Category: English

My stepsister married the billionaire who was supposed to be my fiancé. As she walked past me on his arm, she gave me a smug smile. “Little sis, this incredible fortune was too much for you to handle. Your big sister had to step in and take it off your hands.” I just smiled back without saying a word. I still remember how she later ended up beaten bloody by debt collectors, kneeling and begging me for help. What a pitiful sight that was. My sister had locked me in the house. Today was the day my fiancé Jack was returning to the country. We had been betrothed since childhood, an arrangement made by my late mother and Jack’s mother when they were young. My stepmother had known about this for a long time. She had always despised me, so how could she possibly let such good fortune fall into my hands? They locked me in my room and had my stepsister take my place. Chloe gave me a vicious kick, hitting me right in the stomach. I was already hungry, and now the pain made me curl up on the floor. The next second she roughly yanked me up by the arm. Her eyes were full of mock pity as she sneered, “Little sister, I’ve stolen everything from you for twenty years. Now I’m even taking your fiancé. How does it feel? Do you hate me?” I glared at her fiercely, wanting to fight back, but the pain left me too weak to move. Seeing this, she slapped me hard across the face. “You’ve got some nerve giving me that look. Don’t even think about resisting.” The bright red handprint stung on my cheek. Chloe was very pleased with my wretched state. She taunted me cruelly: “Who can you blame for the misery of your 25 years? Your short-lived mother for leaving you all alone in this world? If you want to blame someone, blame her – you poor motherless child.” “Oh right, you don’t know this, but I’m the one who got your mom killed.” My body went rigid with shock. Everyone had always said my mother was assaulted and killed by some thugs. I had suspected my stepfamily’s involvement, but those thugs had mysteriously died afterwards. Even if I wanted to prove their guilt, I had no evidence. Chloe cackled with laughter. “That’s what you and your mother get for being so pretty. You deserved to be ruined.” I clenched my fists tightly, trembling with rage. No, now wasn’t the time to strike back. I had to wait a little longer. Chloe kicked me again before continuing: “When I was little, I was on my way to buy candy when I came across your mom. She was lying motionless on the ground. I was so scared at first.” “When I got closer, I realized she was still barely breathing. Want to know what happened next?” She crouched down and whispered in my ear: “She weakly called out to me, ‘Chloe’. She begged me to call 911. Her phone was right there next to her.” “But I didn’t. Hahaha I watched her die right in front of me. All I could think was that you were motherless now, but I still had my mom!” “I don’t know why, but seeing you in pain just made me so happy. The more you suffered, the better I felt!” I felt my blood run cold, my body frozen stiff. My stepmother’s voice came from the doorway: “Why are you telling her all this? Hurry up and go meet your fiancé!” “Coming, Mom!” Chloe called back. I stared out the window at the sunset, biting my lip hard until I tasted blood. Only then did I manage to calm myself as memories flashed through my mind. Suddenly, I smiled. Their time to be so arrogant was running out.

From the moment I was born, I had been aware that I was living in a story. I knew how everything would unfold. My so-called billionaire fiancé was actually a despicable hypocrite. He appeared refined on the surface, but was rotten to the core – an abusive gambler and womanizer who would eventually be shot dead. His wife, after enduring endless torture and humiliation, would end up jumping to her death. My stepmother would die alongside her daughter. The mother-daughter pair’s fate could be considered karmic retribution for their evil deeds. Now, if the story went according to the usual script, they would inevitably bring about their own downfall sooner or later. But I never expected there would be a twist. I suspected that the Jack Johnson in this story had been replaced by someone else.

He was lounging on the sofa as my stepmother Fiona brought him tea, grinning from ear to ear. “Oh my, what a handsome face! I like this son-in-law more and more!” She reached out to touch Jack’s face, but Chloe quickly pushed her hand away. “Mom! What are you doing?” she scolded, clearly annoyed. Fiona just chuckled. “Alright, alright. I know he’s yours. I won’t steal him, you little brat.” Sitting across from them, I smirked as I watched the scene unfold. In the original story, there was even a plot where the mother and daughter fought over the same man. However, my smile caught Jack’s attention. He asked, “And who is she?” Fiona quickly spoke up: “That’s Chloe, Abigail’s sister that I told you about.” “Is that so? For some reason, I have a feeling she’s actually the real Abigail Quinn,” Jack replied. The room went silent for a moment. Fiona panicked. “No, no, that’s impossible. You two have never met before. I already told you she’s Chloe. Why would I lie to you?” She hurriedly tried to pull me into another room to lock me away again. But Jack said, “Wait.” Fiona nervously swallowed. Jack smiled. “She is Abigail Quinn, isn’t she?” “Impersonating someone else’s identity is a crime, you know.” I could feel Fiona’s hand trembling violently as she gripped my arm. Chloe stepped forward, shielding Fiona. “It was all my idea. Don’t blame my mom!” As I listened to their conversation, I frowned in confusion. In my memories, Jack had married Chloe without any doubts, completely fooled by the deception. Could it be that he knew something? Looking into Jack’s dark, inscrutable eyes, I had an ominous feeling.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Suddenly Jack burst out laughing. It was a cruel, dangerous sound. “Why are you all so nervous? Even if she is the real Abigail, I’ve already given my heart to Chloe. Let’s just have the wedding as planned. You’re all part of the Quinn family anyway.” Hearing this, Chloe’s eyes immediately lit up with joy. She clutched Jack’s arm, asking excitedly, “Really? Do you really mean it?” Jack patted her head. “Of course I do.” Fiona happily clapped Jack on the shoulder. “You naughty boy, you nearly gave me a heart attack! As punishment, you have to have a drink with me tonight!” Chloe shot me a smug look. “Little sister, I guess you just don’t have the good fortune to enjoy all this wealth and luxury!” Thanks for the offer, but I wouldn’t want that “good fortune” even if you gave it to me. Jack’s little performance tonight made me suspicious. His tone, logic, and even appearance were completely different from the character I remembered from the story. I had a bold theory – I suspected he had been replaced by someone else. Friend or foe, I couldn’t be sure. I also couldn’t be certain if this transformation meant he was now on a path of righteousness. If that was the case, I’d have to carry out my revenge on my own. For now, I couldn’t figure it out. I turned to go back to my room, but Chloe grabbed my arm. She looked down at me haughtily and commanded, “I order you to bring me a basin of water to soak my feet.” Look at that, she’s already putting on airs before officially becoming Mrs. Johnson. Unfortunately for her, I had no intention of indulging her. I dumped an entire bucket of scalding hot water all over her body. The boiling water instantly turned her skin an angry red. She let out a piercing scream. “Ahhhh! Abigail! Are you trying to kill me?!” “Mom! Mom! Hurry up and beat her to death!” Chloe was bright red all over, like she’d just been pulled out of a boiling pot. She wailed as she ran to pour cold water on herself. As she passed by, I slapped her face hard twice. “Stop putting on an act, sis. I’ve been holding back for a long time today.” If it weren’t for wanting her to successfully marry Jack, I would have run away long ago. Did they really think they could keep me trapped with their puny brains? Fiona rushed over to hit me, but I caught her arm and flipped her whole body. Her flabby rear end hit the floor with a thud as she cried out in pain. “Owww!” I sneered, “Stepmother, are you so arrogant because you have some animal protection group looking out for you?” “Unfortunately, you’re nothing but a couple of mad dogs.” “Next time you bark at me like that, I guarantee I’ll beat you until you can’t even afford the medical bills!”

I didn’t give them a chance to react before heading back to my apartment. As soon as I opened the door, my cat Sweetie jumped into my arms, nuzzling against me. After petting her fur and feeding her, there was a knock at the door. Through the peephole, I saw it was Jack outside. I frowned, not planning to let him in. But then he spoke: “You’ve awakened, haven’t you?” My heart skipped a beat. Did he know? “Don’t be so extreme. They are family after all.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “You fake, are you here to speak up for them?” Jack: “Yes. Don’t go against your stepsister.” So he really was on their side. My clenched fists trembled violently. “And what if I don’t listen?” I challenged. Jack didn’t respond. After a long silence, I realized he had already left. It seemed he would have to be dealt with as well.

The wedding was set for three days later. Before then, I went to cash in a winning lottery ticket and used the money to hire some people. But I didn’t expect to run into Chloe on the street. She was dressed up glamorously. As soon as she saw me, her eyes blazed with fury. She charged at me, ready to attack. But Jack grabbed her arm, stopping her. “What are you doing?” “Jack, she poured boiling water on me yesterday. I have to get revenge!” She tried to lunge forward again, but Jack said in a low voice, “Enough.” Chloe didn’t dare defy him, but she still glared at me, grinding her teeth in hatred. She turned to me, “Little sister, you were quite bold yesterday!” I raised an eyebrow. “I suppose.” Chloe looked up at Jack and said, “Jack, you don’t know this, but my sister is actually a prostitute. She didn’t come home last night – who knows which man she was sleeping with.” Those kinds of insults didn’t faze me at all. But Jack’s gaze as he looked at me was very searching. “Soon I’ll be the high and mighty Mrs. Johnson. When you see me, you’ll have to kneel and beg forgiveness!” Chloe gloated. I found it amusing. “Has the water damaged your brain, sis? The nonsense coming out of your mouth is laughable.” “You-!” She sputtered in anger. “Just wait and see me walk down the aisle in three days!” I smiled and agreed. Sure, in three days you’ll be walking straight into your coffin. I didn’t expect Chloe’s revenge tactics to be so crude. That night, as I was leaving work, someone knocked me unconscious. When I came to, I found myself tied up and lying on a bed. I smirked in disgust. Using a small knife, I cut through the ropes. Opening the door, I realized I was in a hotel. Hiding behind a wall, I saw a shadowy figure sneak into the room I had just left. Soon after, I heard him cursing and making a phone call: “What the hell are you playing at?!” The person on the other end said something. The man snapped in frustration: “I don’t care! Come see for yourself!” A few minutes later, Chloe showed up at the hotel. But before she could say much, the man roughly dragged her into the room. Her shrill screams rang out. [CUT-OFF POINT]

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After Dad brought me back home, I was bullied by my twin sister for ten years. To control me, she went as far as drugging her boyfriend and staging a scene where I was caught in bed with him. Just when I thought I could finally escape my sister’s control by debuting through a talent show, I was bombarded with crazy declarations of love from sponsors, and my name was all over the trending topics. When my sister discovered that her string of boyfriends had suddenly turned to fervently support me, she flew into a rage and released a flood of scandals and compromising photos of “me.” I couldn’t defend myself and had to accept being blacklisted from the industry. My sister then brought her entire entourage of boyfriends to mock me, saying, “You think you’re worthy of taking what’s mine? Even if I don’t want something, you can only have it if I allow it!” Even with her pregnancy bump showing, she still imperiously ordered me to sleep with her husband. Later, she even embraced other men in front of her husband and framed me for it. But her husband wasn’t like the boys in her string of boyfriends – he could really bite back. I refused to be my sister’s puppet for life. So, in the middle of the night, I knocked on the door: “Brother-in-law, open up.” 0

I opened my eyes to find myself lying next to a man I knew but wasn’t close with. It was none other than Sebastian Hayes, my sister’s fiancé and the eldest son of the Hayes family. At that moment, Sebastian and I were in bed together, completely naked! The soreness throughout my body and the glaring red stain on the sheets screamed one fact at me—I had slept with my soon-to-be brother-in-law, but he seemed to have mistaken me for my sister. To avoid being exposed, I fled in a panic. On my way home, I made sure to stop by a pharmacy for some emergency contraception. As I pushed open the front door, I saw my sister Vivian standing at the top of the stairs with a cold smirk. “Out all night? Is this how I taught you to behave?” “I had a bit too much to drink at a class reunion and crashed at a friend’s place,” I lied. Vivian knew full well how poor my social circle was. She let out a mocking laugh, clearly thinking I was just making excuses to drown my sorrows after being blacklisted from the entertainment industry despite all my efforts. Vivian and I are twins. When our parents divorced, it made sense to split us up—one went with Dad, the other with Mom. I was the one who returned to our hometown with Mom. Unfortunately, that area was quite underdeveloped, and I got lost not long after. It took years before I was found and brought back. By the time I returned home, Mom had already passed away, and Grandma who had been raising me for a few years had also died. That’s how I ended up being brought back to the Quinn family by Dad. But Dad was hands-off, leaving everything to Vivian once he brought me home. She’s been running the household ever since. I worked hard in the shadow of Vivian’s academic brilliance. Though I could never match up to her, it was still much better than life in our small hometown. The two sisters lived together peacefully like this for years. Until the night before I participated in a talent show, when Vivian caught me in bed with her boyfriend. She took photos and videos of the scene, cursing me for being shameless and cheap. Our sisterly relationship was never the same after that. From then on, Vivian made no effort to hide her contempt for me. She threatened me, controlled me, and monitored my every move. Even when I debuted in the entertainment industry with a face similar to hers, she saw it as something beneath her status. She didn’t hesitate to release a flood of false scandals about “me” to ruin my career. Everything about me was laid bare before Vivian. As time went on, I somehow got used to it and never thought about resisting her control. Looking back now, I realize I never actually slept with her ex-boyfriend. The so-called evidence in Vivian’s hands was either staged photos or pictures of herself. It was all just a ploy for her to manipulate me. Back in my room, I locked myself in the bathroom, stuffed my clothes into the washing machine, and stood under the shower. To my surprise, I heard Vivian shouting and opening the door outside. Years of conditioning under Vivian’s rule had stripped me of the habit of locking doors. I hadn’t thought of it this time either. If Vivian barged in and saw me covered in hickeys… I didn’t dare imagine what that psycho would do. In a panic, I hastily wrapped a towel around myself and ran smack into Vivian as she opened the door. Vivian stood with her arms crossed, eyeing me suspiciously. “Why are you showering in the middle of the day?” I said, “I was out drinking all night and smell awful. You don’t like that, right?” My show of weakness didn’t soften Vivian’s heart one bit. She looked me up and down for a while, then suddenly smiled with her eyes narrowed, though there was no warmth in her gaze. “Slept with a man?” Is Vivian so sensitive about me being with men because she’s afraid I’ll discover I didn’t actually lose my virginity back then? I kept my head down, meekly saying, “No, I really was at a friend’s place last night. You can call and ask her if you don’t believe me, sis.” “That won’t be necessary,” Vivian said. Then, with a cold look in her eyes and a curl of her lips, she continued, “If you didn’t sleep with a man, what are you afraid of? Open your towel and let me take a look.” 0

