Category: English

I chased after Skyler for 5 years before he finally agreed to marry me. Two months before our wedding, I got into a car accident. I called him three times, but he hung up on me each time. His junior, Vivian, had suggested he give me the cold shoulder for a while to make me less clingy. When I crawled out of the ravine, I was covered in injuries. My right hand had suffered a comminuted fracture. At that moment, I finally understood that some things can’t be forced. But then he started showing up at my door every day, red-eyed, begging me to give him 5 years too. When I was brought to the hospital, my clothes were in tatters and I was covered in injuries. The doctor looked at me and sighed, saying if I had come a few hours earlier, they might have been able to save my right hand. A few hours earlier. I stared numbly at the hospital ceiling, listening to the doctor’s verdict. Comminuted fracture of the right hand, slim chances of recovery. I probably wouldn’t be able to paint again. Tears rolled down my cheeks as despair spread through my body. Why could I never learn to let go? What was he doing right now, I wondered? Maybe he had opened a bottle of wine last night, celebrating that I hadn’t bothered him. Or perhaps he was practicing piano with Vivian, the two of them enjoying an intimate moment together. I smiled bitterly to myself. At least I wouldn’t be an obstacle between them anymore. My phone rang. It was Skyler. I slowly closed my eyes. This time I had to learn my lesson. Skyler burst into my hospital room. Not a wrinkle on his clothes, he frowned at me coldly, like a lofty god looking down on a mortal. He berated me: “What kind of stunt are you pulling now? Why aren’t you answering your phone?” “Getting yourself into this state just because I didn’t answer your call yesterday? I told you I was busy. Can’t you understand that?” His words stabbed into my still-bleeding wounds. For a moment, my dead heart cried out in pain again. He had sentenced me without even asking what happened. Even seeing me lying here covered in injuries didn’t stir the slightest ripple in his heart. After all, he was the man I had loved for five years – a single word from him could provoke all my emotions. I looked at him sadly, unable to speak. My eyes filled with tears, as if begging, as if mourning. The white walls reflected his coldness. The smell of disinfectant in the air seemed to mock my foolishness. He must not have seen me like this before. He looked uncomfortable: “Take care and get well. Remember to participate in the national art design competition next week. I have to get back to practice now.” He added: “This piano competition is very important to me. Don’t disturb me during this time.” With that, he left without looking back, never once asking about my injuries. I watched his hastily retreating figure, my whole body cold. I couldn’t say a word. This was the boy I had chased for five years. Tears fell uncontrollably. I had naively thought it was my sincerity and passion that had moved him, that had made him turn and look at me. The piano competition was important to him. Vivian was important to him. His friends were important to him. So what was I? I used to think everything would pay off in the end, just like how I persevered with my painting. But reality had given me a harsh wake-up call. Not everything turns out beautifully just because you persist. My sincerity meant nothing to him. So why did he agree to marry me? Why did he give me hope? The sun set. I curled up in bed, shivering as if I was back in that dark night, trapped in the car, unconscious for who knows how long, despairing and thinking I was going to die. Before I passed out, I had made one phone call. I thought of him first, but I lay unconscious all night without rescue coming. Perhaps I was wrong from the start. I had forced things after all, just like with my art career. It wasn’t meant to be. After five days of treatment, my body started to recover. Except for my hand. The doctor suggested I go abroad for treatment. I smiled bitterly. How could I afford that? I left the hospital and returned to my rented apartment. The small room was filled with paintings. Five years ago, at the graduation party, I had fallen for him at first sight. Since then, all my paintings had been of him. The whole room was filled with paintings related to him. It seemed I had been living in his world all these years, losing myself.

The excessive emotional suppression made me feel suffocated. Looking at the room full of paintings of him, I screamed out loud. My emotions burst forth at that moment. I frantically tore down papers and stomped on them, violently ripping apart paintings I had painstakingly created. The floor was a mess as I vented my emotions. I sat on the floor and wept loudly. Ruined. Everything was ruined. There was still one painting left. My favorite one, framed on the wall, which I had overlooked. It was the first painting I made when I saw Skyler. My hands trembled as I reached out to touch it, but I felt as if I had been electrocuted. Tears streaming down my face, I froze in place. I wasn’t as strong as I thought I was. Three days later, Skyler found me at an art exhibition. He angrily questioned me, his eyes seeming to shoot fire: “Why didn’t you participate in the competition? Don’t you know you had the best chance of winning? Do you know how important this competition was? Even if you want to throw a tantrum, you should know when and where.” A series of accusations hit my already numb heart. At that moment, I had so many things I wanted to ask him, but all I could say was: “Oh, congratulations on winning.” Skyler’s expression softened a bit: “So you watched the competition. How come I didn’t see you there? You left so early without waiting for me.” I hadn’t gone. I had guessed. With his skills, winning would have been easy. I pointed at the paintings around the room and asked softly: “Do you think these paintings are beautiful?” My eyes were full of pity. This exhibition was probably the last time I would display my past works. I quietly watched the crowd coming and going, occasionally stopping in front of a painting to admire the artist’s skill. One of my paintings was here too. Skyler rubbed his temples and took my hand. “Summer, I was a bit busy the past couple days and neglected you. But you know how important this competition was to me. Get dressed up and accompany me to tonight’s party.” “I don’t have time,” I said. I looked at him calmly: “Skyler, let’s break up.” He laughed, as if he had heard a joke: “Break up?” Then he said gently: “Summer, be good. After tonight is over, I’ll spend time with you.” I tilted my head and thought for a moment: “No. We’ve broken up.” He stepped forward, wanting to hold me in his arms and comfort me like he had countless times before. But the moment he touched me, I pushed him away and let out a piercing scream. The whole venue was drawn to the sound of my voice. The fragile balance I had been maintaining was unexpectedly torn apart. I crouched down holding my head, violent emotions assaulting my brain again. Resentment, unwillingness, pain, disappointment, despair. All my efforts and pursuits of the first half of my life had turned to bubbles in one night. But I could have been saved, couldn’t I? If only it had been a few hours earlier. If only he had answered the phone. If only he had patiently listened to me finish one sentence. He froze, standing there dumbfounded, not daring to take another step forward. “Summer, it’s me. It’s me. What’s wrong?” He looked helpless like a child, cautiously unsure of what had happened. It took great effort to control my emotions. I slowly walked out of the hall. Skyler chased after me. I turned my back to him and said: “I need some time alone.” Back home, I sat alone in my studio, sometimes wanting to laugh, sometimes wanting to cry. I thought I was calm, but seeing Skyler brought on an intense feeling of grievance that swept through my whole body. The room was brightly lit. I had been sleeping with the lights on lately. As soon as it got dark, I couldn’t help but think of that pitch-black night. Intense pain swept through my body as I tried to grasp at a lifeline that had sent my art career to its grave.

I resented Skyler in my heart, but reason told me he had no obligation to save me. I shouldn’t blame him. But I couldn’t control it. He was my boyfriend. We had agreed to get married. If only he had given me a few more seconds to say something, instead of hanging up after saying he was busy. Or if he had called to check on me that night when I didn’t come home, noticing something was wrong. I had never stayed out all night before. He knew where I had gone too. I had told him. I really had told him. The papers scattered on the floor seemed to mock my stupidity. My persistence felt like a joke. When I was young and learning to paint, no one supported me. So I forged ahead alone, and had made a name for myself by now. But it was as if heaven was playing a cruel joke on me, blatantly telling me that all this success and happiness was just temporarily lent to me, and now it was time to take it back. I threw all my art supplies into the trash and stuffed my paintings into bags, planning to throw them out tomorrow. At midnight, I received a message from a friend. Skyler had announced our engagement at the banquet. He probably still didn’t know about my situation. How could a painter who couldn’t hold a brush anymore participate in competitions? He was celebrating his success at the banquet, and casually announced his engagement, without naming the bride. Everyone congratulated him, their gazes subtly gathering on Vivian White beside him. The golden boy and jade girl, what a perfect match. I lay in my small rented room, surrounded by wreckage, papers full of folly. The next day, their names and video appeared in the trending topics. Piano prodigy Skyler announces engagement to Vivian White, daughter of his teacher. A flood of congratulations filled the comments. In the afternoon, Skyler showed up at my door. This should be his first time coming here. I had just been planning to clear things up with him anyway. I opened the door for him. He looked at the empty room in surprise: “Where are your paintings?” “I can’t paint anymore.” “What nonsense is this? What happened? Why did you block me?” Skyler stared at me dissatisfied, as if scolding a disobedient child: “Summer, stop fooling around. Our wedding is in a month.” “I know I’ve neglected you lately, but you can’t always be so unreasonable. Pack your things and come home with me.” His nonchalance made it seem like this whole drama was just my one-sided tantrum. I laughed, then started crying: “Home? What home? Where is home? Your home with Vivian? It’s all over social media that you’re marrying her. What am I supposed to do there?” He frowned, his gaze distant: “I announced our engagement last night. I wanted to surprise you, but you weren’t in good shape and didn’t show up. The media misunderstood. I didn’t handle it well. I’ve already had people take down the trending topic. This has nothing to do with Vivian. She’s a victim too.” Every word he said was defending Vivian, blaming me for not being there. Victim? Innocent? Then what was I, a joke? Tears rolled down my cheeks. For once, he didn’t show disgust. “Why didn’t you answer my call that night?” I asked. “I did answer, didn’t I? I was practicing piano. You know how important that competition was to me.” He sat down on the sofa, displeased. “Why did you hang up after answering?” I demanded. “Can you stop making a fuss? I told you I was practicing. You called three times in a row.” His voice rose, then he caught himself: “Alright, Summer, it’s my fault.” I looked at him tearfully: “It was Vivian who told you not to answer my calls, wasn’t it?”

He frowned, reaching out to wipe my tears but I dodged: “This has nothing to do with Vivian. Can you stop making a scene?” “Would I call you three times in a row for no reason? You deliberately didn’t answer because you felt embarrassed in front of her, right?” He started to get agitated: “Summer, stop it.” “Skyler, I saw the surveillance footage from that day.” That day he was practicing piano when my call came in. Vivian suggested he hang up and keep practicing. His friends teased him for being henpecked. Though he answered my call, he hung up without letting me speak. That night, I didn’t say goodnight to him as usual, and I didn’t come home. He didn’t notice anything unusual. Or maybe he did notice, but didn’t care. If only he had paid a little attention to me, things might have been different. He was taken aback: “You went to check the surveillance over such a small thing?” “A small thing? Yes, it’s a small thing. I just got in a car accident on my way back that night. I called you three times, and you hung up on me three times. I missed the best treatment window, and now I’ll never be able to paint with my right hand again. Yes, it’s just a small matter, no big deal.” I laughed maniacally, trying to push all the blame onto him. Why didn’t he answer that call? Why did he give me hope and then despair? Marriage – I once thought he was someone I could entrust my whole life to. I never imagined he would hang up on me three times because of someone else’s words. I broke down crying. From beginning to end, I was the outsider. His voice trembled slightly: “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I looked into his eyes: “Did you ever care? How many times did you come to the hospital? Once. What was the first thing you did when you saw me? When did you realize I had blocked you?” Panic flashed in his eyes. Things had spiraled out of his control. “This morning, right? You didn’t notice all week. You never asked about me once.” A painter who can’t hold a brush, a pianist who can’t play the piano – he knew how important our hands were to us. I had flown like a moth to his flame, not knowing it was an abyss that would destroy me. Silence spread between us. Bitter tears flowed into my heart. “I’ll take you to receive the best treatment. There must still be hope.” He paused, then grabbed my hand. “There’s no hope, Skyler. Let’s end this.” I couldn’t see any hope for the future. I didn’t know what life would be like from now on, but everything I had worked so hard for before was wasted. My dreams of painting, of Skyler – I had countless fantasies. In an instant, it all shattered. “End what?” he asked anxiously. “End everything.” I closed my eyes painfully. “No way. Our wedding is next month.” He flatly refused. “You can replace me with Vivian. We have similar builds. She’d be delighted.” I said self-mockingly. “It’s already trending online. Can’t disappoint the netizens.” His face turned ashen, as if I had committed some unforgivable crime. How laughable. Wasn’t he the one who shut me out from the beginning? “Skyler, I have one more question. Why did you agree to marry me? Don’t say it’s because you love me.” Bitterness filled my voice. He fell silent. I didn’t look up to see his expression.

I still went with him to his house. He said he could heal my hand. He took me to see many famous doctors, but they all just shook their heads. He started spending time with me frequently, talking about wedding details. Gradually, I stopped hoping. Vivian wore a custom wedding dress – the style Skyler had shown me a few days ago. Her exquisite makeup and red nails exuded vitality. She looked me up and down haughtily: “Summer, isn’t this wedding dress beautiful?” She confidently led me downstairs. She moved around the house as if she were the true mistress, while I was just a lowly outsider. The housekeeper poured us tea. “Miss White, you and our young master are finally getting married. This wedding dress is so beautiful. The young master personally chose it and put a lot of thought into it.” “Mrs. Zhang, you flatter me.” Vivian smiled and sent them away. “Miss Summer, I wanted to have a chat with you today.” She set down her cup and settled comfortably on the sofa. “Miss Summer, during that time when Skyler was busy with training, I was quietly by his side. He didn’t have time to look after you, and you were clinging to him so tightly. So I suggested he not answer your calls. After all, you didn’t have any urgent matters.” I smiled awkwardly, sitting stiffly on the sofa in my white clothes, like a guest. “You should know that my father is Skyler’s teacher. I can help boost Skyler’s career. But you’re just a burden to him now. Before, Skyler was a bit playful, and I didn’t say anything. But now that our families are going to be joined in marriage, it’s best if you leave. I don’t want to see you on that day.” She smiled, her manners elegant and speech refined. I turned pale, unable to refute her words. “Miss White needn’t worry. I will leave. Please take good care of Skyler and don’t let him keep chasing after me.” Vivian’s expression changed. She laughed lightly: “Leave this place and go live somewhere else. That car accident must have left a deep impression on you, Miss Summer. Skyler and I are childhood sweethearts. You shouldn’t have tried to steal him from me.” I looked at her in disbelief. “You did it?” She nodded slightly, looking at me with contempt: “What are you talking about, Miss Summer? I don’t understand.” I went crazy and pushed her to the ground, fighting her from inside the house to the doorway. She suddenly flung open the door. Outside, reporters captured my disheveled state on camera, while Vivian stood to the side in her wedding dress. Skyler’s friends berated me: “You shameless woman, how dare you still cling to Skyler.” At that moment, I broke down. I fled the scene like a madwoman. The trending topics had new entries: Third party interferes in Skyler and Vivian’s relationship. Third party jealously attacks Vivian at home. No one believed me. No one would defend me. Not even Skyler believed me. Everyone thought they were a match made in heaven.

