Category: English

A week before my wedding to Heather, my company sent me on a business trip out of town. The very next day, her ex-boyfriend posted a series of photos of himself in a tuxedo with the caption: “After ten years of love, I finally get to put a ring on your finger.” I was shocked as I stared at the hand adjusting his tie in the picture. There was a long scar on the wrist – the same scar Heather got five years ago when she saved me from an attacker. I called her over a dozen times, but she rejected every call. Finally, unable to contain myself, I commented “Congratulations on your marriage!” under Xavier’s post. Heather immediately replied: “Adam, can’t you be more gracious? Xavier was just helping me rehearse our wedding ceremony since you’re away on your trip. Why are you upset with him? If it weren’t for your business trip, would he have to wear someone else’s tuxedo?” I calmly hung up her call, took off my engagement ring, and decided I was done with this wedding, whoever wanted to get married could go right ahead.

I signed the contract with the client early and flew back to Sunnyville that night. The lights were on in my apartment, accompanied by bursts of laughter. Xavier was lying shirtless on my couch wearing only boxers, his head resting on Heather’s lap as he fed her grapes. Seeing me enter, he scrambled to get up. “Ah!” He turned and buried his face in Heather’s chest, frantically grabbing for clothes. I watched his performance with amusement. We’re both men, what’s there to hide? Heather helped him put on a shirt, then looked up at me in annoyance. “You came back without making a sound. Were you trying to scare Xavier to death?” I laughed mockingly, “What, do I need to announce myself to your lover when I come back to my own home?” Heather’s face darkened instantly. Xavier struggled out of Heather’s arms, “I’m so sorry, Adam. Don’t misunderstand, Heather and I are just friends. We were just chatting and didn’t hear you come in.” “Today was supposed to be your wedding rehearsal, but since you were away, I couldn’t bear to see Heather standing alone at the altar, so I stepped in as her groom. You’re not mad, are you?” I didn’t answer him, momentarily lost in thought as I looked at their matching pajamas, remembering the sweet times Heather and I once shared. I never imagined Xavier’s appearance would make me the third wheel. Heather frowned, thinking I was angry at her ex. “Where are your manners? Didn’t you hear Xavier talking to you?” She threw a paper at me, “This is the schedule for the wedding day. Don’t look at us with such a dirty mind. We were just finishing up the rehearsal.” They certainly seemed to have rehearsed thoroughly, stopping just short of getting naked. I nodded, “You’re right about everything. The wedding night is also part of the ceremony. I suppose you rehearsed that too!” They both froze at my words. Then Xavier’s eyes welled up with tears, as if my words had scared him to tears. “It’s all my fault. Please don’t misunderstand, Adam. I’ll leave right now!” He covered his face and ran out the door. Heather quickly grabbed her coat, glaring at me, “Look what you’ve done. You better apologize to Xavier tomorrow!” She stormed out after him, kicking over my suitcase by the door on her way out. An hour after they left, Xavier updated his SnapChat story. “Thank you for remembering my favorites after ten years. One mention that I was craving it, and you bought me my favorite strawberry roll! I love you so much!” The photo showed a strawberry dessert held up, with half of Heather’s face visible. I suddenly remembered a time when I had a stomachache and wanted a scone from Flag Bakery. I called Heather and asked her to bring me one after work. She ended up carelessly buying me a random bread roll, tossing it to me while muttering, “What’s the difference? Food is food!” Apparently, she did know how to be thoughtful. She just didn’t want to be thoughtful towards me.

I laughed bitterly at myself. I called my mom: “Mom, I’ve decided to come back to Capital City. My flight is in three days.” My mom was clearly surprised, and asked tentatively, “Son, isn’t your wedding in three days? Did that Heather girl bully you?” Five years ago, fresh out of college, I wanted to challenge myself and took an assistant job at a small company. One night after working late, I was cornered in an empty alley by a coworker I was competing with for a client. He took my phone and beat me up, threatening me to keep quiet about it. That day, Heather had just been dumped and came to the city to clear her head. She happened to save me, and my angry coworker pulled out a knife, determined to silence us both. Heather fought back fiercely. With her friend’s help, they subdued my coworker, but Heather’s wrist was badly cut in the process. I took her to the hospital afterwards. The injury to her right hand made it difficult for her to eat. So I brought her meals and fed her every day, falling hard for her warm, sunny smile. Knowing she was heartbroken, I tried extra hard to be good to her. She probably needed someone to distract her, so she gave me a chance. I traveled frequently between Capital City and Sunnyville during that time. It took a year before she truly accepted me. Later, my mom caught us on a date. She said Heather’s family was too humble, not a good match for us. Even if we got married, we wouldn’t be happy. My dad and brother sided with my mom, strongly opposing our relationship. I accused them of being snobs who only cared about money. Then I left Capital City with Heather and never went back. Since then, I only sent perfunctory greetings on holidays. I thought they must hate me for choosing an outsider over family. But hearing the urgency in my mom’s voice, I knew she didn’t blame me at all. She was just worried about me. I couldn’t hold back anymore and started sobbing. Hearing me cry, my mom panicked: “That wretched Heather! Hold on son, I’m coming over there to teach her a lesson!” I quickly stopped crying and stopped her: “Mom, don’t do anything rash! I’m not really hurt, I just finally saw Heather’s true colors and don’t want to marry her anymore!” My mom audibly sighed in relief, then gently comforted me: “I always thought she didn’t seem like the faithful type. Don’t worry, there are plenty of fish in the sea!” “Don’t worry son, I’ll start looking for some nice girls for you right away!” Seeing that my mom was no longer threatening to come over guns blazing, I hung up with a mixture of laughter and tears.

The next day, I called some movers to throw out the couch Heather had been lying on. I replaced all the bedding and even the slippers by the door. Who knows what unspeakable things they did in my apartment while I was gone. It was disgusting. Looks like I need to install security cameras and change the locks too. Then I started clearing out everything related to Heather. This apartment that I bought myself isn’t big, but it’s in a great location, very close to Heather’s office. The house we bought for after the wedding was still being renovated, so we naturally started living together here. The place was full of little mementos from when Heather and I were in love. A wooden carving from Cangshan, a scented sachet from Erhai, a postcard from Yading… I had souvenirs displayed all over the apartment from every place we’d traveled together. I arranged them carefully, labeling each with the date, constantly showcasing every happy journey we’d taken. She would always frown when she saw them, saying they were useless junk. I teased her for having no sense of romance. But after Xavier became her secretary, I clearly saw her desk at work covered in Pop Mart figurines – the exact same ones Xavier had posted about on his SnapChat. Her preference was so obvious, yet I seemed to have been blind to it until now. I took out the suitcase she had bought me and packed up all the mementos, then threw them in the dumpster downstairs. Heather had a lot of clothes, taking up most of my closet. I had only packed up part of it when she came back that night. She frowned at the clothes packed in boxes: “Why are you packing up my clothes?” I casually made an excuse: “We’re moving into the new house after the wedding anyway. Might as well start packing now.” Heather tossed a bag in front of me: “Here, eat this. Xavier bought it specially for you, went to several stores to find it.” “Not only does he not need your apology, he even bought you a treat. You should really learn from him.” I took out the half-eaten strawberry roll and held it up to Heather, laughing sarcastically: “I didn’t know Flag Bakery sold cakes that were already half-eaten.” She clearly hadn’t paid attention to what Xavier put in the bag, or maybe she just didn’t care. Seeing the half-eaten cake, she quickly tried to cover: “You upset Xavier so much he cried. It’s understandable if he accidentally packed the wrong thing in his distress. Don’t be so petty, be more generous.” I nodded and tossed the cake in the trash. Heather’s face darkened: “What are you being so picky for? You think just anyone deserves to eat food from Xavier’s mouth?” I waved my hand in disgust, kicking the trash can a meter away: “I’m not his lapdog. Why would I eat his leftovers? That’s just gross.” Heather was furious. She grabbed the cake from the trash and tried to force it into my mouth. I struggled to push her away, but lost my balance and fell backwards, my head hitting the floor with a loud thud. I immediately saw stars, curling up and holding the back of my head. Heather was startled by the sound of me falling. She hurriedly helped me up: “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to. I’ll take you to the hospital!” My head was spinning as I let her lead me towards the door. Just then, Heather’s phone rang with Xavier’s special ringtone. “Xavier, what’s wrong?” Xavier was crying on the other end. “Heather, the power went out where I’m staying. My phone only has 10% battery left. It’s so dark everywhere, I’m really scared. Can you come keep me company?” “Stay in your room and don’t move. I’ll be right there! Don’t be afraid, I’ll be there in 10 minutes!” Heather hung up in a rush, eager to leave. She hung up and pushed me aside: “You seem fine. No bleeding or bumps. Just sleep it off if you’re not feeling well.” I grabbed her sleeve, looking at her pleadingly: “No, Heather. I’m dizzy. Take me to the hospital first, it’ll only take a few minutes!” She shook me off irritably: “Adam, can’t you be more understanding? Xavier has been afraid of the dark since he was little. Can you take responsibility if something happens to him?” “Xavier only knows me in Sunnyville. I have to go. If something really happened to him, I’d never forgive myself!” My vision was going dark in patches. I gritted my teeth and asked: “What about me? Aren’t you worried I might…” “What could possibly happen to you? Faking illness out of jealousy is a weak woman’s trick. Don’t try it, it doesn’t suit you!” She impatiently cut me off, then opened the door and left.

I collapsed on the floor, my head getting fuzzier. I mustered all my strength to pull out my phone and called 911 for myself. An hour later, I found myself lying in a hospital bed. A nurse immediately asked me some basic information. Seeing that I could answer coherently, she finally relaxed. “Luckily, you only have a mild concussion. Rest up, watch your diet, and avoid stimulation for the next few days. You’ll be fine soon.” I nodded eagerly, feeling a dull pain in my head. The young nurse quickly steadied me, telling me to rest well. The next day I felt a bit better, so I went for a walk in the hallway. Just as I reached the corner, I saw Heather helping Xavier out of the elevator. The two were chatting and laughing like a loving couple. She could see me out of the corner of her eye, but deliberately looked away. The nurse on duty hurried over to greet them: “Ms. Heather, your partner’s test results are back. It’s just a minor sprain, no bone damage. Just take it easy walking for a few days and he’ll recover soon.” Partner. I was frozen in place by those two words. Five years ago, I defied my family to return to Sunnyville with her. I supported Heather as we built her small family business into Sunnyville’s leading company. She said she would never betray me in this life, that I would be her only love. But the person who once made such firm promises now casually allowed another man to be called her partner. Heather pulled Xavier closer, gently bumping his chin. “See, I told you it was nothing serious. Feel better now?” Xavier in her arms looked blissful, reaching up to tap her nose. When they looked up, their eyes met mine. “Oh! It’s Adam.” Xavier struggled out of Heather’s arms, but winced in pain before his foot touched the ground. Heather glared at me coldly, as if I was the one who had sprained her lover’s ankle. “Adam, can’t you be more generous? You’re so jealous you followed us to the hospital? Don’t you have anything better to do?” Xavier tugged at Heather’s hand, looking at her disapprovingly: “Heather, you shouldn’t talk to Adam like that. Boyfriends are meant to be cherished, not yelled at.” He then turned to me with an understanding look: “Adam, the power went out and it was so dark, I accidentally sprained my ankle. That’s why I troubled Heather to bring me to the hospital.” “Heather was just worried about me. She didn’t mean to make you jealous. Please don’t be angry.” Seeing that I didn’t respond, his expression immediately turned pitiful. His voice got softer and softer, on the verge of tears. “I’ll leave now. I’m used to being alone anyway. My fate is to be lonely forever.” He stubbornly lifted one leg and hopped forward, eyes red-rimmed. Heather panicked and quickly steadied him. “Adam, you’re going too far! Why do you have to bully Xavier?” She was like a woman with glass eyes, unable to see the hospital gown I was wearing, the wristband on my arm, or my pale face. She was convinced I had come just to make a scene out of jealousy. I couldn’t hold back anymore and cursed out loud. “Heather, are you blind? I’m standing here without saying a word. How dare you accuse me of bullying him? Are you basing this on your imagination?” “Do you two have a persecution complex or something?” “If you’re sick, get treatment before it’s too late!” She was stunned by my outburst. Her hand slipped and Xavier fell to the ground with a thud. The hallway echoed with his pig-like squeal! Heather frantically helped the pained Xavier up. Once again furious: “Adam, you keep hurting Xavier. Do you not want to get married?” What a joke. She’s the pot calling the kettle black. Only seeing others’ faults, not her own. Her weak grip caused this, yet she blames me? The last shred of hope I had was completely shattered. “Yes, so Heather, the wedding is cancelled. We’re breaking up!” I vented my anger, then checked out of the hospital that afternoon. I hired someone to install security cameras in and outside my apartment, and had the locks changed.

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I have a superpower. After killing someone, I can obtain their memories from the past three years. Before the SAT, I killed my boyfriend, the top student, and successfully got into college. When did I first discover this ability? When I was nine, my parents divorced. I was given to my mom. I liked my mom, but I actually preferred my dad more. I often snuck out to see my dad and play with him. But one day, when I went to find my dad, I caught him kissing a lady. My parents had always been discreet around me, so this was the first time I’d seen a man and woman kissing. The lady’s lips were bright red, red like they could devour someone. I felt very angry. Even at my young age, I understood that dad had done something wrong, which was why they divorced. Dad was the bad guy. I angrily ran to my dad’s car and threw a bunch of marbles inside. I wanted them to hurt dad’s butt and make the lady trip. But the marbles got stuck in the brake pads, causing the brakes to fail. The lady was knocked unconscious, and my dad died on the spot. The police checked the security footage and found that I had put marbles in the car. But a nine-year-old child doesn’t understand anything and isn’t criminally responsible. Plus, I had lost my father and was crying hysterically, completely distraught. No one blamed me; everyone thought I was pitiful. But as I cried, my mind was suddenly filled with new memories. In these memories, I saw the lady’s face. It turned out that dad had been doing bad things for a long time. I saw mom and dad arguing, saw dad secretly taking money from home. I saw the lady and dad’s intimacy, saw them disgustingly entangled together. I threw up. Mom and the police thought I was crying too hard and my body couldn’t take it. Only I knew that I felt sick. At my young age, I had seen two intertwined beasts.