My pupils constricted as water droplets and cold sweat ran down my back. Seeing my hesitation, Vivian’s suspicion grew. “Do I need to do it myself?” I kept backing away, my heart in my throat, not daring to take a single breath. Just as the situation reached a critical point, Vivian’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she broke into an excited smile. She cleared her throat and answered sweetly, “Sebastian.” Hearing my brother-in-law’s name, my relaxed nerves instantly tensed up again. The heart that had just settled back down leapt right back into my throat. Even my hair stood on end in fear. What if Sebastian asked about last night… Watching Vivian’s expression change as she spoke, my emotions rollercoastered along with her facial expressions. Thankfully, I managed to get through this crisis without incident. After showering, I went downstairs to find Vivian pensively examining a tube of ointment. I tried to quietly slip past, but Vivian caught me with a glance and blocked my way. She raised her arm as if to hit me, but I nimbly dodged. “You dare dodge?” Vivian’s face turned ashen as she demanded loudly, “Tell me! What exactly did you do last night? Why did Sebastian bring me this?” Looking at the ointment in front of me, I wracked my brains and came up with a seemingly convincing lie. Seeing Vivian buy my story, I finally let out a sigh of relief. Vivian handed me the ointment and went back to scrolling on her phone. Just when I thought I’d made it safely through the day, Vivian’s calm voice exploded in my ears: “Find an opportunity to sleep with Sebastian.” Excuse me? I always feel out of sync with this world because I’m not twisted enough. Vivian keeps pushing the boundaries of my understanding of her. I couldn’t help but mock her, “Is sis afraid Sebastian will find out you’re not pure anymore?” Thinking of Vivian’s endless string of boyfriends and her debauched lifestyle as a spoiled rich girl, it seemed to make sense. “Want me to smack that smart mouth of yours?” she threatened, avoiding my question. I didn’t push it. “Sis, have you forgotten? I’m not a virgin either. That time…” “I’ll take you to get it fixed,” Vivian interrupted coldly, as if everything was under her control. “Why don’t you go yourself? Or is sis planning another ‘caught in the act’ scene?” I said lightly, as if just making casual conversation. Vivian’s face changed. She tossed out a “mind your own business” and left. The next morning before dawn, Vivian burst into my room, threw some clothes on me, and dragged me to a sketchy back-alley clinic. I snapped wide awake, looking at Vivian in disbelief, silently questioning her with my eyes. Vivian instantly understood my meaning and said dismissively, “We didn’t come to the wrong place. We can’t leave any records that might raise suspicion.” I dawdled as I walked through the door, about to turn back and come clean to Vivian, when I heard her tell the doctor, “Break it first, then fix it. I paid good money for this.” Vivian was still as malicious towards me as ever. But I had actually slept with Sebastian, so there was no need for any “fixing.” Looks like I’d have to use some tricks. I picked up the scalpel and twirled it expertly, pressing it precisely against the doctor’s neck. It was easy enough to get him to agree to play along with me. I didn’t expect the doctor to be such a coward. I even gained some unexpected intel that gave me a glimpse into Vivian’s little secret. It wasn’t a waste to go along with Vivian’s scheme after all. 0

When I came out, Vivian just gave me a cursory glance before stepping on the gas and driving off alone. I knew crystal clear that Vivian had definitely run off to meet up with one or more of the boys in her string of boyfriends. But unlike usual, I didn’t try to bargain or negotiate. I just kept staring intently at Vivian’s belly. No wonder Vivian had become more generous with money lately. Turns out it was thanks to the little one in her belly! But Vivian went through men faster than I went through pen refills. Did she even know who the baby’s father was? And how could she be sure she could keep it a secret from the Hayes family? If the truth came out, wouldn’t the entire Quinn family become targets for the Hayes family’s revenge… Lost in thought, a black car sped past then reversed back to stop beside me. The window rolled down to reveal none other than my soon-to-be brother-in-law. “Didn’t you use the ointment I gave you? Get in, I’ll give you a ride.” Following the man’s gaze, I looked at my wrist. Damn! I remembered to apply it on my legs but completely forgot about this spot. But from the looks of it, he seemed to have mistaken me for Vivian again. I kept reminding myself: Stay in character, stay in character! Thinking about how I could squeeze some more money out of Vivian when I got back, a professional smile instantly spread across my face. I smoothly opened the car door and got in. “Thanks, bro-” My polite self almost slipped up. Meeting the man’s scrutinizing gaze, I gave an awkward laugh and continued, “Can I borrow your charger? My phone’s dead.” Sebastian didn’t probe further, and my little life was saved. After getting home, messages from Vivian came pouring in. “Make sure you seal the deal with Sebastian tomorrow night.” “The weather forecast says it’ll rain tomorrow. I’ve mailed you some aphrodisiacs via express delivery. I don’t need to teach you what to do, right?” “Don’t try to be clever. Remember to take photos in bed for me to check! Otherwise tomorrow’s headline will be your sex tape. You know I’m capable of anything.” “You wouldn’t want to experience cyberbullying again, would you?” Vivian sure moved fast. She could still think of everything while fooling around with her boy toys. That’s something. Counting the string of zeros in the payment Vivian sent me, I slept soundly that night. The next evening, I timed it perfectly to get caught in the rain on my way to Sebastian’s villa. When I arrived, Sebastian lived up to his reputation as a gentleman, easily agreeing to let me stay the night. Perhaps to avoid making me uncomfortable, he hid in his study all evening without coming out. I sat in the living room, watching the clock hands go round and round, but there was no sign of him emerging from the study. I pondered silently, then heated up a glass of milk, secretly dissolving a sleeping pill in it, and carried it to Sebastian’s study. I handed him the milk and made sure to give him a suggestive look before leaving, coyly reminding him, “Don’t lock your door tonight, okay?” Then I sashayed out. I mentally calculated how long it would take for the drug to kick in. When I estimated the time was right, I took my phone and snuck into Sebastian’s bedroom, planning to stage some suggestive photos. Just when I thought I had succeeded and was about to leave, his hand suddenly wrapped around me like a vine, locking me in place like an iron clamp. He even unconsciously gave my butt a light pat, mumbling drowsily, “Still being naughty in my dreams?” As soon as he finished speaking, his burning lips crashed onto mine fiercely. It was as if he wanted to swallow me whole, clearly intending to thoroughly feast on me. I didn’t dare struggle too hard for fear of waking him, but my small attempts to break free were completely ineffective against his grip. I was both angry and anxious, only able to silently curse Vivian. The intel didn’t say he was resistant to sleeping pills! That Vivian really set me up this time. To think I delivered myself right to his doorstep, letting him have an all-you-can-eat buffet for free! 0

I woke up groggily in the morning and instinctively looked to my left. He happened to glance to his right at the same time. Our gazes collided unexpectedly, like an electric shock, and we quickly looked away. In that instant, the awkward atmosphere in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I was so uncomfortable I couldn’t even stay for breakfast before fleeing in a panic. Mission accomplished. Vivian was in an unusually good mood and treated me with unexpected kindness for two whole months. Until I just got her call, I realized the interest on her kindness was more than I could bear. Looking at the cold $100,000 in my bank account, my heart was pounding. This… this couldn’t be hush money, could it?! When I rushed to the hospital, I even doubted if I had gone to the wrong place. My sister, my brother-in-law, and one, two, three… countless guys from Vivian’s string of boyfriends. What a chaotic scene!! I had anticipated that the $100,000 wouldn’t come easily, but I never imagined it was for me to inherit Vivian’s “harem”! Looking at all these men, I felt my scalp tingling. My mind was screaming: This many men, I really can’t handle it! This is not okay at all! Vivian didn’t care about any of that. When she saw me arrive, it was like she had found a lifeline. She grabbed my hand tightly and said, “Aria, you’re finally here. Your brother-in-law came with me for a prenatal checkup, but these boyfriends of yours mistook me for you. Quickly explain to your brother-in-law.” After saying this, she took advantage of everyone’s distraction to pinch my waist hard without leaving a trace. Under Vivian’s threatening gaze, her boy toys swarmed towards me one by one. I welcomed them all without discrimination. To everyone’s shock and bewilderment, I gave each of them a resounding slap across the face. I muttered under my breath, loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly: “Each of you claims to love me the most, yet you can’t even tell me apart from my sister. What a bunch of brainless losers. No wonder none of you can become official boyfriends. Your intelligence is really worrying!” After finishing, I noticed from the corner of my eye that they were still dumbfounded, not yet recovered from the shock. I quickly turned my head, flashed a ingratiating smile at my brother-in-law, then made a swift escape from this “den of trouble”. Not long after I got home, Vivian predictably came storming in to confront me. Those little fish in her pond had each whispered lies in her ear, instantly bewitching my sister to the point where she couldn’t tell north from south. Fortunately, our family is now on the brink of bankruptcy with nothing left. We don’t have to worry about my sister doing anything as stupid as “using sex to gain favors from powerful men.” But I still underestimated Vivian. To please her boy toys, she actually outsourced the task of “bonding” with my brother-in-law to me. Seriously? Is this right? Even when filming movies, the lead actress’s name appears in the credits while a body double does all the work! But thinking of the threatening messages bombarding my phone from her sugar daddies, I had no choice but to continue following Vivian’s orders. Who would have thought that Vivian’s little fish were all richer and more powerful than me! If I were to betray her now, who knows what trouble it would stir up. With this helpless mindset, I came to Sebastian’s house again. As soon as I entered, without a moment’s hesitation, I walked straight towards the study door. “Sis…” I was about to say “Sis’s husband, open the door.”

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A car accident caused my soul to swap with Vivian’s, my husband Alexander’s childhood friend. Vivian, now in my body with an injured leg, took my place as the lady of the Sterling household. Meanwhile, I was relegated to the guest room, forced to listen to their nightly passion and watch everyone praise their “undying love” despite the accident. When I lashed out in desperation, Alexander locked me up, gripping my throat: “Vivian endured pain for you. She deserves to enjoy your life now.” “Be good and I’ll keep you as my mistress. I’ll take responsibility!” But the day I was exposed as “the other woman”, Alexander personally kicked me out of the house. He left me to sleep on the streets as onlookers hurled insults, ignoring when I was assaulted by homeless men and miscarried. As I lay dying on the street, cradling the lost child that wasn’t even mine, I swore vengeance. When I was reborn, I immediately handed Alexander divorce papers… “Baby, you learned a new position?” “Same body, but such a different sensation – how thrilling!” The housekeeper standing outside blushed hearing their passionate exchange, marveling at the couple’s intimacy as she blocked my way. I barely held back tears, my chest heaving, as I brandished the knife I had prepared: “I’m going in there today no matter what!” After the soul swap, Alexander had moved into the master bedroom with Vivian, who had stolen my body. They flaunted their love shamelessly every day. He always told me to be patient, for his sake and for Sterling Corp which had just gone public. We couldn’t let anyone notice anything amiss! But no matter how much I endured, they only grew more brazen! I shoved the door open. The couple on the bed, tightly joined, appeared before me without warning. My heart shattered seeing them like that. Alexander had always insisted they were just pretending, but this looked all too real! Our five years of tenderness had clearly become Vivian and Alexander’s love nest long ago! “Ah!” Vivian let out a shrill scream, quickly hiding in Alexander’s arms. The man glared at me furiously: “How dare you! You think the Sterling house is your playground, barging in wherever you please?” Alexander showed no trace of panic, still acting like the lord of the manor, as if he truly didn’t know I was his real wife. With a glance, he dismissed all the servants. Roughly running a hand through his hair, he threw on some clothes before coming to stand before me, irritated: “Didn’t I tell you not to come here? Why won’t you listen?” I pointed at the bed, my vision blurring with tears: “So this is what you call pretending, Alexander? What an actor you are!” I had discussed boundaries for their interactions many times since the accident. But Alexander had gone from promises to dismissive excuses! He argued back, unrepentant: “What am I pretending? It’s your body, so how can it be cheating?” “Besides, do you know how much Vivian has sacrificed for you? You lost a leg in the crash, but Vivian took on that pain for you! Now she’s even giving her body to play my wife convincingly. Why can’t you be as understanding as Vivian?” I stared at him in shock, tears flowing freely. How dare he bring that up? In that critical moment during the crash, Alexander’s first instinct was to protect Vivian in the backseat instead of me right beside him. And when I first woke up in Vivian’s body, before Alexander even knew about the swap, he had immediately embraced and kissed me to comfort me. He later explained he was just too emotional. But looking at the rumpled sheets on the bed now, everything suddenly became clear! I grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it at him, demanding: “You two were sneaking around long before this! You’ve been lying to me this whole time!” “I don’t want to pretend anymore. I’m going to tell everyone the truth!”

I turned to leave, but Alexander couldn’t stop me. In desperation, he grabbed my wrist! “Who would believe you now? Besides, Sterling Corp has just stabilized! Can’t you think of me for once?” When I ignored him, Alexander simply threw me over his shoulder and locked me in a room! He hissed through gritted teeth: “Think of our child. He’s only one year old. If you keep quiet, you can still see him by pretending to be my childhood friend living with us. But if you speak up, you’ll be seen as mentally ill and locked away in a hospital!” At the mention of our son, I calmed down. He was right, but how much longer did I have to endure this? When I first married Alexander, I knew about Vivian’s existence. She was orphaned young and grew up in the Sterling household. Back then, I admired Alexander’s loyalty in still caring for his childhood friend even after our marriage. I didn’t mind Vivian living with us since she had nowhere else to go. But over time, the two grew increasingly intimate in front of me. It wasn’t until after this soul swap that I finally realized the truth. They had just been hiding their true relationship all along! I gazed at Alexander through the window, lost and confused: “So you only married me for my family name and wealth? Just because I’m the Turner heiress?” Alexander turned away, unable to meet my eyes: “Don’t overthink things. Just calm down for now, alright?” His footsteps faded as sounds of pleasure once again drifted from across the hall. I laughed bitterly, realizing all my sweet memories with Alexander now felt like a dream. As night fell, my heart grew colder. The next day, my door remained locked. After Alexander left for work, Vivian had the nanny bring our son to play in her room. Seeing my child, I couldn’t help but warn her as she passed: “Don’t you dare touch him!” Vivian, still holding a puppy, looked at me with amusement. “Why can’t I touch my own son?” she taunted in a low voice. “I’ll take care of him however I want.” A sense of dread washed over me. The nanny hurried after her with two leashes – one for the dog, and one for…my son! “Leo!” I cried out. “What are you doing?” Vivian glanced at me as she set both the child and dog on the ground, making them compete for food from a single bowl on the floor. My blood boiled as I frantically rattled the doorknob! Vivian seemed utterly relaxed: “I’m just training the kid. If he can beat a dog, he won’t get bullied in preschool later. You wouldn’t understand a mother’s love.” “You monster!” I kicked at the door desperately. The servants found my reaction strange, but no one helped. Only Daisy, who used to care for me, apologized: “I’m sorry Miss Wood, but Mr. Sterling ordered us not to let you out!” Vivian even kicked the dog to make it more aggressive. My son was already crying from being scratched by its sharp claws. I clutched Daisy’s hand like a lifeline. “Please, I’m begging you. Just bring me my phone!” She hesitated before secretly passing it through the window. I immediately called Alexander. “Alex, hurry and have someone open the door! Vivian is abusing our child! I need to save him!” I put the phone on speaker and held it out the window: “Mr. Sterling says to let me out right away!” Seeing this, Vivian’s face flashed with guilt. But the next moment, Alexander’s annoyed voice came through the speaker: “Do you have nothing better to do? An outsider couldn’t possibly care for a child better than his own mother. If you keep saying such things, don’t blame me for disowning you as my sister!” Click. The call ended abruptly. I was still in shock when Vivian’s laughter reached my ears. “I’m disciplining my own child, yet my ‘sister’ tattles to my husband? Aren’t you overstepping, dear?” The servants nodded in agreement. They had always disliked Vivian’s behavior, thinking I was finally standing up to her. Little did they know our souls had long since swapped. The person before them was no longer me, but Vivian. She snatched my phone away and turned to Daisy. “Go treat the child’s wounds. Press hard – the more Leo cries, the more effective the medicine!” “No!” I cried out. My son’s wails tore at my heart. I smashed everything in the room trying to break down that door, but it wouldn’t budge. I slumped against the door, my eyes bloodshot: “What do you really want?” Vivian looked down at my defeated form from outside: “Find a chance to leave the Sterling house. Otherwise, you may never see Leo again!”