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I was working in the gynecology department when a young woman came in for hymen repair surgery. Her delicate face flushed with embarrassment as she timidly asked me, “Will anyone be able to tell?” I took a liking to her and advised her to be honest. “If two people can’t be together because of this, is there any point in continuing the relationship?” The young woman’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “I had an accident while running. He says he likes me pure and innocent, and I want to do this for him.” Three months later, the young woman came back to see me. She was cradling her belly, saying she was already pregnant. Her eyes were brimming with happiness. Before I could offer my congratulations, her boyfriend called. “Honey, is the baby okay? Get ready, I’m taking you on a week-long trip abroad as a reward…” Long after the call ended, I couldn’t shake off my daze. The young woman waved her phone in front of my face. “Doctor, when there’s no love left between two people, that’s when there’s no point in continuing.” It was then that I realized. Her boyfriend was my husband. At a coffee shop, Tiffany ordered me a latte. “Iced, no sugar, right?” “Three years ago, you were the youngest surgical prodigy at First Hospital. You gave up your career to take care of your family and chose a less demanding department.” “But Emily, why do you have to do this? Parker doesn’t love you anymore. Why can’t you let go and find someone more suitable?” She held her head high, her pretty face showing not a hint of guilt or shame for being the other woman. Half defiant, half pitying. I took a sip of coffee, suppressing my anger. “You went to all this trouble to investigate me and approach me just to pressure me to leave?” Tiffany scoffed, “I just want you to face reality and stop clinging to Parker.” “He hasn’t touched you in a long time, has he? He’s already chosen a name for our baby.” In that moment, I had the urge to throw the scalding coffee in her face and scream at her! But what would be the point? It was a fact that she was carrying Parker’s child, and it was also a fact that my husband of eight years had been working late for six months straight, barely touching me. My tired face reflected in the glass window, time having taken away my youthfulness and left fine lines. I regretted my impulsive decision to accept her invitation to meet, hoping to learn more about this mistress. What did I have to compete with her for? If she wanted the cheating man, she could have him. “If you’re still not convinced, let’s make a bet!” Tiffany caught up with me as I was leaving, her confident face flushed with excitement. “The day after tomorrow is your 8th anniversary. Guess whether he’ll spend it with you or take me out?” As soon as she finished speaking, her phone chimed. Parker’s voice message was full of affection: “Honey, have you eaten? I know you love seafood, so I had some specially flown in for you…” I looked down at my phone. There was also a message from him. Just a few short words: “Working late, don’t wait up.” Only then did I realize that the happy marriage I thought I had was just an elaborate lie he had carefully maintained. At three in the morning, Parker came home, put down his briefcase, and tiptoed to the bathroom. “Why didn’t you turn on the lights?” My sudden voice startled Parker. Seeing me sitting on the couch, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly put on his usual gentle expression and came over to embrace me lightly. “Of course, I didn’t want to wake you, darling.” “You work during the day and do housework when you come home. I worry about you being so tired. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll get wrinkles and won’t be beautiful anymore…” So he knew about my efforts for this home. He was busy with work and had a mild case of OCD, so we couldn’t hire a housekeeper. I managed everything inside and out. For him, I gave up my career, transforming from a surgical prodigy to practically a housewife. Ironically, my womb showed no signs of life, while his mistress was already carrying his child. “If you prefer young and beautiful women, just say so.” He froze, his smile becoming slightly stiff and probing: “Why are you suddenly saying such things? Emily, I love you no matter what.” “You’re not sleeping now, is something bothering you? Do you want to talk about it?” Before I could respond, his phone on the coffee table suddenly lit up. A voice message came from a contact saved as ‘Sweetie’. Parker snatched the phone back almost instantly, making an excuse about “work stuff” and running to the bathroom. When he came out, he hurried towards the front door to change his shoes, barely concealing his eagerness: “Honey, there’s a problem with a big project. You go to sleep first.” “Once this busy period is over, I’ll spend more time with you…” Suddenly, I couldn’t remember the last time Parker had taken me out. The wedding photo on the wall emitted a soft glow. The house was still neat and orderly, and the study was almost overflowing with gifts Parker had given me, so I had put the more valuable ones in a bank safe deposit box. Everyone said our marriage was the model of a perfect couple. But now, all the warmth of the past was tainted with cold lies and betrayal, leaving me feeling chilled to the bone, almost unable to breathe! “Emily, looks like you’re going to lose~” “Parker has already booked flights for us to go abroad the day after tomorrow. He’s going to spend a whole week with me.” “Oh, and Parker won’t be coming home tonight. I told him my stomach hurt, and he rushed over here, worried about leaving me alone…” After reading the taunting messages from the mistress, I sat quietly until dawn. I remembered the first year of our marriage when I had an allergic reaction to peanuts and broke out in a rash. Parker rushed me to the hospital, not even frowning when he missed out on a $300 million project because of it. In our third year, when I passed out from exhaustion after surgery, he stormed into the hospital and berated the director until he was red in the face. But last year, when I had a fever of 102°F from the flu, he only sent a fruit basket and didn’t even visit me in the hospital. I thought time had made our love more subtle, less intense. Little did I know, he had simply transferred his love to someone else. “Darling, why are you up so early?” “I brought you breakfast, and look, I got you some new jewelry from the company. I had to really sweet-talk the board to get it for you~” Early in the morning, Parker returned with dark circles under his eyes and immediately presented a gift, his face showing the same adoration as always, without a hint of anything amiss. The more he acted like this, the colder I felt. I couldn’t tell how much of the past eight years was genuine affection and how much was pretense. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Emily, did you not sleep well? Do you want me to call the hospital and ask for a day off for you?” His face showed urgency as he gently felt my forehead. I resisted the strong urge to push him away and stared deeply into his eyes: “Parker, I’ve taken tomorrow off. Can you spend the day with me?” I wanted to know if our eight years of love could compare to his six months with Tiffany. I wanted to know if he could leave me with some dignity before the divorce. “Tomorrow… I really can’t reschedule tomorrow’s commitments.” Parker pretended to be troubled, holding me tighter: “How about the end of the month? I’ll take you wherever you want to go.” Seeing no response from me, he pouted innocently: “Darling, we have a long future ahead of us, why does it have to be tomorrow?” I froze, instinctively pushing him away and retreating two steps. Not only had he not chosen me. He had even forgotten! Forgotten our 8th wedding anniversary! My unusual behavior made Parker suspicious, but just as he was about to comfort me, he was called away by a phone call. Half an hour later, Tiffany sent me another picture of them together. I had loved Parker for eight years, giving him almost everything, only to be utterly defeated by the mistress! “Emily, I’ve dug up the background on that homewrecker you asked me to investigate…” My best friend sent me information about Tiffany. She was the illegitimate daughter of the Yang family, owners of a major corporation in the city. Although she had grown up separated from the Yang family, living with a housekeeper, she still had inheritance rights to 10% of the family’s assets.

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“James, he says he wants freedom and doesn’t care about money. I feel like I can get the money without marrying him. I really don’t want to be intimate with him anymore,” Lily said. “No way, the wedding is in three days. Just marry James, tell him you’ll manage the family business, get the money, and then kick him out. It’s safer this way. No one knows I’m not really your cousin,” Chris replied. I quietly sat back down, not making a fuss. The wedding proceeded as scheduled. On our wedding night, Lily wrapped herself around me like a snake. I did as she wished and signed over all the factories to her. The very next day, she showed her true colors and kicked me out, bringing Chris in: “Get lost, I’ve had enough of you. But if you really can’t bear to leave me, I suppose I could let you stay as a watchdog in the yard.” I adjusted my glasses that had been knocked askew and replied good-naturedly: “Sure, that’s fine.” “James, we’ve tried on all the wedding dresses. After we’re married, you have to listen to me and give me the factories,” Lily said with a coy smile as she stood before me. I struggled to hold the pile of clothes she had bought while adjusting my glasses. “Of course. Weren’t you afraid of marriage before? Why did you suddenly agree? Don’t tell me it’s because you want the factories?” Lily’s eyes flickered at my probing question. She pouted and wrapped her arms around mine. “What are you talking about? I was just insecure before. We’ve grown up together – don’t you know what kind of person I am?” Chris chimed in cheerfully from the side: “That’s right, bro! How can you say that about my sister? She loves you so much she’s not even asking for a sewing machine. Go ask around – who gets married without asking for appliances these days?” Lily skipped ahead, with Chris quickly following. I silently trailed behind them. Lily and I had been childhood sweethearts. As the eldest in a family with many siblings, she was often mistreated. I would always appear when she needed help, paying her tuition when she had no money, giving her my food when she was hungry. All these years I had protected her like a knight, and she was always moved. But when faced with my love, she said she was afraid of marriage. If I hadn’t overheard her conversation with Chris, I would have truly believed it was my love that touched her and made her no longer fear marriage. “Oh, the Ye girl, are you getting married to Chris? Buying so many things – I’ll have to come drink at the wedding,” an older neighbor called out. No wonder people would think that. They were dressed similarly, holding hands as they walked together, looking like a perfect couple. I was more like their chauffeur. Before I could explain, the neighbor had already ridden off on her bike. Lily came running back to explain: “Don’t listen to her nonsense. Chris is my brother. Holding hands is just how we show affection as siblings.” Chris nodded in agreement and even tried to take the things from my hands: “Let me carry those, bro.” He eagerly grabbed the wedding dress and suit. But Lily didn’t take my hand, only linking her arm with mine: “You’re not jealous of Chris, are you? We’re about to get married after all.” I awkwardly patted her head and smiled gently: “Of course not. Your brother is my brother too. Let’s go buy whatever you like.” Seeing I had no reaction, Lily turned and winked at Chris. She thought I couldn’t see her secretly holding Chris’s hand behind my back, grinning like a cat that got the cream. I smiled too. Enjoy it while you can. You won’t have such good days ahead. Perhaps because she had been poor for so long, Lily treated me like a cash cow and went on a crazy shopping spree. She may not have asked for appliances, but what she wanted was far more expensive. “James, I want this golden phoenix crown.” “I want this emerald necklace too!” “Ahh it’s a huge diamond, James!” I signed for everything she wanted. She got carried away and even picked out a Rolex for Chris. She excitedly put it on Chris’s wrist, then put on a matching women’s watch herself. The two of them held hands and looked at me. I didn’t refuse, and signed for those as well. As long as Lily asked, I would buy it, no matter who it was for. I didn’t care that there wasn’t a single item for me in the bills I was paying. Lily even bought a piece of cloth for the dog at home, but didn’t get anything for me. She seemed to have completely forgotten I was her fiancé, until the Rolex saleswoman gave a free children’s watch as a gift. Lily’s eyes lit up as she put it on my wrist: “James, this is for you. It means only I can treat you like a child, and I’ll always dote on you and love you.” Chris showed off his shiny Rolex and exclaimed exaggeratedly: “Wow sis, you’re so mushy. I’m so jealous of this single guy!” I thanked her. By the time night fell, she was finally tired of shopping. Sitting in the restaurant, she complained: “These shoes don’t fit, my feet really hurt. James, if only you could give me the shoe factory at home too. Then I could just make shoes I like.” I smiled slightly: “Sure, I’ll give it to you after we’re married.” Chris chimed in: “Bro, you really spoil my sister. She’s so lucky to marry you. Not many men would give up everything when they get married. But I guess that shows how much you love her.” I agreed: “Yes, I love her. Giving up everything is nothing.” Her eyes suddenly lit up. I lowered my head to order food, pretending not to see their legs intertwined under the table. That meal was very pleasant. They thought they were about to become filthy rich. While I knew they were about to have a very bad time. Two days before the wedding, I brought Lily home. Chris followed us out. Seeing me look at him, Lily explained: “He’ll drive for us. Otherwise you’ll be too tired.” Seeing I had no objection, she sat in the passenger seat and turned back to talk to me: “I’ll give Chris directions.” The whole way, she and Chris chatted and laughed non-stop. I sat in the back smiling silently. Our two families lived very close, just a street apart. I got out to open the door for her. She wore a brand new outfit, taking off her sunglasses as she stood in front of my house. My parents were waiting eagerly, greeting us with warm smiles: “Lily, we’ve been waiting for you. Come in quickly.” Chris followed us in. Lily explained to my parents: “This is my cousin, my aunt’s son. He’s James’ driver now.” I invited them to sit down, not continuing that topic. My mom smiled imperceptibly and slipped the jade bracelet off her wrist to give to Lily. The smooth jade made Lily’s smile even wider. My dad remained silent on the side. It was the highest level of hospitality – a table full of Lily’s favorite dishes. My mom even brought out a family heirloom, a pair of mutton fat jade earrings. She opened the box to show Lily: “These have been passed down for generations. You’re about to get married, so I’m giving them to you. Once you marry into the family, there are many more treasures in my dowry that will all be yours.” Lily’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled. The meal was very pleasant. They didn’t hold back at all despite being at my home. Lily’s left hand was under the table the whole time. I helped her get food while deflecting my parents’ questions. Chris ate like he’d never seen food before. Lily looked at him dotingly as she got food for him, prompting my mom to say: “You two siblings are so close.” Lily replied: “Yes, he’s like my real brother. When we become a family and have children, it will be so nice.” I nodded, adjusting my slipping glasses to hide my expression: “Yes, being a family is wonderful.” After leaving my house, we headed back to Lily’s place. Chris tentatively asked while driving: “Bro, are your parents very rich? They casually gave such expensive jade.” Lily turned back to look at me, her gaze eager: “James, I never knew your family was so wealthy. We’ve lived so close, but I only knew you had a few factories. How could you hide this even from me?” I smiled faintly: “I wasn’t hiding it. My parents are just low-key. They let me manage their five shoe factories and one cement factory. I only have two mines under my name. I’ll give it all to you after we’re married, Lily.” Lily said impatiently: “I really wish we could get married right now.” I laughed: “Don’t rush. The day after tomorrow when we get married, it will all be yours.” Perhaps because she was about to receive enormous wealth, Lily’s attitude towards me became extremely warm. Seeing me unconsciously biting my fingers while thinking, she pouted and put my fingers to her lips: “Don’t bite them, it makes me sad.” She took out corn-flavored candy from her pocket and put it in my mouth: “Here, you’ve always loved these since we were kids.” The sweet corn flavor spread in my mouth. I remembered when we were young, I would always bite my fingers until they bled. Back then Lily was often hungry, and candy was a rare treat. She would always give hers to me instead of eating it herself. In return, I would give her my food. The repressive atmosphere in my family made me withdrawn and old-fashioned, but she was different. She was like the sun, never afraid to fight for what she wanted. My heart stirred. I let the candy melt in my mouth and tentatively asked: “Lily, is there anything you’re hiding from me?” Lily looked up at me, a bit startled. But she quickly smiled, looking straight at me: “Of course not. We grew up together, what secrets could there be? Once we’re married we’ll be together forever, living a good life. I’ll give you sons!” She hugged me and giggled in my ear. But my heart grew cold. I had given her a chance. She chose not to take it. I gently hugged her back, not asking any more. The wedding day arrived. Early in the morning, my parents woke me up and urged me to go meet the bride’s family. Looking in the mirror at my face, devoid of any joy, I forced a smile. I arrived early at Lily’s house, but couldn’t get in no matter what. Even stuffing money in didn’t work. The situation became awkward. Lily pushed out a voluntary property separation agreement, saying loudly: “Sign this and I’ll come out.” Everyone looked at each other in confusion, whispering. “What is Lily doing, asking for this on her wedding day?” “She’s after our James’ money. That ungrateful woman – if it weren’t for James, her heartless parents would have sold her off at 18. She wouldn’t even have finished school. Now she pulls this stunt.” I quieted the chatter and took out a pen from my pocket, signing without hesitation and pushing it back. I only had the mines. The other factories still required completing the wedding to transfer. Lily understood this and said coyly: “Everyone step back. My brother will carry me out.” My groomsmen were all indignant, but I remained calm. “Alright, tell Chris to be careful not to drop you.”

