’t stolen the life of a rich young lady from Fiona, I never would have fallen for you. Fiona is the one I should have loved all along.” Elvis suddenly stopped mid-sentence, gazing lovingly behind me: “Fiona, did you sleep well last night?” Fiona sat down on Elvis’s lap, sleepy-eyed. When she saw me at the table, she immediately became upset: “What right do you have to eat at the table with us, you’re just a maid? The daughter of your low-class mother really has no manners.” Mr. and Mrs. Johnson’s expressions darkened, but they still grimly ordered me: “Lisa, from now on you’ll eat with the other staff.” I gave a bitter smile. When I first found out I wasn’t the Johnsons’ daughter, I had offered to leave this family and give her parents back to her. But Fiona suddenly lost her memory, believing I was the maid who had taken care of her since childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson and Elvis all coaxed me to stay, saying not to further upset Fiona. Elvis even said he would marry me whether I was the Johnsons’ daughter or not. I was softhearted then and agreed. I just never expected to receive their increasingly harsh mockery and targeting. After breakfast, a group of people barged into my room. Fiona led the way, directing the maids to move my things out one by one. Her gaze landed on the old piano in the center of the room. “Smash that piano. What an outdated thing – a maid should be taking care of me, not secretly using her salary to learn fancy skills.” That piano was given to me by my late piano teacher. I clenched my fists and stepped forward to protect it, my tone firm: “You can do whatever you want with my other things, but not this piano.” Fiona let out a shrill scream. “Fine then, go sleep in the doghouse with your precious piano!” “Weren’t those little dogs your most prized possessions? Go sleep with them!” Those two puppies were a birthday gift Elvis had given me. When Fiona first came back, Elvis had sent them away because Fiona said she hated the smell of animals. I still remembered, but Elvis looked at me with contempt: “They’re just dumb animals. Only someone from a poor background like you would treasure them so much.” But I clearly recalled how he said he wanted to be the puppies’ dad when he first bought them for me. In the end, all my belongings were thrown into the room I had originally prepared for the dogs.

After hesitating for a long time, I finally called my birth mother from the garden at home. The call connected instantly. My heart was full of anxiety – I didn’t know how she viewed me as her biological daughter. Mom’s gentle voice came through: “Is that you,Lisa?” “Yes.” After a moment of silence, I finally spoke what was on my mind: “Mom, can I move in with you?” Choked sobs came from the other end: “Of course you can, sweetheart. I’m so happy you want to come live with me.” The heavy weight in my heart finally lifted. It turns out I wasn’t a child without a home after all. Mom went on to carefully ask about my likes and preferences, saying she wanted to prepare a room for me. She talked to me about many things. I suddenly felt a warm current flow into my heart. After chatting with Mom, I contacted a moving company to take the piano to her house. Just after seeing them off, I returned to find Fiona hugging a kitten, with Elvis smiling and taking photos of her in front. “Elvis, am I pretty like this? Thank you for the kitten, I love animals so much!” “You’re beautiful, Fiona. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world!” Their conversation carried clearly to my ears even from a distance. In the 9 years Elvis and I were together, he had never taken a single photo of me. Every time I suggested going on a trip, he would refuse, citing work. But these days he seemed like a completely different person, spending all his time with Fiona. Seeing me walk past them, Elvis stopped me and handed me the camera: “Perfect timing, come take a photo of us.” In the viewfinder, Fiona hugged the cat and turned to kiss Elvis’s cheek. The scene was utterly ironic. After I left, Elvis texted me to explain: [Lisa, please understand. I’m just reassuring a patient. I promise I won’t do anything beyond your boundaries with Fiona.] [Once she regains her memory, we’ll have our wedding as planned. You’ll still be my beautiful bride then.] I didn’t reply to him. While I was packing my luggage, Fiona barged into my room. “What, going back to your poor mother’s slum?” Seeing that I ignored her taunts and continued packing, Fiona grew furious: “You better behave yourself tonight and not steal my spotlight.” “I want you to watch with your own eyes as I take back everything that’s rightfully mine step by step.” Her gaze shifted to my still unpackaged paintings, hatred crystallizing in her eyes. She lunged forward to grab my hair: “If it weren’t for you, I would be the one excelling in music, chess, calligraphy and painting now.Lisa, what right do you have to steal my life!” I dodged Fiona’s attack and coldly looked at her: “You’re faking your memory loss?” She smirked proudly, “So what if I am? An outstanding man like Elvis can only be mine. No matter who you tell, they won’t believe you over me.” “You and your mother are both trash! You can’t even keep your own man – whose fault is that?” I could tolerate Fiona’s earlier outbursts and throwing out my things – after all, they did belong to the Johnsons. But for her to insult the mother who had raised her for over 20 years, I felt this person’s heart had turned completely cold. Mom is an outstanding woman. Though she grew up without parents, she still managed to get into college through her own efforts and government aid in that era. Now she’s a university professor. She had always treated Fiona like a precious jewel and never mistreated her. But after Fiona found her birth parents, she pretended to lose her memory just to cut ties, and now called Mom “trash” at every turn. Fiona probably didn’t know that when she found her birth parents, Mom had also found hers – a family in a hundred times more powerful than the Johnsons.

I was about to retort when Elvis walked in holding some documents. He first pinched Fiona’s cheek, his tone affectionate: “Princess, the makeup team I hired for you is here. Go on now.” Then he tossed a file at me: “Sign this.” I glanced down briefly – it was a resignation letter and a project transfer agreement. It was for the project I had built up over 5 years at Mr. Johnson’s company – their most profitable project. They had probably agreed to transfer it to Fiona. Even if he didn’t bring up resigning, I was already planning to quit since I was leaving tonight anyway. I picked up the pen and signed, responding flatly: “Okay.” A flash of confusion crossed Elvis’s face, as if he hadn’t expected me to give up my hard work so easily. He carelessly tossed a gift box at me like throwing away trash. “Sorry for the trouble lately. This is to make it up to you.” Seeing I had no reaction to the gift, Elvis grew angry: “What’s your problem?Lisa, I’m warning you, don’t be so ungrateful.” I threw the gift back at him. “Elvis Smith, we’re breaking up.” Elvis heard Fiona calling him from outside and looked at me with disdain. “Playing this game again? You think you can really bear to leave me?” Tonight was a garden party at home to celebrate the return of the Johnsons’ princess. As I walked past with my suitcase, the place was lively. “Fiona and Elvis really are a perfect match. Only a flawless woman like you is worthy of Elvis.” Fiona basked in the praise. “Where’sLisa? How could she not show up on such an important day?” Elvis had also noticed I hadn’t appeared all night. He suddenly remembered what I had said earlier and frowned slightly. His friends laughed and reassured him: “Trust me,Lisa will definitely come down to make a scene later. After all, there aren’t many men as great as you, Elvis. She’ll cling to you for dear life.” As I approached, they started jeering: “See, I told you no one can resist Elvis’s charm!” Elvis’s furrowed brow relaxed. He told the security staff: “Keep a close eye later. I don’t want her causing a scene and embarrassing me.” Just as he finished speaking, a cool and dignified man walked in through the party entrance. His arrival immediately caused exclamations from the crowd: “Isn’t that Galen? Didn’t he move to the capital? Did he come back specially for Fiona’s party?” Amid envious glances, Fiona walked towards Galen, extending her hand expectantly: “Hello, I’m Fiona Johnson, the eldest daughter of the Johnson family.” Galen walked right past Fiona to me, naturally taking my hand: “I’m here to take you home.” Feeling Galen’s warmth in my palm, I couldn’t help blushing and nodding messily: “Okay.” Seeing Galen and I standing together, Fiona angrily stomped her foot. We had only taken a few steps out when Elvis, his face black as thunder, blocked our way. He stared at me with bloodshot eyes: “Lisa, you’re really leaving with him?”

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I’ve been married to Jack for twelve years. My millionaire husband has fallen in love with the new receptionist at his company. She’s nearly forty, not as pretty as me, and doesn’t have as good a figure as I do. Yet in just six short months, she’s provided Jack with tremendous emotional value. Jack wearily said to me: “If we divorce, you can have the house and the car. Olivia, can you please just let me go?” I lowered my eyes and said softly, “Alright.” Then I bought a calendar and circled a date. Divorce countdown: 30 days. When I pushed the divorce agreement in front of Jack, it had only been 40 minutes since he told me about his affair and asked for a divorce. As requested, the house, car, and custody of our child would all go to me. He would give me a one-time payment of $2 million for compensation and child support. After that, our child and I would no longer bother him. At that moment, Jack was in the middle of a conference call. He glanced down, saw the words “Divorce Agreement,” and his expression flickered almost imperceptibly. Then he nodded, indicating he understood. I left the room. To save time for both of us, I packed up all of Jack’s clothes and belongings. Three full suitcases. Afraid I might have missed something, I even included his childhood photos from the attic. Finally, I saw our wedding photo in the corner. In the photo, Jack looked handsome and dashing, while I smiled sweetly. We were embracing without a care in the world under the sunlight. That was when he would always hold me close and whisper, “Honey, I love you so much. I’m so lucky to have married you.” Jack and I met in college. When we first met, he was still a poor boy wearing worn-out canvas shoes. I had plenty of suitors back then, but I fell for Jack at first sight. He was calm, kind, and good-looking. He had countless qualities I admired. We got married right after graduation, and he started a company with his friends. After I got pregnant, I became a full-time housewife. I devoted myself entirely to taking care of Jack and our family. As the business grew, Jack’s social obligations and drinking events increased. In between my busy daily routines, I made time to work out and learn about makeup and fashion. Jack didn’t disappoint either. No matter how busy he was, he would come home to look after our child and cook. He also helped me handle the relationship with his mother. In others’ eyes, we were the model couple, the model family. I’m not sure when it started, but Jack began scheduling meetings in the evenings. Sometimes when work got busy, he would stay out all night. Friends joked that I should keep a closer eye on him in case anything happened. I laughed it off, saying it wouldn’t, but I still felt uneasy. I brought them late-night snacks a few times. Nothing seemed amiss. A group of people in meetings, with that woman just waiting at the reception desk. Her name was Rachel. In her early forties, not very tall, on the thin side, with short hair. She looked rather plain, but her voice was unexpectedly gentle, unlike her appearance. She smiled and greeted me. All these years, I had imagined this day might come. I thought it might be a pretty secretary at the company, or a fresh-faced college student, or maybe a powerful female CEO they worked with. I never expected it would be Rachel, the receptionist. I heard she had been married before, but her husband cheated and they divorced. This was her first job after the divorce, and she cherished it greatly. She would come to the office early, learn everyone’s little habits, and occasionally make some pastries. Some colleagues even ordered lunch from her for convenience. When I found out, I told Jack to look after her a bit, since she was having a tough time. Jack always responded coolly. “The company isn’t a place for sentiment. I’ve already advised her not to engage in transactions outside of work.” At the time, I teased Jack for being an unsympathetic boss. Now that I think about it, he was probably upset that Rachel had to make extra food for colleagues after work every day. As for why Jack chose today to ask for a divorce. I had just made him a hangover soup as usual this morning after he came home drunk. He looked at the soup in front of him, sighed, and pushed it away slightly. After a long silence, he suddenly looked up at me, his eyes weary, and asked if we could get divorced. He confessed that he had been having an affair for six months, sneaking off to hotels every time he worked late. My heart trembled like a sieve, as I struggled to control myself. I asked who it was. When he said Rachel’s name, I even doubted I had heard correctly. A sense of helplessness washed over me. Cold and chilling.

By the time Jack finished his meeting and came out, I had already eaten, cleaned up the kitchen, and was sitting in the living room watching TV. As if nothing had happened. He turned to take a shower, but halfway through realized there were no towels. Out of habit, he called from the bathroom. “Honey, where’s my bath towel?” Without turning around, I replied: “I’ve already packed it in the suitcase. If you don’t mind, use mine for now. I’ll throw it away later.” I was met with a long silence in response. When Jack came out, he finally noticed the three suitcases by the door. He sat down across from me and pushed the divorce agreement towards me with his fingertips. “I can give you $1.5 million for child support upfront, and the rest can be paid monthly…” I interrupted: “No need. Let’s do a lump sum buyout. I don’t think she would want you to keep in contact with me either.” Jack looked at me, puzzled: “The child isn’t just yours. I have the right to be involved in his upbringing. I know this is my fault, and I’m willing to compensate, but you don’t need to use our child as leverage.” I paused the TV show and looked at Jack seriously. “The affair is your fault, so it’s reasonable for you to pay compensation and child support. Compared to your assets, me getting the house and car isn’t asking too much. Our son has been raised by me since he was little. He’s a sensitive child with needs. Tell me, how much energy will you have to take care of him while you’re in the honeymoon phase of your new relationship? Being involved in his growth isn’t just about money, it’s about time and companionship.” Jack was left speechless. After a while, he spoke: “In any case, I won’t use $2 million to buy out my relationship with my son.” I reached out and opened the divorce agreement: “The $2 million is for compensation and child support. If you have other emotional needs, you can transfer money to our son. I’ll open a separate card for him.” Jack suddenly laughed: “Olivia, I never knew you were so obsessed with money. You keep talking about money.” “What else is there? Is loving you useful?” Jack was stunned into silence. He frowned and swiftly took out a pen to sign the divorce agreement. He also arranged for us to go to the civil affairs bureau tomorrow to apply for divorce. Then he called his driver. I finished watching my show and went to bed. When I woke up in the morning, Jack was already gone. Our son ran out of his room and hugged me, excitedly telling me about a really happy dream he had last night. As I listened to him share, I tentatively told him that Dad’s company was busy lately, so he might be away on business trips for a long time. Contrary to his usual reaction, our son didn’t insist on calling Jack to ask, “Dad, when are you coming back?” He just said “Oh” and pursed his little lips: “It’s okay, I have Mom with me.” I instantly couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears spilled from my eyes as I excused myself to the bathroom to compose myself. Agreeing to divorce Jack made me sad, but mostly I felt I was letting our son down by not allowing him to grow up in a complete family. But I knew this wasn’t my fault. After dropping our son off at school, Jack and I went to the civil affairs bureau to apply for divorce. There’s a 30-day cooling-off period, after which we can get the divorce certificate. Back in the car, I circled a date on the calendar, marking today. Divorce countdown: 30 days.