Unexpectedly, my sadness dissipated quickly. What lingered was disgust. At the same time, I realized something unique about myself. As a child, I didn’t dare say it; as I grew up, I didn’t want to say it. As I slowly grew older, I realized what this ability truly meant. In middle school, I was in the same class as Emma, the neighbor’s daughter, and we were very close. We went to and from school together, inseparable to the point where we even went to the bathroom together. The teacher jokingly called us conjoined twins. Emma’s personality wasn’t great, but she was very pretty, much prettier than me. I would sometimes hear people say, “That’s the princess and her little sidekick.” I didn’t mind much, but Emma always seemed pleased. I thought this was one of the reasons she was so close to me. People are most unwilling to be outdone by those close to them. Emma liked feeling superior to me, which in a way also showed that she truly considered me a close friend. I was very good to Emma, so good that she became somewhat dependent on me. Emma’s grades were always better than mine, except for English. So I always helped Emma with her English homework, writing it neatly for her. For regular quizzes, as the English class representative, I would help the teacher grade papers in the office. During these times, I would secretly correct a few of Emma’s answers and add some points to her score. Until the teacher discovered this. The English teacher didn’t blame me for changing the grades but instead scolded Emma. The English teacher had always disliked pretty girls who loved to dress up, and with Emma’s poor English grades, the teacher disliked her even more. “All day long, your mind isn’t on studying, but on these sneaky tricks!” “Girls like you will never amount to anything in the future.” Emma’s eyes immediately turned red. She pushed her desk away with a bang and ran out of the classroom. The English teacher initially snorted dismissively, but seeing that Emma didn’t return for a while, she became worried about something happening. She continued teaching for a bit, but still couldn’t help asking me to go check on Emma. I knew where Emma was. She was in the storage room next to the tea room on the third floor. Whenever Emma encountered something upsetting, she would curl up there. I gently opened the door of the storage room, squeezed in, and crouched next to Emma. Emma didn’t look at me, and I didn’t look at Emma either. I understood her; she didn’t want me to see her in such a disheveled state right now. After sitting for a while, Emma spoke. “I don’t like Ms. Thompson.” Ms. Thompson was our English teacher’s name. “I don’t like Ms. Thompson either.” I said, sharing her resentment. Hearing my childish response, she couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Let’s go back.” “Okay.” Emma and I grew closer and closer. But sometimes we have to admit that when it comes to studying, there’s a difference in natural talent. I tried hard too, but I just didn’t have a knack for academics. Emma and I spent almost the same amount of time studying together every day. But Emma’s grades kept improving, steadily rising in all subjects, and even her English was about to surpass mine. Sometimes she would offer to tutor me, but I couldn’t understand at all. Mom would often compare me to Emma, and I didn’t want to disappoint her. I only had Mom left. Seeing my grades not improving, I started to get anxious. A vague, dark thought appeared in my mind. What if I killed Emma? If I killed Emma, then I would have her memories from these three years of middle school. There are many things you shouldn’t think about; once the thought appears in your head, it never goes away. I had an idea. Just last year, the school had installed new air conditioners with very good cooling effects. Many seniors joked that the school only installed air conditioning after they graduated. Emma was quite short and always sat in the first or second row. I, on the other hand, sat in the fifth or sixth row. As summer approached, the school gradually turned on the air conditioning. I would often complain about how hot it was, and then during breaks, I’d walk to Emma’s desk. While chatting with Emma, I would casually turn the air conditioning to 16 degrees Celsius (61°F) on high fan speed. I’d leave when the bell rang for class; sometimes Emma would remember to adjust it back, sometimes she wouldn’t. So Emma often sat through entire classes in the cold air. A few days ago, I had gone shopping with Emma. I told her my mom asked me to stock up on some cold medicine and asked if she needed any. “Why buy cold medicine in the middle of summer?” she asked. “My mom said I’m always in air conditioning at home and school, and then I’m all sweaty outside. The big temperature difference makes it easy to catch a cold, so she told me to buy some medicine just in case.” Emma hesitated, thought it made sense, and bought the same medicine as me. Seeing Emma blowing her nose and complaining of a headache, I knew my chance had come. After school in the afternoon, Emma and I walked home together as usual. “Let’s sit on the grass by the river embankment for a while,” I suggested. We often relaxed and chatted there after school, so it wasn’t unusual. I pulled Emma along, deliberately choosing a spot visible to the nearby convenience store’s security cameras. I told Emma to open her backpack. Emma opened it and saw two bottles of alcohol inside, seemingly high-proof ones. She took the bottles out of her bag. “Ta-da! A surprise for you!” I exclaimed. “We’re about to become high school students. Don’t you want to try it?” I turned slightly, using my hair to cover my mouth. I understood Emma. She was a girl with a rebellious streak deep down. Emma’s parents had always been quite strict with her. She just never had the opportunity to do anything out of line, but she had always yearned for it. Emma held the bottles in her hands, then passed one to me. I turned around, pretending to suddenly have second thoughts and look a bit scared. I waved my hand. “Maybe we shouldn’t? Emma, won’t your aunt and uncle be angry?” Hearing this, Emma became even more determined. “It’s fine, let’s just try it!” she insisted. I put on a hesitant expression until Emma firmly pushed one of the bottles into my hand. We talked about many things. We discussed recent exams, the future, our disliked English teacher, and the evening sunset. She apologized to me. She said sometimes she couldn’t help but treat me like a sidekick. She said I was her best friend, for life. I said yes, that’s right. Seeing that it was about time, I patted Emma’s shoulder and said we should head home. I hadn’t drunk much alcohol, just pretending to sip a few times when I brought the bottle to my lips. Emma, on the other hand, seemed quite drunk, stumbling as she tried to stand up. I had found out beforehand that Emma’s mom had to work overtime recently, and her dad was on the night shift. Emma would be alone at home. I looked at Emma. “Emma, bye-bye.” “See you tomorrow.” “Oh, right,” I said, smiling at her. “You have a bit of a cold today. Remember to take the cold medicine when you get home.” Emma nodded with a smile. In the glow of the setting sun, her eyes seemed to hold a gentle flame. I calmly returned home, ate dinner with Mom as usual, and finished my homework as always. Then I peacefully fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up with a splitting headache. I found some new memories in my mind. I knew I had succeeded.

Emma was dead. When Emma’s mom returned home that night, she found Emma collapsed in the living room. It was too late by the time they got to the hospital. After investigation, the police concluded it was poisoning caused by taking cephalosporin antibiotics and alcohol at the same time. At an age when the internet wasn’t widespread, we middle school students weren’t aware of this common knowledge. Except for me, who possessed my father’s three years of memories. That’s right. The cold medicine Emma and I bought that day included cephalosporin antibiotics. Everything went too smoothly, even beyond my expectations. I had considered many possibilities. Emma might not have taken the medicine as I suggested. Emma might have taken medicine, but not the cephalosporin. Emma might have felt unwell and successfully called for help in time. Her aunt might have come home early and stopped Emma. And so on. Could it be said that even fate was on my side, for things to go so smoothly? As Emma’s best friend, and the last person to see her alive, I was called to the police station to give a statement. I was a minor, so a parent had to accompany me. Looking at the police officer, I appeared very scared. Mom comforted me. “It’s okay, the police officer just wants to ask you a few questions.” “That’s right, little girl, don’t be afraid. Uncle just wants to ask you a few questions,” the officer reassured me as well. They didn’t really think a little girl like me could do anything. “According to the deceased’s mother, the deceased didn’t usually drink alcohol, but you two were drinking outside that day,” he said. “Why was that?” I looked a bit scared and glanced at Mom. Mom encouragingly patted me, indicating it was okay and I should just speak honestly. “Emma said she wanted to drink that day, to feel excited. She suddenly took out two bottles of alcohol from her bag,” I said. “I originally didn’t want to drink, and I even tried to persuade Emma not to, but who knew…” As I spoke, tears started streaming down my face uncontrollably. The police officer nodded. The security footage indeed showed Emma forcefully pushing the alcohol into my hands. The officer asked a few more trivial questions, then let me leave. This case was ultimately classified as a rebellious teenager’s occasional defiance, combined with a lack of common knowledge, costing her own life. Emma’s death was even used as a cautionary tale within the school. I sorted out the thoughts in my mind, feeling like I had discovered a new world. It turned out Emma’s brain contained so much knowledge. My grades improved dramatically, making Mom very happy. I was happy too. On the day of the high school entrance exam, I performed normally and was admitted to the best high school in the city as I had hoped. Mom sold our house and bought a new one near the high school. My new bedroom was very big, with a large window. I even had my own study room. During the summer vacation, Mom enrolled me in a high school preparatory class. So when high school started, I wouldn’t fall behind right away. But I knew this wasn’t a long-term solution. I didn’t have a talent for studying; I wasn’t smart. Even with Emma’s solid knowledge foundation, I would fall behind later. Last time, luck played too big a role. This time, I needed to re-plan my high school life.

I set my sights on Liam. He was the top student in our grade and also my classmate. Liam was as dazzling as his name suggested. With his handsome, clean-cut looks and academic halo, There was never a shortage of girls who liked him. While I was so ordinary. We seemed destined to never cross paths. Through observation and online searches, I discovered Liam’s most frequently used chat app. It was a very niche app. The app used anonymous chatting and didn’t have message notifications. I combed through almost all of Liam’s posts for analysis. He was a sunny, lively boy from a well-off family. He had low blood sugar and often carried sweets with him. He seemed to really enjoy reading classical literature and mystery novels. I changed my profile picture on that app to a beautiful jasmine flower. Jasmine was Liam’s favorite flower. I didn’t directly add Liam as a friend, which would have alerted him. Instead, I cultivated my account. I started regularly sharing daily posts, shaping myself into someone with interests similar to his. After some time, my account had a few scattered followers and no longer looked like a bot. “What do you think Makoto was thinking when she killed Yukio?” I posted one day. It was an out-of-context line referencing the plot of “The Goddess” by Akiyoshi Rikako. Liam hadn’t mentioned reading this book in any of his posts. But I had seen him reading it in the classroom. After sending the message, there was no response. I waited patiently. A day later, I received Liam’s reply. “Protection and fear, I guess.” “Hello, how did you know I was reading this?” “Fear? Do you think Makoto was afraid of Yukio?” I ignored his second question. “I think Makoto was afraid of past memories.” Realizing I had no intention of revealing my identity, Liam didn’t pursue it further. We continued chatting about our interests. At first, it was just one or two exchanges a day, and I would quickly withdraw after getting a response. As time went on, Liam found that I was a book enthusiast with interests extremely similar to his. Our chat times gradually lengthened, moving from books to movies. Until one day, Liam asked me: “You’re really interesting. I’d like to know how old you are? Which city are you in?” I didn’t respond anymore. For several days, I didn’t reply to any of Liam’s messages. He sent many messages, apologizing for his intrusive questions. About a week later, I finally responded to his message. “If you want to know me, come to the rooftop of the school building tonight.” I was such an ordinary girl that if I didn’t use some special methods, I could never get close to Liam. He was surprised to see me. I asked him what was there to be surprised about. He sheepishly scratched his head. “Your knowledge is broader than mine, and you have your own insights.” “I always thought you’d be older than me.” I smiled ambiguously. In a sense, I was indeed older than him. Liam wanted to interact with me at school too, but I refused. I said there were too many people around him, and I didn’t like being in the spotlight. So we agreed to meet on this rooftop every Friday evening. Week after week, season after season. Liam and I grew closer, though no one knew we knew each other. On a winter evening in our second year of high school, Liam confessed to me. I put on Emma’s smile that boys found most appealing. His eyes were bright as he cupped my face, wanting to kiss me. I didn’t refuse. Liam and I started a secret relationship. There were two reasons for not going public. First, I didn’t want others to know I was involved with Liam, which would make it easier for me to act later. Second, isn’t there an exciting, forbidden thrill to meeting in secret? Just like in middle school, my grades kept getting worse, steadily declining. Although Liam often tutored me on weekends, it didn’t seem to help much. I don’t know if it was because I was naturally slow-witted, Or if my mind had become completely dependent on others’ knowledge. By senior year, I had become the bottom student in the class. The teacher had even called my mother in to discuss my declining grades. Not yet. It wasn’t time to act. Every year in early summer, around May or June, there would be a big fireworks show in the suburbs of our city. High school kids all loved watching fireworks. That would be my best opportunity to act. Our school had both day students and boarding students. My friend Jessica, who I often hung out with at school, was a boarding student. I frequently visited Jessica’s dorm room and got along well with her roommates too. Our school strictly prohibited the use of unauthorized electrical appliances in the dorms. “Why is that?” I curiously asked Jessica. “It trips the circuit breaker. A girl secretly used a curling iron in the dorm before and it caused a power outage for nearly an hour before the electricity came back on,” Jessica explained. Jessica made an exasperated expression, seeming to express dissatisfaction with the school’s power supply. I nodded thoughtfully. One hour. That’s enough, a long time. When is a classroom most chaotic during school? When there’s a power outage. And when there are fireworks outside. So what if the power went out while fireworks were going off? Everyone would rush to the windows, watching the fireworks outside and exclaiming in wonder. Youth is so boring, everyone knows that. I continued to meet and be intimate with Liam as usual, going to the library together on weekends to study. I would secretly glance up at him from below. Watching him pretend not to notice, but his ears turning red. He had a nice jawline, and his Adam’s apple was sexy too. If I stared too intensely, he might even swallow nervously. At times like that, I couldn’t help but laugh, trying not to make a sound. “Winter break is almost here,” Liam said softly, leaning close to me on the subway ride home. “Yeah.” “Then we won’t see each other for a long time.” I saw Liam looking a bit dejected. I patted his head. “We might still see each other.” My grandfather passed away last year, and grandmother soon after. This New Year, it would just be me and Mom. “We can meet before New Year’s Eve.” His eyes sparkled brightly as he stared at me without blinking. “Let’s go to the lantern festival together. Don’t they have one every year?” I smiled and said to him. “It’s a promise.” “Mm, it’s a promise.” After the final exams ended, everyone started packing up their things to go home. I told my friends to go ahead and walked to the drama club’s prop room. This was the burial place I had prepared for Liam. The room’s window faced the central square. The small room was filled with equipment and props, lots of costumes for performances, and a mannequin with yellow hair. As soon as I opened the door, the mannequin startled me. I silently turned the mannequin around to avoid being scared by that face again. After observing for a bit, I left the room. On the day of the lantern festival, I put on my new red cotton jacket. Mom said this color made me look fair-skinned. I looked in the mirror and indeed, it did make me look quite fair. After waiting at the street corner for a while, I saw Liam arrive, running late. He was breathing heavily from running. “Sorry, my mom held me up for a bit, so I’m late.” He looked down at me and grabbed my hand. Liam’s hand was very large, and quite warm, probably from just running over. I was stunned for a moment, then held his hand back. The lantern festival was very crowded. He protected me, not even letting my hair get messed up. The warm yellow lights shone on his face, making his smile look so radiant. I gently rubbed the calluses on his hand from writing, and felt his walking pace falter for a moment. “Do you want this?” Liam pointed at a pair of rabbit lanterns at a stall across the way. “They’re cute, but I don’t need them.” I shook my head honestly. But Liam still pulled me over there. “Take me home with you, look how cute I am~” Liam picked up a rabbit and spoke in a high-pitched voice, imitating it. I laughed, and we actually bought that pair of lanterns. Liam and I each held one as we walked through the lantern festival. Just like every other couple here. “You look beautiful today.” Liam didn’t look at me, but his face was a bit red. “Really? Mom said red makes me look fair-skinned.” “It’s not the clothes that are beautiful, it’s you.” “I like you.” We had walked to a less crowded area. Liam stopped and looked at me seriously. He seemed to be waiting for my response. “Mm, I like you too.” I put on what I thought was Emma’s most beautiful smile and looked at him. On the way home from the lantern festival, I fell into a drainage ditch. I claimed I had broken a bone. So when school started again, I walked into the classroom with a leg in a cast. Friends asked with concern, and I just said I had accidentally fallen into a ditch. I often hobbled along the hallway on two crutches, moving extremely slowly. Sometimes to get water, sometimes to use the bathroom. After a while, all the students on our floor knew me as the girl with the broken leg who walked very slowly. About two months later, I had the cast removed, but I still walked very slowly. When people saw me, their first impression was — that girl with the broken leg. That was exactly the impression I wanted. The fireworks show was approaching. My plan was about to be implemented. I went to the girls’ dorm and turned a hair dryer on full blast, loosely plugging it into a power strip. I placed a brick on top that was just about to fall, along with a vibrating alarm clock set for a specific time.