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When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day the Chen family came to propose marriage. Mrs. Chen, the family matriarch, was being helped out of a luxurious car. The bodyguards in suits beside her made my father’s eyes widen in awe. Behind her stood Ryan Chen, the youngest son of the Chen family. His handsome and refined features were quite eye-catching. He wore the latest Patek Philippe watch on his wrist, and his bespoke suit gave him an extraordinary aura. The Chen Group was the richest family in Bay City and the leader in the national daily chemical industry. Their assets had long since reached tens of billions of dollars. This top-tier wealthy family that we usually only saw in magazines and on TV was now standing in front of us, wanting to arrange a marriage with our family. My mom was overjoyed and quickly pushed my prettier sister Olivia forward. But to her surprise, Olivia didn’t step out. She put on a stern face and said righteously in front of everyone’s gaze: “Mom, I don’t want to take shortcuts. I want to achieve success through my own efforts!” “Marriage and happiness are not things that can be traded. But since I seem to be the only one who thinks this way, let Lily go then.” Everyone was surprised. My parents were particularly puzzled. Olivia had always been competitive, trying to outdo me in everything. How come she suddenly changed today and started being modest towards me? But I knew what was really going on. I packed my luggage expressionlessly, only carrying a travel bag, and got into the Chen family’s car. My parents’ confusion wasn’t wrong. In my previous life, Olivia had dressed herself up glamorously in order to marry into the Chen family. With the help of our parents, she had shown off in front of the Chen family. Not only that, to prevent any unexpected issues, she even spread rumors outside, falsely claiming that I had a chaotic and improper private life. This made me the laughingstock of everyone, while she became a pure and elegant white lotus flower in comparison to me. She thought that after marrying into a wealthy family, what awaited her would be a luxurious life and high social status. She expected to have a Cinderella-like fairy tale romance with a handsome rich young master like Ryan Chen. But who knew that what awaited her was countless dirty and despicable things under the facade of a wealthy family. The reason Mrs. Chen allowed a civilian girl like her to marry Ryan was because he was just an illegitimate son without any power or status. Olivia not only couldn’t get any money from the Chen family, but also had to endure daily torment and humiliation from the other young masters and misses. “How dare a dirty and lowly rat like you enter our Chen family?” “A bitch from the gutter and a bastard son who can’t see the light of day – what a perfect match!” She couldn’t bear the torment, so she blamed it all on Ryan. She was not only harsh and abusive towards him, but even tried to seduce the other young masters of the Chen family. But for a girl like her with no skills and only a pretty face, she could only end up as a plaything for rich young masters, to be kicked away after they got tired of her. After Ethan Chen became the head of the family, both she and Ryan were kicked out. She went to beg Ethan for mercy, wanting to exchange her body for wealth. But what she got in return was even deeper humiliation from him. “I’d feel dirty touching a greedy and lowly gold digger like you.” “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting. I’m not as stupid as Ryan. Not all women are worthy of getting into my bed.” Meanwhile, I endured that dark period, burying myself in studies at A University. I finally graduated with excellent grades, becoming the only student with a perfect GPA that year, and received offers from countless companies. Later, I even caught Ethan’s attention at a presentation and he pursued me aggressively, giving me a grand wedding that shocked the whole country. Olivia, who had nothing left, finally went crazy. She rushed onto the stage and pushed me off, falling down herself as well. Living this life again, she decisively dumped Ryan and chose to walk the path I took in my previous life. Although she would be unknown for the first few years, as long as she met Ethan Chen, she could soar and become a phoenix. Watching my departing figure, a mocking and smug smile appeared on Olivia’s face. “This life, you can enjoy all this undeserved fortune for me, dear sister.” “While I will take back everything that should have been mine!”

I had long been prepared to be ostracized and tortured. Therefore, when those young masters and misses of the Chen family poured scalding hot soup on me and made me kneel in the yard as punishment, I went without a word. It had snowed heavily all night. I knelt on the ice-cold marble tiles in the yard. My knees gradually went from stinging pain to numbness, and finally lost all feeling. “I’ve seen plenty of women like you who try every means to climb up the social ladder,” the second young miss of the Chen family said with her arms crossed, looking at me mockingly. “A pheasant is still a pheasant, even if it flies up a tree it can’t become a phoenix.” I was starving, and even the servants in the house were watching me like a joke. Emma Chen took a plate of leftovers and threw it in front of me disdainfully, as if feeding a dog: “Here, eat this. I’m gracing you with it.” Laughter erupted around me, countless gazes filled with malice fell on me. I looked at the cold food on the ground, without saying a word. Someone shouted “Big brother is coming!”, and the group of young masters and misses scattered. A pair of shiny black handmade leather shoes appeared in front of me. I looked up to see a handsome and intense face. Those eyes that were full of tenderness in my previous life were now as cold as the ice under my legs, looking at me without any emotion. But it was just a glance, then he retracted his gaze as if looking at garbage. Those spotless leather shoes mercilessly stepped on the food in front of me as he walked past. My days in the Chen family were even worse than the servants. No wonder Olivia was so desperate not to marry Ryan this life. But after all, I was still the nominal daughter-in-law of the Chen family. They had to keep up appearances to outsiders. I followed the Chen family members into the auditorium. I watched them sit in the VIP seats under the guidance of the organizers, while I could only sit in the corner. This college student innovation and entrepreneurship competition was jointly organized by several major companies in the city, with Chen Group holding the highest position. I sat in the last row, listening boredly. For a chemistry genius like me, the ideas coming from these students’ mouths were obviously too naive. I was getting drowsy. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out. “As people’s demand for nature and health grows, I believe that all-natural ingredients will become the mainstream trend in the cosmetics industry in the future.” Olivia stood on the stage, talking eloquently. Her long black shiny hair was tied into a high ponytail, but she deliberately left a few strands by her ears to frame her face. Her poised speech and brilliant content won unanimous praise from the audience. I looked towards Ethan Chen sitting in the front row. His eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the young woman on stage, with an unusual light flickering in them. “Miss Lu, is the honeysuckle extract you mentioned developed by yourself?” someone asked. Olivia turned around and nodded shyly. The pure white skirt swayed with her movement, creating a beautiful arc. Her whole person looked as pure as a jasmine flower. “Yes, this is what I spent a year researching.” If it weren’t for the occasion, I would have laughed out loud. The technology that made me famous overnight in my previous life was the result of countless professors and students at A University spending nearly 10 years researching. Even though it was finally successful in my hands, I didn’t dare to take all the credit and monopolize other people’s years of hard work. Olivia actually dared to say she independently researched and produced results in just one year. Unless she was an unparalleled genius. But I knew better than anyone that she wasn’t. However, the people below didn’t know. The final result was a foregone conclusion – Olivia won first place in the competition and obtained an internship opportunity at Chen Group. Ethan Chen lowered his eyes to look at the young woman in front of him, undisguised admiration in his gaze. The two huddled together, ignoring everyone else. When the conversation got exciting, Olivia covered her mouth and giggled, looking incredibly pure and beautiful. Everyone present was an old hand, seeing through but not exposing each other, tacitly ignoring the desire belonging to a grown man on Ethan Chen’s face. Olivia walked up to me, her hand deliberately brushing against Ethan’s suit jacket draped over her shoulders. “Lily, how’s life in the wealthy family?” She clearly saw that I was ostracized by everyone, after all, this was the treatment she had suffered in her previous life. In my previous life, she had also walked up to me like this and said to me who had just finished a press conference and been hired by Chen Group for a huge salary: “No matter how arrogant you are, you’re just an employee. No matter how hard you try, you’ll never match my status as the Chen family’s daughter-in-law!” But in this life, she said to me with an arrogant face: “I don’t want to be a parasitic flower that only relies on others. I want to achieve my dreams through my own abilities.” She turned and left. I raised an eyebrow. In my peripheral vision, I saw Ethan Chen’s face reveal an intriguing smile after hearing her words.

Olivia and Ethan Chen left one after another. But I didn’t care at all where they went. Instead, I took out my business card and, based on my memories from my previous life, sought out those people who could help my career. Everyone present was a big shot who knew my identity well, so not many people paid attention to me. I wasn’t embarrassed or angry, nor did I care about the hateful gazes from the Chen family members that looked like they wanted to kill me. After all, I was still a member of the Chen family. This humble appearance made them deeply ashamed. Ryan wasn’t here, so I was just a village girl with the title of Chen family daughter-in-law. Naturally, those big shots wouldn’t give me any face. I was repeatedly rebuffed, but still introduced my ideas calmly and confidently. In her previous life, Olivia only thought she could gain a foothold in the Chen family by relying on Ryan, so she focused all her energy on infighting, which only made the Chen family despise her and think she wasn’t presentable. But I knew that to gain a firm foothold in such deep waters, the most important thing was strength. It was the strength to prove that you were irreplaceable. On the way home, Emma Chen deliberately brought up my networking efforts today. “Looks like our sister-in-law has big ambitions. How many business cards did you hand out?” I ignored the sarcasm in her tone and carefully counted the partners from my previous life. There were only a few college students participating in the competition. In this life, they were just inconspicuous startups that couldn’t catch the eye of big companies like Chen Group. Sure enough, Emma Chen burst out laughing. “Lily, lower class people will always be lower class. No matter how hard you struggle, we won’t accept you. We’ll just think you’re a laughable clown.” Laughable? I curved my lips slightly. I didn’t care if they would accept me or not. After all, I didn’t even take the Chen family seriously. Although Ryan and I were married, we didn’t have a real husband-wife relationship. In her previous life, Olivia always complained about her husband when she came home. All the memories about Ryan revolved around negative words like “useless”, “weak and selfish”, “idiot”, etc. But I found that he wasn’t a bad person. After knowing that I was forced into the Chen family by my parents, he readily accepted my proposal for a marriage of convenience. Although we lived under the same roof, we were more like friends than husband and wife. Because of his illegitimate son status, he was ostracized in the Chen family, with no dignity or rights. But he had money. “My dad once gave my mom a black card. After my mom left, she gave it to me.” “I know you’ve suffered a lot of grievances during the time I was away. I have no other way to make it up to you, I can only do it through money. You don’t mind, do you?” How could I mind? I was overjoyed! Ryan’s expertise wasn’t in business management, but in computers. But for the Chen family, this was equivalent to being useless. So he could only go out and find a job on his own, leaving early and returning late every day. Even though he had the Chen family’s black card in hand, he was still afraid that this security would be taken away one day. In her previous life, Olivia thought he was useless and cowardly, treating him harshly and even helping other Chen family members bully him. But my heart ached. “Okay,” I smiled and nodded, taking the card, “Thank you. If you ever need my help, I’ll definitely do my best!” I invested some money into the startups of a few partners. No one paid attention to this small company founded by a few young people. It was like a speck of dust in the huge waves stirred up by these big enterprises, so small and insignificant that everyone thought this ordinary seedling would die in its cradle before long. This money was just a drop in the bucket for the Chen family, so they didn’t notice. But for us, it was crucial. Because I wanted to recreate that technology that shocked the entire industry in my previous life. I rented a lab. Even without that basic data, the experiments I had done countless times in my previous life were deeply etched into my bones. The days and nights spent in the library and lab, relying on the cheapest instant coffee powder to stay awake, allowed me to do those experiments flawlessly even with my eyes closed. This was the reason why Olivia couldn’t replicate my path from my previous life.