I debated whether to tell my parents about the divorce now. I grew up in this city, with all my relatives and friends here. My parents are retired teachers, and I’m their only daughter. They’re very open-minded, but my father’s health hasn’t been great these past couple of years. I was thinking of waiting a bit longer. Jack called after a couple of days. He rarely called me. Usually, he would text on SnapChat, since I would always reply promptly, which he found convenient. Last night, I had already deleted him from my contacts. I answered the call. Jack’s voice sounded normal. “Olivia, your mom just called me. She said she’s cooked a lot of dishes tonight and wants us to come over for dinner. I think since your dad’s health isn’t good, maybe we should wait to tell them about the divorce until he’s better. What time do you want to go over? Also, next Sunday is your dad’s birthday. Should I still go with you?” I had been hesitating, but hearing Jack’s words made me decide to tell my parents the news. I replied that it wasn’t necessary. Jack: “You don’t need to be stubborn. The elderly’s health is important.” I said calmly: “If you really cared, you wouldn’t have an affair and ask for divorce at a time like this. My dad’s health may not be great, but his mind is clear. I don’t think he would want me to continue in an unfaithful marriage.” “Jack.” “Hmm?” “Don’t call again. If you want to see our son, follow the agreement. Once a week.” Hearing this, Jack dropped his conciliatory tone. “Olivia, I’ll say it again. Jason is my son too, my family…” “But you gave up the family he belonged to, didn’t you?” Finally, I heard Jack slam down the phone. I promptly hung up and collected my somewhat shattered emotions. I decided to drive to the mall. The bedding, sofa, and all the furniture Jack liked at home – I planned to replace it all. And I wanted everything in stock. After replacing everything, I cleaned the house thoroughly, then went to my mom’s place. When she saw me without Jack, she assumed he was busy. I fell silent, feeling a bit nervous as I called out, “Mom.” She immediately sensed something was wrong. Putting down what she was doing, she just stared at me, then gently pulled me into her arms. I didn’t say anything, but as a mother, she could feel my emotions and hurt. I tried to calmly explain everything to her. My mom handed me a tissue to wipe my tears. Her voice was very soft. “It’s okay, divorce is quite common these days. If he’s not faithful, it’s better to end it sooner rather than later. Olivia, Mom only has one request for you.” She finished speaking, her eyes growing moist as she held my hand. “Since you’ve decided to divorce, no matter what happens, don’t ever get back together with him.” I nodded tearfully: “Okay.” After dinner, my mom and dad talked in their room for a long time. When they came out, my dad handed me a big red envelope. He said today was a new beginning, worth celebrating. “I hope my precious daughter will always be happy and blessed.” Leaving my parents’ house, I cried for a long time in the car. Before coming, I was so afraid of disappointing them. They’ve barely argued in their lives, always getting along harmoniously. When I married Jack, everyone disapproved, but they said they respected my decision. Now that Jack is successful, everyone admires them for having good judgment. Yet they calmly support my divorce. I wiped my tears and looked at the calendar. Divorce countdown: 28 days.

When I picked up our son from school, he said Grandpa had called saying he missed him and asked if he could stay at their place for a week. He wanted me to take him over. I was taken aback but helped our son pack a small suitcase. He was so excited, saying Grandpa had promised to take him to fly a drone. After dropping our son off, my mom walked me out: “Olivia, cheer up. Go out and have some fun.” As I got in the car, my mom stood there watching me for a long time before going back inside. I opened the mirror in the car and saw my pale face and dejected expression. I took out my makeup and applied a bright lipstick. I went home and packed some things. Then I traveled for a week, hurriedly seeing many people and places, hearing many stories along the way. I came back feeling much more spirited. I looked at the calendar. Divorce countdown: 21 days.

I returned just in time for my dad’s birthday. They decided to hold it at a hotel this time, inviting relatives and friends for a gathering. The hotel wasn’t far from home. There were five tables in total, all filled with familiar relatives and friends. Many people were asking about Jack. Fortunately, our son had an extracurricular class today and didn’t come. My parents didn’t directly answer the questions. Just as dinner was about to start and my dad went up to give a speech, Jack arrived. He was dressed in a suit and tie, carrying several gift bags and a big red envelope. The relatives and friends all greeted him. He waited for my dad to come down and handed him the red envelope: “Dad, happy birthday.” My dad glanced at it coolly: “Mr. Wilson, you’re too kind. No need for the red envelope, since you and Olivia are already divorced. I wouldn’t dare let you spend the money.” Jack’s face instantly froze. The relatives and friends were in an uproar, but quickly fell silent. His voice was very low: “We’re still just in the agreement stage…” My dad shook his head: “It’s all the same, same meaning.” He then turned to invite everyone to eat and drink. Jack just stood there. He gripped the gift bags tightly. My mom politely returned the other things to him. He left without lingering. Seeing him leave, the relatives and friends tacitly agreed not to mention Jack again. In the future, no one would ask me about him either. That’s good. My mood was gradually recovering, accepting, permeating. I shed the title of Mrs. Wilson. I became Olivia Chen again. The property management and housekeeper of the company somehow got the news. They no longer called me Mrs. Wilson, but Miss Chen instead. I also quickly wanted to keep myself busy. I planned to open a coffee shop. There was a shop for sale that I liked the location and decor of, so I signed the deal right away. The staff were all still there and could continue operations, but I wanted to take some time to adjust the menu and flavors. I also wanted to change the storefront and furniture. It was temporarily set to soft open. After a busy day at the shop finalizing plans, I was about to head home. I glanced at the calendar in the car. Divorce countdown: 15 days. Just as I arrived downstairs, Emma, a girl from Jack’s company, called me. She’s outgoing with a straightforward personality that people find likable. She asked if I was busy. When she learned I wasn’t, she immediately started complaining, asking if Jack and I were really getting divorced.

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It was rare for Lucas to have a weekend off. After much pleading, I finally convinced him to make sweet and sour pork ribs for me. As he was cooking, his phone on the coffee table buzzed. I tapped the screen but couldn’t see clearly. Upon closer inspection, I realized he had installed a privacy screen protector. Instantly, an ominous thought crept into my mind. I suddenly recalled what a colleague had said earlier. “When your partner starts using a privacy screen behind your back, it means they have secrets.” Those words stung like a thorn in my heart. I tried to convince myself it was just a coincidence, but the doubt in my mind grew like wildfire. Fortunately, he hadn’t changed his password yet. I unlocked the phone and saw a new Snapchat message from an unfamiliar name. The message was simple and direct. “Miss you.” My heart clenched tightly, my eyes fixed on those two words. Scrolling up, I found no other chat history. But those two simple words were enough to make my heart ache. As I tried to calm myself, I accidentally knocked over the water glass on the table. Lucas poked his head out of the kitchen, holding a spatula. “What’s wrong?” I forced a smile and quickly slipped the phone into my pocket. “Nothing, just wondering how far along you are.” “Not that fast,” he frowned and complained, “The caramel is so hard to get right. Let’s just eat out next time.” I paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement, “Okay.” Lucas seemed to have forgotten that I’m from the Midwest and don’t like sweet food. The one who loves sweet and sour pork ribs is him. When we first bought this house, he had pointed at the kitchen, his eyes gleaming with confidence and anticipation. “This is my domain. No one enters without my permission!” Every weekend, he would hole up in the kitchen, tinkering with my personal recipe book. Back then, he was so in love with this home, so in love with the beautiful memories we were creating together. The phone in my pocket felt like it weighed a ton, digging into my leg. After calming down, I decided to reply on his behalf. “Come over to my place, she’s not here.” I was curious about who this person was and how Lucas would react. Not long after, the doorbell rang shrilly. I quickly changed clothes and walked to the door. My hand rested on the cold doorknob, hesitating for a moment before deciding to open it. The person outside was clearly stunned, the excitement on their face instantly freezing when they saw me. I studied her carefully, unconsciously comparing every detail from age to appearance to figure with myself. However, the conclusion I drew was cruel – she surpassed me in every aspect. “You must be Olivia.” “You know me?” “Lucas mentioned you.” The thought that my name might have become a topic of amusement between them only deepened my disappointment in Lucas. She seemed to remember something and took out a familiar food container from her bag. “I came to return this.” “Last time Lucas brought some sweet and sour pork ribs to the office, I suddenly had low blood sugar, so he gave them to me to eat.” Looking at the lunch box she was tightly holding – the one Lucas and I had bought together at the supermarket – I couldn’t help but recall how reluctant he had been when I begged him to make sweet and sour pork ribs this morning. My anger was instantly ignited. I deliberately called out loudly towards the kitchen, “Honey, someone’s here to see you.” Lucas heard the commotion and came out of the kitchen, looking bewildered when he saw her. I carefully observed their reactions, but there was no sign of the guilt and unease I had expected. “Why did you come?” Lucas asked, confused. “I was in the neighborhood and remembered I hadn’t returned your lunchbox from last time, so I texted you.” “What text?” Lucas suddenly seemed to realize something, glanced back at me, then his face darkened. “Just leave the lunchbox and go.” However, she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she stood at the door, her eyes fixed on me. “Miss Su, aren’t you going to invite me in?” I couldn’t help but smirk, deliberately making way and glancing at Lucas. “Why don’t you invite her in? We just made sweet and sour pork ribs again today.” I deliberately emphasized “sweet and sour pork ribs,” and sure enough, Lucas’s expression changed. “Stop it,” he said. Sensing Lucas’s displeasure, she slowly replied. “I just remembered I have plans nearby. I got too excited and forgot. I’ll come play another time.” I didn’t say anything more, just coldly watched Lucas see her off. When he returned, his face was so dark it looked like it could drip water. “What, still reluctant to see her go?” I leaned against the door, mocking him. Lucas glared at me angrily, “Don’t talk nonsense, she’s just my colleague.” How could I let him off so easily? “Colleague? Then what’s with her sending you ‘miss you’ messages?” Lucas looked exhausted, “We’re just working on a project together recently. The pressure is high, so we joke around to relax a bit.” I didn’t believe his bullshit at all and had a huge fight with him. After that, Lucas’s relationship with me became extremely tense. I also slowly started to reflect on whether I had been too impulsive, but I felt Lucas’s explanation was too unconvincing. This life had become utterly frustrating. I told my best friend Mia about my suspicions of Lucas cheating. She laughed for a long time. After my parents passed away unexpectedly, she and Lucas became the most important people in my life. “What nonsense are you talking about?” “Back in college, Lucas bought our dorm bubble tea for over a semester just to pursue you. I still remember there was no KFC on campus then, so he would take the bus for over an hour each time to bring you food, not even eating a single fry himself, saving it all for you.” I laughed helplessly, “Really? I’ve forgotten all about that.” Mia animatedly discussed how Lucas had pursued me in college, but it all felt so distant to me. Indeed, 10 years had passed. In just two months, I’ll be 28. Before leaving, Mia earnestly advised me. “Olivia, have a good talk with Lucas and set a date soon.” “Don’t let it drag on too long.” Mia and I both tacitly avoided discussing it further. The sunk cost of a 10-year relationship was something I couldn’t afford to bear. That night, I took the initiative to text Lucas and sent him a sexy photo of me in black stockings. In the past, he would have playfully replied, “Hubby’s coming home right away, please be patient a little longer, my dear wife.” But today, he replied three hours later with just, “Working overtime.” I exited Snapchat and opened Facebook, searching for Lucas’s account. The glaring “5G Online” status. He wasn’t at the office. By the time I realized it, my carefully grown nails had already been bitten down to the quick. After my parents passed away, I developed a habit of biting my nails when anxious. Lucas used to worry about me, saying he’d help me quit this bad habit, even voluntarily applying bitter nail polish with me. But now… Thinking of this, I felt a surge of irritation for no reason. I had initially decided not to reply, but remembering Mia’s words, I typed again. “It’s okay, I’ll wait for you to get off work.” This time, he didn’t reply. I sat in the most conspicuous spot in the living room. The tight black stockings had long been replaced by loose loungewear, but they couldn’t conceal the anxiety and unease in my heart. The wall clock showed it was already 1 AM. I held the photo album Lucas had made for me during our college days, lost in thought. When exactly did our relationship change from inseparable lovers to roommates who rarely see each other? “Door open, welcome home.” The mechanical voice of the smart lock broke the silence of the night, also awakening that faint hope in the bottom of my heart. I suddenly raised my head, my gaze piercing through the darkness, trying to capture that familiar silhouette. Lucas stood at the door for a long time before finally stepping over the threshold. But his eyes quickly averted when they met mine. That momentary evasion hurt more than any words could, making me feel an unprecedented despair and coldness. He stood in the entryway and suddenly lost his temper. “Can’t you stop leaving your shoes all over the place?” I was stunned for a moment, about to go tidy up, when I saw him carelessly kick my shoes aside. There was a time when he would carefully arrange my high heels, always charge my electric toothbrush, and even sort out my seasonal clothes well in advance. But now, all of this had become a distant memory. Lost in thought for a moment, I saw Lucas walk out of the kitchen with a new glass in his hand. Unlike the one in front of me, it was a brand new glass. He sat down directly at the dining table and poured himself a glass of water. I stared at the glass in his hand, remembering the little habit we once shared – using the same glass. Suddenly, I felt a bit hurt. “Why aren’t we using the same glass anymore?” “No reason.” He seemed a bit impatient, slightly turning his body away and focusing on his phone. I didn’t want us to keep up this cold war, so I mustered up the courage to hug him from behind. “What are you doing!” He shook me off as if I were the plague. I stared at the red marks on my wrist, my heart shattering. “Today is our 10th anniversary,” my voice tinged with desperation and pleading. Lucas’s body tensed slightly, a flash of guilt passing through his eyes. But it only lasted for a few seconds before being replaced by his cold gaze. “What gift do you want? Send it to me on Snapchat, I’ll buy it for you tomorrow.” His tone was as flat as if he were talking about something unrelated to him. “It’ll be too late tomorrow.” I tilted my head slightly, trying to win him over with the cuteness he used to love. He once said he loved it most when I puffed up my cheeks in anger, saying I looked as cute as a pufferfish. But now, his gaze grew even colder, as if I were a complete stranger to him. “Olivia.” He called my name coldly, making my heart skip a beat. Using my full name meant the invisible wall between us had grown thicker. “Stop it.” Those three short words cut like an icy wind. “We’re both 28 now, not kids anymore. Life isn’t built on anniversaries.” My heart suddenly contracted, as if struck by a heavy hammer, the pain unbearable. The man before me, in his suit and tie, mature and steady, was a far cry from the bright-eyed boy in white who used to smile so brilliantly in the sunlight. I stared at him, trying to find a trace of the past in his face, but only saw unfamiliarity and resolution. Finally, I gave up arguing with him and just mumbled, “Yeah, I’m 28 already.” He seemed to guess what I was about to say next and quickly interrupted me. “You know, my career is at a critical point right now, I don’t want to get married yet…” Lucas was about to say more when his phone rang inopportunely. He glanced at me and quickly rejected the call. My heart sank, but I still pretended to be calm, even with a hint of pleading. “So, when do you want to get married?” He didn’t answer me directly, nor did he let me continue waiting. Instead— “If you feel wronged being with me, then…” “Then break up with you? How did I become the bad guy?” The words that slipped out made us both calm down. In the end, it was Lucas who broke the silence. “I’m not good enough for you.” I suddenly got angry, the emotions I had been suppressing all night reaching their peak. “You only realize you’re not good enough now? Why didn’t you think that way when you were chasing me so openly back then?” Lucas’s face instantly turned ashen. His lips moved slightly, as if wanting to say something, but after a moment of struggle, he gave up. Just like our current relationship, he didn’t even have the will to salvage it. I watched him walk towards the guest room with a dark face, not saying a word. Until he struggled to open the door for a while and angrily turned back to shout at me. “Olivia! Can you stop messing around! Open the door!” I kept a cold face, trying hard to suppress the displeasure and disappointment surging inside me. “I told you to change that lock ages ago. The balcony window wasn’t closed today, and the wind was too strong, so it slammed shut. I can’t open it either.” He instinctively looked towards the balcony, as if to verify what I said. The atmosphere around us became even heavier, a suffocating oppression filling the air. Until he spoke first, breaking this silence. “Then I’ll go stay at a hotel.” The rational defense line completely collapsed at this moment. I suddenly stood up, my voice sharp and piercing. I shouted hysterically, “What, is this big house not enough for you anymore? Or are you just too lazy to even pretend?” Lucas’s face became extremely unpleasant, a flash of shock in his eyes. He seemed to have never seen me so out of control before and was momentarily speechless. “If anyone should go to a hotel, it should be me. After all, you bought this house, how could I let you leave.” I continued my high-frequency output, as if making him uncomfortable could make me feel better. Or perhaps, deep down, I hoped that making a fuss like this would make him care about my feelings again. “Olivia, you’re always like this, never considering others’ feelings when you speak or act.” “What do you mean?” I glared at him like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “What do I mean? Last week you deliberately invited my colleague to our home, didn’t you think about how I’d face people at work afterwards?” “Face them? How to face them? She sends you those ambiguous messages, and I can’t say anything?” “I don’t want to explain anymore. Think whatever you want.” He completely cooled his face, ignoring my anger and insecurity. Then he walked towards the door without looking back. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped but didn’t turn around. “Olivia, if you really can’t go on, let’s just end it.” I held my neck stiffly, not answering. My heart was about to explode with frustration. At this moment, I was certain that Lucas no longer loved me. After that day, Lucas didn’t come home again. On Friday night, Mia sent a message in our group chat with three people. “Friends, I’m getting married!” Following that was a beautifully designed invitation card. She tagged me and Lucas. “You two, the golden couple from our campus days, must come and support me. The time and place are written above, be there on time!” I waited for a long time but didn’t see Lucas reply. Not wanting Mia to worry, I responded. “Mm, we’ll be there.” Just after I sent it, a private message from Lucas popped up. “Just find some excuse, say I’m on a business trip or sick or whatever. I won’t go.” I hesitated for a few seconds, “But they’ve invited us, it wouldn’t be right not to go.” “Besides, Mia is my best friend.” I watched the “typing” indicator on the Snapchat chat bubble. After waiting for a long time, until— “Olivia, let’s break up.” I stared hard at the screen, tears falling uncontrollably. Clumsily moving my already stiff fingers, I repeatedly typed on the keyboard, only to hesitate and delete each time. After a long while, I defiantly pressed send. “Fine.” When I first met Lucas, he was being scolded by our academic advisor. “Little Li, I chose you as class monitor considering your poor family background. Being a student leader can add points, which would be very helpful for your future scholarship applications.” Lucas was hunched over, “Yes, I’m very grateful to you. It’s just that I had a high fever last week and couldn’t help you move. Next time you need anything, I’ll be there immediately.” I overheard a bit more and learned that this tall boy had often been ordered around by the short, chubby advisor in front of him to do hard labor. “You say that, but I ask you for help because you’re a country boy. I’m just looking out for you a bit more.” “Yes, I…” “I’d say rather than looking out for him, why don’t you introduce him to a proper part-time job? Besides, those few points from being a student leader aren’t enough compared to winning an award or something.” “Who are you?” Great, he doesn’t recognize me. “Who I am doesn’t matter. I just can’t stand you bullying people.” I walked over and pulled the dumbfounded Lucas away. “Hey…” “Are you stupid?” Lucas smiled bitterly and shook his head, “I know he doesn’t have good intentions, but I figured it’s better to avoid trouble. Besides, being a student leader looks good on the resume after graduation.” “You’re worried about your resume with all those first prizes you’ve won?” Lucas was stunned and finally took a good look at me. “You’re the one from the English Cup competition…” “Second place!!” I said angrily. If it weren’t for him butting in, I would have gotten first place, and the DSLR camera my dad promised me would have been in my hands already. “Hi.” He scratched his head shyly and smiled. “Hi my ass.” I turned and walked away. Later on, Lucas became my shadow, following me wherever I went. It wasn’t long before he confessed to me. I didn’t play coy either. I had my eye on him since the English Cup competition, how could I let him slip away? The reminiscence came to an abrupt end. After I agreed to break up, Lucas didn’t contact me again until that night. I was revising my new resume at the company when I suddenly received a call from Lucas’s friend. “Sis-in-law, Lucas and I are at Mirage KTV. He’s drunk too much and we’re worried something might happen. Could you come pick him up?” I guessed Lucas probably hadn’t told them about our breakup yet. “Alright, I’ll come over now.” I got Lucas out, originally planning to take a taxi home. But seeing his car parked outside the KTV, I hesitated for a moment. The internet says that car dash cams are the best tool for catching cheating men. Lucas’s car was bought for me by my parents, but I’m not very good at driving, and since my workplace is close by, I let him use it. On weekends we would go out shopping together, but usually it was just him driving to and from work. After careful inspection, I didn’t find anything unusual. I breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps he wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. Back home, I helped Lucas to the small room. There was a “thud” sound. I picked up the phone that fell out of his pocket and placed it on the bedside table. After a while, I picked it up again. “Password incorrect, please try again.” After five consecutive wrong attempts, the screen prompted: “Please try again in 1 minute.” Lucas had changed his password. I unconsciously started biting my nails. My fingertips felt a burning pain, but it couldn’t alleviate the anxiety in my heart. Just then, a scene from our college days suddenly flashed in my mind. Back then, Lucas always won first place in the school’s network security competitions. He confidently told me that his secret was setting the simplest passwords. He firmly believed that the simpler things are, the harder they are to guess. Because people tend to overcomplicate their thinking. Thinking of this, I felt like I had grasped a lifeline. My fingers lightly danced on the screen, silently inputting that string of numbers so simple it couldn’t be simpler: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6” The cursor on the screen blinked a few times, as if making a final judgment. Then, miraculously. It unlocked! I opened Snapchat and found the female colleague who had sent him ambiguous messages in the blocked list. The chat date stopped on the night he told me we should break up. “Thanks for your help last time.” Lucas had transferred her $200. “Thank you. If you need this kind of job again, remember to find me.” “Won’t be necessary. She’s agreed to break up.” My heart sank. So that woman’s ambiguous message was a trap he had deliberately set. Thinking of this, details I had previously overlooked suddenly became clear. For example, Lucas always kept his phone on him, even when going to the bathroom. But that day while cooking, he “happened” to leave it on the table. “Then you’re free now, you can be with her properly.” Lucas didn’t reply to her again, but instead blocked her directly. “Her?” I was confused. Did Lucas have another woman? Lucas is a cautious person. That Snapchat message was deliberately left for me to see, so he certainly wouldn’t use Snapchat as a chat tool with the person he was really cheating with. I thought for a moment and clicked on Lucas’s Instagram. That was the app Lucas had actively downloaded for me back then. He said he was just a straight guy and needed to learn how to take photos for his girlfriend and how to choose gifts for her. The most recent chat boxes were all advertising messages. I couldn’t find any useful information after scrolling through them. Until a cute avatar marked “Intern” caught my attention. With trembling hands, I clicked in and scrolled up to see their chat history. Those moments I had never been part of played out before my eyes like a movie. Until one chat record caught my attention. He had mailed her a package, which was written as concert tickets. I suddenly thought of something and quickly opened my own phone. A moment later, I almost collapsed on the ground. Those were the Coldplay concert tickets I had struggled to get from a scalper. Lucas and I had been fans of Coldplay since college. When we first graduated, we didn’t have money to attend concerts, so we could only huddle in our rented room listening to CDs. Later, when our salaries increased, we didn’t have time to go to concerts. We missed out for several years like this. This year was Coldplay’s 25th anniversary concert, which also happened to be our 10th anniversary. I thought it was significant and begged Lucas to take time off work early. But in the end, he still broke his promise, saying the project had entered a critical period and he really couldn’t get away. Although I was angry, I had no choice. After all, he was working so hard for our better future. Later, Lucas said his colleague also wanted to go and asked if I could give them the tickets. I was reluctant, after all, those tickets were so hard to buy. I thought about going with Mia instead. But I couldn’t resist Lucas’s persuasion, and he even promised to take me next year. I never expected the tickets would end up in her hands. And Lucas had sent them to her himself. Thinking of this, I trembled with anger, wishing I could rush into the room and drag him up for a beating. ———-Cut-off point———- My heart couldn’t calm down for a long time. Before this, I could convince myself to accept that ten years of feelings had gradually faded in the daily grind of life. If he wanted to break up, I could oblige. But I couldn’t accept his deliberate scheming and deception. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Closing my eyes, memories of Lucas and I flashed through my mind. Those beautiful memories had now turned into sharp fragments. Each piece reminded me that our love was gone forever. Thinking of this, I suddenly felt much lighter. Perhaps it was because the uncertainty had suddenly become certain, freeing me from long-standing entanglement and insecurity, as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted. I had asked myself countless times in the dead of night, why had Lucas and I come to this point? Was it because I hadn’t done well enough somewhere? Now it seems, on the path of promised companionship, some people choose to leave early. The fault wasn’t mine, but theirs. That night, I slept unusually soundly, the most peaceful sleep I’d had in a long time. On a very ordinary day, I gave up a very important person. Although I felt a bit reluctant, my heart full of joy should also come to an end.