4 3 2 1 The moment the fireworks show began, the teaching building connected to the dorms lost power. I moved at the fastest speed of my life, put on gloves, and grabbed the fruit knife I had bought in advance from the school store, which almost every student and teacher had. I quickly ran to the drama club’s prop room on the second floor. The door wasn’t closed. Liam had his back to me, watching the fireworks outside the window. I stabbed the knife into the back of his head, then ran away as fast as I could. The fireworks were too loud, and the powerless classroom was too dark. I ran at top speed, feeling like my heart was about to burst out of my chest. I quickly tore off and discarded the disposable gloves on my hands, then picked up the crutches I had left by the back door of the classroom earlier, silently walking into the classroom. Squeezing into the crowd watching the fireworks, I deliberately tripped and fell, causing several classmates to turn and look at me. “It was stuffy in the classroom, so I thought I’d go out for a walk, but I fell before even getting out the door,” I explained. The classmates standing nearby chuckled lightly, and two girls came over to help me up. Jessica was standing in front, and when she saw me, she pulled me to the very front. “Look! Isn’t it beautiful?” she exclaimed. It really was beautiful. The fireworks bloomed in clusters in the sky, dazzling and brilliant. “Yes, it’s really beautiful.” After watching for just a few more minutes, our homeroom teacher rushed over. We were all hurried back to our seats to be quiet. Only Liam was missing from the classroom. “Where’s Liam? Where did he go?” My heart started pounding rapidly. It’s okay, the power was out, the security cameras couldn’t have recorded anything. And with my broken leg, I couldn’t have quickly killed someone and run back. Many people thought I had been in the classroom the whole time; I had an alibi. The knife I used was the most common one in the school, many people had the same kind. I moved very quickly, and it was dark outside, no one could have seen… While I was still going over everything in my mind, “Teacher, I’m here,” I saw Liam walk in from the doorway. 5 My brain short-circuited, going completely blank. Why didn’t he die? Why didn’t Liam die? Yes, I was too nervous and overlooked the most important point. After stabbing, I didn’t gain any new memories in my mind. So why didn’t Liam die? Was it because I didn’t stab hard enough, not causing a fatal wound? But there wasn’t even a small injury on his head, let alone any bleeding. Then who did I stab? I felt Liam’s gaze on me and instinctively avoided it. I kept replaying the scene that had just happened in my mind, along with the countless rehearsals before. Where exactly did things go wrong? What step wasn’t right? After school, I returned home in a daze. I opened my phone to see messages from Liam. “Why didn’t you come today?” “I waited for you for a long time.” I suddenly realized something. I abruptly stood up and rushed out of the house, ignoring Mom’s calls behind me. I arrived at school and walked into that prop room. Sure enough. That fruit knife was stuck right in the head of the mannequin I had turned around earlier because it scared me. I felt like laughing a bit from anger. I had meticulously planned for so long, only to end up with such an absurd outcome. It was hard for me to accept. I returned home somewhat dejectedly, seeing Mom waiting for me at the door. I just said I forgot to grab something and went back to get it, brushing it off. Thinking about the upcoming SAT and having to start planning how to kill someone again tomorrow, I felt physically and mentally exhausted. I didn’t even have the energy to reply to Liam’s messages. “Why aren’t you responding? Did I do something wrong?” I received another message from Liam. I decided to just give up entirely. “Stop bothering me,” I sent this message, then turned over to sleep. Unexpectedly, the next morning, Liam’s memories flooded into my mind. Liam was dead. He had fallen into the river near my home and drowned.

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I had been with Logan for two years as his nominal girlfriend. I was pretty and obedient, never saying no to Logan in or out of bed. The night his true love returned, I cried my eyes out, insisting he was the love of my life and I couldn’t live without him. After hearing the cold slam of the door as he left, I sat cross-legged and started punching numbers into a calculator: “1 + 1 + 1…” A mansion, two sports cars… Hehe…I can retire now… “What are you doing?” Logan’s voice from behind nearly made me drop the calculator in shock. My former sugar daddy glanced at the calculator in my hand, then at the manic grin I couldn’t quite hide. He raised an eyebrow: “You seem awfully happy about breaking up with me?” I had always thought Logan was quite satisfied with me over the years. I was sweet, obedient and understanding. I never pried into his affairs and was an expert at stroking his male ego: “Logan…I think I’m falling for you.” “Logan…how am I not good enough compared to her?” Each time I breathlessly whispered his name, Logan truly believed I was in love with him. I couldn’t help it – he gave me so much. I had to put on a bit of a show to ease my conscience about taking his money. If he hadn’t come back just now, I could have milked the heartbroken, lonely substitute act for another hundred episodes. Now Logan leaned against the doorframe, all long legs and narrow waist, his face expressionless as he looked at me: “…Didn’t you say you loved me most?” “Yes, yes, of course…” I nodded vigorously while frantically pressing the clear button on the calculator under my pillow: “Zero zero zero…” Shut up! “You seem awfully happy about breaking up with me?” …Well, not extremely happy. Our eyes met and the atmosphere grew awkward. I eyed him warily, carefully hiding the property deed under my pillow as I tried to act out the part of a devastated, obsessed girl pounding her pillow: “Logan! Logan! How will I ever live without you, Logan!” … “You can stop acting now, Aria.” So…I looked at him cautiously. Why did he come back? Wasn’t his true love returning today? Logan tossed his jacket on the sofa: “The city’s been locked down.” I quickly stuck my head out to look – the whole villa complex had been sealed off for quarantine! “Then…what about Olivia…” “She just landed at the airport and was taken straight to quarantine.” Wow, return to the country in chapter one, quarantine in chapter two. “So you’re staying here now?” I fingered the property deed with my name newly added to it. “Mm.” Oh…should I keep up the act or not? I watched Logan carefully. He sank into the sofa, clearly troubled, probably worried his rival would steal his true love’s heart first. “Why don’t you sign up to be a volunteer?” It was probably too late to get certified as a caregiver, but he could try volunteering to help his true love. “Aria, you seem very eager for me to leave?” …If he didn’t want to volunteer he could just say so. What was the point in calling out my true thoughts? “I…I just thought you might be anxious.” “Aria, our contract period is over. I can’t leave now, so I’ll borrow the upstairs study. Once quarantine ends, I’ll go.” “During this time, we’re simply roommates.” Logan raised his head, his eyes cold behind his gold-rimmed glasses: “And don’t try any tricks. Don’t have any illusions about our relationship.” Ah…no worries there, unless you’ve got another mansion to give me. True to his word, Logan slept in the upstairs study that night. When I got up bleary-eyed in the morning to make noodles, I heard movement upstairs – he was just finishing work. Work probably ranked even higher than Olivia for him. Logan was a Capricorn, so I guess horoscopes are pretty accurate. I was slurping noodles in the kitchen when Logan came downstairs. He opened the freezer drawer and reached for the coffee beans in the cabinet, then froze when he saw me: “Aria! What are you wearing?!” “Oh this…I don’t have any other clothes.” I glanced down at my skimpy outfit, then nonchalantly blew on my instant noodles. The sound of the washing machine reminded Logan that he had called me over suddenly two days ago, so I hadn’t brought many changes of clothes. The closet only held his clothes and the short skirts and cheongsams I had bought to please him out of professionalism. They hadn’t even been used yet before his true love returned. Logan grabbed an iced Americano and went back upstairs. Ten minutes later, two unopened dress shirts landed on the sofa. When Logan came down for lunch, I had left food on the table for him. It was quite a feast. Braised beef, spicy beef, mushroom chicken stew, pickled vegetable soup. I had set aside three flavors for him, in exchange for the two shirts. Logan clearly wasn’t used to eating this kind of instant food. He knocked on my door and came in when I answered. He stood there holding the instant noodles, his expression seeming to say: “Is this how you show your professed love for me?” “Shouldn’t you have made a proper four-dish meal to make me feel at home and deeply regret not being with you?” Why would I do something as stupid as making a huge meal for a man who wouldn’t come home, wasting all that food? I sat at the desk, not bothering to take off my headphones as I looked up at him. His gaze lingered briefly on the expanse of thigh visible below my shirt hem. Oh right, I couldn’t fit into Logan’s pants, but his shirt was long enough to wear as a dress. Before he could speak, I said: “Mister, cooking costs extra.” No more love, even the sweet “Logan honey” had turned into a cold “Mister”. Taken aback by my words, Logan didn’t get angry. “How much?” Money could solve any problem for him without causing extra emotions. I smiled and showed him a number, displaying my QR code. I hummed a little tune as I fried eggs wearing his shirt. Logan sat in the living room on a video call. I sensed his gaze flitting to my back several times – he must have been annoyed by me. After all, I used to profess my love for him so earnestly. As I bent down to open the fridge, I heard his assistant on the video call clear his throat softly, quietly reminding Logan it was his turn to speak. I turned around and our eyes met. Logan quickly averted his gaze as if electrified. The great workaholic Logan, distracted during a meeting? He must be plotting how to get back at me. I bent down to put a sandwich on the table in front of him, mouthing silently from behind his laptop: Remember to wash the dishes. Then I went back to my room to do practice questions with my headphones on. My relationship with sugar daddy Logan was purely an accident. His true love Olivia got together with his despised nephew Jack, which really stung him. Logan, that refined pervert with his superiority complex, refused to be outdone. A group of girls were fawning over him on the couch. I was working part-time, bending over with a fruit platter when I looked up and met Logan’s drunken gaze. His thin lips were like a knife. He carelessly removed my glasses with his elegant hand, leaning back on the sofa: “Strip.” His tone was casual, as if commenting on the nice weather. Seeing my hesitation, he asked: “Why aren’t you moving?” I noticed his expensive gold-rimmed glasses. The high-priced hostesses were fawning over him, but there was always an awkward invisible wall between them. Much later I learned that Logan had quirks – he hated people looking directly at him. Even when we were intimate, we never had much physical contact. I never even saw his face in the throes of passion. His gaze landed on the small red birthmark on my lower back. “Even your underwear is so shabby.” “And not even matching, hehe.” The girls next to him whispered, mocking my embarrassment. What could I do? I was poor. Logan put down his glass of amber liquid, the ice clinking. The light reflected dangerously in his sharp eyes, adding a wild, dangerous air: “You’ll do.” Logan had fallen for 19-year-old Olivia at first sight at a dinner between their families. But Olivia and his distant nephew Jack were childhood sweethearts. Both their families were prominent old money – a perfect match straight out of a novel. By family hierarchy, Olivia should call Logan “uncle” like Jack did. In terms of age and romance, he couldn’t compare to Jack. Olivia had worn a white dress to that dinner. The night Logan took me from the club, his assistant brought an identical white dress for me to wear. He blindfolded me, making me call his name over and over in the darkness. Sometimes I would secretly wonder what the normally focused, cold Logan in his crisp suit would look like in the throes of passion. Would he loosen his tie and throw back his head like a lone wolf, a bead of sweat rolling down his throat? I had once seen a photo of Olivia hidden in his desk drawer. She was wearing a cheerleader uniform, the blue and red skirt shimmering in the light. She looked radiant and confident, like a little sun that would never dim. The photo was clearly taken secretly – her face was a bit blurry. But there was a small birthmark on her lower back. In the same spot as mine. With Olivia, Logan was experiencing first love – gentle, protective, carefully building her up. But with me, it was wild abandon. Beneath the refined shirt and tie was a violent beast waiting to be unleashed. Logan wore royal blue silk pajamas, even the gold trim on the cuffs perfectly pressed. The top button was undone, revealing his defined collarbones. His skin was an unhealthy pale from overwork. When I came out wrapped in a towel after my shower, I saw Logan sitting on the sofa, chin propped on his hand as he stared at his laptop, lost in thought. That hand with its elegant knuckles was especially beautiful when signing checks for me. What was he thinking about? The weather turning cold? Which company to bankrupt next? Just then, my phone on the table rang – a video call from Zack. “Heard you’re in quarantine, sis! When are you coming – holy shit! Answering a video call right out of the shower, trying to challenge your bro’s moral limits?” Zack was a guy I met when I was working part-time in college. He stood up for me when customers harassed me, insisting I was his little sister in a past life. We became sworn siblings and with his protection, my days working at the food court became much easier. He was handsome and popular, ran a tattoo shop, and had girls chasing after him everywhere. “Wait, is that a guy behind you? It is, right!” “You’re cheating! Aria, you player!” I stiffly turned around to see Logan’s expressionless face. His look clearly said: “The contract states that Aria seeing multiple people counts as a violation.” I panicked and quickly cut off Zack’s wailing on the other end: “Bro! Stop messing around!” Then, considering my bright future prospects of picking up cute boys with Zack, I turned back to Logan’s now calm face with a big grin: “What nonsense! This is my uncle!” Logan’s smile froze. I placated Zack for a bit and promised to call him back that night. “I didn’t know you had a brother.” There’s a lot you don’t know about me. “Zack helped me out when I faced some trouble at my old job.” To prove it, I lifted my bangs and leaned in to show him the scar on my temple: “See, someone hit me with a plate.” I didn’t expect Logan to actually lean in and examine my scar closely. With his high brow bone, the crystal chandelier cast shadows in his eye sockets, making his gaze seem tender: “Who hurt you?” I have to admit, he could be quite charming when gentle. But Logan was still Logan – in the next moment he reverted to type: “I thought you were always the one doing the deceiving.” My heart skipped a beat at the mention of deception. …Logan couldn’t have discovered something, could he? If he found out I had deceived him, with Logan’s abilities, he’d probably make me give back everything I’d gotten from him. Summer in River City brought frequent rain. It started pouring again in the evening. For several days, Logan and I kept our distance. I made meals and he appeared right on time to eat. But tonight was different. The soy milk by my hand had cooled, but he still hadn’t come down. I was woken in the middle of the night by the sound of the coffee machine. I saw him in the kitchen, looking lost as he guzzled coffee, dark circles under his eyes. Had he lost a bid? Been dumped by Olivia? Whatever happened, don’t waste food! I picked up the tray of food and knocked on his door. No response, but the door was ajar and swung open with a push. Logan had fallen asleep slumped over his desk in the dark. Golden flecks of rain reflected on the floor-to-ceiling windows cast a lonely glow on his profile. I felt his forehead – no fever, but his hands were cold. He must have gotten chilled from the air conditioning and exhaustion. I turned off the AC, dragged him to the sofa, and covered him with a jacket. Logan looked quite intimidating even when silent. He seemed so peaceful lying there, his breathing becoming more even. Logan woke up in the middle of the night. The light was still on in my room, and he knocked softly on the door. I opened it a crack, eyeing him warily. What now? Was the capitalist going to make the working class get up and cook for him at this hour? Logan’s gaze flitted around before finally settling on my eyes: “…Thank you.” “The food on the table was very good. I reheated it.” “…Get some sleep soon.” I nodded and closed the door. I closed the door, but I sensed Logan was still standing outside. Logan had been acting very strangely these past few days. The next day I mentioned I was going to make noodles with vegetables. When I finished brushing my teeth and went to the kitchen, I found Logan washing the greens. The pink apron looked a bit awkward on him. Noticing me behind him, Logan explained: “I was just helping out.” After we finished eating, the high school kid next door came by to pick up some homework. That’s when Logan learned I was tutoring the neighbor’s child in exchange for vegetables. The greens in his bowl were what I had earned by staying up late solving practice problems. That evening, he surprisingly invited me into his study. We put our heads together to tackle the last bonus question. I was scribbling calculations on scratch paper when I suddenly looked up, catching Logan staring at me. He had been watching so intently that my sudden movement startled him. “I wasn’t looking at you!” He blurted out before I could say anything. When he saw me with my hair up bustling around the kitchen, he seemed to feel guilty. He put down his phone and came to help me carry dishes. As Logan reached for a plate, our fingertips brushed and he instinctively pulled back. My steaming bowl of fragrant rice crashed to the floor, the porcelain shattering. “That’s all the rice I made. Your portion is gone now.” As we ate, I noticed Logan seemed to want to say something several times. Finally, as he washed dishes and I went to get ice cream from the fridge, he set down the bowl and chopsticks and looked at my back: “I saw you listening to online classes the other day. Are you still in school?” “Mm-hmm.” “So when we first met, you were working part-time to pay for school?” “Mm-hmm.” “…Can you tell me more about yourself?” I looked up at him, ice cream stick in my mouth. The light above Logan’s head was dazzling, casting a halo around him. I was enveloped in his shadow – he looked almost saintly, so unlike the usual emotionless Logan. I suspected the overwork had addled his brain. I hesitated before speaking: “Why are you asking so much? Are you…” “Planning some targeted poverty alleviation?” Our relationship had thawed considerably. The night before quarantine ended, I ordered some late night snacks and opened Logan’s prized collection of liquor. We clinked glasses filled with amber liquid. “It’s been a pleasure working with you. Here’s to my sugar daddy finding his true love soon.” Logan looked at me hesitantly, but still clinked his glass: “Here’s to…” He didn’t know what to wish for me. “To getting rich,” I finished. That demon of a man actually smiled: “Alright, to getting rich.” Empty bottles were scattered across the table and floor. We drank our way from the table to the floor-to-ceiling windows. I skillfully opened bottle after bottle with chopsticks. “You’re quite something, little girl.” Even drunk, Logan’s gaze was sharp. He leaned against the wall, his words as cutting as ever: “That’s why when I first saw you, I thought you were a professional.” I turned my head to look at Logan, flashing him a smile: “You know where you went wrong?” “With your emotional intelligence, you’ll never match up to Jack even if you’re reborn twice.” “If you want to pursue Olivia, do it properly.” “If you truly loved someone, why would you need a substitute?” “Or…are you just insecure? Afraid you can’t measure up to your nephew?” I laughed at that point – how could someone as rich as Logan be insecure? If I had his money, I’d go after whoever I liked without hesitation. He was quite drunk, his shirt a wrinkled mess. He swayed unsteadily as he tried to come teach me a lesson, but he could barely stand. He collapsed into my arms. Propping himself up against me in his drunken haze, he mumbled: “What if I don’t love her…” “Then Aria, do you love me…” Love? Of course I love you. “Of course I love you.” I stroked his cheek tenderly. “Mr. Logan, you’re so rich – Aria White, Aria Black, Aria Rainbow all love you.” He seemed to find that hilarious, letting out a soft chuckle: “As expected of you, Aria.” “I knew early on you were different.” Early on? How early? “That day I saw you gleefully calculating all that money.” “And then I realized, in this very room, you were crying and professing your love for me over and over.” “Your acting skills are quite pleasing, but I know you’re just sweet-talking me. Your heart isn’t in it.” I lowered my eyes. That’s not so early, Mr. Logan. There’s still so much you don’t know. “Why did you agree to be with me?” “I didn’t have money for school. Accepting donations and reciting gratitude speeches in public was humiliating.” It felt like being stripped naked in front of everyone. I was well-developed, and even loose clothes couldn’t hide my figure. When I went on stage to give speeches, those balding middle-aged businessmen would look me up and down, their gazes lingering on my chest, making me uncomfortable. Logan froze for a moment, then said very softly, “I’m sorry.” See, that’s why I say he’s only a demon in the business world. In romance, he can’t even compete with a young upstart like Jack. He doesn’t know how to truly love someone. While Jack was holding hands and going for passionate kisses, Logan was playing the good brother role. All that pent-up passion in his suit was only unleashed on me. Thinking of how he had cornered me in the kitchen to ask about my past, was that pity or guilt on his face? I couldn’t tell. But what difference did it make if he knew? Would he pity or sympathize with me now that he knew? Someone like Logan, who had gained neither benefit nor love, had no right to pity me. So that day I looked up at him very sincerely, ice cream stick in my mouth: “Only a foolish girl who gets neither money nor love is pitiful. I’m only after one of those things – that’s not too greedy, is it?” What difference was there between his condescending pity and the scrutiny when he pinned me to the table? Slightly tipsy from the alcohol, Logan seemed to have fallen asleep, his head resting on my shoulder, his face flushed. The night was hazy with mist. I stroked Logan’s Adam’s apple, feeling it jump sharply under my cold palm. In his half-conscious state, he turned to speak to me, his lips brushing my earlobe, his hot breath tickling my ear. His voice was soft and gentle, like the wind, like mist, like the rain outside. So unlike him. With the cover of his drunkenness and the moonlight, he carefully caressed my cheek: “Aria, I’m sorry for before…”