Her words chilled me to the bone. I didn’t know if Vivian would actually harm Leo, but I couldn’t take that risk! “Fine! I’ll do what you say!” My voice shook. I just needed to wait for Alexander to return and tell him everything. That evening when Alexander came home, he saw the injuries on our son. I waited anxiously for him to realize something was wrong. But Alexander simply put an arm around Vivian’s waist to comfort her: “It’s okay, honey. New moms are bound to make mistakes.” “Don’t blame yourself too much. Boys are tough – he’ll be fine!” He gently wiped away Vivian’s crocodile tears. The tender gesture made my anger and grief surge. When Alexander finally came to unlock my door, I told him what really happened. But he just brushed me off carelessly: “Don’t be so sensitive. It’s normal for kids to get bumps and bruises. You never used to blame the staff before. Why have you become so unreasonable since swapping bodies with Vivian?” A wave of helplessness washed over me. Tears streamed down my face: “You still don’t believe me?” I curled up, burying my face in my knees. Ever since that car accident, everything had changed. Every time Vivian gave me that taunting look, I felt intensely unsafe. As if the moment I let my guard down, I would lose everything I cherished – my child, Alexander, all of it! I missed my mother terribly. If she were here, would she recognize me? Would she understand my pain? Alexander sat down and held me close, sighing at my state: “You’ve been a pampered heiress all your life. You don’t know how hard it is for those of us who grew up without parents. Is this little setback really too much for you?” “I’ve been more than good to you! Even though you’re in someone else’s body, I still love you.” “Olivia, please don’t make things harder for me.” He leaned in to kiss me, but I shoved him away, wiping my tears: “Is it really for my sake? Or is it because of this body? I bet you and Vivian were already sleeping together long before this!” “You don’t want to sleep with me – you want to sleep with her!” My voice broke as I glared at him accusingly. Alexander’s anger flared, his hand raised to strike me. But he held back at the last second: “Fine! We did have an affair! You think I’m not hitting you because of you?” “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s only because this is Vivian’s body that I can’t bring myself to hurt it!” I stared at him unblinkingly, my heart turning to ash in an instant. Vivian burst in at that moment, slapping me hard across the face. “Don’t worry about my body, Alex. People who need discipline should be disciplined!” I wanted to hit her back, but Alexander quickly shielded her. Vivian pointed at me indignantly: “Alex has been agonizing over our situation, working himself to the bone to keep up appearances for Sterling Corp!” “Meanwhile all you do is cause trouble and throw tantrums!” “If I’d known you were this useless, I never would have let you marry into the family!” As they ganged up on me, I started to doubt myself. Was it really all my fault? They were the ones having sex in my bedroom! They made my child compete with a dog for food. How could I not fight back? Alexander looked down at my wretched state, his tone dripping with pity as he volunteered: “I’ll invite your mother over tomorrow so you can see her. If you behave yourself this time, I won’t restrict your movements in the future.” Vivian chimed in: “Don’t forget your promise from earlier, sis. What’s more important – you or the child?” I tossed and turned all night, but seeing my mother the next day lifted my spirits immensely. I rushed to greet her, but Vivian beat me to it, taking my mother’s hand coyly: “Mom, I’ve missed you so much!” Her expression and tone were identical to mine. My mother didn’t suspect a thing, smiling as she walked arm-in-arm with Vivian right past me. “What are you standing there for? Go prepare some tea and snacks.” Vivian ordered me haughtily. I swallowed my emotions and busied myself in the kitchen. When I returned, Alexander and Vivian sat on either side of my mother, cradling Leo. They looked like the perfect family. My hands shook as I poured tea for my mother, scalding myself. I wiped it away silently and served her. She finally glanced at me, saying happily: “Vivian has really matured. She’s becoming more and more like Olivia. When you get married someday, I’ll prepare a dowry for you too.” My voice quivered as I couldn’t hold back any longer: “Mom…” Hearing me speak up, Alexander quickly changed the subject and pulled me aside: “Olivia! You need to accept the situation. If Mom sees you acting like this, she’ll get suspicious!” He continued trying to persuade me: “Look how pleased Mom is with you now. She doesn’t dislike Vivian anymore like before.” “If you two get along well, maybe she’ll even adopt you as her goddaughter someday. Then Mom can shower you with more affection. Wouldn’t that be nice for all of us?” After a moment of silence, I looked up at him: “But all that affection was originally mine!” “You’re the one who’s happy, aren’t you? With a wife and a mistress on the side?” Alexander’s fist flew past my ear, slamming into the wall behind me: “So what?” “Are you trying to disgust me by saying that? You two can’t switch back anyway. Who else could you possibly marry now? Why not just serve me together?” “Olivia, I’m telling you – you have no choice!” He forcefully pinned me against the wall by the balcony, crushing his lips against mine. The more I struggled, the deeper he probed. Just as my dress was about to be torn off, I bit down hard on his lip. Only then did he release me! “You’ve got guts, Olivia! We’ll see how long you can keep this up.” Alexander stormed off angrily. I crouched in the corner for hours. When the house finally grew quiet, I snuck back to my room in my tattered clothes. The next day, photos of Alexander and I kissing passionately went viral online! Chapter 5 “I told you that Vivian girl was trouble! I said to kick her out, but you just wouldn’t listen!” my mother ranted furiously, clutching Vivian’s hand as she repeated the same scoldings she used to give me! I faced the group, listening to my mother’s tirade while awkwardly standing off to the side. My face burned with shame, but I couldn’t utter a word in my defense. She jabbed a finger at my nose: “And to think I praised you for being sensible yesterday! I should have known you’d never change, you disgraceful creature!” She then turned her rage on Alexander, hurling whatever was in reach at him: “And you! How could you do this to my daughter?” Alexander didn’t dodge, letting my mother vent her anger. Only when he looked at me did he finally speak: “I treated you like a sister. How could you try to seduce me?” “Apologize now. For old times’ sake, I won’t press charges!” I stared at him wide-eyed, stunned that Alexander would pin this on me! Seeing I didn’t move, he kicked the back of my knees, forcing me to kneel: “Mom, don’t worry. I won’t let Olivia suffer for this.” I laughed bitterly, finding his words jarringly insincere. I tried to stand, but Alexander gripped my hair, whispering in my ear: “Think of the child! Apologize now!” My lips trembled as I knelt before everyone, forcing out each word: “I’m sorry! It was wrong of me to seduce Mr. Sterling. It’s all my fault!” Tears rolled down my cheeks as Vivian pressed on relentlessly: “You’ve brought such shame on us. The Sterling house can’t keep you any longer!” “Throw her out!” I jerked my head up in shock. Even Alexander seemed taken aback as he looked at her. “For the child’s sake, I can’t risk keeping someone so morally corrupt around. You wouldn’t understand a mother’s concerns!” Vivian continued applying pressure. Alexander stood frozen, hesitating. My mother eagerly agreed, nodding in approval: “It’s about time! Alexander, go take care of it. Don’t disappoint the Turner family!” “Alright!” Alexander grit his teeth and complied. I couldn’t read his expression as he turned away. “I’ve already apologized. Isn’t that enough?” I pleaded desperately. “It’s all my fault. Please don’t make me leave. I’m begging you!” Once I left, I would have nothing left! But Alexander ignored my pleas, shoving me out the door in nothing but my nightgown. “Just bear with it for now. I’ll bring you back after your mom leaves!” he whispered. The door slammed shut with finality. In the freezing winter air, I pounded on the door, shaking uncontrollably! But all I got in response was a bucket of ice water dumped on me by a maid! My body began to stiffen from the cold. Survival instincts kicking in, I desperately begged passersby for help. Finally someone gave me a thin jacket, but then they recognized me as the homewrecker from the viral photos. A barrage of cruel insults rained down. “Why give her clothes? The ungrateful bitch! The Sterlings raised her from childhood, but she still did such a disgusting thing!” “Yeah, the Sterling couple is so in love! She just had to insert herself as the other woman. This is what she deserves!” “Get lost! Don’t hang around my shop – you’re bad for business!” I was chased away like a stray dog, clutching the thin jacket as I fled. I just had to make it until nightfall. Surely Alexander wouldn’t abandon me completely. But as night deepened with no sign of him, I noticed several homeless men had started following me. Terrified, I ran frantically towards the Sterling mansion. But the security guards wouldn’t let me in! “There are bad men after me. Please, you have to help me!” I begged. The guard yawned indifferently: “Mrs. Sterling already gave orders to cut all ties with you. Even if you get assaulted, it’s got nothing to do with us. Now scram! You’re disrupting my nap.” My strength finally gave out. The Sterling house had been my last hope. I weakly pounded on the iron gates. The group of homeless men grabbed my legs, dragging me into a dark corner. My bloody fingernails left desperate scratches in the snow as my hoarse screams for help mixed with the men’s vicious laughter. My body went numb. I lost count of how many men violated me before the endless flow of blood between my legs finally made me lose consciousness. In my haze, I saw Alexander rush over with reddened eyes. He stumbled to his knees before me: “Olivia, wake up! You animals, I’ll kill you all!”

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After my wife abandoned me for her first love for the tenth time, I received the ultimate punishment from the system. My love for my wife was erased. My wife thought I was acting. To force me to apologize, she brought her first love in front of me and kissed him passionately. She posted sweet photos on Instagram that only I could see, and even handed me divorce papers when I remained unmoved. She thought I would definitely compromise. But she didn’t know that I no longer loved her. When I signed the divorce agreement, my wife finally panicked. She cried and begged me to love her one more time. In the dark room, only flickering candlelight remained. The cream on the cake on the dining table had already collapsed. The system’s voice sounded in my head. [Host, this is your last chance. If you can’t call Jessica back, you’ll face punishment.] I calmly replied “okay,” but my heart was still filled with pain. This was the tenth time Jessica had abandoned me for Luke. Today was my birthday, and Jessica had been called away by Luke halfway through. I didn’t know what punishment I would face, but based on past experience, it definitely wouldn’t be pleasant. The first time Jessica abandoned me for Luke, the punishment felt like high-voltage electricity coursing through my body. I couldn’t get out of bed for three days from the pain. The punishments got worse each time. The ninth time, I was vomiting blood non-stop. I was truly scared. I took out my phone and called Jessica. First call. Second call. It wasn’t until the eighth call that someone picked up. Jessica’s impatient voice came through the receiver. “Jessica, wish me a happy birthday…” I said, my throat tight, almost begging. Just saying “happy birthday” would save me from punishment. At least I wouldn’t lose so miserably. But Jessica just let out a cold laugh at those simple words. “Ryan, do you have nothing better to do? Luke is sick, so I came to take care of him. Who are you trying to act pitiful for? Don’t make me look down on you.” I laughed bitterly, my voice calmer than ever before. Every time Luke called Jessica away and I tried to get her to come back, she always said I was making a fuss over nothing and complaining for no reason. I was tired of explaining. “What if I said I would die?” I asked. I wasn’t sure what would happen to me, but I might actually die. Or maybe…I would leave this world? Isn’t that what happens to other system hosts in novels when they fail their missions? I was truly scared. I thought Jessica would at least be anxious if she heard I might die. Even if she just showed a little concern, I would feel like all these years of devotion and love were worth it. But Jessica replied with disgust, “Always talking about dying. It’s just a stupid birthday, can’t you celebrate next year? If you really want to die then go die far away. I might actually think better of you then!” Before I could respond, I heard a male voice on the other end of the call. “Jess, I’m done showering. You can go wash up now.” The call was immediately hung up. As I listened to the busy signal, I fell into deep thought. Jessica never showered outside our home. I couldn’t rule out that Luke had said that on purpose for me to hear, but there was no denying that Luke was always the exception for Jessica. [Host, time’s up. Punishment begins.]

The clock in the living room struck midnight. My birthday had passed, which meant my mission had completely failed. When the system’s voice sounded, it seemed to carry a hint of gentleness. Jessica and I had been together for five years. I had pursued her for five years. That’s right, I was a transmigrator tasked with winning her over. I thought that as long as I married Jessica, my mission would be complete. I never wanted to return to the real world. After all, in the real world I was an orphan with cancer. The exorbitant surgery fees were beyond my reach, so I ended it all by jumping off a building. In this book world, at least I had a complete family. But Jessica’s heart was never with me. Whenever Luke needed something, even if I was sick and hospitalized, Jessica wouldn’t come back to me. Even ice can be melted with enough warmth, but Jessica’s gaze never lingered on me. But I still couldn’t let go. As the punishment began, I felt something being drawn out of my body. Past memories played like a flipbook in my mind. Jessica’s smile, her silhouette playing in the sunlight, me holding her hand as we exchanged wedding vows under everyone’s gaze. Those warm, beautiful scenes unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes. Amidst gut-wrenching pain, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, my throat felt parched. I stumbled to the kitchen for a glass of water, only to run into an exhausted-looking Jessica who had just returned. Luke followed behind her, looking smug. For some reason, even though I knew the woman before me was my wife, she felt like a stranger. Jessica let out a cold laugh when she saw me. “Weren’t you going on about dying last night? Look at you, still alive and well. All talk and no action – it’s disgusting.” I looked at Jessica in confusion. Her words were harsh, even making my heart ache instinctively. I couldn’t quite remember why I had married such a sharp-tongued woman. For a moment, I couldn’t hide my dazed expression. Even my hand paused as I was drinking water. Jessica casually sat down, leading Luke to do the same. Luke said apologetically, “Sorry to disturb you so late, Ryan. It’s my fault for being in poor health. Jess was worried about me, that’s why she brought me back. You don’t mind, right?”

I don’t know if I was being overly sensitive, but I felt like Luke was blatantly showing off. Before I could respond, Jessica rolled her eyes at me and reassured Luke. “You’re my best friend. Certain people aren’t important enough to interfere with my decisions. Make yourself at home. Let me know if you need anything.” Then Jessica turned to me, her eyes wary, as if afraid I might do something to hurt Luke. She warned, “Ryan, I’m telling you, if you want to stay with me, don’t play any tricks. Don’t make me hate you!” I finally realized that I no longer loved Jessica. In the past, when Jessica brought Luke in front of me, I would feel angry, sad, and wronged. But now I felt nothing. So the system’s so-called punishment was to take away my love for Jessica. For a moment, I didn’t know whether to feel sad or relieved. Perhaps I should be relieved. Loving Jessica was too exhausting. Even though my memories were hazy, when I tried to recall the past, it felt like something was crushing my chest, making it hard to breathe. I calmly finished my water and coldly replied, “Oh, okay.” Jessica looked surprised. She had probably prepared a bunch of insults, expecting me to protest. She didn’t expect me to be so indifferent, and was momentarily at a loss for words. But Luke didn’t seem to want things to go smoothly for me. He immediately lowered his gaze, as if I had bullied him. “Jess, maybe I should leave. It seems Ryan doesn’t welcome me. Don’t let me affect your relationship.” Jessica seemed to find an opening and grabbed Luke’s hand in front of me, looking at me with disgust. “Ryan, who are you putting on this dead-faced act for? I came back like you wanted. Luke is just staying with us for a few days. If you don’t welcome him, fine, but do you have to look so sour? Did all those years of education go to waste? You have no manners!” These words left me stunned. I hadn’t said anything, hadn’t even tried to drive Luke away. How had I become the petty one in Jessica’s eyes? Oh, I almost forgot. It wasn’t just this time. It had always been like this. When I protested Jessica seeing Luke, she said I was jealous and had no sense of boundaries. When I was forced to accept Jessica and Luke’s relationship, Luke would find ways to provoke me, saying I didn’t like him. And Jessica would still scold me harshly. In short, everything I did was wrong. Now I was incredibly grateful that I no longer loved Jessica. Looking back, I realized how helpless and pitiful I used to be. I paused as I was heading back to my room. “How about I leave instead?”