I heard that Ethan Chen invited Olivia to dinner, but was rejected by her on the grounds that she had to attend evening self-study. The next day, rumors spread throughout the school about the top wealthy family heir pursuing the genius school beauty. Olivia hurriedly denied it, but the more she cared, the more it confirmed the truth of this matter. I have to say, she was quite clever on this point. Ethan Chen didn’t lack women, especially women who threw themselves at him. The biggest reason he fell for me in my previous life was that I was different. My aloofness, my innocence, my dedication to research and disdain for power aroused his interest and then his desire to conquer. The Olivia in this life was the same. Her playing hard to get successfully piqued Ethan Chen’s interest. Men always yearn for what they can’t obtain. I lay on the memory foam mattress, feeling the relaxation of muscles brought by the massage mode. My hair was refreshing, smooth and shiny after just having a scalp treatment. Olivia should be lying on the hard board bed in the Lu family’s humble home right now, plotting her next move to win over Ethan Chen. I smiled. She probably hadn’t thought about what unspeakable truth was hidden beneath the marriage she so desperately desired. In my previous life, it wasn’t until much later that I figured it out – how could a man who had been fighting in the business world for years marry me just because of my “pure kindness”? It wasn’t until after marriage when he confined me at home, not allowing me to go out to work, taking away all my research results, and wanting me to do research for him wholeheartedly, that I understood what he was really after. After I refused, he finally showed his true colors, putting me under house arrest and taking away all my communication devices. I lost my freedom and could only stare blankly at the sun through the narrow window every day, facing four white walls. Even when I developed mental issues later, he didn’t let me go. Instead, he chose to hold press conferences to gain sympathy, using my pain to squeeze out my last bit of value. Perhaps his initial attraction was real, and that light-hearted affection was real too. It’s just that his feelings were too impure, easily dissipating in the face of interests. I wonder how Ethan Chen will treat Olivia after discovering the truth. And whether Olivia can withstand his torment. My “unruliness” made the Chen family members increasingly malicious towards me. In the past, they would still have some reservations before acting, out of respect for Mrs. Chen. But now, seemingly knowing that Ethan Chen also disliked me, they became more unscrupulous in bullying me. Cutting up my clothes, making me embarrass myself at banquets; Spitting in my food, pouring toilet water into it; Even setting my hair on fire in public, laughing at me as I frantically tried to put it out… They took it for granted that they had this privilege to punish me, this gold-digging bad woman, to teach me, this lowly woman trying to taint their noble bloodline, a lesson. But I didn’t show any of the panic and fear they expected. Instead, I looked at them with disdain, as if watching children playing pranks. I cut off my long hair in front of everyone. As the black strands fell to the ground, I saw Ethan Chen standing at the door. His gaze was dark and unclear, with emotions I couldn’t decipher roiling inside. As if curious to see how long I could persist for the Chen family’s money. … Actually, I wasn’t just putting on a brave face. After being slandered in my previous life, the bullying I suffered was much worse than what I was enduring now. In order to change my fate, I could only work part-time jobs while studying hard. But in this life, I had the Chen family’s top resources. I didn’t have to worry about my parents secretly taking my next semester’s tuition fees for “investment”, nor did I have to worry about the school kicking me out of the research group because of those rumors. This was already a huge help for me. Let them continue with those harmless pranks. After all, they wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long. As for Olivia. I heard that she frequently skipped classes to attend banquets with Ethan Chen and go on dates with him. Her repeated absences led to her final exams being a complete disaster, failing most of her courses. Not to mention doing research. Throughout the entire semester, she hadn’t even touched a lab coat. The lab manager had hardly seen her. Her advisor talked to her, saying she couldn’t neglect her studies just because she had an internship opportunity. But she was dismissive, saying she was a well-known genius, and geniuses were supposed to achieve greater results with less time than ordinary people. When told her grades were too poor to graduate, she didn’t care either, saying that in today’s society, connections and resources were more useful than grades and academic qualifications. Over time, the teachers stopped caring about her too. Even her parents believed that firmly grasping the future head of Chen Group was more important than academic qualifications. Moreover, my nominal position as the Chen family’s daughter-in-law had already disappointed them enough. After discovering they couldn’t gain any benefits from me, they directly cut off contact with me and wholeheartedly helped Olivia become the Chen Group’s mistress. All these rumors only reached my ears later, because at this moment, I was busy with the final stage of the experiment.

The lights in the company’s somewhat shabby lab stayed on all night. The others also stayed up all night with me, and we finally produced a rough product. We were so excited. After the celebratory dinner, it was already very late. The Chen family’s curfew had long passed, so I had no choice but to go back to the Lu family’s house for the night. In the latest issue of the journal, my published research results caused a sensation in the entire scientific community. Reporters swarmed towards that small company like sharks smelling blood. Countless industry giants extended olive branches to me. Just like in my previous life, my name was pushed to the forefront. Everyone praised this technology as capable of revolutionizing the industry. I didn’t want to go back to the Chen family to face those people’s sarcastic remarks, so I rented a small apartment next to the company to stay temporarily. But unexpectedly, when I didn’t go looking for them, they came looking for me instead. I looked at Ethan Chen standing in front of me with a dark face and Olivia standing behind him on the verge of tears, expressionlessly standing at the door with no intention of inviting them in. “Lily, your unscrupulousness really makes me look at you with new eyes.” “What do you mean?” I frowned. Olivia opened her mouth pitifully. “Sister, I know you’ve always been jealous of me, jealous that I’m prettier than you and study better than you.” “But all of this is what I gained through my own efforts. Why do you have to take even these away?” I was confused and wanted to laugh. “Just spit it out if you have something to say. No need to beat around the bush until you’re out of breath.” Olivia’s face instantly turned red. Ethan Chen snorted coldly: “Plagiarizing other people’s research results, Lily, you’d better prepare to go to jail!” I opened my phone and looked. Several bright red “Breaking News” headlines had somehow been pushed to the top trending spots. #Lily Academic Fraud# #Lily Plagiarism# #Olivia Genius Girl# At the press conference, several well-known newspapers and authoritative media, including the Chen family members, were present. Olivia presented her experimental data, with a timeline clearly earlier than my publication date. “This is the result I worked so hard to research, but I never thought it would end up becoming someone else’s wedding dress in the end. Do we poor college students really have no justice at all, and can only be bullied by rich people at will?” She was indignant, with crystal clear tears in her reddened eyes, looking so pitiful. The crowd was in an uproar, criticizing me for using my power to bully others. “I knew it, how could a village girl who didn’t even graduate from college research these things?” “She must have relied on the Chen family’s influence to steal a college student’s research results. How shameless!” “I must seek justice for us ordinary people. These capitalists deserve to die!” Olivia wept pitifully, protected in Ethan Chen’s arms. But the Chen family members stayed far away from me, afraid of being tainted by me and ruining their reputation. Ryan wasn’t here. There was no one from the Chen family standing on my side. Their attitude was very clear – although there was no clear evidence proving my plagiarism yet, they seemed to have already determined my crime and wanted to cut ties with me. The public naturally sympathizes with the underdog. Even though the current situation on the scene made me look more like the underdog, everyone had already made up their minds. After all, a useless wealthy daughter-in-law stealing a genius college student’s research results for fame – this was the kind of plot the public loved to see. “At home, Lily always liked to steal my things. I saw that she was young, so I just let her have her way. I didn’t expect to nurture a tiger that would bring calamity.” “Sister, this is my hard work. I can’t let you have it this time!” Tears fell from Olivia’s stubborn little face, making the audience and viewers watching the live broadcast indignant. “I can’t believe they’re actually sisters. Stealing her own sister’s hard work, I’ve never seen such a shameless person!” “How can a greedy woman like Lily enter the Chen family? If the Chen family doesn’t give an explanation, I’ll hate them for life!” “That’s right! Kick this scheming woman out of the Chen family!” I glanced at the rapidly scrolling barrage on the screen, feeling no ripples in my heart. But my expression fell in their eyes as cold and provocative. “Miss Lu, when you originally chose to marry into the Chen family, didn’t you also steal your sister’s opportunity?” “You were originally a child from an ordinary family, but after marrying into a wealthy family, you started oppressing ordinary people. Is this your true nature, or the change brought about by the wealthy family?” My gaze swept over the people below one by one, finally landing on Olivia’s pitiful face. I slowly curved my lips, and my clear voice resounded throughout the entire venue through the microphone. “You’re right, this is indeed a case of academic plagiarism.” “She actually admitted it? What kind of tactic is this, trying to establish an honest image?” “This isn’t just stealing anymore, it’s outright robbery!” “Can wealthy families just treat ordinary people’s efforts as a joke? I really can’t stand her arrogant face!” The sound of camera shutters erupted like thunder. A flash of bewilderment crossed Olivia’s face, followed by a smug smile. She probably thought that I had no ability to clarify, so I simply gave up completely.

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Fresh off the plane, my work abroad finally behind me, I was expecting the first message to light up my phone to be from my wife, Karen Levine. But instead, the ping came from an unexpected name, a high school classmate I hadn’t spoken to in years. [Cayson Fuller! Tomorrow’s the big day! Westin Saunders, the high school heartthrob, is throwing a baby shower for his kid’s one-month bash. Everyone’s going, but he specifically asked for you to be there. Talk about an honor! You can’t bail on this one, man!] I blinked, caught off guard. “Westin, the ultimate bad boy in our high school, is a dad now? No way!” I murmured. [Thanks for the heads-up, but I just got back from overseas, and I’ve still got a mountain of contracts to finalize. I’m afraid I’ll have to sit this one out.] The second I hit send, my phone buzzed again, and before I could blink, I was yanked into a class reunion group chat I didn’t even know existed. [Well, well, well! Look who it is, our big-shot CEO, fresh off the jet!] I glanced at my net worth, a cool few hundred billion dollars, and chuckled, typing out a modest reply. [Hey, we’re all old friends here. No need to make a fuss over titles.] However, they erupted in a chorus of mocking laughter, the messages flying in faster than I could read them. [Oh, check it out, guys! He’s actually buying his own hype! A few years out of touch, and now he thinks he’s hot stuff?] [Yeah, right! If you’re such a big deal, how come we haven’t seen you at a single class reunion, huh?] [Come on, man. We all know each other’s dirt. No need to put on airs. If you’re married, bring your wife along to give her a chance to see how the other half lives. Bet she’s stuck eating scraps with a deadbeat like you, huh?] [And hey, just so you know, everyone who shows up to the baby shower gets a sweet deal, a brand-new school-district condo! Westin’s wife is the real deal, a total heiress. Those condos? People would kill to get their hands on one, and they’re just her family’s latest project!] I frowned. Their words stung, but I kept my cool, typing out a polite refusal. [Thanks for the invite, but I really can’t make it this time.] That’s when Westin himself chimed in, his message dripping with smug condescension. [Come on, man! Don’t play hard to get. Is your wife too hideous to show off? Relax, bro. We’re all buddies here. I won’t judge. Though, let’s be real, even if your wife’s a total knockout, she’s got nothing on mine. And with your situation, how can you ever afford a place in that school district? Don’t let your pride screw over your kid’s future, man.] Before I could respond, Westin sent a photo. I tapped it open, but my breath caught in my throat. There, staring back at me, was Karen, whose features were sharpened by her latest round of cosmetic tweaks. Then, I glanced at the address for the baby shower. My heart skipped a beat. “Wait a minute. Isn’t that my villa?” I exclaimed.