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Three years after our divorce, my ex-wife was in a car accident and lost her memory, reverting to when she was eighteen and loved me the most. She coldly rejected the other woman she once adored, ignored the humiliation and hurt she had caused me, and stubbornly insisted on moving into my house despite my indifference. She clung to me, acting sweet and expressing her love. I played along, watching coldly as she fell deeper. Until later, when she regained her memory and tearfully begged me on her knees to remarry her. Little did she know, thanks to her, I was dying. I would die in the year when she was most vulnerable and helpless after being betrayed by the other woman… And when she loved me the most. When I arrived at the hospital, I heard Lily arguing with someone. She was sitting on the hospital bed, her head still wrapped in bandages, but she didn’t look like a patient at all. “I don’t know you, please don’t touch me!” Lily said. Jake, Lily’s secretary, was holding a bowl of porridge, looking helpless. “Lily, it’s me. I’m your boyfriend.” Lily’s beautiful eyes scrutinized Jake suspiciously. She tilted her head and said, “Boyfriend? You’re lying. My boyfriend is Adrian.” At the mention of my name, a flash of darkness crossed Jake’s eyes, but he still said good-naturedly, “Lily, be good. You haven’t eaten all day. Let me feed you some porridge.” Jake scooped up a spoonful of porridge and tried to feed Lily, but she swatted his hand away without even looking, spilling the hot porridge all over Jake. “Get out! Don’t touch me.” Jake wearily pressed his temples and called someone to clean up. It was in this chaotic scene that I appeared. I pushed through the crowd and called out, “Lily.” Lily, who had been burying her face in her knees, suddenly looked up at the sound of my voice, her eyes lighting up with joy. “Adrian!” She was about to jump off the bed and into my arms. I quickly stopped her, saying, “Don’t move. You’ve just been in a car accident. You shouldn’t make any sudden movements.” Lily pouted, reluctantly settling back onto the bed. “Okay. They say I’ve lost my memory. Is that true? But I clearly remember you, my parents, and even the homework Mr. Zhang assigned yesterday. How could I have lost my memory?” Mr. Zhang was our math teacher. Lily’s behavior clearly showed that her memory had reverted to our high school days. Before I could speak, Jake cut in, “Lily, it’s 2024 now. You’re thirty years old.” Lily glared at Jake fiercely and said angrily, “I don’t believe you. Adrian, this weird guy keeps lying to me. Get me out of here quickly.” Jake’s face visibly darkened. After all, being called weird by the person you love isn’t a pleasant experience. Looking at Lily’s clear and innocent eyes, I sighed and said, “Lily, Jake isn’t lying. It really is 2024 now.” Lily’s eyes widened suddenly. I turned to Jake, gesturing for him to bring over Lily’s scans. As I held the scans up to the light, Lily playfully whistled at me and said, “I never imagined our Adrian would really become a doctor. You must look especially handsome in a white coat.” This little flirt’s behavior was exactly the same as in high school. However, I could no longer perform surgeries now. I put down the scans and said, “Now do you believe that you’ve lost your memory?” Lily nodded glumly and said, “You wouldn’t lie to me. If you say so, then it must be true.” Jake’s face became even more unpleasant. He stepped forward and said softly, “Lily, you see, I wasn’t lying to you.” Lily didn’t even look at Jake. She hugged my arm and said, “Adrian, is this guy really my boyfriend? Did we break up later? How is that possible? I like you the most. Did you leave me?” A barrage of questions hit me, and I looked at Lily clinging to me obediently, not knowing where to start. How could I tell her that we got married and then divorced? How could I tell her that in the first year of our marriage, she fell in love with someone else? How could I tell her that we once vowed never to see each other again? I held Lily’s hand and said heavily, “We didn’t break up.” Lily’s eyes lit up, with a hint of “I knew it” pride. I gently removed Lily’s arms from around me and said flatly, “We got divorced.”

When I saw the momentary shatter in Lily’s eyes, I felt a twinge of guilt. Tears slowly welled up in Lily’s eyes, and she asked me with a choked voice, “Why? Didn’t we swear in front of the snow-capped mountains that we’d be together forever? It’s only been a few years, and you’ve already broken your promise?” Lily and I chose to travel for our wedding, from the heart of the country all the way to the west. We sang in the desert, drank by the sea, and at the moment when the sun shone on the golden mountain, we vowed to be together forever. But just six months later, another man appeared by Lily’s side. At that time, Jake had just graduated from university. Due to his inexperience, he had made a big mistake for the company. Lily was originally going to fire Jake, but I felt sorry for him and pleaded on his behalf. Only then did Lily agree to give Jake another chance. Little did I know that this small act of kindness would plant a huge hidden danger for myself. It took Jake only two months to become Lily’s secretary. And in another three months, he had climbed into Lily’s bed. Lily bit her lip hard, not letting the tears fall from her eyes. This stubborn look was no different from how she was over a decade ago. I crouched down, leveling my eyes with Lily’s, and said, “Lily, I didn’t break my promise. It was you. You fell in love with someone else and chose to divorce me.” Lily was so shocked that she forgot to cry, staring at me blankly. I slowly stood up and said, “From the scans, you don’t have any major issues. You just need to rest for a while and you’ll be fine. I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.” With that, I turned to leave. Lily called my name with a trembling voice. I stopped in my tracks but didn’t turn around. After a moment, I opened the door and left. I came to the hospital today not only to see Lily but also for another matter. I pressed the elevator button and made my way to my friend Dr. Lucas’s office. Dr. Lucas handed me a large bag of medicine and said, “Adrian, are you sure you don’t want to keep fighting?” I shook my head with a bitter smile and said, “No, chemotherapy is too painful. You know I can’t bear it. Besides, even with chemo, it might not work, right? It’s already late-stage anyway.” Knowing that my mind was made up, Dr. Lucas didn’t try to persuade me further. He leaned back in his chair and asked, “I heard Lily was in a car accident and has lost her memory now?” I nodded, and Dr. Lucas let out a contemptuous laugh, saying, “God is blind. Why didn’t He take her away instead!” “Lucas!” I reprimanded him. Dr. Lucas widened his eyes in disbelief and asked, “Don’t tell me, Adrian, that you still have feelings for that woman? Don’t forget who made it impossible for you to ever hold a scalpel again.” Dr. Lucas’s words made me close my eyes in pain. That day was the tenth anniversary of our relationship. I had prepared gifts and a candlelit dinner at home, but Lily never came back. I reheated the food on the table over and over again. Finally, I received a call from Lily’s phone. But it wasn’t her voice on the other end. Jake anxiously told me that Lily was in trouble. I rushed to the location Jake sent me. As soon as I pushed open the door, I saw a man about to smash a broken bottle at Lily. Without thinking, I used my hand to shield Lily from the blow. As a result, my hand was covered in blood from the shattered glass. After the surgery, the doctor told me that several of my tendons had been severed. It wouldn’t affect my daily life, but I would never be able to perform delicate procedures like surgery again. When Lily found out, she cried uncontrollably. She lay by my hospital bed, saying she was sorry. At that time, I thought, exchanging my dream for my loved one’s life was still worth it. So I stroked her head and told her that to me, she was more precious than my dream. Until later, when Jake suddenly approached me and said, “Mr. Chen, actually, Lily loves me. She’s been tired of you for a long time but didn’t have the heart to tell you because of all these years together. There’s five hundred thousand in this card. Lily hopes you can part ways amicably.” Of course, I didn’t believe him. Jake just smiled lightly and said, “Mr. Chen, do you know? I’m actually very grateful to you. If it weren’t for you, I would have been the one with severed tendons.”

Only then did I realize that the real reason Lily got into an argument with others that day was because Jake had accidentally spilled wine on the boss sitting opposite them while pouring. The boss said a few words to him, and Jake, unwilling to back down, started arguing with them. Lily, in an attempt to stand up for her secretary, got into an argument with them, which led to what happened later. In my ear, Dr. Lucas was still earnestly advising me not to make the same mistake again. I waved my hand and said, “Don’t worry, how could I possibly fall in the same place twice?” However, the very next day, Lily knocked on my door. A thirty-year-old body housing an eighteen-year-old soul made Lily look particularly strange. For example, an adult sucking on a strawberry-flavored lollipop while sitting on my couch, curiously examining the interior decor. “Adrian, is this our home? It’s so shabby and small. Didn’t you say you’d buy me a villa when you made a lot of money?” Lily jumped onto me, clinging to me like a koala. My hand, which was making tea, paused. I said, “I did buy one, in Blue Bay Residences.” Lily bit her fingernail and said, “Oh, that house is yours? I thought it was Jake’s.” I’m a doctor, and my income isn’t as high as Lily’s, but I still wanted to give Lily a home through my own efforts. I worked tirelessly and finally saved enough for a down payment. On the day we moved into the new home, I carried Lily and spun her around in the living room. At that time, she held tightly onto my neck, saying she was the happiest woman in the world. Later, she had an affair with Jake in that very house. That day, I came home after a night shift to find Jake wearing my pajamas, lying on my pillow, holding Lily as they slept soundly. All the blood in my body froze. It was almost by instinct that I yanked Jake up. Lily let out a scream, kneeling on the ground begging for my forgiveness. She said she had drunk too much and couldn’t remember anything. In the end, I chose to believe Lily. I told her to replace Jake. She did, but not in bed. After catching them together for what felt like the hundredth time, I filed for divorce. Lily agreed, and we quickly got our divorce papers. I felt disgusted, so I didn’t take anything with me when I left. Surprisingly, Jake didn’t seem to mind, and the two of them continued living there for quite some time. I didn’t continue this topic and asked Lily why she had come. Lily grinned and hugged my waist, saying, “You’re my boyfriend. Of course, I should be wherever you are.” I pried her hands off and said flatly, “Didn’t I tell you? We’re already divorced.” Lily put her hands on her hips and said righteously, “The thirty-year-old Lily divorced you. What does that have to do with me, the eighteen-year-old Lily? I don’t care. I just want to be with you. At worst, I’ll pursue you all over again.” Actually, our relationship had been Lily’s forceful pursuit. In high school, Lily was the school’s star. Beautiful, from a well-off family, she was every boy’s goddess.