The air in the room froze for a few seconds. Jessica and Luke looked at each other in disbelief, as if they couldn’t believe this was my reaction. It’s true, in the past, if I didn’t kick up a huge fuss to vent my dissatisfaction, I wouldn’t be Ryan. Everyone in our social circle knew I was Jessica’s devoted admirer. I loved Jessica to death. People even joked that even if every man in the world were to change his heart, I never would. It was because I loved her too much that I couldn’t stand any man being close to Jessica, let alone giving them private time together now. But Jessica quickly realized something and laughed loudly. “Ryan, tired of the suicidal act? Now you’re playing hard to get? “Let me tell you, even if you do this, I still…” I had already closed the door and left before Jessica could finish her sentence, cutting off her unfinished words. No heartache, no grievance. I just found Jessica annoying. The streets were cold late at night. I walked aimlessly, feeling an unprecedented sense of freedom and relaxation. Since coming to this book world, every day had been spent hovering around Jessica. I never had time for myself. I still remembered Jessica’s birthday, when she smashed the cake I had made with my own hands onto my body in front of everyone in our social circle. She gritted her teeth and said to me: “Ryan, no matter how much you grovel, I will never like a pushover like you. Even if you were the last man on earth, I would never choose you!” But how did Jessica agree to marry me? At that time, Jessica’s family company was facing a financial crisis and on the verge of bankruptcy. Who among the elite doesn’t kick you when you’re down? Overnight, Jessica was begging everyone for help, even willing to offer herself. But those she once called friends all closed their doors to her. Even her first love Luke made excuses about going abroad and broke up with her. I still remember that rainy night when Jessica came to find me. My family’s company wasn’t small, but it was inferior to Jessica’s former company, which was why she had looked down on me. At that time, I knew I was Jessica’s last resort. When her tear-filled eyes stared at me, begging me to save her family, I softened. Jessica asked to marry me. Although she was my target, I wasn’t the type to take advantage of someone’s misfortune. Besides, I had already truly fallen in love with her after pursuing her day and night. In the end, Jessica’s family felt indebted to mine, so they let her marry me. This time I didn’t refuse. But after marriage, Jessica gradually came to her senses. She felt I had taken advantage of her vulnerability and that I had ulterior motives for helping her. She never looked at me with warmth. But I still remembered why I liked Jessica in the first place. She would buy vegetables and fruits from elderly vendors, donate to orphanages, and smile at poor people. Jessica was originally a good person. She just… didn’t love me.

After walking for over an hour, a Maybach suddenly pulled up beside me. When the window rolled down, it revealed Jessica’s delicate face, though she was frowning and looked displeased. “How long are you going to keep this up? Walking around on the streets like this – if the media reports on it, they’ll say I’m ungrateful again.” Then Luke’s head poked out from the passenger seat. He said pitifully, “Ryan, I’m sorry. My presence caused you two to fight. I’ll go back now. Even though I have no family or friends here, I’ll accept my fate even if I die alone at home.” Luke’s clumsy attempt at playing the victim – I don’t know why I used to fall for it repeatedly. Could Jessica really not see through Luke’s act? She probably could. She just enjoyed Luke going to such lengths for her, which meant he still cared about her. And I was just the sacrificial lamb in their love game. I ignored Jessica and kept walking. The night wind was really cold, seeping into my body. Jessica impatiently honked the horn. Seeing I didn’t react, she stopped the car and shoved me into the backseat. “Can’t you be more sensible? You’re only making things more difficult for me! Why can’t you be more like Luke?” This was probably something Jessica blurted out in anger. Yes, I’m not like Luke. At least in Jessica’s heart, I can’t compare to Luke at all. I wanted to speak, but my throat felt tight and salty. In the end, I couldn’t say anything. People’s preconceptions are like mountains. In Jessica’s mind, I had always been unreasonable and jealous. No matter how I tried to explain myself, the verdict had already been passed. Besides, I no longer cared. The rest of the ride was silent. When we got home, Luke, who had been crying about going home, still followed us in. As soon as we entered, Luke quickly ran in front of me and threw himself against the entryway. His forehead hit the corner of a cabinet, immediately drawing blood. The loud noise caught me off guard. Jessica quickly went to help Luke up. The blood from Luke’s forehead was flowing down his face, looking quite gruesome. Luke’s tears immediately fell. He looked at me in disbelief. “Ryan, even if you don’t like me, you can’t hurt me like this. I’ll leave right now, okay? Please spare me.” As he spoke, Luke stumbled trying to get up, falling several times. I inwardly scoffed. Luke never tired of using these framing tactics on me. He probably couldn’t even remember how many times he’d done it. Jessica held Luke protectively in her arms, looking at me with deepening hatred. “Ryan, why can’t you ever learn? How dare you be so vicious right in front of me. I’m warning you, if anything happens to Luke, I won’t let you off!” Jessica anxiously helped Luke to the hospital. Before leaving, I caught a glimpse of smug satisfaction in Luke’s eyes. But what did it matter? I had anticipated this kind of treatment. In the past, I definitely would have frantically explained that it wasn’t me, even chasing them to the hospital. My desperate attempts to explain made me look like a criminal. Since Jessica despised me so much, so be it. Close to dawn, I saw Luke’s Instagram post. [So this is what it feels like to be cared for.] The photo showed Jessica sleeping by Luke’s hospital bed, her head propped up on her arm. Back when I was punished by the system, I had crawled to the hospital on my own. When I called Jessica, she impatiently said:

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I had been married to Lucas for sixty years. After we both died, we were reborn. This time, at the proposal scene, he handed the flowers to my roommate standing beside me. “Olivia, whether you accept me or not, I just know that if I don’t confess to you today, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.” Our friends were all stunned. They couldn’t understand why the proposal ceremony had turned into a confession to another woman. I looked at Lucas, but he avoided my gaze. “Amber, even the most beloved person becomes tiresome after a long time. In this life, I want to live differently.” I didn’t say anything more, just silently left. Later, Lucas came to find me and proposed earnestly. “Let’s get married, Amber. I’ve had my fun, can we get our life back on track?” I raised my hand, showing him the diamond ring. “I’m sorry, Mr. Parker, you seem to have forgotten that marrying into the Parker family was always just a task for me as a Thompson daughter.” “Since I can’t marry you, I had to marry your uncle Ethan instead.” When I opened my eyes, I found myself at the bottom of the dormitory building. The ground was covered with roses and candles, incredibly romantic. Lucas was holding a guitar, softly singing a love song. This song was the birthday gift he gave me on my 22nd birthday. My roommate Olivia was holding my arm, her smile a bit unnatural. “How wonderful, Lucas confessed to you.” “You two have been childhood sweethearts, and you’re both from wealthy families. It’s a perfect match. Are you going to get married after graduation?” I didn’t notice her tone, just staring dazedly at Lucas singing softly. He was holding the guitar, his face turned to the side, his profile looking exceptionally handsome in the candlelight. It was 22-year-old Lucas. I saw him again. My eyes blurred, and I wiped away tears, a smile on my face. “Lucas!” But before I could get close, Lucas stopped playing. He walked straight past me to Olivia. “Olivia, I like you.” “Whether you accept me or not, I just know that if I don’t confess to you today, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.” I froze, turning around in confusion. I clearly remembered that this was the day Lucas proposed to me. Olivia glanced at me intentionally or unintentionally, a smile on her lips. Her eyes were extremely pleased, but when facing Lucas, her face was full of hesitation. “Lucas, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake? Shouldn’t you like Amber?” “After all, you two are a perfect match, while I’m just an ordinary person.” As she spoke, Olivia deliberately lowered her eyes, looking sad. Lucas looked at her, his eyes filled with pity. “Olivia, you’re still like this, always thinking you’re not good enough. You don’t need to feel inferior, you deserve everything in the world.” Saying this, Lucas pulled Olivia into his arms. I watched this scene silently, the flesh and blood in my heart collapsing inch by inch. Something was wrong, something was not right. I looked at Lucas, noticing his eyes. Such eyes would not belong to 22-year-old Lucas. They would only appear on the face of Mr. Parker who had inherited the family business. Lucas had also been reborn. Just as I had this guess, Lucas raised his eyes, meeting my gaze. He slowly opened his mouth, silently mouthing. “Sorry, Amber, even the most beloved person becomes tiresome after a long time. In this life, I want to live differently.” Live differently. In our previous life, we were childhood sweethearts. After graduating from college, Lucas confessed to me. We dated for a year before getting engaged, and then held a grand wedding witnessed by both families. After marriage, the Parker and Thompson families formed a strong alliance. I quit my job to stay at home and manage the household for Lucas. Lucas focused on fighting for power in the company without distractions. After marriage, I gave Lucas three sons and a daughter. He also loved and protected me, promising me lifelong fidelity. When Lucas died, he was lying in my arms, still holding my hand. “Amber, I have no regrets in this life.” After he left, I was overwhelmed with grief and passed away not long after. When we met again, I thought it was heaven’s grace, allowing us to be together for another few decades. But Lucas said he was tired of me. It turned out that lifelong fidelity was a lie, and having no regrets was also a lie. Olivia was his regret. I coldly watched the two embrace. A few friends hesitantly came forward. “Amber, are you okay?” At the same time, there were also glances with mockery. “Amber Thompson relied on being a rich girl, chasing after Lucas all day, but in the end, Lucas doesn’t even like her.” “That’s right, what’s the use of being a wealthy heiress? Lucas still prefers Olivia.” I stood there, suppressing the bitterness in my heart. Lucas, you said you want to live differently. But I, Amber Thompson, have never been someone who only had you as an option. Even though I had seen through Lucas’s true face, I was still a bit dazed when I returned to the dormitory. After all, we had been married for sixty years in the previous life. The sweet words Lucas once said to me seemed to still linger in my ears. Now, it all seemed like a dream. It made me start to doubt. Were all those happy memories from the previous life just my imagination? As graduation approached, people from other dorms had mostly moved out. But the people in our dorm were all still here. I was staying because I had been accepted for graduate studies at the same university. Olivia didn’t leave for some unknown reason. The other two roommates hadn’t found suitable jobs yet. I felt unwell, with waves of pain coming from my stomach. So I climbed into bed to lie down, wanting to take a short nap to feel better. But just as I was about to fall asleep, a commotion came from outside the door. “Olivia, this is Lucas Parker, the heir to Parker Enterprises! He’s going to inherit the whole company in the future!” “That’s right, we all saw it just now, he didn’t even look at Amber when he passed by her, he was just staring at you. He really likes you so much.” It was the voices of my two roommates. Olivia kept responding coyly. “It’s not as exaggerated as you say.” “Amber and Lucas have been childhood friends after all, he must care for her like a sister.” “Actually, Lucas and I have been dating for a year, but I didn’t let him tell you guys.” Hearing this, I suddenly pulled open the bed curtain, glaring at Olivia with red eyes. “What did you say!” They were startled to find I was in the dorm. I suppressed the surging emotions in my heart and repeated word by word. “What did you just say?” Olivia met my gaze, a hint of smugness in her smile. But the next second, she shrank behind the two roommates. “Amber, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to. I’ve talked to Lucas about it, but he said he only likes me.” “I know you’ve liked Lucas for many years, but you can’t disregard his feelings.” I watched her pretend to be pitiful, my hand gripping the bed sheet tightly. Seeing me like this, the other two roommates started to speak up for Olivia. “Amber, what’s wrong with you? Lucas likes Olivia, why are you angry?” “That’s right, you’re always so high and mighty, what are you being arrogant about now? Don’t tell me you really think Lucas is your personal property?” I looked at these two, barely feeling any emotion in my heart anymore. Just a few days ago, they were still following me around every day, begging me to find them positions at Thompson Group or Parker Enterprises. In the previous life, out of four years of dormitory friendship, I agreed to their requests. I found them two easy positions in the company and gave them generous monthly salaries. Now, just because Lucas confessed to Olivia, they’ve completely changed their attitude. “Olivia, now that Lucas likes you so much, he must agree to whatever you say, right?” One roommate looked at Olivia expectantly. Olivia smiled: “Don’t say that, Lucas and I are just boyfriend and girlfriend.” “Oh come on, future Mrs. Parker, just ask Lucas to arrange jobs for us at Parker Enterprises.” Olivia looked a bit troubled, took out her phone, and seemed to be messaging someone. After a while, her phone notification sounded. Olivia smiled slightly. “Lucas agreed.” The two roommates cheered and showered Olivia with compliments. I coldly observed everything, and after a moment, I still asked Olivia. “Is it true that you were dating before?” Olivia sighed and looked at me with a hint of condescension and pity. “Amber, I know you might think that because my family background isn’t as good as yours, I don’t deserve to be with Lucas.” “But think about it, if he really liked you, why didn’t he confess to you in the four years of college?” I sat on the bed, vaguely recalling memories from the previous life. Yes, Lucas hadn’t confessed to me in the previous life before graduation. Before he proposed at graduation, we didn’t even have an official boyfriend-girlfriend relationship on the surface. But that was because we had grown up together, and everyone in our social circle knew about our relationship. Although there was no formal confession, we had done everything that couples do. I had asked Lucas before why he didn’t confess to me. He smiled helplessly and tapped my nose. “Everyone in our circle knows you’re my little wife, Amber.” But I never thought he actually had something going on with Olivia. Seeing my expression change, Olivia’s smile grew wider. “Lucas told me he had to marry into the Thompson family, so he couldn’t publicly announce our relationship.” “For the past year, Lucas and I have always met in secret.” “But he just told me that this time, he wants to give me a perfect relationship rather than relying on the Thompson family’s support.” After Olivia finished speaking, I felt dizzy and my ears were ringing. When I came back to my senses, Olivia had already changed clothes and happily left for a date with Lucas. My phone rang, and I looked down to see it was my dad. Sure enough, he must have received news of Lucas confessing to Olivia. “Useless girl, you can’t even do such a simple thing. I just asked you to maintain your relationship with Lucas.” “I don’t care what method you use, win Lucas back as soon as possible. As the Thompson heiress, you must marry into the Parker family.” I smiled bitterly. Of course it would be like this. In my father’s eyes, I was always just a tool for exchanging benefits. But for my mother’s sake, I had to agree. I supported myself to climb down from the bed and silently packed my things. I called the driver to pick me up at the dormitory building. In the previous life, my happy married life with Lucas was no longer credible. He had betrayed me from the very beginning. Perhaps Lucas remembered his previous life and believed he could easily win the competition for heir without relying on the Thompson family’s support. So he went to pursue his true love, Olivia, without worries.