I was still reeling, trying to wrap my head around the chaos unfolding before me, when my phone buzzed with a message from Karen. Karen: [Honey, I’m heading to a classmate’s baby shower tomorrow, so I might not be able to reply right away. But the second it’s over, I’ll video call you, okay? Oh, how I wish you were here. I hate going to these things alone. I miss you so much, sweetheart!] Staring at her words on the screen, I felt like I had been struck by a bombshell. How could this possibly be a coincidence? My fingers hovered over the keyboard, hesitating, before I typed out a cautious question. Cayson: [Which classmate?] Karen: [Oh, you probably wouldn’t know them. Anyway, I saw the weather’s turning chilly over there. Make sure you bundle up, okay? I’d hate for you to catch a cold. It’d break my heart!] A year ago, I had left for an overseas business expansion, diving headfirst into the grind to grow our empire. Karen and I had been married for five years, but our love still burned as fiercely as it had on our honeymoon. Especially during my time abroad, we clung to each other through daily video calls, never missing a single night. Her gentle concern wrapped around me like a cozy blanket, keeping my heart glowing even across oceans. Therefore, I worked myself to the bone, pushing our projects onto the fast track, all so I could surprise her by coming home early. I planned to whisk her away to our sprawling villa in the heart of the city, ready to shower her with the romance she deserved. But instead, she had blindsided me with a surprise of her own. Just as I was about to fire off a message demanding answers, a commotion erupted outside. I stepped out of the bedroom and leaned over the third-floor railing, my gaze icy as I surveyed the scene below. The once-quiet grandeur of the first-floor foyer had been transformed into a riot of color, balloons bobbing in the air, streamers cascading from the ceiling, and a towering framed photo standing in the center. There, beaming with picture-perfect happiness, was a family of three: Karen, Westin, and their newborn child. Westin stood at the entrance, greeting guests with an effortless charm. Dressed in a low-key but luxurious white cashmere sweater and tailored slacks, he exuded the aura of a polished, doting husband. His face glowed with uncontainable joy, a stark contrast to the rebellious bad boy I remembered. The guests, familiar faces from our high school days, swirled around him, their voices buzzing with admiration. “Westin’s still got it! The high school legend turned golden boy! Not only did he snag a wife who looks like she stepped out of a fairy tale, but this baby shower? Talk about going all out!” “No kidding! Her dad’s a real estate mogul, you know. If it weren’t for Westin, my kid wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting into that elite private school!” “Exactly! Just look at this villa with a prime location and pure opulence. Without Westin, most of us wouldn’t even get a glimpse of a place like this in our lifetime. And his heiress wife was the one chasing him! Man, Westin’s got some serious game!” My eyes landed on a familiar figure in the crowd, Joseph Parry, our old homeroom teacher. Back in the day, he had zero patience for Westin’s wild, defiant streak, always singling him out for lectures. But now? There he was, his back slightly bowed, his face plastered with a fawning smile. “Westin, my boy,” Joseph said, his voice dripping with flattery. “I’ll admit, I was tough on you back then, but that’s only because I saw your potential shining through. I wouldn’t waste my time on just anyone, you know! Seeing you thrive now warms my heart. And I’ve got a cousin with a kid who’s about to start school.” He slipped a check into Westin’s hands, the implication as clear as day. Westin accepted it without a flicker of hesitation, his head held high, his expression radiating smug satisfaction, though he tossed out a token protest. “Oh, come on, no need for all that. But we’ll work something out. No problem.” Watching him play the magnanimous host, I let out a cold laugh under my breath. Karen had always been obsessed with tweaking her appearance, flitting to the plastic surgeon’s office every other day for “minor adjustments.” At one point, she had even floated the idea of a complete facial overhaul, which scared me so much that I scrambled to find a distraction. I handed her the reins to our city’s real estate projects, not caring if she turned a profit, just hoping it would keep her busy. And now? All that capital had somehow morphed into proof of Westin’s brilliance. A sudden cough rippled through the crowd, followed by a flurry of exchanged glances. One by one, their eyes turned to me. Their stares were laced with amusement, mockery dancing in their expressions. Westin’s old high school lackey, always the first to jump into the fray, pointed at me, his voice dripping with ridicule. “Well, well, look at this guy! Cayson, you didn’t seriously think throwing on some fancy pajamas would make us believe you own this place, did you?” “Yeah, right!” another echoed, egging him on. “You were all high and mighty in the group chat, acting like some big shot, and now that you know Westin’s borrowing this villa for the party, you rented it out just to show off? Man, you weren’t this quick on your feet back when you were running errands for Westin in high school!” The laughter swelled, a chorus of jeers echoing through the hall. “You have never split the bill at reunions, and now you’re pulling this stunt just to look cool? Careful, man, your wife might divorce you over this!” “You think slipping into some nice pajamas makes this villa yours? Why not go all in and claim Westin’s heiress wife is yours, too? Oh, and those billion-dollar properties? Sure, those are yours, right?” “Are you delusional, Cayson? Who does this? Oh, wait, I get it. He’s jealous of Westin, pissed that he’s got nothing to show for himself, and now he’s lost it completely!” I stood there and calmly stated the simple truth. “Actually, it is all mine.” The room erupted in shrill laughter, the sound grating against my ears. Westin, his face twisting with fury, jabbed a finger at me. “You’ve got some nerve, claiming that, you bastard! Oh, I see it now. You’re the other man, huh? Caught you red-handed! Take off those pajamas right now. They’re the ones my wife bought for me! Guess high school didn’t teach you any manners, huh? You shameless homewrecker! How dare you strut around my wife’s house, acting like you own the place?”

The crowd downstairs was left with their jaws hanging open. “What do you mean? I thought this place was rented just for the party? This is actually Westin’s wife’s villa? And that pajama belongs to Westin? No wonder I could tell at a glance it’s luxury, a globally limited edition!” Westin effortlessly pulled out Karen’s property deed from one of the rooms. Once again, the crowd was dumbfounded, their tone tinged with envy. “Never would have guessed that the former ugly duckling could now reel in a rich beauty. Is the bar for kept men really this low these days?” Westin clenched his fists, a sneer curling at the corner of his mouth. “No wonder you’ve skipped our class reunions all these years. Guilt got the better of you, huh?” Everyone shot me looks of contempt. “Cayson had the nerve to wear someone else’s high-end pajamas. How disgusting can he get? That outfit’s probably tainted now. What a waste!” “I knew something was off when I saw how much he had changed, suddenly looking so handsome and refined. Turns out money does wonders, maybe even plastic surgery.” “Cayson, enjoying being kept, are we? You used to be so hideous that you could scare kids into tears. Now look at you, living the gigolo life. Must feel great, doesn’t it?” “The mere thought of having shared a classroom with such scum makes me sick.” “A male whore who dares show his face in public without an ounce of shame. Guess his sense of decency went to the dogs.” Even Joseph chimed in, and his face darkened with disapproval. “Cayson, I helped you back then, and this is how you repay me? Don’t ever claim we know each other. I’m old, but I still value my dignity.” The commotion drew a crowd of onlookers, who quickly joined the chorus of insults and even started pelting me with stones. Fuming, Westin snatched a stone from one of the bystanders and hurled it straight at my face. The sharp edge grazed under my eye, drawing blood instantly. I let out a bitter laugh and descended the stairs. “You don’t know anything but dare to lay a hand on me. Do you really want to end up behind bars?” Westin scoffed, “You? Don’t make me laugh. Go check yourself in the mirror first. A slut who ruins marriages and has the audacity to strut around like you own the place. You deserve every bit of what’s coming to you.” He grabbed my collar, yanking me close. “No morals, no scruples, a homewrecker daring to lecture me! Even if I beat you to death right here, everyone would only cheer. After all, this is my wife’s house. Let’s see how you’ll live here now!” Blinded by rage, Westin found some spray paint and began defacing the pristine walls. “Live here, will you? Go ahead!” After venting, the walls were covered in vicious curses and accusations against mistresses. I smirked, trying to reason with him, “You might not want to speak so definitively. Are you absolutely sure this house belongs to your wife?” No sooner had I spoken than Westin seethed even more, erupting like a volcano, completely losing control. “Fine. Since you put it that way.” He spun around, surveying everything, and stormed into the storage room, emerging with an axe and began smashing wildly. The crowd stood frozen for a moment before someone snapped out of it and joined in the destruction. Westin roared, “Good job! Whoever trashes it the hardest gets the biggest reward tonight! Since this is my wife’s place, let’s see how you manage to stay after this, you lowlife!” One after another, they eagerly joined the frenzy. Soon, the entire first and second floors were ransacked. All sorts of smart appliances, marble countertops, and imported custom furniture were smashed to bits. Anything indestructible was slashed with sharp objects, creating a chaotic mess. The worst was the graffiti-covered wall, which, after being battered by the axe, exposed the reinforced concrete beneath. I warned them to stop, but Westin sneered, “Compensation? I’ve got plenty to spare. Besides, this is my woman’s house. So what if I wreck it? I could burn it down, and she wouldn’t dare complain!” Cheers erupted from the crowd. “Westin’s the man! Truly a role model!” At this point, Joseph adjusted his glasses, eyes gleaming as he slowly pushed open the door to the last room on the second floor. Instantly, the crowd’s eyes lit up. They exchanged glances, finally turning to Westin. I furrowed my brows, speaking up immediately, “Westin, you should know better. The items inside are worth several properties combined. I strongly advise against rash actions unless you want to spend your life behind bars!” Antique pieces meticulously collected over the years were displayed on shelves. They were my priceless treasures. Ignoring my warning, Westin strode in and gave a gentle nudge, sending a 17th-century vase crashing onto the woolen rug with a dull thud. “I do know. Despite seeing countless luxuries, I can’t help but admire the value of these items. They’re exquisite, but trash like you, who actually believe selling yourself can elevate your status, don’t deserve them!” With a grin, he turned to the others. “My friends, you’ve probably never heard of such an expensive crash before! Let’s enjoy the symphony today!” I rushed forward to stop their madness. “I’ve already transferred the house to Karen. What you do to it is her concern, not mine. But I’ve traveled across countries and worked hard to collect these antiques, so you mustn’t touch them!” But Westin shoved me aside, exasperated. “Are you genuinely insane or just playing dumb? You’re the mistress; I’m the rightful spouse. This is my wife’s money, our joint property protected by law. I have every right to reclaim it, understand? “You’re ignorant, foolish, blindly confident, and utterly worthless. She must be desperate to settle for someone like you!” I burst into laughter and thought, “So this is how they see me? But aside from indulging in food, fun, and cosmetic surgeries, Karen relies entirely on me for everything. When we married, her family couldn’t even scrape together a thousand bucks. It was all thanks to my support. People said I was going in to lift her out of poverty, and now look how it’s turned!” Under Westin’s direction, a new round of chaos erupted in the antique room. Dissatisfied with the lack of crisp sounds, they tossed the rugs out first, followed by continuous smashing. Knowing there was no reasoning with these fools, I stopped trying, issuing commands to the hidden camera in the corner to record and alert the police. No sooner had I finished speaking when the camera was knocked down violently. “Calling the cops on yourself? These are all Westin’s belongings. Who do you think you are? Better call the mental hospital first. Don’t worry about the medical fees. It’s just a sprinkle compared to Westin’s generosity.” Someone even whipped out their phone, arrogantly announcing, “Go ahead and call the cops. With Westin’s solid backing, let’s see who gets arrested first, you or us!” Westin shot him an approving glance. “Not enough evidence earlier? No problem. Let’s add more.” His gaze shifted toward the third floor. My heart sank. The third floor held something so precious that I couldn’t let it be disturbed!

“Look, I can let the antiques slide. But the third floor? That’s my line in the sand. Don’t push this too far. Please.” I swallowed my rage, lowering my voice, trying to reason with Westin as calmly as possible. Westin hesitated for a split second before bursting into mocking laughter. “Weren’t you so cocky just moments ago? Keep it up! If you’d shown this attitude earlier, we could’ve saved ourselves a whole lot of trouble.” A smug grin plastered across his face, he patted my cheek lightly, but his next words were laced with venom. “Since it means that much to you, I’m not completely unreasonable, you know. Here’s the deal: bow down and apologize, shout ‘Westin, I was wrong,’ and maybe, just maybe, I’ll give you a chance. What do you say?” My fists clenched tight, my mind racing. Would my assistant arrive with reinforcements faster than they could destroy everything? Joseph, ever the cunning one, saw right through my stalling tactics. He leaned in close to whisper something in Westin’s ear. Westin’s expression instantly darkened. “I’m giving you five seconds. Five. Four. Three. Two, and one. You!” In the end, surrounded by their smug, gloating faces, I slowly sank to my knees. Some muttered among themselves, wondering what on earth could be upstairs that was worth more than priceless antiques, worth sacrificing even my dignity as a man. My gaze drifted toward the farthest room on the third floor. There was my father’s memorial tablet. When I was young, a massive flood swept through our town. In that moment of crisis, my father handed me the last floating ring and stayed behind. By the time I was rescued and returned with help, the raging waters had already swallowed our house whole, leaving no trace behind. Not even his body was recovered. All I could do was set up a small altar for him. Years later, when Karen fell in love with this property and asked me to transfer ownership to her, I specifically told her about this sacred spot. It was my one untouchable boundary, and I emphasized that over and over again. No matter how badly she acted or what she did, even if she cheated on me, I could forgive it all. But this was unforgivable. With trembling resolve, I pressed my forehead to the ground. But Westin’s lackey, impatient with my slow movements, stepped forward, grabbed the back of my head, and slammed it down hard onto the floor with a sickening thud. Biting down on my teeth so hard that I thought they might crack, I gripped my fingers into fists until my knuckles turned white. After that, blood seeped from my forehead. “Happy now?” I spat out between clenched teeth. Westin clapped his hands together, laughing like a hyena. “Oh, very.” He nodded approvingly, but my eyes suddenly widened in horror. Out of the corner of my vision, several figures charged toward the third floor. Unable to contain my fury any longer, I lunged at Westin with a punch. “You son of a bitch! You tricked me!” The blow sent Westin sprawling to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Before I could land another hit, the others swarmed me, pinning my arms behind my back and forcing me to my knees once more. I struggled, but there was nothing I could do. They held me firmly in place. “And here’s your lesson, scumbag,” one of them sneered. “You’re nothing but a lowly worm beneath our feet. Westin is the real victim, betrayed by his own wife. Consider this a little reminder: some people are off-limits, and messing with them comes at a cost. As old classmates, consider this us doing you a favor. We’re teaching you a valuable life lesson. Next time, think twice before you go sniffing around someone else’s spouse unless you want to end up dead.” Westin staggered to his feet, wiping the blood from his lips. With cold precision, he delivered a series of punches to my face, followed by brutal kicks to my ribs. The final kick sent me flying several feet backward, landing painfully on a pile of shattered debris. A sharp cry escaped my lips as I coughed up a mouthful of blood. By then, the group had already kicked open the last door. The sound of shattering wood echoed through the air. One of them emerged holding my father’s memorial tablet, tossing it carelessly to the ground. He spat on it, “Ew! Is this all? Some crummy piece of junk? Talk about bad luck!” My vision blurred with tears of fury, and an anguished roar tore from my throat. “Stop! Stop!” But I was powerless, restrained, forced to watch as they defiled the memory of my father. I yelled, “I will make you pay for this!” The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I tore off a chunk of flesh from my own lip. “Oh my! I’m shaking in my boots,” Westin mocked, cackling cruelly. He stomped repeatedly on the shattered remains of the tablet, grinding it into splinters under his heel until nothing remained. Then, stepping over to me, he planted his foot squarely on my face, pressing down with deliberate force. “Remember high school? This is exactly how I looked down on you then. And guess what? Even now, after you’ve pimped yourself out and cleaned up nice, you’re still nothing but trash beneath my shoe. That’s who you are and always will be. A useless loser like you is destined to stay that way. You belong in the gutter where you came from. Stop trying to act like you matter to anyone unless you want your daddy’s fate to be yours.” Under Westin’s command, others hoisted me up, tying me to a makeshift rope. Their game began: whoever lost would take their frustration out on me with lashes, and whoever won got double turns venting their anger. Amidst their merciless laughter, the rhythmic pounding of footsteps grew louder outside, shaking the very foundation of the house. The door burst open, and figures poured in like water breaking through a dam. They stood clad in black uniforms, hands clasped behind their backs, legs astride, snapping into two flawless lines with military precision, as if awaiting the arrival of some grand dignitary.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296027”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller

During a meeting, my online boyfriend sent me a shirtless photo. In my excitement, I accidentally sent a message meant for him to my boss instead. “Honey, I’m really broke this month. My paycheck hasn’t come through yet.” My boss’s face darkened as he growled, “Get out. I’m not your ‘honey’.” My coworkers thought the boss hated me and started mocking me behind my back. Little did they know that after I had an abrupt breakup with my online boyfriend, my boss pulled me onto his desk, his whole body trembling. “Baby, I’m not your boss. I’m your husband.” “Please don’t hate me, baby. I love you so much. Don’t break up with me, I’m begging you.” Bored during the meeting, I decided to chat with my online boyfriend. “Work’s been so stressful lately. Thank goodness my husband is understanding and ran off with someone else. The kid’s well-behaved too, since it’s not mine.” My online boyfriend sent a “pat pat” sticker and replied: “My poor baby, you’re so busy and tired. I wish you could get paid without having to work at all.” “Can I buy your company?” “I want to be there with you at work.” My boyfriend was being so cute, I decided to tease him a bit: “Show me your abs, babe!” “I’m in a meeting, love. Can we do this later?” I was about to reply that I was just joking when he quickly changed his mind: “Wait for me, baby. I’ll take a photo now.” Was he really going to sneak out of his meeting? He might get his pay docked if he gets caught. I was frowning, about to warn him not to do anything rash, when my coworker nudged me: “Look at the boss! His face is all red! And for once it’s not because he’s angry.” Just as I looked up, I saw Marcus stand up with a spring in his step: “Excuse me for a few minutes.” As soon as the boss left, Lily leaned in to gossip: “I heard from the marketing team that the new brand ambassador our company signed last month might be the boss’s girlfriend. You know, that actress Emma. Do you think she’s the one who got our boss all flustered just now?” Lily sighed after finishing, “Emma’s pretty popular though. He probably can’t go public with her while her career is taking off. Looks like they’ll have to keep it under wraps for a few years. Poor boss.” I wasn’t particularly interested in the boss’s private life and was trying to figure out how to brush off the topic when my online boyfriend sent over a few shirtless photos. Great! Looks like my slim, toned boyfriend might be worth meeting in person after all! I couldn’t help but smile as I zoomed in on the photos. While admiring my boyfriend’s great physique, I absent-mindedly responded to Lily: “Different industries, different worlds. I hope it works out for him.” I couldn’t hold back a laugh when I saw my boyfriend’s amazing body. But before I could properly compliment him, Lily peeked over. “Watching a funny video?” Afraid she’d discover I was in an online relationship, I quickly switched to a video feed and said with a grin: “Yeah, smartphones are so much fun.”

When Marcus pushed open the door, he wore a grim expression. The meeting room instantly turned into Silent Hill. Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes. After sitting back down in his chair, he pulled up last month’s ad exposure stats on the projector. Even though the returns had multiplied several times over, he just sat there frowning without saying a word. I guess it’s understandable. All bosses are greedy. Who cares if he’s happy or not, I was feeling pretty excited myself. I happily teased my online boyfriend: “Honey, let me just say, I’m really broke this month. My paycheck hasn’t come through yet.” I couldn’t even imagine how flustered my online boyfriend would get. After sending the message, I didn’t realize I had sent it to the wrong person. I was still furiously typing in the input box: My hubby is so handsome and sexy, I want to slide down those abs. Just as I was about to hit send, Marcus’s angry, agitated voice suddenly rang out in the meeting room: “Get out! I’m not your ‘honey’.” I clicked my tongue in disdain and whispered to Lily: “What’s his problem now? Menopause? Is his temper getting worse with age?” Lily froze, speaking through gritted teeth: “I suggest you faint on the spot.” I was stunned, catching a glimpse of the chat window on the display screen out of the corner of my eye. I had a bad feeling about this. Turning my head to look, sure enough, the sky had fallen! All the colleagues in the room were staring at me with wide eyes. An office worker’s breakdown happens in an instant. I had forgotten to switch accounts. Sneakily sending messages on your phone under the table is just asking for trouble! I really couldn’t understand why the boss’s profile picture was exactly the same as my online boyfriend’s. When people are embarrassed, they tend to get busy. I pretended to organize the files on the table, but eventually stood up and apologized with a choked voice: “I’m sorry, honey. I sent that to the wrong person.” No! My stupid mouth, don’t say that! This is so embarrassing, maybe I should just run away. Before I could take a step, I caught sight of Marcus glaring at me coldly: “How unprofessional!”

After this social suicide, I became infamous in the company. The employee group chat gossiped about me all afternoon. “Have you all heard about Olivia from the strategy department?” “LOL, looks like even the boss has fangirls now!” “Isn’t the boss dating Emma? Is Olivia trying to be the other woman?” “Just because she’s pretty, she thinks she can take shortcuts. Now she’s crashed and burned!” “Could it be that she meant to send it to her boyfriend and accidentally sent it to the wrong person?” “No way it was sent to the wrong person. I’m in her department and I’ve never heard of her having a boyfriend. I’ve never seen a boyfriend send her flowers or pick her up after work or anything. Besides, even if it was meant for her boyfriend, how could she mistake the profile picture? She’s not blind! No matter how you look at it, it’s impossible!” “Haha, what a schemer! Pretty women always have tricks up their sleeves. She’s probably dreaming of becoming the boss’s wife.” After lurking for a while, I was about to sulk quietly when Lily passionately jumped in: “You lot sure know how to run your mouths! If you’re not acting like donkeys, you’re croaking like frogs. If your mouths are so idle, go lick a toilet bowl instead of spreading rumors here! Get lost!!” Immediately, a “righteous judge” in the group spoke up: “Your words are too crude. Our company culture is to be tolerant of others. Is it necessary to be so aggressive? If there are messages you don’t like to see, can’t you just ignore them?” Lily: “You get lost too!” “We’re all colleagues here. Is there any need to be so hostile in your speech? Can’t you be a little more polite?” Lily was very receptive to the advice: “OK, please get lost!” The gossip group quieted down for a while, then started spreading rumors that I had a crush on Marcus. It made me laugh angrily. I typed forcefully: “Yes, at my purest, I could have crushes on 80 people in a semester.” “Also, I have depression and I’m quite sensitive. Let me spread the rumors myself, I don’t trust you guys to do it.”

That night, unable to sleep from frustration, I told my best friend about what happened during the day. She laughed so hard she pounded on the bed: “Be careful not to slip up again. I’m really afraid he’ll fall in love with you. The boss will think, ‘She called me honey, I should take care of her.’ Then let’s see how you deal with it.” “He seems to have a girlfriend, and you don’t know how fierce he sounded when he told me to get out!” I kept replaying the boss’s “Get out” in my head, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt he must hate me. After much deliberation, I decided to formally apologize to the boss. “Boss, I want to talk to you” “??? I have a girlfriend. I love her to death. If you want to talk, find someone else. Get lost, don’t bother me.” “No, boss, let me explain. I was in a hurry just now and left out a word.” The message was followed by a big red exclamation mark, indicating that the other person was no longer my friend. He had deleted me! Great, now I’ve offended the boss. After a sleepless night of overthinking, I was late the next day and got caught by the boss. It was all because I was lazy. Even though I was late, I still insisted on waiting for the elevator. As a result, the private elevator next to me opened, and I came face to face with the boss. And to make matters worse, I happened to catch Emma clinging to his arm and acting coy. The smile on Marcus’s face immediately disappeared as he glanced at his watch: “Nine minutes and fifty seconds.” Just my luck, not only was I nearly ten minutes late, but I also interrupted his romantic moment. Of course the boss would be angry. I quickly admitted my mistake, “I’m sorry, Mr. Meng. I won’t look next time. If there’s a next time, you can gouge out my eyeballs.” Marcus frowned, clearly unhappy. I honestly acknowledged my error: “I won’t be late again either. If I do it again, you can dock my attendance bonus.” “No need.” “Boss, you’re so kind…” “I mean there’s no need to wait for next time.” He finished and instructed his assistant nearby: “Tell accounting to deduct $300 from her bonus.” “But doesn’t the company allow one or two late arrivals a month? I’ve always been early before, never late.” “Mm, before we turned a blind eye, but today I saw your lateness with both eyes.” “…” Just because he caught me seeing him being lovey-dovey with his girlfriend? Is it really necessary to target me like this! But I really didn’t expect Marcus to be so petty! In the afternoon, when each department reported on their projects, he commented on everyone’s work. When it came to mine, he didn’t say a word, not even sparing me a glance as he moved on to listen to the next person’s report. His disregard for me was very obvious. Just before clocking out, my team leader threw the proposal I had submitted a few days ago back onto my desk. “Olivia, the boss rejected your proposal.” I sighed: “Did he say what was wrong with it? So I can revise it.” “He thought it was garbage, unusable. Work overtime and redo the whole proposal.” The team leader had so many people in that meeting, and he just called my work garbage in front of all of them? This is too much!! I pressed my lips together, feeling a wave of bitterness. Docking my pay is one thing! But to deny my abilities! Damn capitalist! At eleven o’clock that night, I was the only one in the department working overtime. After finishing the project proposal and shutting down my computer, I posted on social media complaining about the boss exploiting his employees. My brother commented: “Quit that job, go have some fun. Your big bro will earn money for you to spend.”