In comparison, I was much more ordinary. Average looks, average family background, raised by my mother alone since I was young. The only thing extraordinary about me was probably my consistently top-ranking grades. I don’t know what about me attracted Lily, but one day, I inexplicably became Lily’s boyfriend. When I tried to explain to others, Lily would suddenly appear by my side, link her arm with mine, and say with a smile, “Adrian is shy, don’t tease him.” At that time, I hated Lily to the core and wanted nothing more than to stay far away from her. Until one day, I saw her at my home. She was munching on a pancake, waving at me happily. My mom told me that if it weren’t for Lily’s help, her street stall would have been confiscated by the city management that day. In her haste, Lily had even scraped her hand, which my mom had carefully bandaged. But Lily acted as if it didn’t hurt at all, smiling carefreely as she said, “Classmate Chen, your mom’s pancakes are so delicious!” That was the first time I felt that Lily wasn’t so annoying after all. Later, we gradually became closer. We promised to apply to universities in the same city and to get married after graduation. “Will you agree? Will you agree?” Lily tugged at the hem of my shirt, whining. Suddenly, I had an idea. I nodded and said okay. Lily smiled somewhat mischievously and threw herself into my arms. She was about to say something when there was a knock at the door. I opened the door, only to be knocked down by Jake’s punch. “Adrian, seducing a married woman? Have you no shame?” Jake yelled. If it weren’t for my weakened body due to illness, I would have taught Jake a lesson. But now, I could only lean against the doorframe, taking a long time to recover. Lily rushed out, standing in front of me, pointing at Jake and cursing, “Are you fucking crazy? I’ve told you I don’t like you. Why are you still pestering me?” As soon as Jake saw Lily, his aggression diminished considerably. He put on a placating smile and said, “Lily, you’ve lost your memory. You have no relationship with him now. I’m your boyfriend.” Lily crossed her arms, looking Jake up and down, then snorted coldly, “I may have lost my memory, but I haven’t lost my mind. Me, like you? A toad yearning for swan’s flesh, what kind of dream are you having? Get lost now, or I’ll call a whole group of people to beat you up.” For a moment, it felt like we had truly returned to the past. When Lily’s admirers came to cause trouble for me, she would shield me just like this. Jake glared at me hatefully and sneered, “Adrian, you coward. You can only hide behind a woman for the rest of your life.” I retorted, not backing down, “Jake, you’re not a coward. You’re brave enough to climb into your boss’s bed.” The poor soundproofing in the old neighborhood meant our quarrel had attracted many onlookers. People were curiously pointing and discussing us. Jake’s face reddened, and with a “You just wait and see,” he hurriedly left. I coughed lightly and closed the door. Lily looked at me with starry eyes and said, “Wow, Adrian, you’re so cool. You made him run away with just one sentence.” I chuckled and patted Lily’s head, then took out my phone. In Lily’s memory, we were still using Nokia phones. She had no idea how to order takeout or call a ride-hailing service. I wonder how this little girl managed to find me across half the city. After an afternoon of learning, Lily was already able to play games on my phone. Feeling pleased, I made her a bowl of wonton for dinner. Focused on her game, Lily didn’t notice the bloodstained tissues in the trash can, nor did she see me swallow a handful of pills. My home didn’t have an extra room, so I gave the master bedroom to Lily and made do with the sofa for the night. And so, Lily and I began an odd cohabitation. Jake would come by from time to time, but without exception, he was always scolded away by Lily. Lily and I seemed to return to our passionate dating days. Her eyes no longer held resentment and disgust when she looked at me, but instead overflowed with love. Everything seemed to go back to how it was when we first got married. In the morning, I would get up first, prepare breakfast for Lily, squeeze out toothpaste for her, and then wake her up. She liked to sleep in, and I would patiently carry her to wash up every day. During the day, we each went to work. She was busy with business negotiations, and I was even busier with surgeries. We could hardly speak a word to each other throughout the entire day. Only the time after work was truly ours. We were no different from ordinary young couples. We shopped at supermarkets together, bought groceries together. At home, I was the chef, and she was my assistant. Though calling her an assistant was generous; it was more like causing trouble. She would eat the tomatoes I had cut, or insist on tasting the soup before it was ready. When the kitchen was filled with the aroma of cooking, she would pull me close and exchange a tomato-flavored kiss with me. I was afraid that hot oil might splash and hurt her, or that the smoke would taint her skin. Every time I told her to leave the kitchen, she would hug my waist and say with a grin, “I’m not afraid. Wherever Adrian is, that’s where I’ll be.” Back then, Lily’s heart and eyes were full of me, and so were mine of her. I thought our days would continue like this forever, but when did things start to change? It was when Lily stopped mentioning Jake in front of me, when Lily secretly changed her phone password; when Lily began to resist intimate gestures with me. It was when Lily’s work became increasingly busy; when Lily’s gaze towards me gradually became cold and distant; when Lily made excuses about work and stopped coming home. Lily and I were like two intersecting lines, briefly touching before heading in different directions. I watched all of this happen before my eyes, powerless to change it.

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As the real daughter of the Anderson family, I was the top prodigy investor on Brooks Street. My biological parents found me, and I immediately saw how many of the Anderson family’s businesses were headed for disaster. Only if they handed over their businesses to me and stayed away from my arranged marriage partner, Parker Ward, could they turn the tide. But their adopted daughter, Gianna Anderson, thought I was trying to snatch her power. She teamed up with Parker and decided to teach me a lesson. In just the time I stepped out for a bit, the two of them beat the dog that had been with me since I was a kid to death. Gianna said with a meaningful look, “If this dog was trying to steal from me, wasn’t it right to kill it?” I held my already cold dog in my arms, and my eyes gradually turned icy cold. Such being the case, the Anderson family had no reason to exist anymore. Coco lay limp in my arms, not reacting at all. It was just a dog, and living for over ten years was already quite a long life. But it should have passed away peacefully. I held it a bit tighter, my gaze turning cold. Seeing my expression, Gianna and Parker only mocked me more. Gianna crouched down slightly, meeting my eyes. “Eleanor Anderson, you still haven’t answered my question.” I looked down at Coco and nodded silently. They looked even more smug, but I thought, “My dog might have deserved to die for stealing from you, but you killing it means you won’t end well either.” Gianna couldn’t guess my thoughts and leaned in to warn me, “I’m warning you, Eleanor. If you were smart, you wouldn’t have come back to the Anderson family. If you keep trying to take power from me, I can’t guarantee what might happen next time besides this little dog.” I stared into her venomous eyes while Parker chimed in, “Exactly. I don’t know what Mr. Colton Anderson and Mrs. Layla Anderson were thinking. Gianna and I have been close since childhood. I never wanted to marry you. Just because you’re the long-lost daughter, you get to be the one in this arranged marriage? Why?” I clenched my fists tightly, trying hard to hold back the urge to strangle them. After taking a deep breath, I gritted my teeth and nodded. “Yeah, why?” Honestly, I never had this in mind at first. It was just that my father, Colton Anderson, and my mother, Layla Anderson, found me after so many years, so I thought I’d do something for the Anderson family. I got lost when I was five, sold abroad by traffickers, and adopted by my current parents. The only reason I could come back was because of the compassion I felt for Gianna, who was adopted by the Anderson family. But I never expected that the well-behaved and sensible little sister I remembered would turn out like this now. Seeing my attitude, they seemed quite satisfied. Gianna shot a disgusted look at my dog, then stepped back. “Alright, hurry up and get rid of your dog. It’s such bad luck.” I could hardly hold back my anger. If I stayed there for one more second, I wouldn’t be able to control myself and would do something. So, I immediately left the Anderson family’s villa, holding Coco in my arms. I dug a hole by myself, wrapped Coco with my clothes, and placed its favorite snacks with it. Tears finally welled up in my eyes, and I choked out with a sob. “Coco, don’t worry. I will make them pay for this.” When I got home after calming down, Colton and Layla were already back. Colton looked at me with a rather unpleasant expression. “Eleanor, don’t keep those ungrateful animals anymore. It almost hurt Gianna today. It deserved to die.” Seeing Gianna’s pitiful face, I knew she had successfully twisted the story and managed to convince them it was my dog who had acted up and bit her first. Gianna noticed my sour expression and nervously said, “Sorry, Eleanor. I was just too scared and accidentally hurt it. Can you forgive me?” I stayed silent, and Colton chimed in, “What’s with the attitude? Gianna is apologizing to you out of kindness. This whole thing was your fault anyway. I think we should put off discussing the business stuff you mentioned earlier.” Layla looked at me and quickly tried to smooth things over. “Come on. Calm down, everyone. Eleanor, I just found out about Coco. How about this? We’ll go to the pet store and pick out another dog with a good personality sometime. As for the family business, you just got home, and there are a lot of things you don’t understand yet. We can’t let you do things recklessly.” They were so out of touch, living comfortably here for too long, forgetting how the market outside had changed. Just then, Parker’s phone rang. He took it out and was overjoyed when he saw the message. He quickly showed it to Colton and Layla. “Mr. Colton Anderson, Mrs. Layla Anderson, look at this. The projects I asked you to invest in last week are now soaring in value.” “Really?” Colton and Layla were overjoyed. Parker even held his phone in front of me to show me the financing report, looking proud and mocking. “Eleanor, didn’t you say that these investments were going to crash? But it seems that their future prospects are pretty promising.” I just glanced at his phone and replied coldly, “That’s just smoke and mirrors, designed to fool someone like you who’s done a few years of finance and thinks they’re a know-it-all.”

They looked displeased as soon as they heard what I said. What I said was basically a public slap in their faces. They had more or less looked into my background before. Although they couldn’t find much beyond my graduation from a finance department at some overseas university, they knew I wasn’t just making things up. Parker’s face turned from red to pale as he criticized me, saying, “What do you know? Just because you studied abroad, you think you’re all that, Eleanor? Do you even know the domestic market trends? You’re just talking nonsense, trying to mess things up.” Gianna stood by, playing the pitiful and weak card. “Eleanor, you don’t understand the family business. Maybe you shouldn’t say such things. Isn’t business investment all about hoping for good fortune?” I ignored their comments and turned to Colton and Layla. “Mom, Dad, I hope you can trust me. I’m not just making this up.” But they also looked grim. Colton rubbed his temples and looked at me coldly. “Are you trying to make me angry? How many years have you studied finance and economics? I’ve been in the business world for so many years. Do you think I don’t know what I’m doing?” Layla sighed softly, reaching out to hold my hand, “Eleanor, even if you have a point, it’s just your guess. How about learning a bit more at the family company first?” I gently pulled my hand away from Layla, went to my room, and brought out my tablet to show them a chart analyzing the cash flow and stock market trends of Parker’s project. I just took one look and mapped out the future path. “See here. It quickly raised funds at the very start. Right now, you’re in the lending phase. This is a classic pyramid scheme, using small profits to lure big money. When you move more funds in, it’ll just gobble it up like a greedy beast, taking in but never letting out.” Colton and Layla’s expressions showed they were swayed by my words, but Parker just sneered, “Learned a few tricks and think you really know something? What do you know after wandering around all those years?” Colton and Layla initially seemed curious about what I’d say next. But after hearing Parker’s comment, they snapped back to disbelief. I sighed, tempted to reveal my true identity. I thought, “A so-called ‘low-tier’ university? You may find it to be world-ranked if I mention it. What do I know? If I didn’t know anything, I’d never have made it on Brooks Street.” But before I could continue, Colton interrupted me, “Your ideas are really naive and need more refinement. You should stick with Parker and Gianna to learn more.” Gianna beamed at his words, feigning modesty. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll definitely teach Eleanor well.” She won Colton and Layla over, but her gaze towards me was full of smug satisfaction. Parker seized the moment to say, “Mr. Colton Anderson, Mrs. Layla Anderson, there’s actually something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you, and it’s also what my family has in mind.” As soon as Colton heard this, he said, “Just say it straight. I’ve been friends with your parents for ages.” Parker nodded, giving me a knowing glance. “After spending some time with Eleanor, my family and I think that Gianna, who grew up with me, is a better match for an alliance. We know her well. As for Ms. Anderson…” He dragged out the words, looking at me with disdain, but everyone there knew what he meant. Someone who had been wandering for over a decade like me wouldn’t be of much use in a marriage alliance. Gianna, though not their biological daughter, was as good as the Anderson family’s real heiress. Hearing this, Gianna looked expectantly at Colton and Layla. In the past, Colton and Layla might have tried to persuade them. But this time they said nothing, a stark contrast to their previous insistence that I was the only candidate for the marriage. They just chuckled and said they’d discuss it later. But I knew this was a shift in focus. I sighed, keeping my thoughts to myself, thinking, “This family is utterly clueless.” Meanwhile, Colton’s phone rang with an invitation for him and Layla to attend a business gala. Upon hearing this, Gianna narrowed her eyes and shot me a condescending look. “Mom, Dad, why not bring Eleanor along? She could learn a thing or two.” Colton agreed immediately.

“At the party later, don’t go babbling about pyramid schemes. Everyone there is someone important. Don’t embarrass me. Got it?” On the way, Colton warned me not to speak recklessly. I turned my head to look out the window and nodded slightly. Once we arrived, Colton was the first to put on a polite smile and start schmoozing with all the big shots. I wasn’t really interested in this kind of scene. I was supposed to be in the world of fame and fortune, or at least in the consulting room of one of Brooks Street’s financial giants. These small gatherings didn’t really cut it for me. Parker then brought over a middle-aged man with a friendly face and introduced him to Colton. “Mr. Colton Anderson, this is Samuel Price, the partner I mentioned to you last time.” Samuel shook hands with Colton in a friendly manner and got straight to the point, introducing the project. He spoke with such professionalism and grandeur. But as I listened, I was getting uneasy. I could spot at least three schemes in his pitch. How could Colton be listening to his spiel with such admiration? And he even seemed almost convinced. I couldn’t just stand by and watch our hard-won family fortune crumble. So, I politely stepped forward during a pause in Samuel’s speech and seized the opportunity to say, “Hello, sir. I’m Mr. Colton Anderson’s eldest daughter.” Samuel was taken aback, glancing at Colton and Parker, whose expressions had instantly become gloomy, and instinctively nodded politely. “Mr. Colton Anderson has such a grown-up daughter. You’re really beautiful.” I cut through his superficial niceties, getting straight to the point. “I heard what you mentioned about the project. To be honest, I know a bit about finance, too. Could you tell me where the network IP address for this project is? You kept talking about returns but didn’t mention this part.” Samuel was momentarily at a loss for words, surprised that I went straight for the project’s weak spot. But a scammer was indeed responsive. After a brief pause, he kept his cool, smiling, “Ms. Anderson, you’re asking about the server’s IP, right? It’s set up in a separate base abroad. If I may say, jumping straight to this question is a bit impolite.” After our discussion, I noticed some eyes subtly turning towards me. I pretended not to notice and chuckled, “Yeah, if it’s set up abroad, you guys could easily launder money and disappear with a new identity, right? Who do you think you’re fooling with such a clumsy scam?”

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My wife was cyberbullied during a live stream and committed suicide by slitting her wrists, unable to bear the humiliation. Before she died, she left a message asking me to avenge her. I endured years of hardship and finally managed to ruin the reputation of the female streamer from back then. As I pushed the female streamer off a high-rise building and was being taken away by the police, I saw my supposedly dead wife step out of a Bentley in the crowd, smiling at me. “Thank you for getting rid of my biggest obstacle.” I was stunned as I looked at the man in the car who bore a resemblance to the female streamer. I realized I had been used. After being locked up, I was subjected to inhumane torture. In just one month, I died from exhaustion. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day my wife attempted suicide. I rushed in, bursting through the door, startling Isabella who was about to end her life. The prop knife in her hand only left a shallow scratch on her wrist before she dropped it on the floor. “Isabella, what are you doing?” I tried my best to look shocked as I pulled the panicked Isabella into my arms. My eyes secretly scanned the mini camera on the wall, and a smirk of satisfaction tugged at the corner of my lips. After being reborn to this day, the first thing I did was install this surveillance camera. Isabella in my arms also came to her senses and buried her face in my shoulder, crying her heart out. “Ryan, just let me die. I’ve been cyberbullied for being vain and money-hungry. I don’t have the courage to live anymore.” She lifted her tear-stained face from my embrace, a pitiful expression appearing on that face that used to melt my heart, making it hard for anyone to refuse her. Thinking back to my previous life, I was deceived by her fragile exterior. Back then, there were plenty of rich heirs pursuing her, but she insisted on staying with me. How could she possibly be the vain and greedy woman that Autumn, the female streamer, described? Autumn wasn’t just a well-known online streamer, she was also the heir to the Wilson Group. To avenge Isabella, I quit my high-paying job and endured years of hardship at Wilson Group, finally succeeding in attracting Autumn’s attention. During that time, I used Autumn’s trust in me to secretly bring down the Wilson Group. On the day Autumn and I were to be married, I pushed her off the hotel rooftop. But what I never expected was that when the police were taking me away, I saw Isabella, who should have been dead for years, step out of a familiar Bentley. I immediately recognized the man in the car as Autumn’s brother, Chris. “Thank you for getting rid of my biggest obstacle.” “Now I can marry into the Wilson family and become the young Mrs. Wilson without anyone opposing.” Isabella’s elegant and luxurious appearance dazzled my eyes. Later in the detention center, I was subjected to inhuman abuse and torture. In just one month, I died there under mysterious circumstances. After death, in spirit form, I learned that the mastermind behind it all was actually Isabella. She had bribed people there to silence me. I could never understand why Isabella, if she was so vain, would insist on marrying a poor guy like me. The resentment in my heart was like an endless night, enveloping me and dragging me into a dark, bottomless abyss. Perhaps my obsession was too strong, and I was actually reborn to the day Isabella attempted suicide. Since she wanted to die so badly, I decided to lend her a helping hand.