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I had been married to Jack Wilson for ten years, but we had long since been living separate lives. He was deeply in love with his secretary, while I had my own string of young lovers. I thought this was how our lives would continue indefinitely. Until I met a young man who touched my heart. He didn’t care about my money – he just wanted to marry me. I was moved. I went home and asked Jack for a divorce. That night, Jack smashed everything in the house. He grabbed me by the throat and snarled viciously: “Who gave you permission to take this seriously?!” I was dozing on the couch late one evening when the doorbell rang. I shuffled over in my slippers to open the door. Jack stumbled in, reeking of alcohol. His young secretary was struggling to support him. When she looked up at me, her eyes flashed with disdain even as she flipped her bangs coyly. “Rachel, Mr. Wilson had too much to drink so I brought him home,” she said. She emphasized the words “I brought him” before continuing in a wifely tone: “Rachel, why don’t you make some hangover soup for Mr. Wilson? But don’t add any longan – he doesn’t like that.” She gave a shy smile. “He always wants it when he’s hungover in the morning.” I had to stifle a laugh. This fresh college graduate’s attempts to mark her territory were so clumsy that I couldn’t even be bothered to spar with her. I took Jack from her arms and said coolly: “Alright, thank you. Do you need me to call you a cab home?” “Jack is so careless, making such a pretty young girl bring him home. Aren’t you worried about going back alone? It could be dangerous.” Olivia’s face fell and she said nothing. I couldn’t be bothered to engage further. I closed the door and kicked Jack, who was slumped on the couch. “Alright, you can stop pretending now.” Jack didn’t open his eyes, but his voice was completely sober: “Thanks. She’s been clingy lately, always talking about marriage. I figured I’d give her the cold shoulder for a while.” I said nothing. Olivia was different from the others. Over the years Jack and I had lived our separate lives, with women coming and going from his side. The longest any had stayed was three months. He was a born playboy, never willing to settle down with one person for long. At the time, I thought I would be the exception. But just three years into our marriage, he was already unable to resist the temptations outside. This Olivia was different though – she had been with him for two years now. It was clear Jack truly cared for her. With anyone else, he would have moved on long ago. But this time he was just trying to cool things off a bit. He clearly couldn’t bear to let her go. In the past, I probably would have been crying and screaming, utterly heartbroken. Now I just said emotionlessly: “Jack, let’s get a divorce.” Jack cracked open an eye to look at me and snorted. “Rachel, what’s gotten into you now? Didn’t we agree to live our own lives? What are you on about?” He rolled onto his side, long legs curled up on the carpet, and reached out halfheartedly to take my hand. “I was wrong tonight, okay? I shouldn’t have let her bring me home. She’s young and naive, don’t hold it against her.” I pulled my hand away and took out a divorce agreement from the coffee table drawer, placing it in front of him. “I’m serious. I’ve met someone.”

Jack finally deigned to open his eyes fully. But he still had that lazy, contemptuous look, as if certain I was just acting out again. He picked up the divorce agreement and flipped through it casually, but his expression slowly froze. I leaned over to look, worried he wouldn’t understand. “We have 17 properties in total, including the ones in Australia and America. I had them appraised – I’ll take 8, you take 9. As for the company, I have a 22% stake. You can buy me out at market price if you want. The rest isn’t worth much, we can each keep our own things. What do you think? If it’s not okay I can have a lawyer revise it.” Jack slowly sat up straight. That lazy demeanor vanished in an instant, his whole being radiating pressure once again. “Rachel.” He looked up at me, a cold glint flashing behind his wire-rimmed glasses. Jack’s eyes were a pale color, especially under the lights. When he stared at someone, there was an inhuman indifference in his gaze. “You’re serious?” Of course I was serious. I had brought up divorce before, but that was years ago. Back then, to try to get Jack to change his ways, I had cried and screamed and threatened suicide. I had tried everything. But this time, I truly wanted a divorce. “Rachel, what is it you want this time?” Jack tossed the agreement onto the coffee table in frustration. “Olivia won’t affect your status. Why can’t you just accept her?!” He thought I was making a fuss over Olivia. And it’s true, when I first found out about Olivia, I had thrown some major tantrums. The worst time, I smashed everything in the house. I sat amidst the wreckage with my hair wild, like a madwoman, threatening to slit my wrists with broken porcelain if he didn’t break things off with Olivia. It was useless. He stayed with her anyway. I shook my head. I really had been such a lovesick fool back then. So pathetically desperate, I wanted to go back in time and slap some sense into my worthless self. “It’s not about her this time,” I said, meeting Jack’s eyes. I gave a slightly embarrassed smile. “It’s that young guy I’ve been seeing. He’s insisting on marrying me, won’t take no for an answer. I just can’t say no to him.”

It was rare to see such a blank expression on Jack’s face. After a moment, his expression finally darkened. “Rachel, I’ve already said Olivia won’t affect your position. There’s no need to be so stubborn about this.” He still didn’t believe me. I almost wanted to laugh bitterly. “How about this – you can have a larger share of the assets. The villa in Australia can be yours too. My side is in a rush, so let’s consider it compensation for emotional damages.” Jack stared at me for a while, as if trying to determine if I was really serious this time. He narrowed his eyes, his expression suddenly inscrutable. “Is it that young guy who drove you home last time?” I nodded. Ethan had dropped me off at home once and Jack had seen him. Ethan had even smiled and greeted Jack, calling him “sir”. At the time, Jack’s expression had been a bit stiff, but he hadn’t said anything. After all, the open relationship had been his idea in the first place. He had been actively living that way for years, so he really had no right to object. Thinking of Ethan, I couldn’t help but smile. Today at the beach, he had taken out a ring. The diamond was at least one carat. But compared to my other jewelry, it was actually quite modest in size. I thought it might be fake and didn’t pay much attention. But he knelt down in front of me very seriously: “The ring is a bit small, please don’t mind. I bought it with money from my part-time job. I was going to save up more, but I just couldn’t wait any longer. Rachel, divorce him and marry me.” Most proposals are “Will you marry me?” But he came right out with “Divorce your husband and marry me.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I was about to brush it off casually when Ethan grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go. The sea breeze carried a crisp, moist scent. His black hair was plastered to his fair forehead with sweat, his eyes shining with pure light that reflected my entire being. The young man’s love burned fiercely like a fire, heedless of time or place, with the courage to consume everything. In that moment, I was suddenly infected by his courage too. A voice appeared in my heart. It was my own voice. I’m already 29. I’ve been entangled with Jack for 9 years. How many more 9-year periods do I have left in my life? Am I going to keep living like this for the next few decades? The wind howled past, waves crashing against the rocks on shore, spraying snow-white foam. After a long while, I heard my own voice. “Okay.”

To be honest, I started regretting it as soon as I got home. After being with Jack for so many years, even just dividing up our assets would be a very complicated affair. For both of us, it would be a painful ordeal. That’s why all these years we had tacitly agreed to live our separate lives, but never actually brought up divorce. But remembering Ethan’s eyes, I felt a secret excitement and reckless sense of liberation in my heart again. Perhaps it was time to start a new life. “Kids, you know,” I smiled. “Always acting on impulse. If I don’t agree he’ll just get upset again. You understand, right?” I looked at Jack. “Isn’t Olivia the same way?” Jack’s brows lowered, revealing a hint of gloom he couldn’t hide. “Rachel, you’re really serious about this?” Admitting I was serious about a guy 8 years younger than me wasn’t something I could easily say out loud. But I still nodded. “Ethan is different from the others.” Jack had once said those exact words to me, when I demanded to know why he had to be with Olivia: “Olivia is different from the others.” His “others” of course included me. I never thought I’d be saying those words back to him now. Jack paused, a storm of emotions gathering in his eyes. His fingers slowly clenched, knuckles turning white. He sneered, “Rachel, you’re really regressing. What can some snot-nosed kid give you?” He jerked his chin at the coat I had carelessly tossed on the couch behind me. “Could he afford even one of your coats with a year’s salary?” That wasn’t untrue. Over the years, although Jack’s heart hadn’t been with me, he had still been very generous materially. I could use his credit cards freely. I didn’t even need to go look at new luxury items myself – the store managers would bring models to try things on for me at home. No wonder Olivia was so desperate to secure her position. The life of a rich man’s wife truly was decadent and luxurious. I touched the unremarkable diamond ring on my hand. It was from an average brand, with average clarity and an average setting. The kind of thing that would never even appear in my jewelry box. But I liked it more than all the others. “It’s fine, I don’t care about those things.” Jack had clearly noticed the ring on my hand too. The engagement ring he had bought me was a 7 million dollar pigeon egg diamond, dazzlingly opulent. He had it specially shipped from Hong Kong. I had always been too afraid to wear it, so I bought a cheaper pair of matching rings for us to wear instead. But after those first few good years passed, we started living separate lives. Or rather, he unilaterally grew tired of me. He stopped wearing his ring, because the young girls outside didn’t like it. During one of our countless fights, I yanked off that ring and threw it as hard as I could. Afterwards, that ring was never found again. My hand remained bare until now. I repeated, “Jack, let’s get divorced.” He paused for a moment, then suddenly lunged forward! The coffee table crashed to the floor, the vase shattering with a crisp sound. I was startled, but he grabbed me by the throat! Jack leaned in close, his eyes full of viciousness. “Rachel,” his voice lost its usual coolness for the first time, “Who gave you permission to be serious?!”

I was shocked, then shoved him away forcefully. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” I complained, rubbing my neck. “Why are you suddenly going crazy?!” Jack stumbled but caught himself. He picked up the agreement: “I’m going crazy?! Do you have any idea how much property we’d have to split up if we divorced? Just that villa you mentioned is worth $120 million! You’re willing to give up all that money for divorce – is that guy really so important to you?!” I thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes.” It wasn’t that I was blinded by love. Mainly, half of our assets was already more than enough for me to live comfortably for several lifetimes. Why should I stay trapped in this relationship for money I couldn’t even spend? I had thought it through. Even if it wasn’t for Ethan, I didn’t want to keep torturing each other with Jack anymore. Jack clutched the divorce agreement tightly, crumpling the thick stack of papers in his grip. He had always been good at hiding his emotions. In the past, no matter how hysterically I screamed and cried, he would just watch coldly without revealing a hint of feeling. But now he seemed truly furious. His face was dark with anger – I could even see the red veins in his eyes. Just when I thought he might actually hit me, Jack suddenly took a deep breath. He pushed up his glasses, bit down on his back teeth, and regained his usual rational demeanor. But his eyes were heavy, emotions unreadable. “Rachel,” he tore the agreement to shreds and tossed it aside. “If you want a divorce, keep dreaming.” … Jack stormed out, probably to find Olivia. I lay back on the couch alone, covering my eyes with my arm. A message came from Ethan. “Did you talk to him about the divorce? Did he give you a hard time?” I didn’t reply. I didn’t know how to respond. I suddenly felt very tired. How did we end up like this? In the beginning, Jack and I had been so deeply in love. Back then he had no money. After work we’d be starving, but we’d scrape together enough to buy one order of cold noodles to share. He’d swallow hard and push it towards me: “You eat it.” I refused, and we kept pushing it back and forth. In the end we each started from one end, slowly eating towards the middle. He stuffed the last bit of topping into my mouth. When we got married, he was as excited as Ethan is now. Back then he didn’t even have as much money as Ethan. The diamond was so tiny, like the ring Tom gave to the goddess – you needed a magnifying glass to see the stone. He held me close. The young man’s body temperature was so high, I broke out in a sweat. He said: “Rachel, I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life.” Of course I believed him. We were so in love then, we thought growing old together was the most natural thing in the world. It was only later that I realized, the human heart is the most fickle thing of all. In that moment, Jack probably truly meant to be good to me for life. Later, he also truly wanted to be good to others. In our third year of marriage, he came home smelling of Chanel No. 5 perfume that hadn’t yet faded. Tears immediately fell from my eyes as I demanded to know what was going on. He held me and swore up and down that he had just been entertaining clients at a karaoke bar, that the scent had rubbed off. He absolutely hadn’t been unfaithful to me. I believed him. Then it happened a second time. A third time. He slowly lost patience and stopped trying to placate me. He just irritably pushed me away: “Men have to socialize for work, what can I do? Can you stop being so unreasonable!” Later, he got together with Olivia. She was a girl who looked a bit like me, but much younger. Fresh out of college, full of youthful energy. He had made an exception to hire her. Jack started staying out night after night. I knew he was tired of me. With such a young, vibrant body available, why would he come back to sleep next to me? My heart slowly burned to ashes, night after agonizing night. So when he said to me: “Rachel, I think we should try an open relationship. You can go out and find whoever you want, I won’t interfere. And you don’t interfere with me. Of course, I won’t let anyone outside threaten your position. How about it?” I looked at Jack. The man before me didn’t have even a trace of the boy I once knew. That boy who would squat with me at the subway entrance to share a roll of cold noodles was just my imagination, I suppose. The years hadn’t killed him. They had simply revealed his true nature. A nature I had never seen clearly before. After a long while, I closed my eyes. “Okay.” Meeting Ethan was an accident. At the time, I was trying to get revenge on Jack by using his money to hire male models every night. That day I was drunk out of my mind. The manager had sent over five batches of models but I hadn’t liked any of them. Irritated, I stumbled to the bathroom.

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At the CEO’s birthday banquet, I accidentally wore the dress of his late wife. His ten-year-old son shoved me into the champagne tower in front of everyone. He stood there, watching indifferently as I struggled on the floor, blood streaming down my body. His expression mirrored his father’s, cold and emotionless. “Wearing my mom’s dress doesn’t make you her. “You’re just my dad’s secretary. I can have him fire you!” Cold champagne soaked me to the bone. I lay there weakly, staring at the child I’d raised for ten years. “Don’t bother. I’ll submit my resignation tomorrow.” Ten-year-old Nash Vincent’s eyes were icy, sharp enough to cut. I took the shawl handed to me by the maid and turned to go back to my room to change. The hem of my dress snagged on the table corner, ripping a long tear down the fabric. “You ruined it! That was my mom’s favorite dress!” The previously mocking Nash instantly transformed into a furious little lion. His eyes were burning with anger as he glared at me, hatred written all over his young face. I looked at him with a complex expression. “Nash, you’re lying.” Nash’s mother always preferred luxurious styles; she would never have liked such a simple, elegant dress. Caught in his lie, Nash looked guilty. He stomped and stormed off. I didn’t chase after him to comfort him as usual, letting him vent his anger. After the guests had left, I returned to my room alone. As I opened the door, a dead dog dangled in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. Bright red blood dripped to the floor, staining my shoes and soaking Snowball’s soft fur. I was stunned, and before I could recover, Nash’s shrill laughter exploded behind me. “Serves you right! You took my mom away, now I’ll make you feel the pain of losing what you love!” He made a face at me and ran off triumphantly. I stared at the shocking pool of blood on the floor, unable to speak for a long time. Years ago, I arrived in this city with nothing but a small suitcase. I was hired to work for the Vincent family. The Vincent Villa was vast, but it felt more like a gilded cage than a home. They stripped me of all my hobbies, leaving me with nothing but a demanding child and a spoiled little dog. It took me ten years to raise them. But losing them happened in an instant. After a sigh, I caught the familiar scent of fir. Looking up, Maddox Vincent stood quietly before me. Maddox and Nash were two sides of the same coin, equally arrogant and cold. He stood there with his arms slightly open, expecting me to change his clothes like always, while saying, “I heard about what happened today. “Stella, you were in the wrong first.” Seeing my lack of response, he frowned, clearly displeased. He glanced at the glaring blood on the floor, his tone softening slightly. “Nash is still young. Just let him have his way.” With a look from Maddox, someone immediately came to clean up the blood on the floor. The lights were dim, the shadows hazy. Snowball, who had once played around the table, seemed as if he had never existed. Just like me, who had cared for them day in and day out for ten years, yet never left even a trace in the hearts of them. After changing, Maddox sat on the sofa, gently tapping the table to signal me to pour coffee. I instinctively complied. As I approached, he pulled me into his arms. His fingertips gently brushed my cheek as he said in a low voice, “It’s your birthday tonight. Skip the pill. If you get pregnant, well, that’s your gift to me.” His warm breath on my neck sent a chill through my bones. Maddox had a strong appetite in that regard. In my first month at the Vincent Villa, I was found to be pregnant. Before I could even feel anything, I was handed an abortion pill and told to take it. “In this lifetime, I only love Sylvia, and I will only acknowledge Nash as my child. “If you had a child, you might develop other thoughts and wouldn’t be able to take good care of Nash.” After that, he would always watch me take the contraceptive pill. For ten years, without fail. Tonight, I was supposed to be grateful and give him what he wanted. But for the first time, I avoided his touch. “Mr. Vincent, our ten-year agreement is over. I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