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Three Days Before My Wedding I was supposed to marry my boyfriend in three days, but when I went to check on the wedding decorations, I froze in shock. On the huge poster, my boyfriend Marcus looked deeply in love, but the girl next to him was his first love. At that moment, Marcus was standing on the stage, drinking a toast with his ex-girlfriend. I asked him tearfully why he would do this to me, but he just looked annoyed. “What’s wrong with letting Chloe experience being a bride? Why are you so petty?” he snapped. “We’ve been dating for five years. If there was anything between us, would you still be in the picture?” I raised my hand to slap him, but he pushed me away, watching as I lost my footing on the stairs and fell to the ground. At that moment, my heart turned to ashes. This wedding was off. I hope you two deserve each other, bitch and dog, till death do you part! 0 “…Marcus?! You pushed me?!” My ankle was in excruciating pain as I looked up at Marcus and Chloe on the stairs, still in shock. Bang! A wine glass suddenly shattered beside me, glass shards and red wine splashing onto my body, instantly staining my pristine white dress. I instinctively shielded my face and closed my eyes, but the glass still cut my arm slightly. If I hadn’t covered myself, it would have been my face and neck that were cut. That was the wine glass Marcus had thrown to the ground. “You weren’t paying attention and fell on your own. Who are you blaming for pushing you?” Marcus’s mocking voice came from above, clearly angered. “If you hadn’t come here today to make a scene, would this have happened? Stop pretending, Olivia. Don’t tell me you sprained your ankle, what an old excuse!” I tentatively tried to move my ankle, but a sharp pain shot through it. I trembled, trying to suppress it as I looked up at my soon-to-be husband on the stairs, my heart turning to ashes. Marcus and I were supposed to get married in three days. I had left work early today to come see the “surprise” he had been keeping from me these past few days. I had even worn the white dress he had complimented before. Who knew that when I arrived at the venue, this is what would greet me. On the huge poster, Marcus looked deeply in love, but the girl next to him was his first love, Chloe. The moment I saw it, I felt ridiculous. Where did I fit into all this? As I looked down, I caught Marcus drinking a toast with Chloe. There was no one else around, and the love in his eyes didn’t seem fake. When I tearfully confronted him afterwards, this is what happened. It turns out there wasn’t a single truth in Marcus’s words. Saying it wasn’t ready was just an excuse for him to hold a ceremony with Chloe. I had even seen an engagement ring on Chloe’s hand that matched mine. It was utterly absurd. A couple’s ring turned into a trio’s ring – it was laughable. “Marcus, don’t be so fierce… you’re scaring me,” Chloe said from above, her eyes cold but her voice sweet as she clung to Marcus. Marcus seemed to enjoy it, patting her hand on his arm affectionately. “Chloe, she was trying to hurt you first. Don’t worry, she’s fine. She’s just pretending.” My heart suddenly ached dully. I didn’t know what all my years of devotion had meant. I wiped away my tears and limped away from the scene amid their mockery. “See, I told you she was fine,” I heard Marcus say smugly behind me, with Chloe agreeing. “She really was faking it… Unlike me, I would never lie to you, Marcus.” I frowned, stumbling home in a daze. When I sat on the couch to check my ankle, I saw it was swollen like a bun. It was probably because I didn’t treat it right away and then forced myself to walk so far. Looking at my ankle, my eyes welled up and tears started falling as I silently cried while icing it. The ice was edible ice from the freezer, so as it melted, water pooled on the floor. At least my ankle had started to go down a bit. I had just applied some ointment when the door opened. Marcus walked in with Chloe, frowning as soon as he saw the state of the room. “Olivia, what are you up to now?” 0

“…Me? What am I up to?” I looked at him coldly. Marcus immediately retorted self-righteously: “Making a mess of the house – isn’t that you acting up?” I followed his gaze downward and saw the wet puddles and footprints on the floor – Some of which were from the two of them walking in. Seeing that I didn’t respond, Marcus started going off again. “I see you’re fine after all. Chloe was so worried about your foot, she insisted I come check on you. But here you are, able to make a mess of the house?” “You’ve got so much energy, make sure you mop this up later. Don’t let it stain.” I took a deep breath, suppressing the pain in my chest. I couldn’t help but wonder how a person could change so completely in just a few years. Marcus didn’t used to be like this. We met in college and spent some sweet times together. Marcus really used to treat me well, otherwise I wouldn’t have agreed to marry him. I truly believed Marcus was someone I could spend my life with. He remembered every anniversary, every little thing about me. Sometimes I would forget when my period was due, but he kept track of it in his own calendar. I always knew Marcus had a first love named Chloe. He told me about her when we first started dating. He and Chloe were high school sweethearts, but they broke up when they went to different colleges and Chloe had plans to study abroad. When did our relationship start to sour? It started a year ago when Chloe came back. She only needed a look or a word to completely capture Marcus’s heart. Sometimes I cynically thought that the moment Marcus went to pick up Chloe at the airport, I had already lost in this relationship. I really didn’t want to deal with Marcus and Chloe, so I just got up and limped back to the bedroom, wanting some time alone to think. But Marcus brought Chloe right in after me and demanded: “Olivia, what’s with your attitude?! You haven’t said a word since I came in. Did the fall make you mute?” “Marcus, calm down. Oh… what’s this?” Chloe pretended to calm Marcus down while secretly surveying the room. Then her gaze landed on an emerald necklace on my dresser. “So pretty… Such a big emerald must be fake, right? Can I have it, Olivia?” She reached out to take it as she said this. I was utterly disgusted, not understanding how someone could be so shameless. I immediately snapped: “Put that down! Don’t you have any manners, touching other people’s things without permission?!” Chloe was startled by my outburst. Her face instantly crumpled in feigned hurt, as if she was about to cry. Seeing this, Marcus got even angrier. “Olivia, can’t you be less petty? That emerald is fake anyway. If you give it to her, what’s the big deal? I’ll buy you a real one another day.” He actually said it was fake, completely disregarding my feelings. I nearly laughed in disbelief. Without hesitation, I lashed out angrily, the fire I had been suppressing finally erupting: “…Fake? Marcus! You know full well that was left to me by my mother. Don’t push me too far! Buy me a real one? You couldn’t afford it even if you sold your whole company!” “What do you mean?! You think I can’t afford your cheap necklace?!” Marcus exploded in anger, reaching out to grab it. I instantly lunged forward and grabbed a pair of tweezers, slashing at him viciously. “Marcus!” “Olivia!” Marcus clutched his face in shock, staring at me. Beside him, Chloe looked at him in concern, repeatedly asking if he needed to see a doctor. He irritably wiped away the blood on his face. Seeing that I had no intention of putting down the tweezers, He realized I was on the verge of a breakdown and had no choice but to back down, storming out angrily with Chloe. I slowly sank to the floor, staring at the blood on the tweezers. My throat tightened and I burst into loud sobs. 0