Having made up my mind, I gently pushed Isabella away. Pretending not to see the prop knife on the floor, I turned and went to the kitchen to pour her a glass of warm milk. “Isabella, don’t say such silly things. Here, drink some milk to calm your nerves.” “Don’t worry, I know you better than anyone. I believe in you.” After crying for a while, Isabella’s mouth was dry. Without thinking, she drank the entire glass of milk. After finishing, she used the excuse of being tired to send me out. But what she didn’t know was that I had put a large dose of sleeping pills in the milk. What was about to happen would be beyond her control. I sat in the living room, silently watching the clock on the wall. As time ticked by minute by minute, second by second, the doorbell finally rang as expected. “Ryan, where’s my sister?” The visitor was Isabella’s sister, Megan. As soon as she came in, she slapped me across the face. To ensure the plan could proceed smoothly, I suppressed the anger in my heart and swallowed this bitter pill. I pointed towards the bedroom and followed behind Megan as she entered. As soon as we walked in, we saw Isabella lying motionless on the bed, with a deep, bone-deep wound on her wrist. The bright red bloodstains had soaked the bedding, looking shocking and eerie under the glare of the white light. Megan threw herself onto Isabella, wailing for a while. Noticing my approach, she suddenly stood up and raised her hand, bringing it down hard on my face. Slap! My head was knocked to the side, half of my face burning hot, and my eardrum ringing from the blow. “Useless! You can’t even protect your own wife.” “Ryan, are you even a man? My sister’s life was taken by cyberbullying and public opinion. If you don’t avenge her, I won’t acknowledge you as my brother-in-law!” The emotionally charged Megan cried as she threw a suicide note in my face. I looked down, and sure enough, it was the same as in my previous life. Isabella wanted me to avenge her. “Sis, don’t worry. I will avenge Isabella. But now, let’s take her to the hospital for emergency treatment.” I pinched my thigh hard, squeezing out two tears of sorrow. Pretending to be anxious, I came to the bedside and reached out to check Isabella’s cut, making a show of dialing for an ambulance. Megan was startled and quickly hung up my phone. “I’ve already checked. Isabella has no pulse. According to our hometown customs, we need to dress her in funeral clothes immediately.” She hurriedly pushed me out the door, telling me to go buy a set of funeral clothes right away. At the same time, she craned her neck, blocking my view of Isabella. I could only comply, walking out a couple of steps before turning back. I raised my hand with a confused look, “Sis, what’s this thing on my hand?” “Huh? Let me see.” Megan didn’t expect me to suddenly turn back, and a flash of panic quickly crossed her eyes. She frowned and tore off a strangely colored tape from my hand. Her uneasy eyes darted around, and her expression became increasingly uncomfortable. It looked a bit like… I suspiciously peeked into the room and widened my eyes, “Sis, am I seeing things? The cut on Isabella’s wrist seems to have disappeared.” Reminded by me, Megan’s face turned pale, and she instinctively closed the door. “You, you’re seeing things. Don’t waste time, go buy the funeral clothes quickly.” Hearing her panicked voice coming through the door crack, I smirked and responded, turning to leave. After leaving, I followed Megan’s instructions and bought a set of funeral clothes from a funeral home. But I didn’t rush back. Instead, I found a bubble tea shop, sipping on a drink while opening the surveillance camera feed on my phone. In the surveillance feed, Megan patted Isabella, trying to wake her up. But Isabella showed no response. Frustrated, Megan cursed under her breath, picked up the prop knife from the floor, and forcefully cut Isabella’s wrist. A deep wound immediately appeared on her fair wrist, blood flowing from the cut and dripping onto the floor, forming a small pool of blood. “Does it have to be this realistic? It looks just like the real thing.” Megan was shocked by the scene before her. She stood there, holding the prop knife, not knowing what to do. Seeing that it was about right, I quickly brought the funeral clothes back. “Sis, why is there so much blood?” “It seems Isabella really can’t be saved.” I pointed at the pool of blood on the floor in horror, catching a glimpse of Isabella on the bed. Her face was pale, her brows furrowed, as if she was showing signs of waking up. In the heat of the moment, I didn’t wait for Megan to explain and started helping Isabella change into the funeral clothes. As I changed her, I cried, even pressing hard on Isabella’s wound, making her bleed faster. “This, how would I know? Look at you, your rough hands are pressing on Isabella’s wound.” “Forget it, you’re too emotional. Let me do it.” With that, Megan unceremoniously pushed me out. She closed the door, not letting me in, saying she was worried I would have an emotional breakdown. In fact, I knew she was afraid the fake wound on Isabella’s wrist would be exposed. Too bad, before I left, I had already replaced the prop knife with a real one. I have to say, Megan was just all breasts and no brains. Stupid! I leaned against the door, listening to the movements inside. Hearing that she had finished changing clothes and was about to open the door, I quickly moved away and pretended to make a phone call. “Hello, is this the funeral home? My wife has passed away. Can you send someone to take her away?”

As soon as Megan came out, she heard this and immediately panicked. She snatched my phone away and scolded, “According to our hometown customs, Isabella’s body needs to be buried.” “Besides, even though Isabella is your wife, the fact is you failed to protect her. You don’t have the right to make decisions about her funeral arrangements.” She suddenly became assertive, calling to arrange a hearse, willing to pay thousands more in transport fees rather than let Isabella be taken by the crematorium. “Sis, what era are we living in? Our hometown is so far from here, the body will start to decompose before we get there.” Knowing I was in the wrong, I lowered my head and tried to negotiate with Megan. But she ignored me completely, sitting alone in the living room informing relatives back home about the death. Taking advantage of this moment, I quietly opened the surveillance feed and saw a horrifying scene. Isabella had woken up in the room. She dragged her weak body, trying to turn the doorknob, but due to excessive blood loss, she collapsed on the floor before she could reach it, unable to get up again. Lying on the floor, barely clinging to life, she struggled to open her phone. My heart was in my throat. If she contacted Megan at this moment, wouldn’t my entire plan be ruined? Fortunately, it was just a false alarm. Isabella operated her phone for a few moments before passing out from exhaustion. By now, I was already sweating profusely with anxiety. After some hesitation, I decided to make the first move. “Sis, I hear something from the room. Could it be that Isabella isn’t dead?” I rushed into the room in one swift move, quickly pocketing Isabella’s phone. Megan hurriedly hung up the phone and followed closely behind. Looking flustered, she forcefully pushed me aside from behind. “Sis, why is Isabella lying on the floor? Could it be that she’s not dead and was trying to call for help?” I excitedly grabbed Megan, looking at her with hopeful eyes. Megan was stunned by this bizarre scene. After a moment of bewilderment, her eyes darted around as she casually said, “What nonsense are you talking about? I put her on the floor earlier to make it easier to change her clothes.” “Oh, my poor sister!” Perhaps realizing that she hadn’t managed her expression well, Megan immediately put on a grief-stricken face and threw herself onto Isabella’s body, crying her eyes out. It wasn’t until the hearse arrived that she got up from Isabella’s body. The hearse drove to a construction section ahead, where the road was blocked and they couldn’t proceed. We asked the construction team and were told the road would be closed for two days. “Sis, let’s cremate her after all. This is the only road to the highway. If we wait for two days, the body will start to decompose.” I smiled gratefully at the foreman, my old classmate. Turning back to the car, I discussed with Megan. Hearing that the body might decompose, the driver quickly refunded our money and kicked us out of the car. Megan looked uncomfortable but insisted on carrying Isabella over the construction site herself. The crucial point was that she wouldn’t let me help, insisting on doing it alone. My old classmate had piled up the road section into a small mountain of steel pipes in advance. Megan, being a woman, didn’t have enough strength and fell several times, causing Isabella on her back to fall off. The back of Isabella’s head hit the steel pipes hard, bleeding profusely. “Miss, can a corpse still bleed?” A worker raised doubts, his eyes full of suspicion as he looked at Megan. But Megan was now drenched in sweat, afraid they would discover Isabella was faking. She recklessly dragged Isabella across, stumbling and falling all the way. The sound of the back of her head hitting the steel bars made my heart tremble. “Sis, Isabella can still bleed so much. Could it be that she’s not dead?” “Shouldn’t we take her to the hospital for emergency treatment?” I deliberately shouted loudly in front of the workers. This irritated the already anxious Megan, causing her to lose her patience. She turned back and yelled at me, “I said she’s dead, so she’s dead! Can’t you understand?” The atmosphere became extremely tense. I stopped talking. When we reached the burial pit, Isabella’s face had turned unusually pale. I knew her time was running out. Megan also noticed her abnormal complexion and started to feel uneasy. But because I was present, she still insisted on having relatives bury Isabella. However, an unexpected event occurred at this moment. Several luxury cars suddenly stopped around the burial pit, and someone I never expected stepped out. “Stop!”

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I’ve been married to Alexander for ten years, during which he’s slept with 99 different women in our house. And each time, he made me wash the sheets after their lovemaking. I endured silently, watching him change from one lover to another. Until the fifth month of my pregnancy, his 100th bedmate tricked me into going to a bar, where I was tortured for a day and a night. My lower body was bleeding non-stop, and I felt worse than death. For the sake of the child in my womb, I knelt on the ground begging him to take me to the hospital. He sneered, “Olivia, stop pretending.” “Even if you died, I wouldn’t spare you a glance.” With that, he continued his passionate encounter with his new flame on the bar sofa, in full view of everyone. By the time I was taken to the hospital, the child in my womb had already stopped breathing. Due to the inhuman torture, I also suffered a uterine prolapse, forever losing the right to have children. When I woke up, I desperately dialed a number: “Emma, send me the company’s financial reports. I’ll be back in three days.”

Hearing this, Emma on the other end of the line immediately became excited. “You’re finally coming back, Boss Olivia!” “We’ve all missed you so much!” “Wait, you’re not bringing Alexander back with you, are you?” Hearing Alexander’s name, I lowered my eyes, my tone a bit sour: “No, just me.” After hanging up, I saw a plump woman standing at the door of the hospital room. She was Alexander’s mother, Margaret. She played a significant role in the deterioration of my relationship with Alexander. “Already rushing to find someone to keep you?” “You slut, you really have no shame!” Margaret waddled to the bedside, her sour and mean face making me feel utterly disgusted. I glanced at her with disgust and said coldly, “What are you doing here?” Margaret snorted and reached out her hand to me, her whole demeanor haughty: “It’s time for this month’s alimony.” I frowned, about to say something when my phone suddenly rang. It was a video call from Sophia. “Which old man is this now?” Margaret muttered sarcastically beside me. I pretended not to hear and pressed the answer button. Instantly, a naked couple appeared in the video. “Oh my! In broad daylight, how scandalous!” Margaret only took one look before she was frightened into covering her eyes and backing away repeatedly. I didn’t say anything, just stared intently at the two people in the video. Sophia’s belly was slightly swollen, and her entire body was covered in love bites. And the man on top of her was none other than Alexander, who had ignored me yesterday. She drew circles on Alexander’s chest with her hand while panting lightly and asked: “Alex, weren’t we too harsh on Olivia?” Alexander sneered, his tone full of contempt: “Too harsh?” “Even if those men tortured her to death, I wouldn’t think it was too much.” “This time, I want to see how she pretends to be innocent!” Sophia giggled at this, sounding like a demon from hell. The video was abruptly cut off. I clenched my fists, my fingers digging deep into my flesh. I looked up at Margaret, my eyes cold: “Did you see clearly? This is your son!” “Go ask Alexander for the alimony. I don’t have any.” I thought Margaret would feel a bit of guilt, but to my surprise, she started boasting proudly: “My son is indeed amazing! So attractive to women.” “Olivia, let me tell you, if a woman can’t keep her man’s heart, it only shows that you’re incapable.” “Alex doesn’t earn money easily. Hurry up and give me the money.” With that, she reached out to grab my phone. “What are you doing?” I was startled and hurriedly hid the phone in my arms, but I underestimated Margaret’s strength. She forcefully pulled my arm and actually yanked me off the bed. “Clatter!” The phone was thrown several meters away, and I was thrown to the ground. Blood began to seep from my newly stitched wound, but I couldn’t care less. I struggled to get up and went to pick up the phone. Margaret got to it first, skillfully unlocking it. “PayPal: You’ve received $10,000.” Only when the cold female voice sounded did she throw the phone back to me, her tone dissatisfied: “Why so little money?” With that, she hurriedly left to get a spa with her girlfriends. I collapsed on the ground, my heart as dead as ashes. That was my last $10,000, money I had saved to buy milk powder for the baby in my belly. In the end, I couldn’t keep the money, nor could I keep the child. I had nothing left.

I forced myself to get up from the ground, the tearing pain in my lower body making it almost impossible to walk normally. I could only stand in place with an awkward posture. While I was still figuring out how to sit on the bed, Alexander’s call came through. “Olivia, what’s wrong with you? Can’t stand seeing me and Sophia happy together, so you called the police on us?” “I’m telling you, as soon as I get back, I’m kicking you out!” In the past, I would have argued with him and then humbly begged for his forgiveness. Even if it wasn’t my doing, even if I wasn’t at fault. I would have taken the blame just to appease him. But now, I calmly said: “It wasn’t me. Believe it or not.” Alexander went quiet for a moment on the other end, perhaps surprised by my attitude. But soon, he viciously said: “Don’t think you can tie me down just because you’re pregnant.” “You probably don’t know yet, but Sophia is pregnant too. Your child will never compare to hers.” “Getting pregnant is no big deal, giving birth is the real achievement.” I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by painful memories. The first time I got pregnant, I naively thought he would be happy too. But on the very night we found out about the pregnancy, he dragged me to a bungee jumping platform and pushed me off. I screamed in terror, but he said, “The fetus needs some stimulation to be healthier.” His mother, Margaret, was there backing him up. So, I lost my first child. The second time I got pregnant, he forced himself on me despite my objections. That night, the blood beneath my body stained the entire sheet red. Alexander was utterly disgusted, saying I was unlucky and had dirtied his family’s bed. What little love I had left disappeared that night. After that, I avoided him like the plague. No matter what he said or did, I acted as if I couldn’t see it. But then he turned around and told Margaret that I was cold and didn’t know how to take care of him. Margaret doted on him and took him to spas to have fun. I silently endured the contempt from both mother and son, struggling to maintain the facade of a happy marriage in front of others. And now, my third child was gone too. I might never be able to become a mother in this lifetime. It was time to end this absurd marriage. I hung up the phone without any regret. And following Alexander’s example, I blocked and deleted his contact. I got up and called the doctor. The doctor was shocked to see me on the ground. “Why did you get out of bed on your own?” “The bones in your thighs and arms are broken. Aren’t you afraid of misalignment if you move around?” I didn’t respond to his words, only pleading: “Doctor, can you give me the embryo?” The doctor sighed and said nothing more. Not long after, a glass bottle was brought to the hospital room. Looking at the tiny embryo in the bottle, my heart immediately tightened. It was so small, not even as big as my palm. Baby, I’ve waited for you for so long, but still couldn’t meet you. It’s mom’s fault, mom couldn’t protect you well. I took a deep breath. This kind of pain shouldn’t be borne by me alone. I was going to send Alexander a big gift.