Whatever warmth and hope I once had were long gone. Maddox snapped, “Nash is just a kid! “As his… nanny, it’s your job to raise him right. I haven’t held you accountable, yet you dare to throw a tantrum?” Nanny? I let out a dry laugh at that word. Years ago, Maddox fell head over heels for my friend, Sylvia Olsen. Despite his family’s disapproval, he married her anyway, and the Olsen family quickly climbed the social ladder thanks to him. They went from a nobody family in the middle of nowhere to high society almost overnight. After marriage, they were inseparable, deeply in love. But fate had other plans. Sylvia died giving birth. Fearing the loss of support, the Olsen family sent me, their adopted daughter, as a replacement. Maddox, deeply in love with Sylvia, refused to remarry but couldn’t bear to see young Nash left uncared for. So the two families made a ten-year arrangement: I would stay at the Vincent Villa as a so-called personal assistant. Though called a personal assistant, I had no formal employment contract or legal protection. My entire life was defined by a single piece of paper. Looking back, it was almost laughable. I raised Nash for ten years. Technically, I was still single. I collected my thoughts and calmly said, “I’m not throwing a tantrum. The agreement has expired. “Staying here without a defined role will only stir up gossip for you and Nash.” Maddox’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. His gaze was probing, but his tone softened. “If you’d have a child for the Vincent family, I will include you and the child in the family registry, giving you the status you deserve…” “No, thank you.” No one would willingly lower themselves like that. In this life, I had suffered enough as an illegitimate child. How could I bear to let my child endure the same? I straightened my clothes and retrieved the company seal and documents related to the Vincent family’s assets from the bedroom. “I’ve already sorted out all the accounts. Sylvia’s people will take over my responsibilities. “Nash has grown up. He should be taught by professional tutors. I’m not qualified to teach him anymore.” Maddox waved his hand dismissively. The priceless property documents and the agreement were scattered on the floor like trash. He stepped on them without hesitation. “Stella, don’t push your luck. “Considering it’s your birthday, I’ll let it slide. “Stay in your room for the next few days and think about what you’ve done.” The heavy mahogany door closed, separating us into two worlds. I looked up at the sky, watching the faint glow drift away until it vanished. I couldn’t help but smile. It was a sky lantern, lit to celebrate my birthday and pray for blessings. But today wasn’t my birthday. It was the day Maddox first met Sylvia. The night before I was sent to the Vincent Villa, my adoptive mother came to me. She told me to memorize everything about Sylvia and imitate her every move. “Stella, you must impress him. Only then will you have a place in the Vincent family.” Her eyes burned with intensity, her tone leaving no room for doubt. As she predicted, Maddox, who cared little for anything, remembered my birthday. It was the one day of the year I looked forward to. Only on this day could I feel a hint of familial warmth, briefly held in his thoughts. But stolen things must eventually be returned. As I sighed, a sharp pain shot through my forehead. Nash stood on the wall, proudly holding a slingshot. “If you keep clinging to the Vincent Villa, one day it won’t be a stone hitting your head, but a bullet!” He was proud of his marksmanship. He completely forgot I was the one who taught him how to shoot and drive fast cars. Yet, ten years had passed. Maddox treated me as invisible, and Nash seemed eager for me to vanish immediately.

“It’s cold at night. Don’t catch a chill.” I gave him one last reminder before turning and heading back to my bedroom. The next morning, my adoptive mother showed up in a panic and blocked the doorway. Just like ten years ago, she dropped to her knees, begging. “Stella, Nash still needs you. “Your father and brother depend on Maddox’s support, and the Olsen kids rely on you too. You can’t just walk away on a whim.” I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “You’ve said all that, but have you ever asked how I’ve been?” She was stunned. A car pulled up outside, cutting her off mid-sentence. A woman stepped in, all elegance and charm. As soon as she entered, Nash rushed over and threw himself into her arms. “Monica, I’ve missed you so much!” Hand in hand, they walked right past me without so much as a greeting. The scent of her perfume lingered as the housemaids started whispering, “Poor Ms. Spears spent years trying to win over Mr. Vincent and his kid, and now she’s not even worth a footnote in the family.” “Yesterday she was desperate to leave, and today she’s changed her mind,” someone sneered. “Probably panicked when Monica showed up, afraid of losing her position.” Nash lifted his little face, nuzzling into Monica Stewart’s arms, his voice sweet and syrupy. “Dad’s been waiting for you. Let’s go see him. “I like Monica best. You smell pretty and talk nicely, not like someone who always acts like a naggy hillbilly.” I stood there, frozen, feeling as if something had stabbed my heart. I grew up in the south, and when I first moved here, nothing felt familiar. The cold hit like a blade, and I got sick so often that I barely pulled through. The servants mocked me for being uncouth, refusing even to bring me medicine. Back then, only little Nash stayed by my side, whispering sweetly, “Stella, get better soon. You look so cool when you ride your bike.” That little boy who once never left my side had now become a sharp thorn, piercing my heart. This turn of events was something I never could have imagined. Monica smiled politely, every move calculated and graceful. But her words carried a subtle dig. “Don’t take what a kid says too seriously, Ms. Spears.” I ignored her and turned to help my adoptive mother up. “You see, Maddox and Nash are never short of people to care for them.” Monica was the second daughter of the Stewart Group. With her striking resemblance to Sylvia, she could freely enter the study I was barred from, effortlessly winning the hearts of both father and son. My adoptive mother stood up, her earlier sorrow gone, and coldly demanded. “Are you really leaving?” “I won’t waste my life stuck in this gilded cage, chasing after two men who couldn’t care less about me,” I said firmly. With a loud smack, she slapped me hard across the face. “You’re hopeless,” she scolded. “If I hadn’t taken you in, you’d have drowned in that river years ago! How can you be so heartless? You’re worse than the Olsen family’s dog.” As she raised her hand for another slap, I caught her wrist. “They raised me until I was eight. I gave them ten years in return. “We’re even now,” I said, staring into her eyes. For ten years, I endured Maddox’s cold indifference. In the Vincent Villa, I managed every detail. I treated Nash as my own son, giving him all my love and care. I had done my best, with a clear conscience. The only person I had failed was myself. My adoptive mother left in a rage, her persuasion unsuccessful. I turned around and met Maddox’s unfathomable gaze.

His expression was cold, like he was looking at a disobedient pet. He tossed a remark my way, casual and dismissive. “Stella, you’re smart. You know leaving the Vincent family means you’ll have nothing. “I’ve had someone find a prettier dog for you. I’ll send it over later.” He spoke casually, like he was doing me a favor, “If Nash gets too annoying, Monica can help you take care of him. I’ve already had the room prepared for her to stay here.” In Maddox’s script, I was supposed to be overwhelmed, then meticulously arranged everything for Monica, playing the role of the virtuous and dutiful wife. But I was truly tired of it all. “Let the butler handle it. I’m leaving.” Monica stepped out gracefully from behind Maddox, her voice soft. “You don’t seem too pleased. Maybe I should leave. “Ms. Spears is a noble lady. Someone like me, a divorced woman with a child, naturally wouldn’t meet your standards.” She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before Maddox stopped her. “Why belittle yourself? A woman’s happiness depends entirely on a man’s opinion,” he said, glancing at me before scooping Monica into his arms. Soon, the sound of their heavy breathing drifted from the study, leaving people flushed and embarrassed in broad daylight. Nash made a face at me. “I want Monica to be with Dad. She’s not like you, a vain and wicked woman.” I stared hard at the little brat I’d raised, wanting to hear what he’d say. “Is that really what you think?”

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My best friend Olivia and I were both adopted as fake heiresses. After an accidental fall into water, we both gained a new set of memories. We learned that the real heiress, once found, would seek revenge on us for stealing her life for over a decade. So Olivia and I decided to seek protection. She chose the cold and aloof older brother, while I seduced the dark and unpredictable younger brother. But when the real heiress returned, things started to turn against us. Olivia and I pooled our secret savings and decided to make a graceful exit. Two years later, we were caught at the airport. The unpredictable younger brother, Ethan, imprisoned me and smiled coldly, “Lily, you’ve been such a naughty girl, leaving me for so long. How should I punish you, hmm?” As Olivia was slapped to the ground, I was trembling under the bed. “I told you, I didn’t do anything! Why won’t you believe me?” Olivia sobbed, tears falling from her reddened eyes. As she cried, she glanced at me, tucking the hem of my dress that was peeking out from under the bed. “Emma wouldn’t lie to me,” Nathan looked down at Olivia coldly, his eyes like glaciers. “Besides, if it wasn’t you, who else could it be? Did Emma throw herself down the stairs?!” Olivia cried heartbrokenly, “We’ve known each other for ten years. Don’t you know what kind of person I am? If she wouldn’t lie to you, do you think I’m capable of doing such a thing?!” Her voice, choked with sobs, made even my heart ache. But Nathan’s voice remained ice-cold, “She’s back now, which means you’re about to lose everything you once had. People will do anything for money, won’t they?” “Nathan! Is your heart made of stone? I’ve followed you for so many years, is this what you think of me?” Olivia struggled to her knees, clutching Nathan’s clothes, begging through tears, “Please, believe me, okay? I really didn’t touch her. She fell by herself. Please believe me…” Another resounding slap followed. Olivia was knocked to the ground again. Then came Nathan’s warning voice, “You’d better pray Emma is alright. If anything happens to her, I’ll have your life!” With that, Nathan turned to leave. Olivia cried and chased after him, “Don’t go, Nathan, please, don’t go…” But the door was slammed shut mercilessly. Only when I heard the sound of a car engine starting downstairs did I slowly crawl out from under the bed. Olivia was taking selfies with her phone, pouting. “You know, my teary-eyed, pitiful look is quite photogenic.” I was speechless. Walking over, I examined both sides of her face. “Your guy is quite considerate, slapping both cheeks evenly.” “It hurts like hell,” she grumbled, taking out a first-aid kit from the bedside table and applying ointment to her face. “This isn’t working. If things keep going this way, we’re definitely going to lose to Emma.” “What should we do?” I asked, “That Emma has a thousand tricks up her sleeve. In less than half a year since she’s been back, look at how much we’ve suffered!” Olivia’s expression turned serious, “We can’t rely on men anymore. Let’s plan our escape.”

Olivia and I grew up together in an orphanage. When we were ten, because one of us had similar eyes and the other had a similar mouth, Mr. and Mrs. Lin adopted us from the orphanage to comfort their longing for their lost daughter. We enjoyed eight years of life as young heiresses. At eighteen, Olivia and I both fell into water. When we woke up, we had gained a new set of memories. In these memories, the real heiress would be found when we turned twenty-one. She would seek revenge on us for stealing her life of luxury for over a decade, launching a series of vicious attacks. In the end, after her repeated framing and slander, Olivia and I would be tortured to death by the two brothers. After this revelation, we decided to seek protection. She chose the cold and aloof older brother, while I seduced the dark and unpredictable younger brother. Though these two men had vastly different personalities, they did have something in common. They were both incredibly handsome and unbelievably rich. Filthy rich. Either one of them alone could dominate the entire city of New York. For three years, Olivia and I used every trick in the book to develop somewhat improper relationships with them. We played the roles of hopelessly devoted lovers while using unlimited black cards to splurge everywhere. Until the real heiress, Emma, returned. At first, we were able to cleverly dodge her little schemes. But Olivia and I together couldn’t make up one complete brain, and gradually we became overwhelmed, starting to stumble repeatedly. Especially this time. Emma directly framed Olivia for pushing her down the stairs, cleverly using the camera angles to create the illusion that Olivia had pushed her. In an instant, Olivia became the target of everyone’s anger. And our big brother Nathan, Olivia’s chosen protector, still chose to blindly believe Emma. If this continues, we’ll probably still end up being tortured to death. “Plan A seems to have failed,” Olivia started rummaging through drawers and cabinets. “We can start preparing Plan B now.” “Right now it’s me who’s stumbled, Nathan will at most torture me mentally. When that real heiress targets you, with your guy’s methods, you’ll probably die even more miserably.” Thinking of Ethan’s face, I immediately nodded in agreement. “Right, let’s run, quick!” Ethan and Nathan were half-brothers with different mothers. Nathan took his father’s surname, while Ethan took his mother’s. Unlike Nathan, everything Ethan owned was earned through his own abilities, carved out of a sea of blood. I once saw him stab a knife into the eye of someone who tried to harm me, then calmly wipe the blood off his face, take my hand, and casually end that person’s life with a single word. This scene haunted my nightmares for a long time after. I heard that when Ethan was young, he was very close to his biological sister. If Emma were to frame me, that knife would probably end up in my eye. Olivia finally took out a stack of documents from a drawer with three locks, dumping them all on the bed. Looking at the pile of bank books and new identity documents, my eyes lit up. “You’re still the best, preparing everything so thoroughly.” Olivia gave me an exasperated look, “What else? Rely on you? If we relied on you, we’d both starve to death in the future.” From the day we decided to change our fate three years ago, Olivia and I had been planning two strategies simultaneously, just in case. For three years, we saved every penny we could, entrusting it all to Olivia, who studied finance, to manage. Now it had become a considerable sum. “How are we going to escape?” I asked her. Olivia took out two pieces of paper, writing “kidnapping” and “suicide” on them respectively, crumpling them into balls, and letting me choose. “If you pick suicide, you die first. If kidnapping, you die later.” I rubbed my hands together, mentally pointing back and forth between the two options. Everyone would want to choose suicide, to die first and be done with it. The person who gets kidnapped not only has to act out one last play but also face various unexpected situations, which is thankless work. After praying to my ancestors for eighteen generations to bless me, I still ended up choosing kidnapping. I let out a wail. Olivia made a sympathetic sound, “No choice, it’s fate. Sorry about that~”

Plan B officially launched, and our escape countdown began. Olivia prepared to act out a few more scenes of heartbreak, pretending to have depression and visiting a psychiatrist a few times to get some reports for show. I came back to wait obediently for instructions, while also figuring out how to get some more pocket money from Ethan. After all, who doesn’t like having more money? Not long after I got home, Ethan returned, looking travel-worn. I sat obediently in the living room, smiling as I waited for him. He threw off his coat and pulled me into his arms, his cool fingertips brushing across my lips. I thought he was going to kiss me, so I gently closed my eyes. But after a while, his lips didn’t touch mine. I opened my eyes to find his obsidian-like eyes studying me coldly. My heart skipped a beat. “Your location system was turned off this afternoon. Where did you go?” “I went shopping. My phone died, and I only charged it when I got home.” To prove myself, I handed him my phone that had just been charged. “Mm, good girl.” He patted my head like he was petting a puppy, then produced a strawberry cake as if by magic. “I bought this for you.” My eyes lit up, and I snuggled into his arms, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. Unlike Nathan, Ethan had an almost obsessive possessiveness. What he wanted was a detailed response and equally passionate love for everything. Ethan was an illegitimate child, and his mother had passed away when he was very young. At eight years old, he was brought back to the Lin family. But the Lin family wasn’t kind to him. Throughout his childhood, only Emma, who was like an angel, showed him any affection. I also knew that in his heart, I was far less important than the real Emma. But when Ethan was with me, he was very good to me. To others, he was violent and fierce, but in front of me, he always tried his best to be gentle. I feared the bloody smell that often clung to him, so he would always shower before coming to see me. He learned that I liked sweets, so he would bring me various desserts almost every time he came back. Emotionally, he gave me a sense of security. Materially, I never lacked for anything. He even bought an entire island for me, decorating it exactly the way I liked. On the balcony of the villa, we kissed passionately in the sea breeze. He left deep and shallow bite marks on my neck, “If I ever lose sight of you again, I’ll lock you up, on this island.” “Only I can see you, touch you, like this…” His hands explored deeper, and I, red-eyed, gradually surrendered to his dominance. For a moment, I even entertained the thought of staying by Ethan’s side for a lifetime. But I knew I couldn’t. More than love, I hoped to live freely in the future. “Ethan…” In the heat of passion, I chanted his name over and over. And he, bit by bit, pressed me deeper. In the dead of night, Ethan woke up but didn’t see me. He searched the entire villa before finally finding me facing the sea. I wore only a coat, my thin figure swaying in the sea breeze. “I told you, you’re not allowed to leave my sight, ever.” Ethan embraced me from behind, his domineering lips kissing from my neck to my ear. When he saw my tear-stained face, he froze. “Why are you crying?” “Will you marry me?” I asked him, my tear-filled eyes full of uncertainty and pain. I had approached Ethan with a purpose, and to please him, I played the role of an obedient girl as best I could. In every aspect, we were perfectly compatible. This was the first time, in front of him, that I asked for a formal commitment. He frowned but didn’t say a word. My tears fell harder, “It’s been three years, and no one knows I exist in your life. I can’t see any future.” “Ethan, tell me you’ll marry me, okay? Even if… even if it’s a lie, please?” He let go of me. I anxiously grabbed him, the light in my eyes shattering bit by bit, “What am I to you? You won’t even lie to me?” The phone rang at that moment. He answered it. It was from the hospital, and I clearly heard the doctor’s voice on the other end. Emma had woken up from her coma. After hanging up, Ethan turned to leave. I cried and threw myself at him, begging in a humble tone, “Don’t go, stay, stay with me, please?” He shook me off, his expression cold, his tone full of undisguised irritation. “Lily, I don’t like women who don’t know their place.”