Tears blurred my vision. The large movements I had made in my emotional state Left my foot throbbing painfully, swollen and aching. However, the physical pain paled in comparison to the ache in my heart. Even now, I found it hard to believe and couldn’t understand how the once gentle and caring Marcus had turned into this. Was this his true nature all along? Had I simply been blinded by his masterful acting all these years? I had loved him so much, yet his heart always leaned towards Chloe. When we first graduated from college, we were so broke we could barely make ends meet. At our poorest, a meal consisted of bread and canned soup. Only on birthdays could we splurge on a burger and fries. I remember he somehow managed to buy a cheap little cupcake that day. Though simple, it was full of his love. Marcus carefully put a candle on it for me. Though I was already very touched, he still looked upset, constantly apologizing: “I’m sorry, Olivia. It’s my fault you have to live like this. I’ll never forget your kindness! I promise I’ll give you a better life in the future!” Looking at his youthful face still carrying traces of his student days, my heart was filled with warmth. I smiled and nodded, Then blew out the candle, making a wish in my heart. What was that wish again? Oh right, I hoped Marcus would keep his promise and always be good to me. Life is unpredictable. Now that we’re better off, his heart has changed. That man who once had tears in his eyes, solemnly vowing to always treat me well, is gone forever. Thinking of this, I fiercely wiped away my tears and started packing my things despite the pain. As I packed, I realized how little I actually owned after all these years. Perhaps from the beginning, fate never intended for me to treat this place as my true home. One large suitcase was enough to hold all my belongings. I left behind all the gifts and mementos Marcus had given me over the years. They held no meaning for me anymore. I picked up my suitcase, took one last look at what was once our home, then turned and left without hesitation. Once outside, I took a taxi straight to the house my parents had left me. As I pushed open the door, the room was quiet. The setting sun outside cast A warm golden glow throughout the house. Dust motes floated in the air, and a thin layer of dust had settled on the furniture. Standing in the doorway, I had a fleeting vision of my mom coming out of the kitchen, smiling and telling me to wash up for dinner. But it was just my imagination. I closed the door and curled up on the floor, hugging myself. After a while, a muffled sob escaped. At that moment, I really missed them. The sun gradually set, its light moving across the floor until darkness fell. Just then, my phone suddenly rang. I raised my head groggily, Realizing the room was pitch black. It must be the middle of the night. I took out my phone and saw it was Marcus calling. “Olivia! Where the hell did you run off to in the middle of the night?! What’s with all the water on the floor? Didn’t I tell you to clean it up?” The quiet space was suddenly filled with his reproach and dissatisfaction. I stared into the darkness, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. This was truly laughable. He only got home at this hour, Didn’t notice anything missing from the house, didn’t notice that I had left injured. His first reaction was to call and demand why I hadn’t cleaned up! Seeing I wasn’t responding, he continued: “Olivia, a woman like you, trying to stab me with tweezers earlier – how could I possibly marry you?” “Marcus.” Hearing his cold words, I finally interrupted him, my voice weary. “Then don’t marry me. Let’s break up.” With that, I hung up before he could respond. Then I blocked Marcus’s number without hesitation.

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At the wedding, the waitress handed Ethan a strawberry he had already bitten. Surprisingly, the usually germaphobic Ethan smiled and ate it from her mouth. “If I didn’t, she would have been embarrassed,” he said. The young master, who usually treated people’s lives as worthless, was now considering others’ feelings. He allowed the waitress to act as the hostess, wearing the same wedding dress as me and making toasts on behalf of the bride. I, the real fiancée, became a laughingstock. Heartbroken and desperate, I faked my own death to escape his control. But I never expected him to go crazy because of it… The heat deep within my body grew more intense as his scorching body pressed against my back. I tried to push him away, uncomfortable, but he gripped my ankle and forcefully pulled me back. “I’m so hot, stay away from me,” I pleaded. A cold bead explored an area that had never been touched before. My foggy consciousness suddenly cleared, and I looked at the man on top of me, feeling nauseous. “Ethan Caine, get out!” I shouted. He gently kissed my forehead, but his lower body didn’t slow down. He violently shattered my voice. “Get out? So you can go play with those pretty boys?” he growled. “I feel sick just looking at you. Divorce. I want a divorce.” My words thoroughly angered Ethan, who was already furious. He laughed coldly, his movements becoming more forceful as he silenced me with a kiss. I completely lost consciousness… When I woke up, my whole body ached. I saw a perfectly sculpted torso and abs, with strong arms wrapped around my waist, holding me in place. His handsome face came into view as memories of last night flooded back. I kicked Ethan, who was still sleeping, off the bed. The sudden movement aggravated my sore spots. He looked at me with his head hanging low, a pitiful expression on his face, as if I had just done something unforgivable. I laughed coldly. He was such a good actor. After a while, Ethan calmly got dressed and prepared to kiss my forehead. “Let me go. The woman you love made a fool of herself yesterday. That mistress who can’t see the light of day.” My sudden words made him freeze. He pinned me to the bed, gripping my neck and gritting his teeth. “Lily, why do you have to be against me?” The phone rang abruptly, breaking the tense atmosphere between us. Ethan’s expression softened, even showing a faint smile. “Okay, don’t be afraid. I’ll be right there,” he said into the phone. He glanced back at me, as if seeking my approval. Seeing that I didn’t say anything, the anxiety on his face became more apparent. “Mia has some urgent business. I need to be by her side.” My heart sank. The man who had just been intimate with me was now arguing with me over another woman. I didn’t bother to speak and slowly buried myself in the blankets. I heard the front door close and the sound of a car engine fading into the distance. Only then did I pick up the tattered clothes and vigorously wash away the filthy marks on my body. Looking around the bedroom, the wind blew in from outside. Suddenly, the door handle turned. I retreated cautiously. I ran out of the mansion in a mess, finally breathing a sigh of relief. Thankfully, I ran fast enough, or I would have died in there with that creep. The fire had turned the entire sky red, growing more intense. A luxury car screeched to a halt. Ethan stumbled out of the car, looking at the scene in disbelief. He couldn’t understand how the mansion had caught fire in the short time he was gone. Firefighters carried out a charred body. Ethan completely broke down, frantically questioning them. “Where’s Lily? Did you save her?” My heart skipped a beat. I unconsciously took a step forward, but just as I opened my mouth, I saw a woman get out of the luxury car. Ethan immediately scolded her for getting out of the car and gently draped his suit jacket over her shoulders. I retracted the foot I had extended. Of course, in Ethan’s heart, no one was more important than her. Mia Sullivan. The girl Ethan couldn’t forget from years ago, and apparently still couldn’t. Ethan was adopted by my mother from an orphanage. We grew up together as childhood sweethearts. We finally got into a top high school with excellent grades, only to meet Princess Mia Sullivan. She couldn’t stand that we had good grades and were close. The willful girl cornered the usually quiet and aloof Ethan, demanding he be her boyfriend. After being rejected, she didn’t give up and turned her attention to me. Ethan finally compromised and became Mia’s nominal boyfriend. But when her novelty wore off, she became interested in other boys. I thought Ethan would be happy about this, but that day he refused to go home with me because he saw Mia flirting with another boy. He angrily dragged her away. In a small alley, the boy kissed the girl, expressing his pent-up love. And I had always been just an observer of their love story. I couldn’t understand why Ethan turned a blind eye to Mia’s bullying of me. Even when he saw her corner me in the bathroom and force me to eat feces, he blamed me for not understanding and angering his beloved. Later, my mother accidentally saved Ethan’s grandfather’s life, and we discovered Ethan’s true identity. He suddenly became the young master of the Caine family in high society. My mother passed away due to illness, her only wish being for me to live a good life. I found a boyfriend, but Ethan flew into a rage and demanded to marry me. At that time, I thought maybe Ethan truly had feelings for me. Looking back now, I was such an idiot. It was only because Mia had gone abroad, and he wanted to prove his charm, trying to provoke Mia into staying. But Ethan’s plan failed. We didn’t get married. From 18 to 23, I was always his nominal girlfriend. Recently, he finally proposed to me. I thought it was the light at the end of the tunnel. I never expected Mia to show up at the wedding as a waitress. She fed Ethan a half-eaten strawberry, and he smiled as he accepted it. Everyone at the wedding was laughing at my stupidity and presumption. I caused a scene, but Ethan accused me of being petty. On our wedding night, my husband rushed off to be with his true love, leaving me alone in our bridal chamber. Before the fire, the two of them looked at each other lovingly, like a match made in heaven. Without hesitation, I turned and left. I heard that the most expensive mansion in the city had caught fire, and the feared young master of high society, Ethan Caine, was going crazy outside the fire, crying and laughing while holding a bracelet. In that fire, the only person who died was Ethan Caine’s wife. I pushed open the door, and a cloud of dust hit me, making my eyes sting. Ever since I married Ethan, he had despised this small house and demanded we move out. To be with him, I agreed without hesitation. This little home, filled with beautiful memories, would now be mine alone. The doorbell rang, and I reflexively grabbed a kitchen knife. Seeing who it was, I was stunned. A handsome face beamed at me, asking me to be his sugar mama. In the blink of an eye, five years had passed. “Mommy, that uncle is so weird. Why does he keep staring at us?” Emily hugged her milk bottle, her little face slightly furrowed, melting my heart. “Don’t talk to strange uncles. We’re going home soon.” I packed up our small stand when a red hundred-dollar bill was held out in front of me. “I’ll take one,” said a familiar voice. The sound made me freeze. I stiffly looked up at the person in front of me. After five years, Ethan looked more mature than before. His face was expressionless, but his reddened eyes betrayed his nervousness. “I’m sorry, we’re closing up. Please come again next time.” I quickened my pace. Emily hugged my leg and pointed at Ethan. “Mommy, why is that uncle crying?” Indeed, Ethan was in tears. They fell in large drops. I had never seen him look so miserable before. He stared at Emily greedily, excitement flashing in his eyes. “Lily, come home with me. I’ve fixed up the house, it’s exactly the same as before you left.” He suddenly grabbed my hand and picked up Emily. “This is my daughter, right? Our family of three can finally be together.” Emily was strangely quiet in his arms. Panicked, I quickly snatched her back from him. “Mr. Caine, what are you doing?” An abrupt male voice broke our awkward moment. William Chase approached with a cold expression, quickly coming to my side. Seeing him arrive, I felt slightly relieved. “Daddy, did you bring Emily cake?” the little girl asked. The man’s expression softened as he playfully pinched his daughter’s nose. But someone couldn’t bear to watch anymore. Ethan kicked over my stand, his face vicious. I fearfully hid behind William, which seemed to provoke Ethan even more. He grabbed my wrist. “Lily Quinn, you’ve got some nerve. How dare you fool around with another man behind my back.” He dragged me towards his car. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. Memories of past nightmares came flooding back. I couldn’t stop shaking as I knelt on the ground, kowtowing. “Please, I’m begging you, let me go. I’m already dead, why are you still haunting me?” Ethan looked at me, at a loss. His hands hovered awkwardly. “Lily, what’s wrong? I’m Ethan, the Ethan you love most.” Love? The man I once loved to the bone now stood before me. I was surprised to find that I felt no love for him, only fear. I thought I had let go after all these years, but he had to appear and shatter my peaceful life. If Mia Sullivan was my bully during school, then Ethan Caine was my biggest abuser when I was 23. Before, love had blinded me, but not anymore. “Love me? If you loved me, would you have allowed Mia to bully me? If you loved me, would you have let her wear my wedding dress at my own wedding, making everyone play along with your charade?” “You’re still so unreasonable. How many times do I have to tell you, she’s just my sister.” How ridiculous. As soon as Mia appeared, Ethan had rushed off the stage. The usually composed man lost his cool, giving a clumsy explanation paired with the woman’s tearful act of being wronged. He forgave her so easily. Then he agreed to let Mia wear my wedding dress and make toasts as the bride on my behalf. Ethan asked all the guests to play along with their performance. Once again, I became a mere spectator to their love story. I lost it right there. Ethan’s grandfather kicked Mia out, but I didn’t want to give Ethan another chance either. I turned to leave, but he stopped me, dragged me to bed, and vented his anger over and over. He accused me of brainwashing his grandfather, causing Mia to lose face in front of everyone. That night, another call from Mia took him away again. An unexpected fire seemingly ignited Ethan’s deep love. People online praised his heartbreaking performance that day, but I found it disgusting. Now he had the nerve to tell me that he and Mia were just siblings, that it was all in the past. “Lily, she’s my sister. We’re over, why can’t you let it go?” Ethan’s face darkened, his eyes full of dissatisfaction. William shielded my disheveled self behind him, wary of the man in front of us. Ethan clicked his tongue, his expression growing colder. He held a sharp knife to Emily’s throat, drawing blood. My heart dropped. Looking at this stranger before me, “Lily, be good and come here. Otherwise, this little girl will pay the price for your stubbornness.” It was always like this. In this city, Ethan still held all the power. Unlike his past gentleness, he was now like a demon, seemingly wanting to devour me whole. William gripped my hand, about to speak, but I stopped him. Only when I saw Emily safely released did Ethan’s car drive away. I never thought I’d return to this mansion again. “Lily, this is the house you carefully decorated before. Do you remember?” Ethan stared at me eagerly. Seeing no reaction from me, he didn’t give up. He introduced me to each part of the mansion one by one. “It was right by that floor-to-ceiling window where we tried a new position. Lily, you were so soft.” The shameful words instantly brought back my memories. Of course I remembered. It was there that I angered him by throwing away the bra strap bracelet Mia had given him. He made me strip naked and forced me to moan by the window. Outside the window were hardworking gardeners, while servants passed by behind us. I remember everyone keeping their heads down that day, not daring to look directly. But I still felt like I had completely lost face. Even so, Ethan wasn’t satisfied. He put unspeakable toys inside me and forced me to pleasure myself in front of those gardeners. In broad daylight, everyone watched me entertain myself. Ethan wanted to continue introducing the places once filled with happiness, but when he turned around, His eyes suddenly widened. “Lily, what are you doing?” I stared at him in confusion, not stopping my actions. Until I was completely naked, I lay on the floor as usual. “What do you want? What should I do to cooperate?” Ethan interrupted me, picking up the clothes strewn on the floor to cover my body. “Don’t you just want to sleep with me? Let’s get on with it.” The man frowned deeply, angrily pushing me away. “Is this how you see me?” Isn’t it? His favorite thing was to display my allure in front of strangers. No one dared to mock him, But behind his back, they all called me a whore who used her body to please men. I was already getting impatient. Emily was waiting for me to go home and cook. “We weren’t like this before. Don’t you remember? You loved me.” Ethan repeated these words pitifully. He was good at playing the victim, then forcing me to endure such humiliation. I was so incredibly stupid back then. Mia Sullivan was the girl he truly cared about. I foolishly threw myself at him. I really deserved all that suffering. “We just grew up together. What love are you talking about?” “No, you do love me. Lily, you’ve changed.” Ethan interrupted me, refusing to accept it. A woman’s voice suddenly cut through our argument. “Brother, where did you go? I was so scared when I woke up and didn’t see you.” A beautiful woman played with her burgundy nails as she walked out of the master bedroom. She saw me and her eyes filled with terror. She looked me up and down in my disheveled state, then quickly composed herself. “Lily Quinn, aren’t you dead? Why are you here? Have you come back to haunt me?” Her abnormal behavior made Ethan frown. “It’s windy outside. Why did you come out? You’re not well, you shouldn’t be running around.” Mia’s smile froze on her face. She coquettishly punched him. “I’m not that delicate. If you don’t comfort me, my headache might come back.” The disdain in her eyes was obvious, as high and mighty as ever. During all those years of bullying, she had looked at me the same way. “I was wrong before. I shouldn’t have tried to climb above my station into your Caine family. I understand now, so please let me go.” “I have a child now. I won’t come bother you anymore in the future.” The fear deep in my body made me tremble uncontrollably. I repeated myself over and over, suppressing the anger in my heart. I was no match for them now, and I didn’t want my family to be implicated because of this. “Lily, don’t be like this.” “Lily Quinn, stop pretending. Everyone knows you’re good at playing these games.” Mia spoke up mockingly, insisting that everything I did was just to win back Ethan’s heart. The tenderness on Ethan’s face gradually faded, replaced by disgust. He seemed to recall the lies I had told in high school. It was actually Mia who had no shame, but she turned around and accused me of being too jealous. To appease her, Ethan had thugs drag me into an alley, claiming it was punishment. Then he told my mother I was flirting with men outside. He didn’t believe Mia bullied me, convinced I was just envious of her wealth and couldn’t accept her. No matter how many times I explained, it was all seen as excuses. If I showed any intention of tattling, my mother would suffer the consequences too. Thinking of this, endless hatred consumed me. I didn’t look up. The warm sunlight outside shone on me, but my limbs were still ice cold. I looked at them, my vision going dark as I gradually lost consciousness. I collapsed to the floor. Ethan picked me up and carried me back to the bedroom, his face full of concern. Behind him, Mia’s eyes darkened, brewing malicious intent. The master bedroom was a mess, with traces of a woman’s life everywhere. Ethan realized something was amiss and kept trying to explain to me. This seemed to be the first time he had ever explained so much to me. After all, he used to just harshly blame me for being petty. Even on our wedding day, Mia pretended to be a waitress, feeding Ethan a half-eaten strawberry as she sat on the groom’s lap, marking her territory. The usually germaphobic Ethan smiled and ate it. The guests whispered among themselves, while the Caine family laughed heartily, tacitly approving their intimacy. Only I went crazy, pushing Mia down and cursing her shamelessness. He put me on the bed and went on and on about how much he had missed me these years, reminiscing about our youth. He held my hand, his tone solemn, saying I was his true love. I didn’t understand. I had been gone for five years, and the big fire had caused quite a stir. They had confirmed the body wasn’t mine, But Ethan never said he was looking for me. Instead, he kept lamenting about me online. Now he was making such a big fuss. What was his purpose? “Hasn’t Mia been taking good care of you all these years?” “Lily Quinn, don’t go too far. She’s my sister.” I originally didn’t want to rehash old grievances with him, but he really disgusted me. If Mia hadn’t added me on SnapChat a few days before the wedding, Sending me daily updates about how Ethan was taking care of her, I wouldn’t have known he was actually impatient about the wedding, eager to chase after his true love. “Right, if she’s not your sister, how could you openly sleep together and have an affair?” “Let me go home. They’re waiting for me.” I looked at him with amusement, already feeling the man’s anger about to erupt. “Lily, why do you keep challenging my bottom line?” Ethan’s eyes were gloomy. He didn’t understand. He had done so much, why was Lily still being unreasonable?