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“Lily, please stop being angry. She really means nothing to me now,” Jack said as he reached out to grab me. I was cornered against the wall with nowhere to escape. Just as I was about to use all my strength to push him away— My boss grabbed Jack’s arm and yanked him back forcefully, stepping in front of me protectively. His whole body radiated cold fury as he growled, “What do you think you’re doing to my wife?” I had liked Jack Thompson for a long time, throughout my entire youth. But he had also liked his goddess for just as long. I chased after him for five years, while he chased after his goddess for four years. It’s not that he stopped chasing her – she just went abroad. … His family lived right next door to mine. Since childhood, he was always the “perfect kid” my mom compared me to. When my mom scolded me for being useless and said I couldn’t compare to him in any way, I felt both envious and resentful towards Jack. I wished he had never existed in this world. But when he appeared downstairs in a white shirt, riding his bicycle and gently calling out, “Lily, it’s time to go to school,” my heart would beat uncontrollably. “Let’s break up.” After sending him this message on SnapChat, I deleted all his contact information. His goddess had returned from abroad. Yesterday he told me that it was my birthday tomorrow, and he would give me a surprise in the evening. It was the first time he had ever prepared a surprise for me. I spent all day getting ready, from morning till night. Full of joy and anticipation, I arrived early at the restaurant we had agreed on. I waited from 8 pm until midnight. I didn’t get to see him, but I did receive photos of him helping his goddess into a hotel room. To be honest, when I saw those photos, I laughed. But what I didn’t realize was that my laughter looked just like crying. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Every time, he would gently stroke my head afterwards and tell me, “She was upset and needed someone. She’s fragile and needs company.” And every time, I would say, “It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Just comfort her, I’ll be fine on my own.” I carefully nurtured our relationship, afraid that even the slightest setback would sever the bond I had worked so hard to create. In this relationship, I had lowered myself to the extreme. But this time, I didn’t want to put up with it anymore. It was past midnight, and the dorm was closed. I didn’t want to go back there either. After letting my roommates know, I headed straight to a bar, planning to drink myself into oblivion and bury this fruitless love. In the end, I really did get drunk. I ended up hooking up with some hot guy for the night. The next morning. I opened my eyes to find a handsome face right in front of me. I stared blankly for two minutes before coming to my senses. Then I realized this handsome face belonged to my internship company’s boss!! After a quick check, I found myself completely naked….!! I covered my mouth, trembling. My brain felt oxygen-deprived and I couldn’t breathe. I can’t believe I dared to hook up with the boss!! People weren’t lying when they said alcohol and lust lead to trouble. So many people in the company wanted him but didn’t dare make a move, and I actually… ! Run! I need to run away! My mind went blank except for that one thought. I saw our clothes scattered messily on the floor. I planned to get out of bed, put on my clothes, and run. I carefully inched from the head of the bed to the foot, about to put my feet on the ground. Then I heard a deep voice from above me. “Where are you going?” At that moment, my mind crashed, going completely blank. But for some reason, a guilty feeling started bubbling up from deep inside. Because I had no idea what happened last night… I was afraid that I had taken advantage of my boss, since I had planned to get drunk and have a one-night stand… But this was my boss! The object of so many people’s fantasies! A lazy voice came from his lips, “Do you remember what happened last night?” I lifted my head slightly, too guilty to turn and look at him. From the corner of my eye, I saw him sit up against the headboard, broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, defined abs, clear muscle definition… To be honest, seeing his physique, I felt like I had hit the jackpot last night. But since I couldn’t remember anything that happened, I also felt like I had lost big time. My feelings were suddenly very complicated… “I… I don’t remember,” I said weakly. “But I won’t tell anyone about last night!” I turned my head to face him, my eyes determined. I was ready to swear an oath to prove my resolve. “What, you’re planning to avoid responsibility? Now you’re pretending not to remember?” His voice deepened as his dark eyes stared intently at me. “What? Take responsibility?!” I stared at him in shock, completely caught off guard by him saying I should take responsibility. “Last night you grabbed my hand and said you’d take responsibility, that’s why I came in.” He said matter-of-factly. I… “How should I take responsibility?” He calmly uttered two words: “Get married.” ?!! “What?” I couldn’t believe my ears. What kind of talk is this? It was just a one-night stand, but he wants me to give up my whole life for it? “Or I could let everyone at the company and your school know what you did.” He glanced at me sideways. “You, you, you can’t! Besides, then everyone would know you were forced into it. You’d lose face even more.” He listened to me finish, his eyes growing darker as he seemed to consider something. After a moment, he said slowly, “I don’t care.” …Well that’s quite the “I don’t care.” But I do care. I felt a bit wronged, but couldn’t say anything. “Is there any other way to resolve this?” He stared at me silently, his eyes deep and the atmosphere growing increasingly oppressive. I could only stammer out, “Then… when should we get married?” “Tomorrow morning at 9am.” My eyes darted around as I agreed with a “Okay.” “Don’t try any tricks. I have your ID card.” He leaned back comfortably against the headboard, twirling my ID card in his hand. “…I know, don’t worry.” I felt deflated as I sat at the foot of the bed, sighing. He seemed unable to bear seeing me so dejected and unwilling. Frowning, he stared at me and said, “Come here.” I didn’t want to go. But my body instinctively obeyed the boss’s order. By the time I came to my senses, I was already next to him. He reached out to pinch my face, pulling me closer as he said softly, “Be good.” His hot breath tickled my ear, making my heart race uncontrollably. Without realizing it, I replied, “Okay.” At the marriage registration office. I held the brand new marriage certificate in my hands, feeling a bit surreal. I never imagined I’d be getting married before even graduating college, let alone to my boss, and in such a whirlwind fashion. Lust really does make you lose your mind! Sitting in his car as we drove away, I still felt like this wasn’t real even after 10 miles. “Where to?” “Huh? Oh, back to school. I don’t have to go to work today, right boss? I should get marriage leave!” There had to be some perks to getting married. I carefully put the marriage certificate away in my bag. He glanced at me and snorted, “How ambitious.” Hearing him mock me, I immediately turned to glare at him. I stared so hard my eyes started to hurt, but he didn’t react at all, not even glancing in my direction. “We’re here. Stop staring, he’s all yours now. You can look all you want when we get home tonight,” he said teasingly. He pinched my cheek and turned my face towards the window, pointing outside to remind me. Oh, we’ve arrived at school. Apparently I had been staring at him for quite a while. Seeing his playful expression, I suddenly felt my face grow hot. But I still wanted to argue and defend myself. Then my brain suddenly registered what he said. ?? Go home? Who said I was going home with him tonight? I turned my head, about to question him, when I realized his face was extremely close to mine. I could see my own clear reflection in his pupils. “W-what are you doing?” “Why are you stuttering?” His hand was still pinching my cheek. He squeezed again, making my lips pucker up. He looked confused, but I could clearly see amusement in his eyes. Is he laughing at me?! I wasn’t stuttering, it’s just that he was too close and my mind flashed back to that wild, chaotic night. That night, he had been so passionate, almost unlike himself. Beads of sweat rolled down his chiseled jawline, our breaths intertwined, his grip on my waist inescapable no matter how I tried to get away… “What are you thinking about? Why is your face so red?” I felt my face grow even hotter. “N-nothing. Get away from me.” “Get away? Like this?” He said he’d move away, but he got even closer. So close that if I moved even slightly, my lips would touch his. I didn’t dare move an inch! I felt my face start to stiffen. His hand still gripping my cheek, he pulled me closer and pecked my lips. Seeing no reaction from me, he deepened the kiss. ! I felt my heart start to race. I could barely breathe. “Breathe,” he said huskily as he pulled away slightly. My head felt fuzzy. I let out a small gasp before gradually sinking into his expert kissing. When I got out of the car, my lips were swollen and red. My face was flushed and my eyes looked a bit dazed. Anyone could tell what had just happened. “Did you just get out of that Bentley? Look at yourself! Don’t degrade yourself like this!” As I got out of the car and walked towards the school gates, someone suddenly grabbed my arm forcefully and started berating me. Jack’s face was full of disappointment, anger, and gravity, as if I had betrayed him. “Do you even know how old he is? Did you enjoy it that much?” There were a lot of people coming and going at the school entrance. Hearing what Jack said, they all turned to look, as if I was some kept woman who had snagged a sugar daddy. Standing in the crowd, my swollen lips seemed like damning evidence. Feeling everyone’s judgmental stares, I felt awful and angry to the point of trembling. I never expected Jack would think of me this way, let alone humiliate me in public like this. I had liked him for five years, but now those five years felt like a joke. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Who are you to lecture me? When you were cuddling and being all lovey-dovey with someone else, did you ever consider how I felt?” He looked at me in disbelief, as if he hadn’t expected me to bring up his goddess. “She didn’t have anyone to take care of her. I was just looking after her.” Looking after… I let out a cold laugh. “Whatever. We’ve already broken up.” With that, I shook off his hand and tried to enter the school. I didn’t want to be gawked at like some circus animal anymore. But I had barely taken a step when he grabbed my arm again. “What do you mean we broke up?” “What break up? Have you not even looked at the message I sent you yesterday?” He took out his phone to check the messages. In that moment, my heart suddenly clenched painfully. Apparently being ignored hurts even more than not being loved. Even though I had told him we were breaking up, I still couldn’t help feeling upset. “You’re breaking up with me just because I took care of her? We’re just friends.” Some friend. Do friends need to be “taken care of” all night? Are friends more important than a girlfriend? I didn’t want to argue with him anymore. I tried to walk towards the school, but he kept holding onto my arm, insisting on clearing things up. A crowd had gathered around us. I felt on the verge of a breakdown. Why couldn’t he just let me go when I was trying to set him free? While he was still grabbing me, I caught a glimpse of my boss pushing through the crowd. I felt like the anger was making me hallucinate. The boss had already left, how could he be back? It wasn’t until he reached out to grip Jack’s shoulder, pulling him away from me and blocking Jack’s view of me, that I felt it was real. “Didn’t you leave?” I said softly from behind him. He didn’t respond, just turned his head slightly to look at me, his eyes reassuring. Suddenly, I felt at peace. Then he turned to face Jack, his aura imposing and expression severe. Jack was stunned, taking half a step back and opening his mouth wordlessly. My boss spoke slowly, but somehow authoritatively, “Stop harassing my…” ! Hearing him about to say “wife”, I quickly pinched him and glared at him from behind. He paused for a moment before continuing, “girlfriend. She has nothing to do with you anymore!” With that, he put an arm around me protectively and led me away through the crowd. After we had walked some distance, Jack seemed to get over his initial shock. He yelled angrily from behind us, “Who do you think you are?!” Hearing him shout, I wanted to turn back and look. But before I could, Lucas gripped my head and kept me facing forward. “What, still can’t let go?” he said softly in my ear, his breath tickling me. From afar, it probably looked like he was nibbling my ear. “You… just talk normally, don’t get so close. It tickles.” He didn’t say anything, just looked at me, waiting for my answer. Slowly, I started to feel the pressure. “I’m not hung up on him…” “Don’t forget, we just got married. Are you trying to make me a cuckold?” His tone was low, his eyes threatening. “…” “And if someone’s bullying you, don’t you know to call me?” I hemmed and hawed, trying to change the subject. It honestly hadn’t even occurred to me to call him. We weren’t that close… Even though we had just gotten married, he was always so cold and aloof at work. He seemed to radiate an icy aura when he wasn’t talking. How could I dare to bother him? “Why did you come back?” “Someone called me,” he said, glaring at me as if scolding me for not calling him for help myself. “They said you were being harassed at the school gates.” “Who was it? How do they know me? And I’m not avoiding calling you, I just didn’t have a chance. He was grabbing my arm the whole time.” I finally thought of an excuse, though it was also the truth. I held out my reddened arm for him to see, proving I was telling the truth. His gaze fell on my wrist, his expression suddenly turning cold. He seemed to radiate an icy aura, as if he had discovered some beast intruding on his territory. He reached out to encircle the red marks, caressing them as if trying to erase someone else’s touch. Seeing his change in expression, I felt a bit uncomfortable. I tried to pull my hand back, but he held on tightly. I could only try to change the subject. “Why me?” He stared at me silently. After a while, he let go of my hand and stood up. “I’ll pick you up tonight to go home.” “Huh? So sudden? I haven’t…”prepared yet. Before I could finish, he had already abandoned me and left. Leaving me standing there bewildered… My phone suddenly buzzed. I took it out and saw he had messaged me saying he’d pick me up at 6pm. I…” So domineering and high-handed. How annoying. Back at the dorm, I realized he hadn’t answered either of the two questions I asked him. I pouted. Whatever, I don’t want to know anymore! Lost in thought, I felt someone gently tap me. “Lily, what’s going on with you and Jack? There are a bunch of posts on the school forum saying you hooked up with some rich guy and dumped Jack.” “Isn’t he always flirting with this girl and that girl? Some idiot must be spreading rumors. It’s all nonsense!” “I already cursed them out for you. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back!” Seeing my roommates’ concern and unconditional trust in me warmed my heart. “Jack and I broke up.” I didn’t want to tell anyone about my sudden marriage to my boss yet. I could hardly believe it myself. “I have nothing to do with him anymore.” My tone was light. “That jerk, good riddance! You’re way too good for him. You’re such a beauty, you could have any guy you want.” “Exactly! Girl, I’ll introduce you to some guys. I know tons of eligible bachelors!” “Haha, the guys you’d introduce? No thanks.” My roommate glared at her. “What’s that supposed to mean? The guys I’d introduce to Lily would be top-notch!” “Haha, yeah right. Dream on.” Just as my roommate was about to playfully hit her, there was a knock at our door before it opened. We all turned to look. To our surprise, it was Jack’s goddess – Emma White. She looked around the room before fixing her gaze on me, her eyes scrutinizing and hostile. “Are you Lily Evans?” I was confused. Why was she looking for me? My roommates exchanged glances, recognizing her as well. But they tacitly remained silent, just coldly staring at her. Emma waited a moment. Seeing I wasn’t responding, she walked over and pointed at me. “I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” From the corner of my eye, I saw my roommate about to stand up to protect me. I held her back and stood up myself. “Yes, that’s me. What is it?” “Come outside. I have something to say to you.” “Whatever you have to say, you can say it here. We don’t have anything that needs to be discussed privately.” She paused for a moment. “I’ll let you have Jack. You give me Lucas.” Lucas – my boss. Seeing her entitled attitude, I almost laughed. Did she really think my boss was something I could just give away?! “What, you think you get to decide this?” I said mockingly. “Does Jack know you’re trading him away?” “Just tell me if you agree or not.” I let out a cold laugh. “What do you think? I don’t know what Jack sees in you that makes him so devoted.” Jack is truly blind. “You still like him, don’t you? This benefits both of us.” “First of all, these two men aren’t objects to be traded. Secondly, I think you need to get your head examined. Lastly, get out of our dorm!” As soon as I finished speaking, my roommates all stood up in unison, gesturing for her to leave. She had opened her mouth to curse at me, but seeing so many of us, her bravado deflated significantly. She turned to leave, but not before threatening me: “You just wait!” After she left, my roommates burst out laughing. “Damn girl, you’ve gotten so sharp-tongued! You should have told off that jerk like this before!” “Yeah, haha! You need to keep being this fierce, you hear me?” My roommate put her arm around my shoulder, speaking earnestly. I nodded at them, agreeing with an “Okay.” It felt so good to have my roommates backing me up. Otherwise I might have been too timid… Suddenly my phone on the desk buzzed with a message from my boss. [By the way, I forgot to mention – not only are we going home together today, but we’ll be living together from now on. Remember to pack your things. I’ll pick you up at 6.] For the first time, I felt like my phone’s notification sound was way too loud… The screen wasn’t locked, so not only did I see the message, but my roommates saw it too. “Ahh!! Lily! Are you moving in with your boss? That super handsome boss who’s around our age?” “…Um, yes.” I felt a bit guilty, not daring to say that I had already slept with my boss. “That’s awesome, Lily! This is exactly what you should do. We’ve been telling you forever that your boss was into you, but you never believed us!” He really wasn’t into me. It was all my fault… But I couldn’t say that out loud. It would sound so unconvincing. My boss was asking me to live with him – who would believe me if I said he wasn’t interested in me? I chose to keep my mouth shut. At 6pm. [I’m here at the east gate. Come out.] I slowly dragged my suitcase into his line of sight. Feeling his stare burning into me, I unconsciously quickened my pace… “It took you half an hour to walk this short distance? Why don’t you wait until 6am tomorrow to come out?” “Oh, you meant 6am tomorrow? I didn’t know. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.” I started to turn around and go back. But he grabbed the hood of my sweatshirt. “Where do you think you’re going? Get in the car.” He dragged me into the car, efficiently tossed my suitcase in the trunk, and got in himself. He moved so quickly, as if he couldn’t wait to be alone with me. My heart suddenly fluttered a bit. Did he really like me? “You haven’t eaten, right? What do you want for dinner?” I was being silly. He was just hungry and impatient to eat. “…Anything is fine. You decide.” He turned his head and stared at me, then tilted his chin up slightly as if gesturing at something. I looked down at myself. My clothes seemed fine. “What is it? Is there something on my face?” He didn’t say anything, but leaned towards me. His breath fanned across my face. It smelled nice. I suddenly felt flustered. What was he trying to do?! “You…” Is he going to kiss me again? “Seatbelt.” His arm reached across me to fasten my seatbelt. “We’re about to leave.” “…Oh, okay.” Help!! Thank goodness I didn’t ask out loud. That would have been so embarrassing! I suddenly felt my face heating up. I quickly tried to cool it down with my hands. He didn’t notice, right… I sneakily turned my head to glance at him, only to find myself staring straight into his deep eyes. Then I heard him laugh out loud. … He figured it out!! I felt like my face was about to burst into flames. “Why is your face so red?” He knew very well why. I turned my head away, showing him the back of my head in protest. After a while, I heard him say, “Alright, don’t be mad. I’ll kiss you when we stop the car.” !! My eyes suddenly widened. What kind of thing was he saying? “That’s not what I meant!” I turned to glare at him, only to see his grin stretching from ear to ear. He was teasing me again. How annoying. He pinched my cheek. “I’m done teasing you. Let’s get out, I’ll treat you to dinner.” Just as he was about to open the door, I quickly grabbed his face and pulled him towards me, planting a firm kiss on his cheek. After the sneak attack, my own heart started racing uncontrollably. Taking advantage of his stunned state, I quickly said “I’ll get out first” and ran off. I was afraid of getting caught and having my plan backfire. But I also knew I could run from the immediate situation, but not forever. After all, it’s not like we’d never see each other again. But… whatever. I got my revenge for now. I looked up to survey my surroundings. Luckily there was only one building nearby, otherwise I wouldn’t have known where to go. Before I could walk over, I felt a hand grip the back of my neck. “You think you can kiss me and run?” The man’s voice was low and husky, his lips right next to my ear, his breath tickling me. A tingling sensation suddenly spread throughout my body. “I…” I shrank back a bit, wanting to retreat and put some distance between us. But as soon as I moved, he gripped me even tighter. “You what?…” He was about to lean in closer to speak when he saw someone walking towards us. He gave my neck a squeeze and said in a low voice, “I’ll settle the score with you later.” Then he let go of me and looked up at the approaching person. “I saw you from far away. What are you doing standing around out here? Feeding the mosquitoes? Come on in, we’ve been waiting for you.” The man tilted his head and stood on tiptoe to look at me. … “Hello, I’m Lily Evans.” “Hi there, I’m Henry Shaw. You can call me Henry.” After greeting me, Henry turned to Lucas and said with a wink, “I didn’t expect you to bring such a beautiful woman without saying anything. We thought you were single – Charles was going to set you up with someone.”