I stood by the sea, watching his yacht cut across the water. The entire island was left with just me. I threw the eye drops I had used to fake tears into the trash can, then ran up and down the villa several times, digging out all the private money I had hidden in various corners. Three cards, and some valuable but inconspicuous trinkets. After packing up my belongings, I called Olivia. She had everything prepared on her end too. The next day, before leaving the island, I sent messages to Ethan every few minutes as usual. The content was all crazy talk I found online. Things like “If you don’t pay attention to me, I’ll die” and such. Sure enough, when I tried to send another message, it showed a red exclamation mark. Ethan had blocked me. A woman who wasn’t obedient enough, he wouldn’t even bother to comfort. This was good too. I had achieved my goal and could finally send Olivia off properly.

Emma had woken up, but the doctor said that the fall had caused permanent nerve damage in one of her legs, and she might never be able to stand again. “This Olivia is too much!” Nathan was furious. He held Emma’s hand tightly, “I will definitely give you justice for this, sister.” Emma’s eyes reddened, and large tears fell uncontrollably. She kept shaking her head. “It’s the two sisters who have been with you day and night for over a decade, not me.” “I suddenly came back and took everything that should have belonged to them. It’s understandable that they hate me.” “It’s okay, brother. It’s just one leg. Don’t cause trouble for Olivia because of me.” “As long as you brothers are happy and our family can be together, I don’t mind what happens to me.” Compared to Olivia’s willfulness and selfishness, Emma’s self-sacrifice made Nathan feel even more guilty. Originally, he still held out hope, thinking this might all be an accident. But hearing Emma’s words, even if he didn’t want to admit it, he had to believe. His woman had actually crippled his own sister. Nathan took out his phone, his face cold, and dialed a number. The line was busy. He tried several more times, but then it went straight to voicemail. Just as he was about to try again, he received a call from me. “What do you want?!” Nathan’s angry shout almost made me forget the script I had prepared. After a while, I finally remembered my task and anxiously recited my lines. “It’s terrible, Nathan. I just got a call from Olivia. She was crying non-stop, saying she was in so much pain, that she couldn’t go on living. It was like she was leaving her last words.” “Now I can’t reach her no matter how I call. Did Olivia do something stupid? I can’t get away right now, you need to go check on her immediately!” Nathan just laughed coldly, his tone full of sarcasm. “Enough, Lily. Are you trying to deceive me along with Olivia now? Tell her, I’m tired of these little tricks!” “This time she crippled Emma, and she thinks she can escape responsibility with this method?” “Impossible! She’d better have committed suicide, otherwise, I’ll make her pay for her evil deeds!” With that, he hung up without giving me a chance to speak.

After hanging up, Nathan stared at the several unanswered calls he had made, lost in thought. Amid his anger, his heart felt inexplicably empty. As if something had disappeared. “Brother, I just heard. Is Olivia really going to commit suicide?” Emma’s face showed anxious concern. “Then you should hurry back to check on her. I’ll be fine here. Olivia is more important.” Nathan frowned, “Emma, you’re still too kind. You don’t understand how wicked people can be.” “She’s used this trick more than once. It’s just to escape responsibility. Don’t worry about it.” He walked over and tucked Emma’s blanket in. “Don’t worry, I will give you justice. I won’t let you suffer in vain.” Emma lowered her eyes, biting her lower lip lightly. A tear hung at the corner of her eye before finally falling. She whimpered, burying herself in Nathan’s arms pitifully. “Brother… I just wanted our family to accept me. Why did it turn out like this…” Nathan, who had planned to go home and check, saw Emma’s fragile and pitiful state and ultimately softened, deciding to stay with her. As night fell, Nathan looked at the sleeping Emma behind him, opened his phone, and stared at the empty chat window with Olivia. He tried calling her again. It was still the cold robotic voice of the switched-off prompt. He sat on a bench, looking at the bright moon in the sky, and rubbed his somewhat empty-feeling heart. He carefully recalled the events of the past few days. It seemed that since Emma’s return, he had been neglecting Olivia. During this time, she had mostly been crying, breaking down in tears, hysterical due to his distrust. Even at the end, when he was leaving, he saw her kneeling on the ground, begging him so pitifully. But at that time, he seemed to not even look at her, and even said harsh words to her. Thinking of this, Nathan suddenly stood up, pacing anxiously on the balcony for several rounds, before finally calling me again. “Did you find Olivia? Tell her to stop throwing a tantrum and call me back immediately.” “Yes, I found Olivia,” my voice sounded hoarse, as if I had just been crying. “But unfortunately, she can’t call you anymore.” “She’s dead. Suicide. She took sleeping pills and set herself on fire.” “She didn’t even want to leave you a complete corpse. Are you satisfied now?” The other end of the line suddenly went quiet. Nathan was silent for a long time. If it weren’t for his increasingly rapid breathing, I would have thought the call had been disconnected. “Lily, this joke isn’t funny.” “Now, immediately, let Olivia contact me. I can overlook her pushing Emma. Just let her…” “If you don’t believe me, you can come back anytime,” I interrupted him, my voice breaking into sobs again. “We just found her body.”

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When my wife underwent artificial insemination for her cancer-stricken first love, I left a divorce agreement and walked away. Before leaving, I commented on their sweet photo on social media: “Let’s divorce. I’m making room for you two.” A minute later, she called, “Ethan, how can you be so selfish? Can you bear to let him die without an heir?” I laughed coldly and replied, “I don’t love you anymore. It has nothing to do with me.” But she became anxious. On our wedding anniversary, I asked my wife to come home early. Her usually cold expression showed a brief surprise before she silently nodded. That night, I prepared dinner and cake, waiting for her on the sofa until dawn. She never came home. Zoe Pei and I had been married for five years, but we were husband and wife in name only. She was the only daughter of Pei Group, the future heir. As for me, I was just an adopted son Grandpa Pei picked up from an orphanage twenty years ago. I met Zoe when I was eight years old. It was my first time being brought into the Pei family by Grandpa Pei. Years of living in ordinary circumstances made me feel out of place in such a grand house. Every move I made was cautious, careful not to upset anyone. Despite this, Zoe gradually helped me integrate into the family, taking care of my fragile self-esteem. To this day, I still remember when Old Mr. Pei told me to marry Zoe. I was overjoyed, thinking it would be worth it even if I died that day. Although everyone around me said I wasn’t good enough for her, I still plunged headfirst into the relationship. After all, who would pass up the chance to hold the moon in their arms? I sat on the sofa, silently watching the clock on the wall strike midnight, but there was still no news from Zoe. I couldn’t help but call her, but all I got in response was a cold electronic voice. Just as I was about to go out to find her at the company, Leo sent me a photo. In the picture, Zoe was hugging Leo, who was wearing a hospital gown. They looked intimate. Like a loving couple. Below the photo was a message from Leo: “Sorry, Ethan. I’m sick, and Zoe is keeping me company. The hospital needs to be quiet, so I muted her phone.” Leo’s message shattered my last bit of hope. I should have known all along that Zoe never loved me. I always knew that Zoe was never my moon. It’s just that for a moment, the moonlight really shone on me. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at myself, mocking how long I had clung to the title of her husband. So long that I had become complacent. I didn’t reply. I just silently walked into the kitchen and reheated the already cold food. I swallowed this bitter dinner bite by bite, along with the cake. In fact, I had long understood that Zoe loved Leo. Leo was her first love from her teenage years. One was a beautiful and well-mannered heiress, the other a campus celebrity. And I was just the Pei family’s adopted son, hidden in the shadows. No matter how you look at it, they should have been a couple, but Grandpa Pei didn’t agree to their relationship. After Leo left heartbroken, I was able to pick up this bargain. On my eighteenth birthday, I wished that Zoe would look at me once more, and later she married me. Now, at twenty-eight, I only ask that she let me go in the little time I have left. At the same time, I’m letting myself go too.

A year ago, Leo, who had been missing for a long time, suddenly reappeared. Unlike before, his still handsome face now had a sickly pallor. After learning that he had cancer, Zoe began to devote her entire heart to him. Every day after work, she would go to the hospital to take care of him. I, who was already insignificant in her eyes, became completely invisible to her now. Occasionally, I would call Zoe to come home for dinner, only to be met with her cold rebuke. “All you think about is these trivial matters. Do you know how much Leo is suffering alone in the hospital?” “Honestly, why couldn’t it have been you who got this disease? It’s a waste for Leo to suffer like this.” Before I could answer, she would hang up. Sometimes, even Zoe’s gaze towards me carried a hint of resentment. Perhaps she hated me for agreeing to Grandpa Pei’s marriage arrangement back then, hated me for driving Leo away. But no matter what she thought of me, it no longer mattered. Because, just as she wished, I had been diagnosed with bone cancer six months ago. I had been hiding it from Zoe, afraid she would think I was trying to gain her sympathy by appearing weak. Ironically, even God seemed to think I was redundant. In these six months, my condition had rapidly deteriorated. The chemotherapy that was once a month became twice a month or even more frequent. The pain that seeped into my bones tortured me constantly. But I still persevered. I wanted to live a little longer, to see my moon once more. Until that day, right after chemotherapy, trembling in pain on the hospital bed, I saw Leo’s social media post. “Thank you to my angel for bringing me a little angel when I needed companionship the most.” Accompanied by a sweet photo of the two of them. At that moment, I only heard a boom in my mind, my heart feeling like it was being wrenched. Even the lingering pain from the chemotherapy couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart at that moment. The girl I had loved for over ten years, my wife of five years. She was having a child for another man. Nothing could be more heartbreaking than this. I knew it was time to let go. I drafted the divorce agreement. Zoe rarely came home these days, and I wouldn’t pretend to be pitiful to trick her into coming back. So, I chose our wedding anniversary as a reason to ask her to come home. To tell her about the divorce decision, and also to tell her that my time was running out. I didn’t expect that I had underestimated Zoe’s indifference and overestimated my position in her heart. I cleaned up the dining table, went back to the bedroom to pack my meager belongings, and left with nothing. I had entered the Pei family with nothing, and now leaving, I naturally couldn’t take anything with me. Thinking about how I had spent my entire life seeking a proper home. Now, as I was about to die, I realized that being clean and unencumbered was quite good too. After doing all this, I left the house keys along with a copy of the divorce agreement on the dining table. I sent Zoe a message. “The divorce agreement is on the table. I’m making room for you two.” Then I turned off my phone, closed the door, and left without looking back.

Half a month later, I came to the hospital to complete this month’s last chemotherapy session. On my way to deliver the medical report. I happened to run into Zoe accompanying Leo for a checkup. “Pregnant?” I asked casually. “No, Zoe is just accompanying me for a checkup. Thanks to her, I’ve recovered so quickly,” Leo explained, seeing my unfriendly expression. “That’s good, congratul-” Before I could finish, Zoe, who had been holding Leo’s arm, interrupted me. “Ethan, what are you doing? Why aren’t you answering your phone?” “And what’s this about divorce? Who allowed you to divorce? Are you planning to leave with nothing?” “What, now you’ve come to the hospital to win me back? Are you trying to play the victim?” Zoe’s barrage of questions made my already unclear mind feel even worse. Thinking about the upcoming chemotherapy, I didn’t bother with them anymore and walked straight into the doctor’s office. “Mr. Cheng, this is your last chemotherapy session for this month.” “Given your current condition, we suggest you start inpatient treatment after this session.” The doctor’s expression was grave. Combined with my current physical state, even I understood. My time was running out. I nodded, telling the doctor I wanted to think about it and finish this chemotherapy session first. After arranging with the doctor, I walked out of the office, preparing to enter the treatment room. Zoe grabbed me at the door. Leaving Leo looking at us with reluctant eyes. “Ethan, what are you doing? Are you serious?” Zoe crossed her arms, her usual dismissive gaze showing a hint of confusion. “What else? At this point, what reason do I have to lie to you?” I waved my hand wearily, just looking at her calmly. “Then why didn’t you say anything? Dragging it out until now, are you waiting here to make me pity you or-” “Do you remember our wedding anniversary half a month ago? I wanted to tell you that day, but where were you?” Zoe’s expression was shocked when I suddenly interrupted her, as if she couldn’t believe it. In fact, this was the first time in my life I had ever interrupted her. In the past, I would have been happy for an entire day just for having an extra word with her, but now I only found it annoying. Her words were either constantly ignoring me or endlessly mocking me. She really thought the world revolved around her. Although I hadn’t received the divorce certificate with Zoe yet. In my view, since I had drafted that divorce agreement, we had already become strangers. Suddenly realizing this, I felt that I was actually colder than I had imagined. Once I decided I had no relationship with someone, I thoroughly cut off everything with them. Be it relationships or emotions. The deeper my love for Zoe had been, the more indifferent I felt towards her now. At this moment, the nurse from the chemotherapy room called my name, asking me to come in for treatment. Hearing this, I turned to leave. Seeing me about to leave, Zoe hurriedly said, “What about my grandfather?” With these words, I immediately understood her meaning. Back then, Grandpa Pei had used the Pei Group heir position to threaten her into marrying me. Now that I wanted a divorce, I naturally had to give Grandpa Pei an explanation. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll explain everything to him.” After saying this, I left directly, not looking back at her once. In the past, I always watched Zoe’s retreating figure. Now, I no longer needed to.