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I never expected to fall for my husband, especially since I married him under false pretenses. My half-sister, Natalie, was supposed to be Alexander Merchant’s bride, but she was terrified of him and begged me to take her place. Desperate for money to pay for my mother’s medical bills, I reluctantly agreed. Two years into our marriage, Alexander turned out to be nothing like the rumors suggested. He was loving, attentive, and incredibly clingy. Just before our third anniversary, Natalie demanded I “return” him to her. But as I stood frozen in the doorway, Alexander gently caressed my cheek, his eyes dark with possessiveness. “Lily,” he growled softly, “have I been too lenient with you?” “Lily,” Alexander’s low voice called my name. In bed, his husky tone combined with his devastatingly handsome face made him utterly irresistible. “Alex~” I breathed. “Relax, Lily. Don’t be afraid,” he soothed. Alexander was always so considerate in these intimate moments, completely unlike the ruthless, cold-hearted man described in rumors. I could confidently say there wasn’t a more perfect husband out there. But the painful truth was that Natalie, my half-sister, was Alexander’s first love. I was just a stand-in. “Focus on me,” Alexander growled, displeased by my wandering thoughts. He nipped at my collarbone, making me wince. “Alexander, are you a dog?” I complained. His lips curved into a smile. “Mm, I’m only yours, Lily. If you don’t want me, I might just go wild.” I couldn’t help but laugh, which only encouraged him further. “Gentle,” I pleaded. “But you’re so irresistible, Lily. I can’t help myself,” he murmured, his eyes darkening with desire as he pressed me into the mattress. When I woke the next morning, Alexander was already preparing for work. “Lily, help me with my tie?” he asked. Ever since he learned I could tie a tie, he’d asked me to do it for him almost every day. As I carefully knotted his tie, I failed to notice his increasingly intense gaze. His large hands caressed my shoulders, and I frowned at him. “Don’t distract me.” As soon as I finished, he pulled me close and kissed me deeply until my lips were swollen. “Lily, I want to spend every moment with you,” he murmured. “You scoundrel!” I laughed, shooing him off to work. I didn’t take his words too seriously. Around me, Alexander was always the gentle, loving husband, so different from the rumors. I was about to go back to sleep when my phone rang. “Hello?” “It’s Natalie. I’m sending you an address. Meet me there. We need to talk.” She hung up before I could respond. The truth was, I wasn’t really Alexander’s wife. My sister was.

Apparently, when Alexander had first set his sights on Natalie, she was terrified of him, fearing he’d be abusive and unpredictable like the rumors suggested. So she found me. At the time, I desperately needed money and had gone to the Sinclair family for help. “Didn’t you say you’d never take a penny from the Sinclairs?” Natalie had sneered. “Didn’t you say you’d never come back to this family, even if you were dead?” I ignored her taunts and begged our father on my knees. Natalie was Father’s daughter from before his marriage, a fact she never let anyone forget. My mother had been from a respected family, and after marrying Father, she had helped him climb the social ladder. But when her family fell on hard times, Father divorced her without hesitation. Mother and I had no choice but to move to my grandmother’s place in the countryside, struggling to make ends meet. Mother’s health had always been fragile, and the hard work eventually took its toll. When I went to beg Father for help, he agreed to lend me money on one condition: I had to marry Alexander in Natalie’s place. Young and naive, I agreed. The day I moved into the Merchant house, Natalie mocked me. “Congratulations, your life is about to become a living hell,” she sneered. “I heard Alexander is abusive. I wonder if your delicate frame can handle it.” I thought I was walking into a nightmare, but after the wedding, Alexander showered me with love and affection. He sent a constant stream of jewelry and designer goods to the house, insisted on bodyguards accompanying me everywhere, and never let me lift a finger. Every time I felt Alexander’s love, I couldn’t help but think how much he must have loved Natalie. How else could he have transformed from the rumored violent man into this incredibly gentle person? When I wanted to go out, I had to lose the bodyguards. Reluctantly, I called Alexander. “Missing me already? I just got to the office,” he teased. “Be a good girl and wait for me to come home tonight.” Steeling myself, I said, “I want to go shopping with my friends. I feel embarrassed asking them out when you always have bodyguards following me.” There was a moment of silence before he replied, “Alright. Keep your phone on. Will you have dinner with me tonight?” Hearing his plaintive tone, I quickly agreed. “Of course, I’ll definitely be there for dinner with you.” “Okay, have fun, sweetheart.” After hanging up, Alexander sighed and gazed out the window at the flying birds. No matter how beautiful the cage, it couldn’t keep her forever.

When I met Natalie, she was dressed in an expensive designer outfit, exuding an air of superiority. “What did you want to see me about?” I asked coldly. I couldn’t forget how she and her mother had driven my mother and me out of our home. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have suffered so much. My mother wouldn’t have worked herself sick trying to pay for my college tuition. Natalie stirred her coffee, smirking. “Mrs. Merchant, have you gotten so comfortable in your role as a wealthy man’s wife that you think you can keep what isn’t yours?” I knew Alexander loved her, which always made me feel insecure and guilty in our relationship. “You didn’t want him,” I reminded her. “Well, now I do,” Natalie declared, shocking me into silence. Seeing my surprise, she continued, “It’s time we all returned to our rightful places.” Return Alexander to her? No, give him back to her. My heart sank, and I couldn’t hide my reluctance. Natalie noticed and warned, “Your mother’s medical bills are still being paid by the Sinclair family. Are you sure you don’t want to give Alexander back to me?” Frustrated, I snapped, “He’s not an object you can just claim whenever you feel like it!” Natalie laughed coldly. “Lily, don’t overestimate yourself. You have no right to negotiate here. Alexander has always loved me. You’re just a substitute. Don’t think you actually belong in his world.” Her words silenced me completely. I’d heard that when Alexander came to propose, the value of his engagement gifts alone was worth two years of the Sinclair family’s profits. They didn’t dare refuse the marriage, fearing Alexander’s retaliation. Everyone in the city knew Alexander was ruthless and vengeful. Rumor had it that when he was driven out by his father’s mistress and illegitimate son, he went to the countryside with his mother to recover. Years later, when he returned, he single-handedly brought down the entire company. Now, that illegitimate son couldn’t even find a job, let alone start a business. Alexander wouldn’t give him any chance to succeed. He even took down our father, personally reporting him for bribery and sending him to prison. This ruthless man was only gentle with me. But I knew it wasn’t because he favored me, but because of Natalie, his first love. “Lily, everything that’s mine, you can’t take away,” Natalie hissed. “Not Dad, not Alexander.” I felt suffocated, unable to breathe. I didn’t dare to take the risk. I was afraid of Alexander’s retaliation if he found out the truth, and I couldn’t gamble with my mother’s safety. I also didn’t dare to bet on Alexander’s love for me, which felt so intangible. If there was one thing I’d learned from my father, it was that love was the most fleeting thing in this world. “Give me a month,” I finally said. Alexander’s birthday was at the end of the month. “Two weeks,” Natalie countered. For the first time, I stood up to her. “If you’re willing to wait, I’ll give him back. If not, forget it.” As I walked away, I heard Natalie’s voice. “Fine.” After I left, Natalie cursed under her breath. “That little bitch, she dares to threaten me now!” Natalie hadn’t really wanted Alexander back at first. But seeing how good he was to me made her insanely jealous. After all, it should have been her life. As I walked out onto the street, I felt homeless. Did I really have to give Alexander back to Natalie? Without thinking, I found myself at the foot of Alexander’s company building. Suddenly, I desperately wanted to see him.

Alexander was in a meeting, so his assistant asked me to wait in his office and brought me coffee. Lowering his voice, the assistant said, “Mrs. Merchant, it’s lunchtime, but the CEO is still in the meeting. He’s not satisfied with any of the proposals. Could you possibly…” I understood what he meant and immediately stood up to go to the meeting room. This wasn’t the first time I’d been asked to do this. I knocked on the door of the meeting room. As soon as I opened it, Alexander’s piercing gaze met mine. Even through his glasses, the intensity was breathtaking. But his expression quickly softened as he stood and walked towards me. “What brings you here?” he asked gently. “I wanted to have lunch with you,” I replied. Behind him, I could see the relieved expressions of his employees. With the CEO’s wife here, they could finally catch a break. Alexander ordered food and gestured for me to look out the window. “I heard you can see the most beautiful fireworks in the city from here on New Year’s Eve. Let’s come here then,” he suggested. New Year’s was indeed approaching, but by then, I would probably be gone. “Mm… okay,” I mumbled. He immediately noticed my mood shift and frowned. “What’s wrong? Didn’t enjoy your shopping trip? Or don’t want to see the fireworks? Would you prefer to stay home?” I looked into his concerned eyes, thinking about how I had deceived him. “It’s nothing. I just realized how happy I am with you,” I said softly. My childhood hadn’t been happy. After it was discovered that my father had a child before marriage, my parents argued constantly. I never felt secure. Later, when Natalie was brought to live with us, I was too timid to stand up for myself and was often bullied. My father usually turned a blind eye, only addressing the issue when my mother made a fuss. Alexander, on the other hand, loved me unconditionally. He bought me whatever I wanted, came home on time and avoided unnecessary social engagements, and never had any scandals. He was the perfect gentleman. Sometimes he would get angry if he saw other men talking to me, but I knew it was because he cared too much. No, he cared too much about Natalie. Hearing my words, Alexander’s expression softened. “Me too.” “Lily, you’re a gift from heaven.” There was something in his eyes that I couldn’t quite understand… was it nostalgia?

I looked at Alexander, knowing he had no idea I wasn’t Natalie. In the early days of our marriage, he used to call me “Nat.” But it always felt wrong, so I told him my nickname was “Lil.” He was overjoyed then, repeating it many times. He said that by telling him my nickname, it meant I was starting to accept him and become closer to him. “Alex, do you really love me?” I asked suddenly. Alexander didn’t understand my question and teased, “What’s gotten into you today?” “Tonight, I’ll prove that I only love you. I’ll save all my energy for you,” he winked. I blushed at his words, and Alexander’s gaze remained tender. That night, I was unusually proactive. Perhaps it was the fear of our impending separation. After all, we would soon be strangers. Alexander held me close, my legs wrapped around his waist, my arms tight around his neck. In the heat of the moment, my neck arched beautifully, and he placed a kiss there, sending shivers through my body. He wasn’t faring much better, his breathing ragged and uneven. “Lily, you’re so good tonight,” he groaned. Encouraged by his praise, I tried to match his passion, but he always maintained the upper hand. Eventually, exhausted, I drifted off to sleep. Just before I lost consciousness, I thought I heard him whisper: “Lily, I will love you forever.” “When will you finally recognize me?” “You silly girl.”

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When my husband Lucas Graham was kidnapped by a gang, they demanded that I come to exchange places with him. For the sake of our son and the company, I didn’t hesitate to take Lucas’s place, enduring cruel torture in the den of criminals. “I’ll take good care of our son, and don’t worry about the ransom. I’ll find a way to raise the money,” I told him before I left. But a whole year passed, and Lucas seemed to have vanished into thin air, never showing up to rescue me. When I finally managed to escape, I discovered that he was in the middle of a wedding ceremony with his childhood friend, Chloe. Our parents and in-laws were there, offering their warm congratulations. Among the crowd, I spotted Jack “The Blade” Thompson, the gang leader who had tortured me for a year, raising a glass and drinking merrily. And my precious son, Leo, had been turned into a servant, his expression blank as he served tea and water to the guests, constantly kneeling and begging for forgiveness at the slightest provocation. Swallowing my bitterness, I turned and called the person who had saved me: “If you can help me rescue my son, I promise to help you bring down Graham Enterprises!”