In the afternoon, I had a terrible headache, so I closed my eyes and dozed off on the bed for a while. As soon as I closed my eyes, I fell into a deep nightmare. The dream was full of the abuse those people inflicted on me at the bar last night. I screamed for help desperately, but no one responded. Until I saw Alexander standing at the door, backlit. “Huff…” I struggled to wake up, realizing my back was already soaked. “Still playing the victim?” “You can sleep so soundly now, looks like those guys went too easy on you yesterday.” “Sophia is pregnant too. Why don’t you go be her postpartum nanny at the care center?” Alexander looked at me with an amused expression, his eyes gleaming with something indescribable. I looked at him calmly, indifferently saying: “Whatever you say.” Seeing no reaction from me, he found it a bit boring. He then sat down casually on the edge of the bed and punched my stomach hard. The stomach that had just been cleaned out immediately started to hurt intensely, and I couldn’t help but cry out in pain. The evil in Alexander’s eyes grew stronger, and he cruelly said to my stomach: “Little one, if you ever disobey me like your mother does, I’ll punch you to death just like this.” I knew he wanted to provoke me, to see my expression of pain, but I refused to give him that satisfaction. I gritted my teeth and stared at him intently. The silent confrontation only ended when Alexander’s phone rang. As soon as he answered the call, Sophia’s sobbing voice came through. “Alex, come quick, my stomach hurts so bad!” After hanging up the phone, Alexander’s face immediately darkened, and without a word, he slapped me hard. “I’m telling you, if anything happens to the child in Sophia’s belly, don’t even think about keeping your own child!” “You’ll have to kneel down and apologize to Sophia too!” My right cheek swelled up instantly. The taste of blood in my mouth grew stronger, and I spat it out with a “pah”. It turned out he had knocked out one of my teeth. But Alexander didn’t even look at me again, leaving hurriedly with a worried expression. I watched his departing figure, my heart a wasteland. After a long while, I took out my phone and booked a flight to Jinghai City.

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When I saw my stepsister Olivia crying and begging our stepmother not to marry her off to Lucas Grant, I knew she had also gone back in time, just like me. In our previous life, she was arranged to marry into the Grant family. Although it was a business marriage, Lucas was a genuine piano prodigy, the ideal man for many in their social circle. “Aria, let me tell you, your mom is dead. No one in this family cares about you anymore,” Olivia had said cruelly. “You only deserve to marry a dropout loser!” Now, having relived her life, she was still just as despicable. “I’ve taken so much from you, Aria. You must feel so wronged!” she said with false sympathy. “So I’ll be generous and switch the arranged marriage partner with you!” Our stepmother questioned why Olivia would pity a motherless child like me. I stood by silently, watching the scene unfold. “Olivia, what are you trying to do?” our stepmother asked suspiciously. Olivia whispered something in our stepmother’s ear, and her expression softened slightly. “Are you sure?” she asked. “I’ve heard that the Thompson boy isn’t a good person. What if he mistreats you after you’re married?” Our stepmother seemed genuinely concerned, hesitant to agree to Olivia’s request. “It won’t happen, Mom!” Olivia insisted. That was a lie. Derek Thompson had been suspended multiple times for fighting when he was in school. After dropping out, he’d gotten involved in all sorts of vices. “You love me the most. You wouldn’t refuse me this small favor, would you?” Olivia coaxed, snuggling up to our stepmother. Unable to resist Olivia’s pleading, our stepmother finally agreed, but not without taking a jab at me. “Lucas is only available because Olivia doesn’t want him. You should be grateful!” I didn’t care what they thought. The truth was, I didn’t deserve the talented pianist Lucas. As for the dropout troublemaker Derek… Let’s see how my dear stepsister handles that kind of marriage! In my previous life, it had been the same – Olivia and I were both pushed into arranged marriages. The difference was that she married a genius while I married a loser. Even though Olivia and her mother were the ones who had destroyed our family, I ended up feeling like an outsider. Olivia had been overjoyed to marry Lucas. But soon after the wedding, Lucas left for an overseas performance. The next news I heard about her was that Olivia had become a lonely wife. Lucas had gotten into a car accident on his way to the airport and ended up in a vegetative state due to an attempted murder. Olivia cried and threw tantrums, wanting to divorce Lucas. Our stepmother felt sorry for her, but our father wouldn’t allow it. A businessman’s daughter was meant to be traded for benefits. Even though our father favored Olivia far more than me, he wouldn’t take her back home and lose the business connections and shares from the Grant family dowry. Unable to bear the loneliness, Olivia chose to have an affair. The Hayes and Grant families were both prominent in business circles. Her scandal became widely known. The controversy subjected Olivia to intense online harassment. At the same time, my husband Derek Thompson unexpectedly gained popularity. Derek went from being a widely-shunned troublemaker to a wildly popular social media star, which Olivia couldn’t believe. She became depressed due to the online attacks. When she learned about Derek’s success, she suddenly said she wanted to see me. I couldn’t understand what she was unsatisfied with. Living alone in a mansion, driving sports cars, not having to worry about trivial matters – wasn’t that a good life? Out of family obligation, I went to visit her. To my surprise, she had murderous intentions towards me. Even though she should have been living better than me, she was resentful. She hugged me and crashed through the floor-to-ceiling window. We both fell. So after reliving her life, she immediately chose to marry Derek instead. Well then, let me enjoy all that fortune instead! In early June, Olivia and I had our weddings one after another. In my previous life, Olivia and our stepmother had intentionally scheduled our weddings on the same day to overshadow me. But this time was different. They couldn’t disregard the Grant family’s reputation so easily. Even though they were unwilling, they still attended my wedding with sour expressions. The wedding banquet was lively. It was the first big gathering I had attended since my mother’s death. Before, according to my father’s wishes, I wasn’t supposed to appear in public after my mother died. But soon after her death, his mistress and illegitimate daughter had moved into the Hayes home. “Nervous?” a voice asked beside me. I turned to see Lucas standing next to me. We were the only two outside the doors, quietly waiting to enter the hall and begin our married life. Lucas was incredibly handsome, even more striking in person than the young pianist I had seen in videos. “I…” I started to reply, but before I could find the right words, Lucas had already taken my hand. The doors decorated with flowers opened wide. I felt a bit flustered, but the warmth of his hand in mine was reassuring. After an exhausting day, I lay on the large bed in our new home, trying to relax. “Tired?” Lucas asked. “Want to come eat something?” If I wasn’t mistaken, Lucas was wearing a pink apron. “I’m not hungry,” I said, not wanting to impose on my first day living with him. But my traitorous stomach immediately growled, betraying me. “Have a bite,” he urged gently. His voice was so kind, and I was genuinely hungry after not eating all day. I ended up sitting at the dining table with him, eating the meal my new husband had prepared. I was surprised to discover those hands meant for playing piano could also cook. “I’m sorry,” he suddenly apologized during the meal. I wasn’t shocked. News of his upcoming music festival performance in France was already trending on Twitter. “I have to leave for France tomorrow. It’s such short notice, and it might affect your reputation too,” he explained. “It’s fine, go ahead with your work,” I said. Realizing that might sound too cold given our relationship, I added, “Your cooking is really good!” Lucas’s apologetic expression was replaced with a smile. “Thank you,” he said warmly. That night, Lucas naturally slept in the guest room. I tossed and turned in bed, my mind replaying memories from my previous life. Recalling the tragic news of Lucas’s death and thinking of his kind gestures today, I found myself not wanting him to die. I could have ignored it, but my mother always said good people deserve good things in return. In my book, Lucas counted as a good person. Someone so kind shouldn’t die! I rushed out of my room and knocked urgently on the guest room door. “What’s wrong?” Lucas asked, opening the door quickly. He probably hadn’t been asleep yet. “Lucas—” I panted, out of breath from jumping out of bed so suddenly. “Do you need to come in to talk?” he asked with concern, noticing I was barefoot. “No need!” I refused hastily, realizing how revealing my nightgown was. “Be careful tomorrow!” I blurted out. “Remember to check the car your assistant arranged for you.” Lucas looked puzzled, which was understandable. No one would believe such a strange warning. But if Lucas didn’t believe me, he could lose his life! I grabbed his sleeve rather rudely, almost begging, “Don’t take that car, whatever you do!” Seeing how agitated I was, Lucas reluctantly agreed. Back in my room, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and realized how disheveled I looked. The next morning, I woke to find breakfast on the table. The food was cold – Lucas must have left a while ago. I opened my phone to see Lucas had sent me several messages. “Breakfast is on the table. Remember to eat.” “Cold food isn’t good for digestion. The microwave is on the off-white cabinet in the kitchen.” After 7 AM, he sent a few more messages: “There was a problem with the car. I’ve reported it to the police and am waiting for them to handle it.” “Safely boarded the plane. Don’t worry!” He must have explained so thoroughly because I had been so worked up last night and he didn’t want me to worry. As for the earlier messages about breakfast, I suppose that counts as being considerate between a married couple. I thought about replying with a simple “OK”, but worried that might sound too curt. I decided to send a nodding emoji instead. By accident, my finger slipped and I sent a “Love you” sticker. Before I could unsend it, I saw Lucas had already replied with “Mm-hmm”. I closed my eyes in mortification, wishing I could disappear on the spot. While Lucas was abroad, I kept busy. In college, I had started a clothing design studio with a friend. It was doing quite well now. I took the design sketches I had brought from the Hayes house and took a cab to the office. “Well done!” my boss exclaimed. “Aria, I knew I was right about you from the start!” The studio owner was a senior I had met in college. She had discovered my talent at a design competition. She said I was born for this work and mentored me in design. Over time, we became friends and now ran this clothing design studio together. “Nicole, stop teasing me,” I laughed. “If you hadn’t picked me out of the crowd back then, who knows where I’d be struggling now!” It’s not that the Hayes family couldn’t afford to support me. The key was, did anyone in the Hayes family want to support me? As Olivia had said, no one in the Hayes family cared about me. Fortunately, I maintained my passion for design and had some talent for it. I could easily support myself. In my previous life, Nicole and I had also been running the Artistry Studio. But Derek and his father thought I was embarrassing and believed that marrying into their family meant I should serve them. To make me more docile, my in-laws had suppressed Artistry. The studio ran out of funding and completely collapsed. Nicole was left with a huge debt as a result. Thankfully, Lucas’s grandmother didn’t have such prejudices. Lucas’s parents had been living abroad for years. Apart from the wedding, even his grandmother hadn’t seen much of them recently. When I visited the family home, I brought a cheongsam I had designed and made myself. Grandma loved it, praising my good taste. When she learned I had made it myself, she was even more delighted. “Aria dear, you’re too good for our Lucas!” Grandma said, stroking my hand sympathetically. “How can you say that, Grandma? I’m the one who married above my station into the Grant family,” I demurred. Grandma frowned and lightly smacked the back of my hand. “Nonsense! I’m very fond of you as my granddaughter-in-law!” she declared. “You’re beautiful and have such a gentle nature. It’s Lucas who’s always busy and can’t take proper care of you.” He was indeed very busy, but he wasn’t neglectful of me. Every day he would send me messages – simple greetings and reminders about meals. For work, I was doing market research in a brand-name clothing store. Running into Olivia there was the last thing I expected. “Aria, don’t the Grants think you’re trashy?” she sneered. “Being Mrs. Grant isn’t good enough for you? You have to work as a sales clerk?” When we lived in the Hayes house, all of Olivia’s clothes had been custom-made for each season. I was surprised to see her out shopping for clothes at all. She probably mistook me for a sales associate because I was wearing our studio’s staff uniform. I changed my startled expression to a smile as I looked at her. “What’s wrong? Spending the Hayes family money makes you feel superior?” I asked coolly. “Did you eat too much salt? Why are you so nosy?” I wasn’t her mother – I didn’t have to indulge her. “Aria Hayes! How dare you mock me!” Olivia glared at me hatefully, like she wanted to devour me whole. Her mood suddenly shifted, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. “Don’t get cocky, Aria. You’ll be a widow soon enough!” she taunted. Without hesitation, I slapped her across the face. “Who do you think you are? How dare you curse a member of the Grant family!” I snapped. The commotion had drawn attention from others in the store. Olivia didn’t dare make a bigger scene in front of all these wealthy elites. She ran off with her tail between her legs. Did she really think I was some kind of saint? “Aria, Derek isn’t just handsome – he has an eight-pack too. Bet you’re regretting your choice now!” Olivia messaged me on SnapChat. I had to admit, Derek’s looks were undeniable. He did have the kind of body that looked good both in and out of clothes. But some people are all style and no substance. His lack of morals and decency… I didn’t plan to tell her about Derek’s future circumstances. I was betting she would lose spectacularly. She couldn’t blame me – after all, it was her own choice, wasn’t it? I turned off my screen, ignoring her completely. For the next while, I tuned out Olivia’s boasting and threats. Besides going to work at the studio, I visited Grandma at the family home. The rest of my limited free time was spent at home. Grandma said she had taught Lucas piano herself. In her youth, she had been a renowned pianist too. I only excelled at violin, when my mother was still alive. As for piano, I only knew the basics. I asked Grandma to teach me, partly out of interest and wanting to understand more about Lucas’s world. It was also because I worried about Grandma being lonely. The elderly often become nostalgic. In my previous life married to Derek, his family were all country folk. They couldn’t teach me anything useful. All they knew were scheming and some backwards feudal ideas like “men are superior to women.” Grandma was delighted by my initiative. She held my hand and talked for a long while. “It’s wonderful that you have this interest!” she exclaimed. Grandma taught me very patiently. After a few weeks, I could play the pieces Lucas had composed. “You play beautifully. Lucas would be so happy to see you at the piano,” Grandma smiled, gifting me a book of sheet music with Lucas’s name on it. “Aria dear, how are things between you and Lucas lately?” she asked. How could things be between us when Lucas wasn’t even in the country? “Lucas is doing well, Grandma. We get along very harmoniously,” I said diplomatically. But Grandma’s expression still held eager anticipation. “Is that so?” she sighed heavily, unable to hide her disappointment. Could it be that Grandma was hoping for a great-grandchild? That was highly unlikely to happen. “Also, I…” I hesitated. “I’ve grown quite fond of Lucas.” Hearing that, Grandma’s bright smile returned. “I knew it! Lucas told me to take good care of you and make sure you’re happy in your new family,” she said. “I just knew my grandson was smitten with his sweet wife!” Was that true? He really was so thoughtful. And Grandma was wonderful too. “Thank you, Grandma. I’m happier here than I ever was with the Hayes,” I said sincerely. Lying in bed, I habitually opened SnapChat to check for work notifications in our studio group chat. The red dot next to Lucas’s cat avatar caught my eye. He had messaged me again. “It’s been resolved, don’t worry. I’m fine!” He forwarded me a news article. The headline “Famous Pianist Targeted” stood out starkly. These gossip accounts just love stirring up drama. They’ll fabricate all sorts of baseless stories just for views and clicks. They use misleading details to trick people into following the story. “OK, I understand,” I replied. “Come home soon.” A few minutes after sending it, I vaguely felt like I had overstepped. But it was too late to unsend. I exited the chat, trying to reassure myself. It’s fine, I’ve already embarrassed myself worse. What’s one little message? “Alright, I’ll be home soon,” came Lucas’s reply.