After the chemotherapy, I stared blankly at the ceiling of the hospital room as usual. The color was so white it made me feel cold. It reminded me of the morgue where my adoptive father’s body was kept twenty years ago. Everything there was equally hopeless. As far back as I could remember, the only person by my side was my adoptive father. My adoptive father made a living as a taxi driver. The neighbors all said he was a bachelor approaching thirty who still hadn’t found a wife. And I was an orphan abandoned by my birth parents from birth. At that time, I was just a baby, thrown like garbage at my adoptive father’s doorstep. Seeing that I was as pitiful as him, he took me in. For the next eight years, it was just me and my adoptive father relying on each other to survive. Although life was tight then, those were some of the few happy days in my impoverished life. Perhaps it was destined that I shouldn’t have lived a peaceful life. When I was eight, my adoptive father went out to work a night shift in the rain and never came back. I only remember being led by a group of people in white coats into a very cold place. My adoptive father’s cold body was lying there stiffly. No matter how heart-wrenchingly I cried, he wouldn’t get up and hold me like he used to. Gently patting my back, telling me not to cry, that everything would be alright. After my adoptive father’s death, the neighbors avoided me like the plague. I became an orphan once again, entering the orphanage as my final destination. The long night was hard to endure, but the sun would always rise as usual. On the second day after I entered the orphanage, Grandpa Pei personally came to take me back to the Pei family. “Child, what’s your name? Would you like to come with me?” “My name is Ethan, meaning peace.” Ethan means long-lasting peace, to be safe and sound for life. My adoptive father hadn’t read much, I only heard him often murmuring in my ear that as long as one lived peacefully, it was good enough. After I finished speaking, he gave me a smile. That smile made me feel like my adoptive father had returned. It was also this smile that made me plunge headfirst into a world that didn’t originally belong to me. It was in this world that I met the person I would chase for most of my life. When we first met, Zoe was wearing a pure white princess dress, sitting at the grand piano in the center of the spacious living room. Her fingers, white as jade, continuously played beautiful notes. At that moment, I gazed at her as if entranced. Perhaps seeing my gaze was too intense, Zoe looked at me and walked over with a smile. “Are you the new friend Grandpa mentioned? Hello, I’m Zoe Pei.” “Zoe means ‘like’ or ‘love’, you know!” As she spoke, she reached out her hand to hold mine, leading me to tour every corner of the Pei house. At that time, I didn’t ask for anything, didn’t want anything, just a home, just love. Even if I died, I didn’t want to be abandoned again. Thinking of this, I unconsciously gripped Zoe’s hand tightly. Like a drowning person clinging desperately to the only lifeline nearby. In the days that followed, Zoe became like my little shadow, following me wherever I went. In her words, I was the only one in this family willing to play and have fun with her, her best companion. We absolutely couldn’t be separated. And so, Zoe and I grew closer and closer. Sometimes, the colder a person is, the more they want to get close to something warm. Zoe was gentle and passionate, like a ray of sunshine illuminating my originally barren life. When I was with her, I always felt a long-lost sense of peace and tranquility. So, I will never forget what she once said to me: “From now on, this is your home, and I am your family.” But now, hearing these words, I only feel extremely bitter.

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My son was murdered while buying a birthday cake for his father. That evening, Jake’s childhood friend posted on SnapChat: “Someone with a mango allergy insists on eating the mango cake I bought.” Fighting back tears, I called Jake to come see our son one last time. “Can’t you stop bothering me? Emma rarely comes back to celebrate my birthday with me.” As a crime scene cleaner, Jake personally cleaned up the cake shop where our son was killed. “Look at other people’s kids, remembering their dad’s birthday. My ungrateful brat is just like his mother, only knows how to ask for money.” With a heart turned to ashes, I decided to divorce him. “Think about Kevin. A child without a father’s love will never be happy.” After slapping him, I dragged him to kneel before our son’s ashes. “Ma’am, we need you to come to the police station. There’s a body here for you to identify.” The moment I received that call from the police, my mind went blank. Just half an hour earlier, my son Kevin had snuck out, saying he wanted to prepare a surprise for his dad. I checked my phone. The first message was from Kevin: “Mom, I’m buying a birthday cake for Dad. I’m going to give him a big surprise tonight!” With trembling hands, I tried calling Kevin’s phone. No answer. I tried again… still no answer. I don’t even remember how I got to the police station. After giving them Kevin’s name, the officer sighed. “Do you know Kevin Zhang?” he asked. I nodded numbly. “He’s my son. What… what happened to him?” “I’m sorry,” the officer said, gesturing for me to come inside. As we entered, I noticed the sign on the door: Morgue. The officer lifted a white sheet. I forced myself to look. And then I collapsed to my knees. On the cold metal table lay Kevin, his face and neck horribly mutilated. But it was unmistakably my little boy. “Has… has the killer been caught?” I asked through gritted teeth, tears streaming down my face. “Yes, we’ve apprehended the suspect,” the officer replied. Okay. At least they caught the monster who did this. “Can I take Kevin home now?” I asked. The officer nodded. “You may.” With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone to call my husband Jake. We should at least bring Kevin home together. The phone rang for a long time. He hung up on me three times before finally answering on the fourth try. Before I could speak, Jake’s irritated voice cut in: “Can’t you take a hint? Emma came all this way to celebrate my birthday with me. Can’t you just leave us alone for once?” Emma? Jake’s childhood friend. Ever since Jake and I got married, Emma had constantly needed his help for every little thing. And Jake was always eager to solve her problems. Especially after Kevin was born, when Emma left the country out of jealousy, Jake felt that Kevin and I had driven away his dear friend. The officer’s eyes held even more sympathy now. A female officer came over and helped me up. “Ma’am, we can drive you and your son home.” But I couldn’t let Kevin go without saying goodbye to his father! This was his dad, after all. I called Jake again. This time he picked up quickly. “Olivia, do you have nothing better to do? Emma and I are just having a normal get-together. If you keep bothering me, don’t blame me for getting angry.” I lowered my voice. “Kevin’s been in an accident. You need to come.” I couldn’t bring myself to say the word “dead.” “Oh come on, you’re using Kevin as an excuse again? Everyone knows you two are always scheming together.” Before I could respond, I heard a woman’s voice in the background. “Jake, I’m scared to cut the cake. Can you help me?” The call disconnected again. I saw Emma’s latest post on Instagram: “Someone with a mango allergy insists on eating the cake I bought. 🙄” The photo showed a mango cake, along with a selfie of her and Jake. My legs went weak. The female officer had to support me to stand up straight. “Don’t be scared, Kevin. Mommy’s taking you home,” I whispered. I brought Kevin home and began preparing for his funeral. Jake never came home that night. The next morning, on the way to the crematorium, Jake finally called me. “Make some pumpkin soup and bring it to the hospital. Make extra – Emma wants some too.”

My hand shook as I gripped the phone, too angry to speak. After a long pause, I managed to say: “Jake, don’t you dare regret this.” I suddenly felt that Jake didn’t deserve to be Kevin’s father. As I watched Kevin being pushed into the cremation chamber, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I crouched down and sobbed. From a young age, Kevin had been so understanding. He knew his father wasn’t very attached to our family, so he always behaved well and never asked Jake for anything. This time, he had snuck out on his own just wanting to use a cake to improve his relationship with his dad. At the parent-teacher conference a week ago, I could sense how envious Kevin was of the kids whose fathers attended. But now, it was all gone. As I carried Kevin’s ashes out, a light drizzle began to fall. Not long after I got home, I received a call from the cemetery. “Ma’am, I’m sorry but the plot you reserved this morning has been sold to someone else for a higher price.” What? I had carefully chosen that spot for Kevin. “But I already paid a deposit. How can you sell it to someone else?” I protested. The person hemmed and hawed before another voice came on the line. “Listen lady, money talks. We’re paying more, so naturally we get priority. Besides, you didn’t sign a contract, so it doesn’t count.” I knew that voice all too well. It was Jake. “Jake, let’s just forget it. We can find another spot for my uncle. No need to insist on this one,” I heard Emma say in the background. I took a deep breath. “What about honoring agreements? I paid a deposit. You can’t do this.” Jake was still comforting Emma. “Your uncle is my uncle too. I’ll make sure this gets taken care of.” How touching. The cemetery staff sounded uncomfortable. I really didn’t have the energy to argue, especially not with someone connected to Jake. I just wanted Kevin to rest in peace. “Ma’am, we can compensate you, or you can come by this afternoon to choose another plot?” the staff member offered. “Fine,” I agreed. We’ll just find another spot. The funeral preparations continued. Jake’s parents had both passed away, so his family couldn’t help. I called my parents and asked them to come assist with the arrangements. My parents hugged me tightly when they arrived, and we all cried together. “Oh sweetheart, you’ve been through so much,” my mom said. I had moved far away when I got married. Jake had knelt before my parents and sworn he would take good care of me. And now… I took a deep breath. “Mom and Dad, can you please go to the funeral home and set up the memorial? I need to go to the cemetery first.” When I arrived at the cemetery, the staff came out personally to greet me. As soon as I entered, I locked eyes with Emma in the distance. She immediately grabbed Jake’s hand and hurried away from the cemetery. Her expression suggested she knew something. I composed myself and chose a new plot for Kevin. After finishing up, I ran into Jake on my way out. “Olivia, are you following me?” he demanded. I let out a cold laugh. “Follow you? To watch you and your little friend being all lovey-dovey?” “How many times do I have to tell you, Emma and I are just friends. She’s all alone here – what’s wrong with me helping her out?” “Fine, go ahead and help your dear friend then!” I snapped before walking away. As I was leaving, I thought I heard Jake mutter something. About cleaning up the cake shop crime scene. Oh right, I’d almost forgotten – he’s a crime scene cleaner. So… Would he be cleaning up the cake shop where Kevin was murdered? When I got home, everything was ready at the funeral home. The funeral would be tomorrow. I had no friends or relatives here. Just a few of my parents’ relatives had come. “Damn that bastard Jake! He won’t even come to his own son’s funeral?” my uncle fumed.

I looked at my uncle, my meaning clear. “Once this is over, I’m divorcing him,” I said. “That still doesn’t excuse him from attending his child’s funeral. What kind of father is he?” My uncle stood at the entrance and started making phone calls. I stared at Kevin’s black and white portrait, tears falling uncontrollably. He was only six years old. How could fate be so cruel? It started raining again. My dad stood next to me holding an umbrella. I clutched Kevin’s portrait throughout the entire funeral. Jake never showed up. I had tried to contact him, but he had blocked my number. I couldn’t even send him a message. I didn’t know any of his friends to reach out to. I had just brought the urn home when Jake finally called. Looks like he unblocked me. “Olivia, what kind of scene are you trying to make? Haven’t you embarrassed me enough? Telling all your relatives our family business – you’re just taking advantage of the fact that I don’t have anyone to back me up, aren’t you?” Taking advantage? If that was my goal, I wouldn’t have married him without asking for any dowry, and even contributed over $10,000 of my own money when we got married. Now in his eyes, I’m the one taking advantage. “I don’t know what my uncle said, but you should come home when you can. I need to talk to you about something,” I said. “No way, I don’t want to deal with your relatives. They all look down on me anyway.” How ridiculous. If they really looked down on him, why would I have quit my job to focus on our family? Only later did it become “useless housewife” in his eyes. He hung up on me again. Fine, he’s probably still cleaning up at that cake shop. I’ll go find him there tomorrow to explain the situation. Coming to this place filled me with dread. All I could think about was how Kevin looked when he died. He was always so afraid of pain. I can’t imagine how terrified and desperate he must have felt in his final moments. The shop was cordoned off, so I could only wait outside for Jake to come out. I could clearly hear the voices talking inside. “Did you guys hear? The kid they killed was only 6 years old. Apparently he was buying a cake for his dad’s birthday when he ran into the killer.” “Tsk tsk, look at that kid, still remembering his dad’s birthday. My ungrateful brat is just like his mom, only knows how to ask me for money.” That was Jake’s voice. So in his eyes, Kevin had become the ungrateful one. “Aw, they just don’t understand your work.” Jake chimed in: “Exactly! My wife even tried to get me to switch jobs. Not at all understanding like Emma. Only Emma supports me behind the scenes.” What a joke. Why did I ask him to change jobs? It was all for Kevin’s sake. During a school survey, Kevin had proudly described his father’s job as a crime scene cleaner as noble and selfless. The result was endless bullying and ostracism. The other kids at school called him unlucky and said he smelled like death. No one wanted to be his friend. Kevin never dared tell Jake about it. If I hadn’t accidentally discovered him crying alone in his room one day, I never would have known either. That’s the only reason I suggested Jake change jobs. Of course Emma would support him – she wasn’t affected by it at all. “Hey, I heard the security footage is still around. You guys brave enough to watch it?” someone asked.

I wondered how Jake would react if he saw the victim was Kevin. “Ugh, that’s disgusting. I heard the killer even smashed out the kid’s teeth. It must be a bloody mess. I don’t want to see that and have nightmares.” That’s right. Sometimes my little Kevin didn’t even have any teeth left. An hour later, Jake finally finished work. He seemed surprised to see me waiting outside. After saying goodbye to his coworkers, he pulled me over to a nearby alley. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. “Let’s get a divorce,” I said. “Are you crazy? Is this about Emma again? How many times do I have to tell you, it’s not what you think.” As we were talking, Emma suddenly appeared. She immediately latched onto Jake’s arm and smiled at me. “Sister-in-law, you’re just too jealous. If I really wanted Jake, do you think you’d stand a chance?” How sweet of her to say. I was about to respond when my phone rang. “Ma’am, we need you to come to the police station again. There’s been a development in the case.” After hanging up, I turned to leave. Jake grabbed my wrist. “Where are you running off to? Did Emma hit a nerve? You really are just a jealous shrew.” I yanked my hand away and slapped Jake hard across the face. “Watch your mouth. I don’t have time for your nonsense right now.” I rushed to the police station. The officer offered me a glass of water first. “So, have you or your family made any enemies recently?” he asked. I thought about it. I hardly ever left the house, let alone made enemies. I barely even saw anyone. So it had to be related to Jake somehow. But given Jake’s unusual job, I’d never heard him mention conflicts with anyone. Suddenly, Emma came to mind. I remembered the look in her eyes at the cemetery. I nodded. “My husband has a mistress. Does that count?” The officers exchanged glances. “It could.” “What’s going on? Did the killer say something?” “Well, we have reason to believe Kevin’s murder was a contract killing.” A contract killing. Kevin was so young. Who could be so heartless? “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” I asked. The officer looked embarrassed. “I apologize. It was an oversight on our part.” The rest of the details were confidential, so the police couldn’t share more with me. When I got home from the station, I was surprised to find Jake there. He was lounging on the couch with his legs crossed, seemingly unaware that our son was missing. “Where’s Kevin? Out playing again?” he asked casually. Unbelievable! I set down my things. “Now you care about your son? Where were you before?” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Jake, let’s get divorced,” I said. I took a deep breath. I would just have to accept that Kevin no longer had a father. More accurately, Jake didn’t deserve to be a father. Seeing how serious I was, Jake started to panic. He smiled and took my hand. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’ve been married for so many years. You can’t throw it all away over this little thing with Emma.” “Oh, so you do remember how long we’ve been married,” I said with a bitter laugh. “Then please, just agree to the divorce. Don’t make this painful for both of us.” Jake came up and hugged me from behind. “How can you bear to divorce me? Don’t you want Kevin to have a father? Do you want him to be bullied for not having a dad?” SSo he did know that kids without fathers get bullied. I turned and grabbed Jake by the collar, dragging him to Kevin’s room. “Look closely. These are your son’s ashes.”

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