As I pushed open the door, the cheerful music inside came to an abrupt halt. All eyes turned to me. The moment Lucas saw me, his hand, holding the ring, froze in mid-air. But he quickly composed himself. “Whatever it is, we can discuss it tomorrow. It’s a joyous occasion today. Have you looked in a mirror? You’re a mess. Don’t spoil the guests’ mood!” I could hardly believe my ears. Shouldn’t he be explaining the situation to me? Why was he standing there in a tuxedo, happily exchanging rings with Chloe? And why was Jack Thompson, the gang leader who had kidnapped and abused me, attending their wedding? My mother’s shrill voice snapped me back to reality: “Where have you been, you ungrateful girl? Lucas was so good to you, and you ran off with that gang leader for a whole year! If you have no shame, at least think of the Evans family’s reputation!” Affair? How ridiculous. So this was how Lucas covered up his betrayal. At that moment, Jack Thompson put his arm around me, squeezing my shoulder painfully as he smiled coldly: “Still hiding our relationship from everyone? You really are disobedient.” His voice seemed to come straight from hell, full of naked threat and warning. I shrank back, my gaze becoming unfocused. Seeing this, the guests began to whisper among themselves: “No wonder Mr. Graham is marrying Miss Reed. It turns out this shameless woman had an affair first. The Evans family must be so disgraced.” “Having an affair for a year without coming home once? I’ve never seen someone so brazen. The Evans family is poor and incompetent, but who would have thought their daughter would be even worse!” “Hmph, her mother has been running around preparing for Mr. Graham and Miss Reed’s wedding, trying so hard to please them. And her son is working as a servant at the wedding. Like mother, like son, I suppose.” … Hearing the commotion, Lucas finally walked over to me, whispering impatiently: “Couldn’t you have come back tomorrow? I’m just giving Chloe a wedding ceremony. I’ve been planning this for a year, and we’re so close to finishing. Are you deliberately trying to embarrass us?” Just a wedding ceremony… But what about me? For a year, I had been beaten and tortured, my body covered in old and new wounds. When I was hungry, I had to crawl on the ground like a dog to lick up rotten food. So all my suffering and torture, even bearing the shame of being called an adulterer, was just to pave the way for their grand wedding. I closed my eyes in despair and moved to pull Leo away. “Come with Mommy, let’s leave this place.” But my son recoiled as if electrocuted, suddenly falling to his knees and kowtowing to me in panic, muttering: “No, no, no! Leo can’t leave. I have to stay and serve Mr. Graham and Miss Reed well. I want to be their most obedient little dog!”

Seeing my son so fearful and self-abasing, I was shocked. He was only seven years old… As he kept kowtowing, I noticed the bruises and scars hidden under his clothes, and the marks of a dog collar on his neck. I quickly went to help Leo up, but he started slapping himself, seemingly feeling no pain. “Leo did wrong, Leo deserves to be punished. I’ll go to the cold storage room for three hours right away!” I slowly turned my gaze to Lucas, hoping for an explanation. Before he could speak, Chloe rushed to embrace Leo, putting on a motherly act. “You’ve misunderstood, Scarlett. Leo and I often play house like this. Sometimes I’m the servant, sometimes he is. It’s just his turn today.” Trembling, I pointed at the marks on my child’s neck and demanded: “Are these injuries also part of your game? Is this how you treat my son?!” Seeing Chloe’s expression darken, Lucas pushed me away, his eyes full of reproach: “What are you making such a fuss about! Do you have to act like a shrew? Do you think Chloe is as scheming as you?” “Those marks are from when Chloe was drawing with Leo. They just won’t wash off. You haven’t been fulfilling your duties as a mother, and Chloe has been kind enough to take care of your son. Is this how you repay her kindness?!” Seeing Leo’s obvious fear of Chloe, my heart ached to the point of suffocation. I looked up at Lucas with tears in my eyes: “Can’t you see how scared our son is? How can you still think this is just a game!” Lucas fixed his gaze on our son, observing him for a while. A flicker of doubt passed through his dark eyes. At this moment, Chloe burst into tears: “I thought if I treated Leo well, I could easily become part of this family. I never imagined that as an outsider, I’d never truly be accepted into the Graham family. I’m destined to be gossiped about. We shouldn’t get married after all. I’m just a complete joke…” With that, she took off her veil, stuffed it into Lucas’s arms, and ran towards the bedroom, covering her face. Seeing the bride run away, the scene descended into chaos. But the guests’ words were all accusations against me, calling me a “troublemaker” and a “jinx.” Watching Chloe leave, Lucas’s brow furrowed with displeasure: “Is this the example you set for our son? It’s just a formal wedding ceremony. Do you have to turn everything upside down before you’re satisfied?!” “And the son you raised yourself, acting like he’s been abused by Chloe in front of all these people. Such good acting skills at such a young age, he could be a movie star when he grows up! He’ll have to thank his mother for that!” With these words, Lucas hurried after Chloe to comfort her. Seeing him berate me in public, my parents only beat me, cursing me for my “affair” and for not being able to keep my man. I didn’t argue anymore. I just held Leo tightly in my scarred arms, tears streaming down my face: “Don’t be afraid, Leo… Mommy will take you away soon. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” I immediately messaged my lawyer to draft divorce papers and called the person who had rescued me. “Help me this one last time, and I’ll help you bring down Graham Enterprises…”

Back in Leo’s room, I quietly packed all our documents and some essential items. Just as I lay down to sleep with my child in my arms, I heard footsteps stop by the bed. “Still angry with me, hm?” Lucas’s lazy voice poured into my ears as he pulled me into his arms, coaxing in a low voice: “Scarlett, I only planned that fake kidnapping because I was afraid you’d be petty and cause trouble for Chloe. Besides, Jack Thompson is my friend. He wouldn’t dare harm you even if I gave him permission.” The man looked utterly confident, as if boasting about how well he had protected me. But if he had bothered to look at me closely, he would have seen that there wasn’t a single uninjured spot on my body. I turned away, unable to bear it, deliberately keeping my distance as I asked calmly: “So from now on, I’m supposed to stay with the gang as the mistress, while Chloe becomes our son’s stepmother, is that right?” Noticing my attitude, the man clearly lost his last bit of patience, though he didn’t show it too obviously: “Don’t put it so crudely. If Leo calls Chloe stepmom, people will gossip even more. I’m just having a wedding ceremony with her so people won’t spread rumors about her seducing me.” He thought my words were crude only because I called Chloe a stepmother, not because I referred to myself as a mistress… Tired of his ridiculous excuses, I couldn’t be bothered to respond. Lucas looked around the room, confusion crossing his face: “Why are you packing? Where are you going?” As I was thinking of how to brush off his question, Chloe suddenly called. Her pitiful crying voice came through the phone: “Lucas, as soon as Scarlett came back, she posted about me online. She said I stole her husband, that I’m shameless, that I’m ruining the Graham family’s peace. She’s trying to force me out of the family…” “Please, help me beg for forgiveness. I know I was wrong. I’ll never mention having a wedding again. If I offended Scarlett today, I’ll go out and apologize to her right now, even if I have to do it naked. Please don’t kick me out…” Lucas clicked on the link Chloe sent, his eyebrows knotting together. The post was made using my profile picture, and every word was a threat against Chloe. I was about to explain when a sudden slap exploded across my cheek. “Chloe grew up in an orphanage, with no parents. How dare you tell her to get out! Where is a young girl supposed to go? You think too highly of yourself!” With these words, Lucas walked out, struggling to control his anger as he comforted Chloe in the gentlest voice. The stark contrast left me stunned. I wondered if he had ever thought about how I would survive when he threw me to Jack Thompson. Had he ever worried about the dangers I might face? I laughed bitterly, tasting the iron flavor spreading in my mouth, my heart already numb. I sat there all night, patting my restless son with one hand. The next morning, Lucas knocked on the door a few times and spoke in a commanding tone: “Chloe has specially prepared a yacht party for you, first to apologize, and second to welcome you back. Hurry up and bring Leo downstairs.” The time has come… It’s finally about to end.

Seeing me carrying a large bag, Lucas suddenly became uneasy, asking cautiously: “I wanted to ask yesterday, why are you packing? Where are you going?” I made up a lie to brush him off: “I feel bad for Leo, so I’m bringing him some treats and toys.” The man immediately relaxed. When we arrived at the yacht, I realized this was just another form of wedding celebration. Chloe was showing off in a short wedding dress. But now, I had no energy to deal with this. I was constantly looking for a chance to leave. In the blink of an eye, Leo, who had been following me, suddenly disappeared. At that moment, a child’s scream came from one of the yacht’s cabins. My heart skipped a beat, and I rushed towards the sound. Jack Thompson was gripping Leo’s collar tightly, ordering someone to lock the door from the outside. “If you have a problem with me, come at me. Please, let my son go,” I pleaded. Jack habitually rubbed the scar on his forehead, a sign that he was angry and calculating how to deal with me. “I fed and housed you, and you dared to run away from my territory? Quick, tell me, did you snitch to Lucas Graham or not?!” “If not, I’ll chop up this little brat!” I hurriedly waved my hands. “No, no, I didn’t say anything. Think about it, if I had told him, would he still invite you to this party?” The man smiled at me, satisfied, then gave a look to his men. Understanding his signal, they started beating and kicking me violently, as usual, to vent their anger. Blood slowly trickled down from my head, blurring my vision, but I was already used to it. I forced a smile as I looked at Leo, my voice trembling as I tried to comfort him: “Mommy doesn’t… doesn’t hurt… Don’t be scared…” I crawled towards him with difficulty, leaving a trail of blood behind me, a horrifying sight. Seeing that I could still move, one of the thugs put his foot on my back, saying with cruel amusement: “Look at her, covered in blood. If Lucas Graham sees her like this, we’ll be in trouble. Let’s throw them into the sea to wash off, they stink!” The next second, Jack smashed the glass on one side of the cabin, revealing the churning sea below. “You want to save your son? Go find him yourself!” He grabbed Leo and threw him out the window. My son didn’t even have time to cry for help. “Leo!” Without hesitation, I dragged my battered body and jumped into the waves. Underwater, I hugged my son’s small body. “Baby, Mommy’s taking you away now. We’ll never come back…” At that moment, Lucas and Chloe were surrounded by guests in the center of the yacht, receiving congratulations from all sides. Chloe leaned shyly against Lucas’s chest, taking the ring out of its box. “We didn’t get to put on the rings yesterday. Today, at least make it up to me?” As she said this, she held out her hand amidst the cheers of the guests, quietly waiting for Lucas’s response. Lucas took the ring and was about to put it on her finger when he suddenly looked up, instinctively searching for Scarlett in the crowd. “Where’s Scarlett? And where’s Leo?” Chloe tried to stop him, but Lucas had already pushed through the crowd in panic, looking around frantically. As Lucas passed by a cabin, he overheard one of Jack’s men reporting nervously: “Boss, we’re in trouble. Scarlett Evans and her son haven’t moved for a while. I think… I think we might have drowned them!”

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My husband, Kevin, disappeared for three years. After a long and painful search, I finally found him, but he had lost all memories and feelings, completely forgetting me. The only person he remembered was his lover, Cora Quinn, and he refused to come home with me because of her. Just when I was on the brink of despair, Jasper remembered me and returned to my side, showering me with affection. I believed we would spend our lives happily ever after. However, as I was nearing childbirth, I overheard Jasper speaking with his private doctor: “Make sure the baby isn’t born healthy. If it is born alive, ensure it doesn’t survive.” The doctor seemed hesitant, “Boss, you’re about to take over your wife’s company. Why let an innocent child die?” Jasper replied coldly, “Don’t call her Mrs. Adeline Bennett. I’m only playing along. The only one who deserves to have my child is Cora Quinn.” “But if you didn’t want this child, why let Mrs. Bennett get pregnant? She’s already thirty, and losing this child might prevent her from having more.” Jasper’s tone was icy: “If it weren’t for taking over Nebula Tech, I wouldn’t have let her get pregnant.” The doctor tried to object, “But Mrs. Bennett is suffering from prenatal depression—” “Do as I say, you’re overstepping!” I heard a dull sound outside, like someone was kneeling. “Do your job, my business isn’t for you to comment on!” The voice that I once loved turned into a sinister whisper, gripping my heart with suffocating pain. It turned out Jasper wanted me to have a child just to take over my company. He never truly came back to me; his heart still belonged to his lover, Cora Quinn. All the affection I thought we shared over the past year was just a facade. I bit my lips hard, drawing blood, and the bitter taste couldn’t distract from the sharp pain in my abdomen. The doctor came in with a syringe, the blue-silver light glinting ominously. He told me it was time for the anesthetic, that Jasper couldn’t bear for me to give birth naturally, and that a C-section would be quick. How absurd, as if when I open my eyes again, I wouldn’t just hear the news of my child’s death! My stomach cramped in pain, and I knew my child was far from seeing the world. “How much is Jasper paying you? I’ll give you five times, ten times, even a hundred times more, doctor. Just let me give birth to this child, let the child live, I beg you.” Tears slid down my face as I confessed to overhearing everything, trying to bribe the doctor to save my child. But he firmly refused, injecting the anesthetic into my body, leaving me in despair: “Don’t blame me, ma’am. Mr. Hunter controls my parents’ lives.” I lost consciousness. The doctor looked remorseful: “Blame it on Mr. Hunter not remembering you. He doesn’t love you now.” When I woke up, the life inside me was gone, as if it had never existed. Jasper was by my side when I woke, hesitantly telling me the baby was stillborn, blaming my advanced age and poor health in the last stage of pregnancy. But I remembered being in the delivery room just hours ago, telling Jasper how I felt the baby kick. I was too exhausted to confront him about his lies. He held my hand, kissed it tenderly, his usual way of comforting me, which I used to respond to by touching his face. But even when he rubbed his face against my hand, I didn’t move. I felt nauseated, too weak to pull away. Jasper suddenly became aggressive: “You’re angry because the doctor couldn’t save our child. I’ll go teach him a lesson!” He left, soon returning with the doctor, who was beaten while Jasper’s men held him down. The doctor endured it, not daring to curse Jasper, repeatedly saying, “Mr. Hunter, you are right.” Because his family’s fate was in Jasper’s hands. In some ways, Jasper was like a villain from a novel, indifferent to morals. Once, when I was kidnapped, he kidnapped the kidnappers’ parents, holding a knife to their throats to free me. I told him I didn’t like such tactics, and he promised only to do such things for the one he loved. I never imagined he’d use the same tactics to harm my child for a lover. Cora Quinn became the one Jasper loved, while I became a stranger he schemed against. It was absurd, and I laughed. Jasper thought I was finally happy, coming closer to hold my hand, but I pushed him away. Since your love is no longer with me, take the company, and I’ll leave. For a long time after giving birth, I was weak, both physically and mentally. Jasper gently comforted me: “It’s okay, honey. We have plenty of time together, and we’ll have more children.” I found his words laughable and told him, “But I’m thirty now. My health during the years you were gone wasn’t great. I can’t have more children.” Jasper, the direct reason for my current state, showed no remorse as he hugged me, saying, “Then let’s not have kids. You’re the best baby to me in the whole world. I’ll love you with all my heart, like I would our child.” As he spoke, I felt a strong urge to vomit. Jasper panicked, asking what was wrong, then rushed downstairs to call a private doctor. I was fine, just disgusted by how Jasper showed such deep affection for someone he didn’t love. In his haste, he left his phone behind, and seconds later, a call from Cora Quinn, whom Jasper had supposedly cut off a year ago, came in. The call ended after a few rings. I didn’t know how I felt, but I picked up his phone and tried to unlock it. After a few tries, I succeeded with my birthday. The chat history between Jasper and Cora pierced my eyes. Besides their flirting, I saw the truth of his supposed return to me. A year ago, Jasper disappeared with amnesia, refusing to come home. But when I showed him the Nebula Tech business card, reminding him to contact me anytime, he kneeled, saying, “Adeline, I’ve remembered you. These past three years have been hard on you. I’ll spend my life making it up to you.” I was moved by the emotion in his eyes, unaware that he was explaining to Cora. Jasper: “Cora, don’t be upset because I kneeled to Adeline today. I haven’t remembered her. It’s just a plan to get her company. Once I become the chairman of a billion-dollar company, I can give you a happy life.” Cora: “I know, dear. You couldn’t love anyone but me.” He didn’t remember me; he coveted my company to give Cora a better life. Just like when he started a business from nothing to ensure I lived worry-free. But in a few short years, he fell for someone else, forgetting me completely, using me to climb higher for someone else. Heart-wrenching, I continued reading, uncovering more brutal truths. Cora: “Poor you, having to please that old hag for our future. Isn’t it hard being intimate with someone you don’t remember?” Jasper: “Not hard, Cora. When I’m with her, I think of you, and it becomes easier.” I couldn’t take it anymore and rushed to the bathroom to retch. I saw Cora’s last message. Cora: “Honey, when are you taking me for our baby’s seven-month check-up?” I finally understood. Why Jasper always had so many engagements and work during my pregnancy, leaving me alone for all the check-ups. That time, I even developed prenatal depression. Jasper found me the best doctor but never cared for me or our child. It wasn’t about being busy managing the company. He was with Cora during her pregnancy, attending her check-ups, caring for her. He casually decided to get rid of my child but cherished Cora’s unborn one like a treasure. My heart ached so much I couldn’t even feel anger anymore. Even dry heaving produced no bile. Minutes later, the private doctor came with a kit, checking my health and prescribing medicine. Jasper watched worriedly, holding my hand, promising to take care of me at home. “Someone called you earlier, who was it?” Despite everything, I gave Jasper one last chance, hoping to see guilt or remorse. But he just checked his phone, lying calmly: “A client, probably to discuss the project.” He squatted, looking up at me like he was praying to a deity, yet his honest but emotionless face made me lose all hope. Kevin stood by, looking deeply concerned. When the doctor mentioned my weakness and the need for proper care, he took my hand and earnestly promised to take good care of me at home during this period. “Someone just called you. Who was it?” Pregnancy has indeed made me scatterbrained, but I decided to test Kevin one last time, hoping to catch a flicker of guilt or unease on his face. Yet, he merely glanced at his phone and, without a change in expression, lied: “A client. It must be about some project matter.” He looked up at me from where he was crouched, presenting an almost reverent posture, but the unwavering honesty on his face made me lose all hope. “Go ahead and return the work call. The doctor is here, so it’s fine.” Kevin said, “Work can’t be more important than my wife,” but he left the room to make the call anyway. I couldn’t hear the conversation between Kevin and Cora Quinn, but his cheerful and happy tone was unmistakable. My heart felt as calm and still as a dead sea, without a single ripple of emotion. When Kevin returned, he told me that the company was getting busier and he couldn’t find time to stay with me. “But don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ve booked a spot for you at the best postpartum care center and hired the most qualified maternity nurse. They’ll take excellent care of you during this time.” Cora Quinn was seven months pregnant, and he wanted to be there for her, to wholeheartedly welcome the child he truly desired. So, without a second thought for my feelings, he placed me in the care center. By now, I didn’t even have the energy to be angry with him. “Alright.” I looked at Kevin’s face, the one I used to love and long for over countless days and nights, and I smiled calmly. You drove my child away, and now you’re sending me away too. As you wish.