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The zombie apocalypse was upon us, and my neighbor Zoe Bennett was using her mysterious spatial ability to loot everything in sight. She swept away all the nearby supplies and even stole the relief materials the government had sent to our apartment complex. When we begged her to leave us something, Zoe sneered coldly: “In the apocalypse, kindness gets you killed. I gathered these supplies with my own ability. Why should I give anything to useless people like you?” In the end, we starved to death. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day before the apocalypse. As I was thinking about how to lead everyone against this locust-like woman, I turned to see my parents and neighbors glaring at her hatefully. It turns out, I wasn’t the only one who had been reborn. Bang bang bang— “Uncle, Auntie, open up! It’s Zoe. I’m a bit short on cash and need money for something important. Give me some quickly!” I was startled awake by a familiar female voice. Suppressing my shock, I rushed to the window to look outside. The landscaping below was still the same, with neighbors taking their children to play in the community park. There were no rivers of blood, no zombies roaming about – just a peaceful, harmonious scene. With trembling hands, I picked up my phone to check the date. Sure enough, I had been reborn. Reborn to the day before the zombie outbreak. And that parasitic voice at the door belonged to the culprit who had caused the death of my entire family – our next-door neighbor, Zoe Bennett. In my previous life, it was also at this time that Zoe suddenly knocked on our door, brazenly asking to borrow money from my parents. My parents ran a small supermarket on the ground floor of our building. Though modest in size, it was well-stocked and provided great convenience for the neighbors. Recently, the supermarket shelves had been emptied out, and a new shipment of goods was being delivered. So my parents had gone down early to help unload the supplies. I had never liked Zoe, and hearing that she had come to ask for money, I was in no mood to be polite and directly refused her. After being rejected, Zoe’s face twisted in anger as she said: “Emma, I’m asking your parents for money. What does it have to do with you? I need the money for something important! You’ll regret treating me this way!” With that, she turned and stormed off down the stairs. Soon after, I heard her voice again as she went around asking other neighbors to borrow money. At the time, I had no idea that she was desperately trying to gather funds to stockpile supplies. Because the zombie apocalypse was coming.

I had been working in another city and only came back to visit my parents during holidays. Zoe had moved in a year ago. Our building had two units per floor, so she became neighbors with my parents. She was around my age and had a sweet tongue, always calling my parents “Uncle” and “Auntie”. She quickly grew close to them. She even wanted my parents to become her godparents at one point. If I hadn’t gotten jealous and intervened when I found out, my parents might have agreed. After failing to become their goddaughter, Zoe didn’t give up. She still came over for meals every day and would casually take things from my parents’ supermarket. My parents felt awkward charging her money, and over time this Coopered her habit of taking things freely. She acted more like my parents’ daughter than I did. Except this “daughter” only took and never gave back. After borrowing money from other neighbors, Zoe began buying supplies in bulk. Until 8 AM the next morning, when the zombie virus broke out. I was in the supermarket helping my parents organize the shelves when suddenly all hell broke loose outside, filled with the moans of zombies and people’s screams. My parents’ first reaction was to lock the supermarket doors. Their second reaction was to immediately take stock of the supplies, planning to use these goods to help the neighbors survive the apocalypse until rescue arrived. But the next second, someone began pounding frantically on the supermarket door. Zoe’s voice called out for help. She said she was being chased by zombies and begged us to let her in and save her. My soft-hearted parents carefully opened the door. But the first thing Zoe did after entering was wave her hand, causing all the supermarket goods to mysteriously vanish before our eyes. When my parents pleaded with her to leave some supplies for everyone, Zoe’s sweet demeanor vanished. She coldly laughed as she pushed them aside: “In the apocalypse, kindness gets you killed. I gathered these supplies with my own ability. Why should I give them back? Let me tell you the truth – I’m the protagonist of this world. You rejected me as your goddaughter and chose that useless daughter of yours instead. You even refused to give me money to stockpile supplies. People who offend the protagonist never end well.”

In my past life, there was something very strange about Zoe. She seemed to have plot armor like the female lead in an apocalyptic novel. Even though her apartment hadn’t been renovated, it was somehow impenetrable. Even if we broke through the walls of my home next door, we still couldn’t enter her place. Later on, she also started appearing and disappearing mysteriously, able to vanish instantly and reappear somewhere else. This made it even easier for her to hoard supplies. We had no way of catching her, let alone taking back our supplies. Zoe was like a plague of locusts, always managing to sweep up all the nearby resources before we ordinary people could get to them, then escaping unscathed. Much later in the apocalypse, we finally received an airdrop of relief supplies on the rooftop, only for Zoe to wave her hand and steal it all away. Downstairs, one of our neighbors had a newborn baby. The infant’s parents had turned into zombies, leaving the child with no milk to drink. The grandparents knelt outside Zoe’s door with the baby, kowtowing and crying, saying they would do anything if she would just give the child some food. But from inside, Zoe could be heard cooing softly to her two large black dogs: “Buddy, Max, drink up! This milk is the good stuff. Mommy has stockpiled enough for you to drink for ten lifetimes.” Inside the door were her plump, well-fed dogs. Outside were the dying residents of our community. Separated by the door, we angrily asked her why she had to be so ruthless. Zoe coldly replied: “My dogs are far more precious than humans, and more reliable too. You ordinary people are just suffering by staying alive in this apocalypse. Dying sooner would actually be a mercy. I’m doing you all a favor.” That night, the neighbor’s infant starved to death. The grandparents, heartbroken and hopeless, opened a window and jumped from the 11th floor. Later on, even though our community banded together to resist the zombies and tried our best to survive, we still ended up either eaten by zombies or starving to death.

“Uncle, Auntie, are you home? You’re not answering your phones either. What’s going on? I really need money for something important!” Zoe’s impatient voice interrupted my recollections. I took a deep breath, grabbed the fruit knife on the table, and quickly opened the door while she wasn’t paying attention. In my past life, when Zoe came to borrow money from my parents, I had simply rejected her coldly. She held a grudge over that, forgetting all the kindness my parents had shown her before. But quite a few neighbors had lent her money.

The useless people, now without relief supplies, came begging at my door. They even tried to guilt-trip me, saying I had taken everything and their children had nothing to eat, that they were starving to death. They hoped I could give them some baby formula. Wait, what? Having children in the apocalypse? Oh, they were born before the apocalypse? Still, children are just burdens in this world. They’d be better off dead. Anyway, I wasn’t going to save them. While Buddy and Max feasted on gourmet food with me, the sound of kowtowing outside was so annoying. Thankfully, that child finally died, and the two old fools jumped to their deaths. That’s how it should be. The weak don’t deserve to live in the apocalypse. Later, these neighbors tried many methods to enter my home. But the spatial defense was too good, protecting my house completely. After some time, there was no more noise from those useless neighbors. They seemed close to starving to death. So, they opened their doors, deciding to venture out. But our community was now surrounded by zombies, and without vehicles, going out was suicide. They hesitated. My life had become comfortable but boring, so I decided to toy with them. I pulled out a broken-down car from my spatial pocket and casually tossed it at the entrance of the building. As expected, those fools took the bait, deciding to use this junk car to search for supplies, claiming they would save their families. But they didn’t know that I had drained all the fuel from the car. The remaining fuel would only get them about half a mile from the community.

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It was rare for James to have a weekend off. After much pleading, I finally convinced him to make sweet and sour pork ribs for me. While he was cooking, his phone on the coffee table chimed. 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 once said: “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 doubt grew like weeds in my mind. Fortunately, he hadn’t changed his passcode yet. I unlocked the phone. SnapChat showed a new message from an unfamiliar name. The content was simple and direct. “Miss you.” My heart clenched, my eyes fixed on those two words. Scrolling up, I found no other chat history. But those two simple words were enough to cut me deep. As I tried to calm myself, I accidentally knocked over the water glass on the table. James poked his head out of the kitchen, holding a spatula. “What’s wrong?” I forced a smile, quickly slipping the phone into my pocket. “Nothing, just wondering how far along you are.” “Not that fast,” he frowned, complaining, “This caramel is so hard to get right. Let’s eat out next time.” I paused briefly, then nodded in agreement, “Okay.” James seemed to have forgotten that I’m from New York 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, experimenting with recipes just for me. Back then, he loved our home so much, loved creating beautiful memories with me. The phone in my pocket felt like it weighed a ton, digging into my thigh. After calming down, I decided to reply on his behalf. “Come over, she’s not here.” I was curious about who this person was and how James 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. After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to open it. The person outside was clearly startled, the excitement on their face instantly freezing when they saw me. I studied her carefully, involuntarily comparing every detail from age to appearance to figure with myself. However, the conclusion was cruel—she surpassed me in every aspect. “You must be Emily.” “You know me?” “James mentioned you.” The thought that my name might have become a topic of amusement between them only deepened my disappointment in James. She seemed to remember something and pulled out a familiar food container from her bag. “I came to return this.” “Last time James brought 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 clutching—the one James 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 instantly ignited. I deliberately called out loudly towards the kitchen, “Honey, someone’s here to see you.” James heard the commotion and came out of the kitchen. Seeing her, he looked bewildered. I carefully observed their reactions, but didn’t see the guilt and unease I had expected. “Why are you here?” James asked, confused. “I was in the neighborhood and remembered I hadn’t returned your container, so I texted you.” “What text?” James suddenly seemed to realize something, glanced back at me, then his face darkened. “Just leave the container and go.” However, she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she stood at the door, her eyes fixed on me. “Emily, aren’t you going to invite me in?” I couldn’t help but sneer, deliberately making way while glancing at James. “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 James’s face indeed changed. “Stop it,” he said. Sensing James’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 James see her off. When he returned, his face was so dark it looked like it could drip water. “What, missing her already?” I leaned against the door, mocking him. James 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?” James 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 nonsense at all, and we had a huge argument. After that, James’s relationship with me became very tense. I also slowly began to reflect on whether I had been too impulsive, but I also felt James’s explanation was too unconvincing. This life had become utterly frustrating. I told my best friend Rose about my suspicions of James cheating. She laughed for a long time. After my parents passed away unexpectedly, she and James became the most important people in my life. “What nonsense are you talking about?” “Back in college, James 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 daring to eat a single fry himself, saving it all for you.” I laughed wryly, “Really? I’ve forgotten.” Rose animatedly discussed how James had pursued me in college, but it all felt so distant to me. Indeed, 10 years had passed. In two months, I would turn 28. Before leaving, Rose earnestly advised me. “Emily, talk things through with James and set a date soon.” “Don’t let it drag on too long.” Rose 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 James, even sending 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 James’s account. The glaring “Active now” 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. James would worry about me, saying he’d help me quit this bad habit, even volunteering to apply bitter nail polish with me. But now… Thinking of this, I felt an inexplicable irritation. I had planned not to reply, but remembering Rose’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 with loose loungewear, but they couldn’t hide my inner anxiety and insecurity. The wall clock showed it was already 1 AM. I held the photo album James had made for me during our college days, lost in thought. When exactly did our relationship change from inseparable lovers to roommates who barely see each other? “Door open, welcome home.” The mechanical voice of the smart lock broke the night’s silence, also awakening that faint hope in the bottom of my heart. I suddenly lifted my head, my gaze piercing through the darkness, trying to capture that familiar silhouette. James stood at the door for a long time before finally stepping over the threshold. But his eyes quickly darted away the moment they met mine. That instant of avoidance hurt more than any words could, leaving me feeling utterly hopeless and cold. He stood in the entryway and suddenly lost his temper. “Can’t you fix your habit of leaving shoes everywhere?” I was stunned for a moment, about to go tidy up, when I saw him carelessly kick my shoes aside. Once upon a time, he would carefully arrange my high heels, always make sure my electric toothbrush was fully charged, and pack away my seasonal clothes well in advance. But now, all of that had become a distant memory. Lost in thought for a moment, I saw James walk out of the kitchen with a glass similar to the one in front of me. The difference was, 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 our old habit of sharing a glass, suddenly feeling 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 cold warring like this, so I mustered up the courage to hug him from behind. “What are you doing!” He shook me off like I was 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. James’s body stiffened slightly, a flash of guilt in his eyes. But it only lasted a few seconds before being replaced by his cold gaze. “What gift do you want? Text me, 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 out my cheeks in anger, saying I looked as cute as a pufferfish. But now, his gaze only grew colder, as if I were a complete stranger. “Emily.” He coldly called out my name, 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 contracted violently, 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 sunny boy in white who used to smile so brightly in my memories. 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, just mumbling, “Yeah, I’m already 28.” He seemed to guess what I was going 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…” James 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 maintained a calm facade, even with a hint of fawning. “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 James 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. “Now you feel you’re not good enough? Why didn’t you think that when you were chasing me so publicly back then?” James’s face instantly turned ashen. His lips moved slightly, as if wanting to say something, but after a moment’s struggle, he gave up. Just like our relationship now, he didn’t even have the will to salvage it. I watched him walk towards the guest room with a black face, not saying a word. Until he struggled to open the door for a while and angrily turned back to shout at me. “Emily! Can you stop messing around! Open the door!” I kept a cold face, trying hard to suppress the displeasure and disappointment surging inside. “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 hysterically shouted, “What, is this big house not enough for you now? Or are you just too lazy to even pretend anymore?” James’s face became extremely ugly, a flash of shock in his eyes. He seemed to have never seen me so out of control before, momentarily at a loss for words. “If anyone should go to a hotel, it should be me. After all, you bought this house, how could I make you leave.” I continued my high-frequency output, as if giving him a hard time 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. “Emily, 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 when you deliberately called my colleague over, did you ever 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 cold-shouldered me, 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. “Emily, if you really can’t go on, let’s just end it.” I held my neck stiffly, not answering. The frustration in my heart was about to explode. At this moment, I was certain James didn’t love me anymore. After that day, James didn’t come home again. On Friday night, Rose sent a message in our group chat with three people. “Friends, I’m getting married!” Following that was an elaborately designed invitation. She tagged me and James. “You two college sweethearts must come support me, the time and place are written above, be there on time!” I waited for a long time but didn’t see James reply. Not wanting Rose to worry, I responded. “Mm, we’ll be there.” Just after I sent it, James’s private message popped up. “Just find some excuse, say I’m on a business trip or sick, I won’t go.” I hesitated for a few seconds, “But they’ve invited us, it’s not right not to go.” “Besides, Rose is my best friend.” I watched the “typing” indicator above the SnapChat dialogue box. After waiting for a long time, until— “Emily, let’s break up.” I stared at the screen, tears falling uncontrollably. Clumsily moving my already stiff fingers, I repeatedly typed on the keyboard, but hesitated and deleted each time. After a long while, I angrily pressed send. “Fine.” When I first met James, he was being scolded by our counselor. “James, I chose you as class monitor considering your poor family background. Being a student leader can add points, which will be very helpful for your future scholarship applications.” James bowed his back, “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.” After overhearing a bit more, I learned that this tall boy had often been ordered around by the short, chubby counselor in front of him to do hard labor. “You say that, but I ask you for help because I know 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 not introduce him to a proper part-time job? Besides, those few points from being a student leader are nothing compared to what he could get from winning a competition 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 James away. “Hey…” “Are you stupid?” James smiled bitterly and shook his head, “I know he doesn’t have good intentions, but I thought 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?” James was stunned, only now really looking at me. “You’re the… 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 to buy me would have been in my hands long ago. “Hi.” He scratched his head shyly and smiled. “Hi my ass.” I turned and left. After that, James 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 go? The reminiscence came to an abrupt end. After I agreed to break up, James didn’t contact me again until that night. I was revising my new resume at the company when I suddenly received a call from James’s friend. “Sis, I’m with James at Mirage KTV. He’s drunk too much and we’re worried something might happen. Can you come pick him up?” I guessed James probably hadn’t told them about our breakup yet. “Alright, I’ll come over now.”

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