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For the 999th time, my attempt to seduce the esports tycoon ended in failure. We’ve been married for five years, yet he’s never touched me. I even need his permission for a simple kiss. I always thought he was asexual, uncomfortable with any physical contact. That is, until I received a private video of him in bed with someone else. In the video, the man’s body moved rhythmically, while the woman beneath him wore a cosplay outfit of his favorite game character. His usual cold demeanor was gone, replaced by a look of desire. “Baby… you’re so beautiful…” he murmured. That’s when I realized he wasn’t asexual. He just didn’t love me. After he rejected my advances once again, I said nothing. I simply left the divorce papers and walked away. Later, Lucas Graham stood outside my apartment building. As he watched me walk hand-in-hand with another man, his eyes slowly filled with tears. The screen of my phone was still lit, and I hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of what I’d just seen. In the video, the man’s lean waist moved rhythmically. The dim light cast shadows on his face, adding a touch of lust to his features. The woman beneath him wore elaborate, seductive makeup. Her cosplay outfit was torn to shreds, hanging off her chest, hinting at their previous passion. I had never seen Lucas Graham like this before. His eyes, fixed on the woman, were blood-red and filled with a hint of madness. Who would have thought that the cold, seemingly asexual esports god would be so wild behind closed doors? I shifted my gaze to the scented candle burning on the bedside table and let out a bitter laugh. I had gone to great lengths to win Lucas over, even spending a fortune on aphrodisiac essential oils. I’d even added ylang-ylang to my shower gel for its reputed arousing effects. I felt a lump in my throat and had to swallow hard to keep from crying. When I first met Lucas after college graduation, his cold face and unapproachable demeanor made him seem like an unreachable flower on a high cliff. But the colder he was, the more it sparked my desire to conquer him. The more he pushed me away, the more determined I became to make him my boyfriend. I even made a bet with him: “In three years, I’ll definitely make you fall in love with me.” I pursued him relentlessly, using every trick in the book. My closet was bursting with sexy lingerie, but Lucas remained unmoved. Then, a year later, he suddenly proposed to me. I thought my efforts had finally paid off. I was so touched I couldn’t even speak. But only now do I understand. Marrying me was just a way to suppress the scandal of him sleeping with his fans. I was nothing more than his shield. Lucas came home late that night. Although he maintained his usual cold facade, I caught sight of the hidden red marks on his neck. From the moment he entered until he reached the bedroom, he didn’t even spare me a glance. Just as the door was about to close, I called out to him. “Lucas, do you remember the bet I made when we first met?” Lucas’s brows furrowed instantly, his impatience evident. “I’m very tired today. I don’t have time for your nonsense.” “If you’re bored, go find a job. Stop being so paranoid.” I fought back the lump in my throat. “When we first met, I bet you that if I couldn’t make you fall for me in three years, I would…” But before I could finish, Lucas’s phone rang, interrupting me. He glanced at the caller ID and immediately answered. Whatever was said on the other end made his face, for the first time, show a panicked expression. “Wasn’t she fine this afternoon? How did she suddenly relapse?” “I’ll find a match as soon as possible!” Lucas threw on his jacket and rushed out. As he passed the couch, he suddenly stopped. “I remember you’re O negative too. Come with me for a matching test.” Lucas didn’t give me time to react, yanking me off the couch. The temperature difference between day and night in spring was significant. I was only wearing a thin nightgown when Lucas pulled me out of the house. By the time we reached the hospital, my hands and feet were purple from the cold, and I couldn’t stop shivering. Lucas, on the other hand, was anxiously talking to the doctor, not sparing me a single glance. It was a passing nurse who couldn’t bear to see my state and gave me a blanket. “She has the same blood type as Evelyn. As long as she’s a match, we can take as many stem cells as we need.” Several nurses immediately surrounded me, inserting a needle into my skin. The anesthetic quickly took effect. In my hazy state, I saw Lucas’s cold face. “As long as it can cure Evelyn, I don’t care if all her stem cells are drained.” When I woke up again, there was a piercing pain in my lower back, and the IV in my hand had backflowed. Across from me, Lucas was tenderly moistening the lips of the woman lying in bed with a damp cloth, occasionally looking up to check the IV drip. The gentle tone he used to comfort her was something I had never heard in our three years together. It was then that I realized, a heart that doesn’t love me can never be warmed, no matter what I do. I pulled out the IV needle from my hand, hissing in pain. Seeing me awake, the smile instantly vanished from Lucas’s face. “Don’t think acting weak will make me feel sorry for you.” “It’s just stem cell donation, not like it’s going to kill you.”

The color drained from my face, and when I opened my mouth, my dry, cracked lips split painfully. Evelyn quickly wrapped her arm around Lucas’s. “Lucas, don’t blame Aria,” she said softly. “Even though the doctor said it was a minor procedure, you took 500ml of stem cells from her at once. How could she recover so quickly?” She leaned on Lucas’s shoulder, appearing weak and fragile. But the look in her eyes as she gazed at me couldn’t hide her hostility. I lifted my hospital gown, only then noticing the numerous needle marks covering my body. Normally, donors give a maximum of 200ml, but Lucas had taken 500ml from me in one go. No wonder I felt so weak when I woke up. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. It seemed I had been fooling myself all along. I was nothing more than a choice he made after weighing the pros and cons. Lucas picked up a fruit knife and started peeling an apple for Evelyn, speaking casually. “To prevent Evelyn from relapsing in the future, we had to take a bit extra.” “Besides, stem cells regenerate in a few days. Don’t be so stingy.” Seeing his nonchalant attitude, I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. Excessive stem cell extraction could lead to blood clotting disorders, and in severe cases, even blood cancer. Yet my life and death meant nothing more to him than a casual remark about being prepared. Fearing I might vomit if I looked at him and Evelyn any longer, I decided to go home that very day. Lying in bed, I stared at our wedding photo on the wall and let out a sarcastic laugh. If I was going to leave, I might as well make a clean break. I booked a flight for three days later, but after waiting half a day, I still hadn’t received the confirmation code. Just as I was wondering what was wrong, Lucas called. His voice was uncharacteristically tense. “Aria, why are you booking a flight?” I used to book Lucas’s business flights, so the phone number was automatically filled in with his. “I’ve been feeling down lately. I’m going to visit a friend for a few days.” “Well, be careful-” But before Lucas could finish, a woman’s fragile voice came through the receiver. “Lucas, my head hurts so much…” Lucas hung up without a moment’s hesitation. In his heart, I had always been last on the list. The next day, when I returned home, I found the master bedroom door wide open, with Evelyn lying on the bed in her loungewear. Seeing me return, she lazily raised her eyes, adopting the air of the lady of the house. “Welcome back, sis.” Lucas emerged from the kitchen upon hearing the commotion and explained in a deep voice, “Evelyn is still recovering. It’s more convenient for me to take care of her here.” “You don’t mind me making this decision, do you?” I shook my head and smiled. “Not at all.” A flash of surprise crossed Lucas’s face. He lowered his gaze, carefully examining my expression. Seeing no signs of displeasure in my words or manner, he finally relaxed. In the past, I had been possessive of him. Even if he exchanged a few more words with a female server, I would sarcastically comment on it, let alone allow a woman to move in and live with him. I gathered my belongings from the master bedroom. Apart from my daily clothes, I threw away all the lingerie and scented candles I had bought to seduce Lucas into the garbage bin downstairs. Even the crystal pendant he had bought me when we first got together went into the trash. Lucas strode over, his brow furrowed in anger. “Why are you throwing that away?” I continued packing my suitcase, “Shouldn’t broken things be thrown away?” Broken things should be discarded, just like spoiled feelings. Lucas nodded slowly, seeming to agree. “If it’s broken, throw it away. I’ll buy you a new one later.” With that, he dove back into the kitchen to make soup for Evelyn.

I had just finished packing my suitcase when I noticed a figure standing in the doorway. “I advise you not to embarrass yourself. If you’re smart, you’ll divorce Lucas.” “Stolen love will never last.” “You probably don’t know this, but I’ve known Lucas for longer than you have.” She slowly approached me, her contemptuous gaze making me extremely uncomfortable. “You don’t think I secretly filmed that video I sent you, do you?” “There’s a folder named ‘ERO’ on Lucas’s computer E drive. It’s full of videos he recorded himself. He says they’re all proof of his love for me.” I looked at Evelyn’s superior expression and let out a scornful laugh. “If he loves you so much, why didn’t he marry you?” “As long as I’m here, you’re nothing but a mistress who can’t see the light of day.” Evelyn seemed to be angered by the word ‘mistress’. She grabbed my hair violently. “Are you proud of being Lucas’s shield?” “So what if you’re Lucas’s wife? Has he touched you in the two years you’ve been married?” “You think you’re worthy of competing with me for Lucas?” She slammed my head against the bedside table. My eyes were covered in blood, and I was in too much pain to fight back. Just when I thought she was going to continue assaulting me, she grabbed my hand and suddenly slapped herself with it. “What are you doing?!” Lucas’s angry shout came from the doorway. He pushed me away and, upon seeing the handprint on Evelyn’s face, he turned to glare at me fiercely. “Is this how you show you can’t accept Evelyn?” “At first, I really thought you had changed and become sensible. I didn’t expect you to pull these tricks behind my back.” “How many times do I have to explain to you that Evelyn and I are just friends? Can you stop being so paranoid?” My face was covered in tears and blood. Faced with his fury, every muscle in my body tensed up. Evelyn fell weakly into Lucas’s arms. “Lucas, don’t blame Aria. This is all my fault.” “I shouldn’t have come here to bother her… I’ll leave right now if it means you two can make up!” Evelyn shot me a triumphant smile from Lucas’s arms. When I met Lucas’s angry eyes, my heart sank to the bottom. “I didn’t hit her…” “Enough!” Lucas slapped me to the ground. “You vicious woman, how dare you lie!” “I’ve been too lenient with you!” He dragged me up from the floor, ignoring my bleeding forehead, and locked me in the stairwell. “Stay in there and reflect on what you’ve done wrong. I’ll let you out when you’ve figured it out!” The stairwell was dark and cramped, without a hint of light. I have claustrophobia and am terrified of being alone in enclosed, dark spaces. But even though I shouted until my throat was raw and scratched the door until my fingers bled, Lucas showed no signs of softening. After what seemed like an eternity, the housekeeper finally opened the door from the outside. She threw a bag at my head. “Mr. Graham has taken Miss Rose to a gala. The temperature’s dropping tonight, and he’s worried Miss Rose might catch cold. He wants you to bring this coat to her.” I opened the bag. The coat was a limited edition from last month’s Paris Fashion Week. Just one of its cufflinks was worth over a million dollars. “Alright.” I took the bag and went back to my room to get my packed suitcase and documents. Then I went to the study to find the file Evelyn had mentioned, copying all its contents. As I passed the housekeeper on my way downstairs, I said quietly, “When Lucas returns, tell him I’ve left him a big surprise in the study.” Then, without looking back, I took a taxi straight to the airport. Only when I was seated on the plane did I dare to let out the frustration I had been holding in my heart. Three years. It was time to end this dysfunctional love. At the gala, Lucas waited for over an hour but didn’t see me. He called me countless times, but every call went straight to voicemail. He drove home and frantically questioned the housekeeper. “Where did my wife go?” “Did she act strange before she left?” Scared by Lucas’s behavior, the housekeeper answered truthfully. “Mrs. Graham went to your study before she left.” “She also said… she left you a gift.”

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At the annual party, just as my husband was about to announce our relationship, his intern deliberately put up the wrong photos. Instead of our wedding pictures, the screen flashed sweet, intimate shots of him and the intern. I stayed quiet for a moment, then casually stepped aside, giving them the spotlight. I even raised my glass and offered a toast, wishing them a lifetime of happiness. But the intern shattered her glass, her eyes brimming with tears. “Ms. Ashford, you know I’m allergic to alcohol, yet you still pushed me to drink. Are you really wishing me well, or trying to hurt me?” That night, my husband called an emergency meeting. I thought he would have my back, but instead, he tore into me, accusing me of bullying the new hire, questioning my character, and threatening to take away my year-end bonus and commission to make it up to her. The room fell silent, and everyone stared at me. I just smiled calmly and said, “Wow, with a sense of humor like that, it’s a shame you’re not on stage.”

The moment I finished speaking, Callum Huxley’s expression darkened. Without warning, he grabbed a pen from the table and threw it at me. I didn’t move quickly enough, and the sharp tip grazed my right cheek, leaving a long, painful cut. Gasps filled the room. Elowen Marlowe, the intern, looked at me with concern, though a hint of satisfaction flickered in her eyes. I endured the pain, lifting my gaze to Callum, but he simply glanced at me before turning his attention elsewhere. His voice was cold, his words cutting. “Sylvie, you’ve been making trouble for the new hire. Take this as a lesson and don’t do it again.” I almost laughed. He had a real talent for twisting things around. Earlier, when he called the emergency meeting, I’d held on to a small hope that he would defend me. Instead, it was clear this meeting was only to pacify Elowen. Callum’s words hung in the air, and soon, I felt eyes on me, sympathy from some, judgment from others. One of my colleagues, someone who had always been supportive, spoke up, “Mr. Huxley, Elowen doesn’t even have an alcohol allergy. At the last department gathering, she drank more than anyone else…” Before she could finish, Callum slammed his hand on the table, cutting her off. He turned to look at me, his expression cold and unwavering. “Ellie isn’t lying. You’ve been targeting her, rallying people against her. Anyone who defends Sylvie can forget about their bonus.” The room went silent. Elowen, ever the actress, managed a small, knowing smile before speaking, her voice sweet and innocent. “Callum, don’t blame Sylvie. I’m sure she’s just upset because you gave me her project. If I had known it would upset her this much, I wouldn’t have taken it. Sylvie, if you feel that strongly about it, I’ll give it back to you. And as for my mother’s medical bill, I’ll find a way to handle it.” I felt a pang of frustration. Not long ago, Callum had taken pity on Elowen, thinking her struggles in the city alone were too much to bear. He’d handed over a project I had already put most of the work into, leaving her to finish what was easy. I’d objected, but he called me heartless. “Ellie has a sick mother and needs support. Can’t you be a little more understanding? And besides, you’re the one who hired her. You should be looking out for her.” It was settled, and though I’d been reluctant, I’d eventually given in to avoid further conflict. Now, here was Elowen, pretending to offer the project back with a smile, but it was obvious she had no intention of following through. And Callum, as always, bought into it. He fixed me with an icy gaze, his voice sharp as he spoke, “It’s just a few projects. Do you really have to be this petty? How can someone so selfish even work here? You’re more than capable. Why make a big deal out of it? You don’t need these projects, but for Ellie, they’re her mother’s medical bills. Can’t you show some compassion?” I couldn’t help but feel the sting of his words. “I’m capable, yes. But that doesn’t mean you can just use me however you like. Elowen’s problems aren’t mine to solve. Why should I be the one to pay for them?” At my words, Callum’s brow furrowed, and his tone turned icy. “Sylvie, after all this time, is money all you care about? When did you become so… cold? So ruthless?” I stared at him, the words feeling like they came from a stranger. He used to say my practicality was charming, and that I had the instincts of an entrepreneur. Now, apparently, that very trait was something he despised. It was funny, in a way. When love fades, even your strengths turn into weaknesses. When I stayed quiet, Callum assumed I was agreeing with him. He raised an eyebrow and spoke down to me with that same familiar superiority. “So, you’ve accepted it, huh? Realizing you were wrong? Don’t bring up the project again. This was your fault from the start. Apologize to Ellie, write an apology, and get her to sign off on it. Then we’re done with it.” One of my colleagues, someone I’d always gotten along with, gently tugged at my sleeve and whispered, “Sylvie, just do what Mr. Huxley says. You don’t need to throw away your future over this.” I let out a dry laugh. The whole office thought Callum and Elowen were a couple, but they had no idea that the man constantly giving me grief was my husband of six years, the one I had secretly married. Over the years, Callum had used the company’s growth as an excuse, never wanting to go public about us. I had hoped that the annual meeting would finally bring that moment, but Elowen ruined it. I’d always been good to her. When she couldn’t find a job, I hired her, trained her, and helped her when she needed it. And this was how she repaid me… a backstabber. As I wasn’t responding, Elowen’s eyes started to well up. “Sylvie, why aren’t you saying anything? You really do hate me, don’t you? Fine, I’ll just quit. If I’m such a bother, I’ll leave.” She wiped her tears, sniffling as she turned to walk away. “And for my mom’s medical bills, I’ll just sell my kidney or something…” Callum quickly grabbed her, and before I could react, he slapped me across the face. “Sylvie, are you done yet? Is it not enough to drive Elowen to the edge? Is that what you want?” The sting from the slap was sharp, and the cut on my face that had barely healed was reopened, blood starting to seep through. I held my cheek, glaring at Callum. For years, I’d helped him build this company from scratch. To get investors, I waited outside their offices in a snowstorm, standing out there all night, only to end up with a fever for a week. Back then, Callum had been full of concern, promising that when he made it big, he’d never forget me. Now that he was successful, he was using that power to control me. Callum saw the look in my eyes and, without a hint of remorse, spoke coldly, “What are you staring at? Sylvie, listen carefully. If you keep pushing Ellie, don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’ll fire you.” I chuckled bitterly. Callum thought I was giving in, and his tone softened. “Alright, apologize to Ellie, and I’ll let it go. We won’t make a big deal out of it.” If this had happened a few years ago, I would have swallowed my pride, and apologized even though I knew it wasn’t right. But not now. I laughed coldly, then slapped him right back across the face. “This one’s for you. As for firing me? I don’t need you to do that. I’ll quit right now.”

“What? You’re quitting?” Callum stood motionless, his gaze hardening, a flicker of irritation passing through his eyes as if he’d forgotten about the slap I’d just delivered. Elowen’s smile stretched wider, but her tone was dripping with insincerity. “Sylvie, don’t take what Callum said to heart. He was just angry. You’re not getting any younger, and with how tough the job market is, if you quit, you won’t find another job like this. I don’t mean to be blunt, but you can’t throw away your future like this.” Her words seemed to strike a nerve, and Callum’s expression hardened, his jaw tightening as if he was trying to keep his frustration in check. “Sylvie, are you really going to make this harder than it needs to be?” I remained composed, my gaze unshaken. “I’m not making things difficult. I’m just being clear. Since I’ve already made my decision, could you return the bonuses and commissions you withheld? If not, I’ll have no choice but to pursue legal action. And about the injury on my face, let’s settle the medical expenses.” Callum’s features twisted with frustration, his eyes narrowing as his patience wore thin. “Sylvie!” I didn’t waste another moment on him. I pulled out my phone, preparing to contact a lawyer. When Callum saw I was serious, he reluctantly transferred the money, his lips curling into a sneer as he did so. His voice, however, still carried the weight of condescension. “Sylvie, how did you become like this? I’m truly disappointed.” In the past, a remark like that would have made me second-guess everything, wondering if I had done something wrong. I would have apologized, begging for forgiveness, and trying to make things right. But now I didn’t care anymore. The money was in my account, and as for Callum, his opinion no longer mattered to me. My feelings for him had long since faded. Callum, still expecting an apology that never came, shot me a look of disbelief, his brows furrowing as he stared at me in frustration. “Sylvie, you’re hopeless!” He stormed off, dragging Elowen behind him, his anger radiating in every step. Once they were far enough away, I contacted HR and submitted my resignation. They approved it online but informed me I needed a physical resignation letter signed by Callum. I printed out the letter, knowing I’d need to get his signature when the opportunity arose. After everything was set, I took a cab home. This time, my decision was final. I was done with Callum. I immediately called my parents and told them everything that had happened. “Mom, Dad, I can’t stay with Callum anymore. I’m moving back home.” They didn’t scold me. Instead, their voices were full of concern and understanding. “Of course, we support you. Your mom and I will be waiting for you.” Their warmth brought a surge of relief, and for the first time in a long while, I felt truly at peace. From the start, my parents had warned me about Callum, but I had been too stubborn to listen. Now, I knew they had been right all along. It wasn’t too late to change. I would no longer live for him. From now on, I would live for myself. After hanging up, I quickly bought a ticket to return home. Callum and I had been married for years, but we never officially registered our marriage. Thank goodness we hadn’t, or leaving wouldn’t have been so simple. This time, it was I who turned the page, choosing to close the chapter on him once and for all.

When I arrived home, I quickly packed my things. I had lived here for six years, yet the majority of what I owned could be tucked into a single suitcase. Most of the belongings in the house were Callum’s. He often spoke about how all his money went into the company, leaving us struggling. Over the years, I had cut back on my own needs to buy him expensive gifts, while my clothes, worn and faded, remained long past their prime. Once my things were packed, I couldn’t bring myself to leave the wedding photo hanging on the wall. I took it down and discarded it, along with the trash. After disposing of the trash, I didn’t head home immediately. I made a stop at a jewelry store, planning to sell the ring Callum had given me when he proposed. It felt like the right way to close the chapter on everything we had shared. The saleswoman looked at me with surprise as I handed over the ring. “Are you sure you want to sell it?” This was the ring Callum had saved for two years to buy. He had promised me that once he was more stable, he would replace it with a bigger, more beautiful one. But those promises never materialized. Over the years, I had watched him buy luxury items for others, while I was left with nothing. With a deep breath, I removed the ring and nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.” Just as the associate took the ring, I heard a familiar voice. “Callum, you’ve been so good to me and my mom.” Looking up, I saw Elowen, Callum, and her mother. Callum was busy picking out jewelry for them, his eyes lighting up every time they expressed interest in something. Without hesitation, he had the store pack it all up. The sight made something inside me tighten. I remembered when the company went public, and I had asked Callum for a new ring. He dismissed me, saying I was being materialistic and that we didn’t have the money for it. He promised me he’d buy jewelry for me once the company was stable. But after six years, that promise had never been kept. He had always been stingy with me, yet here he was, freely spending on Elowen and her mother. The realization hit me hard. Money followed love. That much was painfully clear now. And then I watched him allow Elowen’s mother, whose hands were covered in sweat, to touch him without a second thought. My mind drifted to the time my mother came to visit. After spending hours in the kitchen, tired and sweaty, she had asked Callum to pass her a plate. He had looked at her as though she were beneath him, then washed his hands several times as if she had dirtied them. I was snapped from my thoughts by Elowen’s voice, dripping with sarcasm. “Wow, what a coincidence, Sylvie. I didn’t think we’d run into you here. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were following us.” Callum, as usual, took the bait. His gaze hardened, and he glared at me. “Sylvie, what’s your deal now? Are you really stalking us?” I kept my tone calm, my words measured. “I’m not stalking anyone. I’m here to sell jewelry.” He shot me a quick, dismissive glance, not even noticing the ring was gone. Clearly, his attention was elsewhere. “Well, since you’re here, you might as well sign this,” I said, pulling out my resignation letter and pen. He barely looked at the document before signing it, then pulled me aside. “You’re not fooling anyone,” he muttered. “Let me guess. This is your way of making up for everything, right? A gift to win me back? What is it this time? A house? A car?” I realized then that every time we had a falling out, I had always given him something, hoping it would fix things. This time, Callum would be disappointed. What he had just signed wasn’t a gift. It was my resignation letter.

Before I could speak, Elowen’s mom, Sarah Marlowe, moved between us, studying me with a discerning eye. “Who is this?” Elowen immediately jumped in, a smirk on her face. “She’s just someone who runs errands for Callum. She even delivered documents for him earlier.” I could see the disdain flicker in Sarah’s eyes as she looked me over. Her judgment was clear, and yet, Callum said nothing. He stood by, detached, letting them humiliate me without a word of protest. He tugged at my sleeve, lowering his voice. “Elowen’s mom has a weak heart. I promised Elowen I’d play along and act like her boyfriend in front of her. Don’t ruin this for her.” In the past, I would have reacted, raised my voice, argued, or demanded respect. But today, I wasn’t going to waste my energy. I was leaving soon, after all. Just then, Callum’s phone rang. It was his assistant, informing him of a critical meeting that required his immediate attention. He was about to respond, but Elowen grabbed his hand, her tone laced with innocence. “Callum, you promised you’d spend the day with my mom shopping…” I expected Callum to refuse. After all, he’d always placed business first. I recalled a time when I asked him to pick up my mom from the station, and he refused, claiming work was more important. I had to rush back myself. But surprisingly, Callum nodded without hesitation. “Don’t worry. I always keep my promises.” He turned to me, a small, almost condescending smile playing on his lips. “Sylvie, if you cover the meeting for me, I might make it up to you by celebrating our sixth anniversary.” His words hit like a punch to the gut. I remembered our sixth anniversary all too well. He had promised to meet me after work, but I had waited for hours, only to discover he was with Elowen, celebrating her birthday. That incident had led to weeks of silence between us, a wound that never quite healed. The idea that he would now offer to make it up to me felt hollow. Had he made this offer a year ago, I might have eagerly accepted. But now, all I could feel was indifference. “I’m sorry,” I replied, my voice even. “I have other things to do.” Elowen, seizing the moment, spoke up with mock sweetness, “Sylvie, it’s already after hours. What could you possibly have to do? Don’t tell me you just don’t like us. If that’s the case, we’ll leave right away, no trouble.” The tension in the air was palpable. Sarah, sensing something was off, started to show signs of distress. “Wait a second. Didn’t you say she was just running errands for you? Elowen, are you hiding something from me? Are you and Callum really a couple, or is this all a lie?” Callum quickly turned to comfort Sarah, then pulled me aside, his face hardening. “Sylvie, I’ve told you a hundred times. Ellie’s mom can’t handle any stress. Why do you keep pushing it? I thought you were being more understanding, but you’re still being completely unreasonable.” I gave a calm, measured response. “I really do have things to take care of. I need to go home and grab my stuff, and I’ve got a bus to catch…” Callum’s expression grew darker. “So now you’re using leaving as some kind of threat? I’ve been way too soft on you. I promised Ellie and her mom I’d spend the day with them. You have to go in my place, or don’t blame me if I fire you without a second thought.” His strictness had always been the same, even when I was sick and needed time off. But when it came to Elowen, he’d bend over backwards. A single sneeze from her, and he’d give her a week of paid leave without question. He thought I would fold like I always had, but this time, I remained calm, pulling out the resignation letter he had signed earlier and handing it to him. “Callum, even if you’re the CEO, you don’t have the right to order me around. Because just now, you did sign my resignation.” He looked at the letter in shock, finally realizing what he’d just signed. His face went cold. “Are you serious? Is it because I spent time with Ellie and her mom? Or because I spoke up at the meeting? Or maybe because I let Elowen take your spotlight?” He knew exactly where my frustrations lay but chose to feign ignorance. I didn’t have the energy to argue any longer and started to walk away. But as I moved, the store clerk accidentally knocked my ring off the counter, sending it rolling toward Callum. “This is?” Callum bent down, picked it up, and when he saw the familiar engraving and our initials on it, he froze, staring at it. “Sylvie, this is the wedding ring I gave you, isn’t it? You… you sold it?” Before I could respond, my phone rang. I picked it up, but my finger slipped, hitting the speakerphone button instead. My mom’s voice immediately came through the speaker. “Sweetheart, when will you be here? Your dad and I are already on our way to pick you up.” Callum’s expression shifted, panic flashing in his eyes for the briefest moment before it was quickly replaced with a colder, more controlled look. “So this is your plan? Going back home? Sylvie, if you keep acting like this, there’s no way I’m making an official announcement with you.” Every time he wanted something from me, he used the threat of the official announcement to control me. In the past, I had longed for it, always giving in. But now, with my decision made, I no longer cared. I gave a small, almost imperceptible smile, and with a calm voice, I said, “Then we don’t need an official announcement. After all, we never even got the marriage certificate. We were never really a married couple.” “You’re being ridiculous. We’ve been married for six years. How could we not have a marriage certificate? Sylvie, enough with this childish behavior.”

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