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My new wife is excessively supporting her brother financially. I earn $40,000 a month, but she gives $35,000 to her brother, leaving us with only $5,000 for rent and groceries. After eight months, I couldn’t take it anymore and lied to her, saying I’d been fired. To my surprise, she immediately asked for a divorce. I thought she was joking until the next day when I overheard her in the bathroom, painting her nails and talking to her brother on speakerphone: “He got fired after just eight months, what a loser.” “But we managed to get $280,000 from him, plus a $200,000 betrothal gift, enough for us to go back and get married.” Get married? Aren’t they supposed to be siblings? 0 Hearing her phone conversation felt like a lightning bolt striking my brain. They’re planning to get married? How can siblings get married? The shocking realization overwhelmed me. I fought the urge to confront her and kept eavesdropping outside the door. She was still in there, talking leisurely, unaware that I was home. “Making $480,000 in eight months, not bad. We didn’t lose out.” “Yes, it’s a pity he got fired. Otherwise, with such a high salary, we could have stuck it out for two or three years, made a couple of million, and then moved to another city. Maybe even buy a car and a house.” “I’m sorry, honey. Pretending to like someone you don’t must be hard, but it’s the easiest way for us to make money.” “It’s not hard, babe. As long as we can earn enough to have a good life, I’m fine. Once he agrees to divorce, I’ll find a way to get some assets, hehe.” “Honey, you’re working so hard, mwah mwah, I miss you. Come make me feel good.” “Oh, stop it, after all that yesterday you still want more…” As ridiculous as it sounds, I finally understood their real relationship. The one on the phone is my wife, Fiona Adams, and on the other end is her so-called brother, Lachlan Adams. We hadn’t known each other long before Fiona pursued me aggressively. In hindsight, it was just because my high salary met their goals. I admit Fiona is stunning, so when she said she needed a $200,000 betrothal gift for her brother’s wedding, I willingly paid. But after the wedding, she took $35,000 of my $40,000 salary each month for Lachlan, saying it was a tradition from her hometown to help her brother for two years so they wouldn’t have to worry about him later. Thinking it was just two years, I gritted my teeth and bore it. When my company went public, as a veteran employee, I was awarded $20 million in stock options, and my annual salary jumped to $1 million. I rushed home eager to share the news with Fiona, only to receive a bank transfer notification for $35,000 to Lachlan at the door. On a whim, I decided to joke with her that I got fired. But when Fiona heard I was fired, the usually gentle woman suddenly changed, tossed her spoon aside, and asked for a divorce. I thought she was joking, so I pretended to feel guilty and said: “I’m sorry, babe. I can’t give you a good life. If you really want a divorce, I won’t blame you.” “If you want a divorce, let’s go to the county courthouse when it opens this afternoon.” I thought she would comfort me, but instead, she dragged me to the courthouse. Just as we arrived, her brother-in-law Lachlan showed up and pushed me aside. I had no idea what I did to offend him. His glare felt like he wanted to eat me alive: “Nolan Brooks, divorcing my sister won’t be that easy. You promised to support me for two years. If you divorce her today, 70% of your assets go to her.” Seeing this unfold, I realized Fiona was serious about the divorce. I felt a mix of emotions. Despite being overly supportive of her brother, she was a near-perfect wife otherwise. She was elegant, cooked well, and even prepared my bathwater every night. Marrying her felt like my greatest happiness. I had asked her a few times about supporting her brother financially. She didn’t work, but fortunately, my salary in New York City wasn’t low, a full $40,000 a month. Yet, the moment my salary hit the account, $35,000 would be transferred to Lachlan. The remaining $5,000 was for rent, utilities, and meals. Life was tight. Whenever I suggested using some savings, she’d laugh and say savings were for emergencies and shouldn’t be touched lightly. Occasionally, looking at a table full of plain dishes, I’d get upset. But whenever I brought it up, she’d tear up, saying how hard it was raising her brother alone after their parents died. I’d soften up, feeling too sorry to press the issue, and eventually stopped mentioning it. Lachlan always called me brother-in-law, and whatever I said, he’d follow. He seemed so well-behaved that I decided to help him out, thinking two years would pass quickly. But with just one joke, I discovered everything was fake. From Fiona and his conversation, it was clear they weren’t siblings but lovers! 0

They were scamming by marrying fools like me, then draining their finances. In just eight months, they managed to scam $480,000 including the betrothal gift. Thinking about them calling each other siblings in front of me while doing who-knows-what behind my back made me sick. I was trembling with rage, realizing they even wanted 70% of my savings. They took me for a total fool. If I hadn’t forgotten a document and returned home just in time to overhear their call, I’d have been utterly duped. I had intended to show Fiona the shareholders’ agreement in a couple of days and try to win her back. After all, though we’d only been married eight months, how could there be no feelings at all? But I felt as if my heart, like a fallen leaf, was filled with disappointment. Anger surged from within, and I clenched my fists, wanting to expose their scheme right then and there. Calm down! Knowing it’s a scam, I can’t let them off easily. They must pay. To avoid alerting her that I knew everything, I quietly backed away from the door, closing it as if I’d never been there. I hid in the stairwell, and soon Fiona, wearing a short skirt and stockings, came out. She went downstairs and got into a taxi—I could guess where she was going. If only I had been prepared, I would have followed her. Fiona didn’t return until ten at night, now wearing a tracksuit instead of her earlier attire. When she opened the door, she saw me watching TV in the living room. I hadn’t agreed to the divorce yesterday, so she seemed a bit uneasy. After a moment, she slowly approached me, asking, “Nolan, have you thought about the divorce yet?” I looked up at her, the love bite behind her ear making me nauseous. “You really want a divorce? Just because I got fired?” Fiona’s eyes welled up with tears: “I don’t really want a divorce, but you know I don’t work, and my brother isn’t settled, we need money. Now that you’re unemployed with no income, what can I do? If there was another way, I wouldn’t…” “I didn’t get fired.” I cut her off before she could finish. Her face was a mix of confusion and surprise when I said I wasn’t fired. She sat next to me, leaning in, her scent faintly present. Ha, this must be the perfume she wears for her brother-husband. How disgusting. Seeing me silent, Fiona panicked. After all, not everyone makes a salary of $40,000 a month. Who knows how long it would take to find another fool like me? And not every sucker would earn such a high salary. “Hahaha.” “No worries, babe. I get it, I really do. I was just joking with you. How could someone as capable as your husband get fired?” I wrapped my arm around Fiona’s waist, pulling her close. She didn’t resist, snuggling in even closer, though her eyes lacked any genuine emotion. “Babe, I know it’s tough raising Lachlan alone. I understand your need for money.” “I wasn’t fired, just teasing you. The company decided to raise my salary starting this month, and I’ll get an extra $40,000 or $50,000 in bonuses at the end of the year. I thought since Lachlan is smart, why not set him up with a company so he can learn to earn too? That’d ease your burden.” “We won’t get divorced. I’ll always take care of you, okay?” Then I kissed her on the lips. Come on, someone else’s wife—why not kiss her? It’s a bit thrilling, actually. Fiona bashfully responded, and as I kissed her more deeply, she responded earnestly with her tongue until we both struggled for breath, finally pulling apart. Her face flushed, she looked at me earnestly, asking, “Is that true, babe?” “But starting a company for Lachlan, he doesn’t know how.” “What if he loses money?” “We’re not getting a divorce. I’ll always take care of you, okay?” With those words, I leaned in and kissed her. Just kidding, right? Not kissing someone else’s wife when you have the chance? There’s a certain thrill to it. Fiona Adams responded bashfully. Seeing how serious I was, she extended her tongue to meet mine. We only pulled away when we were both out of breath. Her face flushed, she looked at me earnestly and asked, “Honey, do you mean it?” “But Lachlan doesn’t know how to run a company.” “What if it loses money?” “Are you really going to give him so much money to start a company?” Fiona hadn’t expected that not only was I not fired, but my income had also increased, with a year-end bonus that was beyond her imagination. She was even more surprised when I suggested starting a company for her brother Lachlan; she seemed very excited. I gently patted her hand and said softly, “Of course, it’s true. You’re my wife, and Lachlan is your brother. We’re family, after all.” “If I don’t treat you well, who will I treat well, silly? Don’t mention divorce again. Everything I have is yours.” Fiona was touched by my words and embraced me. I thought to myself, “You think you can take my money that easily? I’ll make sure to get it all back with interest.” Pushing that thought aside, I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Tonight, let’s make this night unforgettable with Lachlan’s wife. “Stop it, I haven’t showered yet… Mmm…” …… A year ago, I first met Fiona Adams at a coffee shop near my office. Just like in many romantic dramas, she accidentally knocked over my coffee, spilling it all over me. She apologized profusely, trying to clean the coffee stains, and that’s when I noticed her. Her looks and style were exactly what I liked, like the girl next door. She insisted on adding me on WeChat, claiming she wanted to reimburse me for the laundry. I thought it was just a typical encounter. About three days after the café meeting, I saw her again near the office. This time, she was in professional attire, sitting dejectedly by the flower bed with her resume in hand. A cleaning lady passed by with a heavy-looking trash cart. Fiona didn’t hesitate to help, despite the dirt. At that moment, I was moved by her kindness, and something stirred in my heart. So, I started chatting with her on WeChat. As we talked more, we grew closer. She seemed perfect to me; we even shared the same taste in food. Even our hobbies were the same, which made me fall into her trap. I started pursuing her relentlessly. Unfortunately, what I thought was true love turned out to be a scam. There’s no such thing as a perfect lover. Had I not pretended to have been fired on a whim, I might never have discovered the true relationship between her and her brother. I might have ended up bankrupt, with them taking my money and eloping. Thankfully, I realized everything in time. Not only did I uncover their scheme, but if I played my cards right, I might even reclaim the money they swindled from me. When Lachlan Adams heard I was funding his company, he dropped all demands for a divorce and splitting assets at the county courthouse, affectionately calling me “brother-in-law.” Through his narrow eyes, I could see his disdain and contempt for me. Since we were starting a company, the location had to be prime. As the boss, Lachlan needed a secretary, right? I used my connections to find an office in a prime location and hired a drama school graduate as his secretary. Once everything was set up, I called Lachlan and Fiona over to show them the place and introduce the secretary. Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, you could see the cityscape. The secretary, Daphne Harper, was wearing a professional top and a pencil skirt, with black stockings and high heels, which caught Lachlan’s eye. “So, Lachlan, are you satisfied with this place?” “Yes, brother-in-law, I’m very satisfied!” Lachlan couldn’t care less about the environment, his eyes glued to Daphne Harper. “Alright, Daphne, why don’t you fetch us some champagne? Let’s celebrate. Come, have a seat.” I invited them to the sofa. Lachlan and Fiona were already dreaming about the company’s future, grinning widely. Daphne Harper walked in with a tray, swaying her slim waist. As she passed by Lachlan, I gave her a look. “Oh no!” Daphne pretended to twist her ankle, spilling champagne all over Lachlan. “Sorry, Mr. Adams, I’ll clean it up right away.” She bent down to wipe the wine off Lachlan’s clothes, her wide neckline revealing a hint of skin. She was a campus beauty, not only pretty but also with an incredible figure. Her sultry eyes locked with Lachlan’s as she wiped, slowly moving the towel from his chest down to his thigh. “Mmm…” Lachlan seemed to be enjoying it. Fiona sat beside him, her face dark with anger. I chuckled, “Daphne, you should be more careful.” “Lachlan doesn’t have a girlfriend yet, right? And Daphne, you’re single too, right?” “You two make a handsome pair. If you get along, you could develop something.” Just as I finished, Fiona suddenly stood up, knocking her teacup to the ground, shattering it. She charged at them like an angry lioness. “Honey, what’s wrong?” I feigned ignorance and asked in surprise.

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Cancer in its final stage. The only chemotherapy opportunity that could save my life was snatched away by Olivia for Jason, who was in the early stages of cancer. I gave up on the doctor’s life-saving plan and swallowed a powerful pain-blocking drug. The price was organ failure and death after three days. During these three days, I gave up everything. When I handed over all my hard-earned assets to Jason, my parents smiled with satisfaction. When Olivia presented the divorce papers and I signed them without hesitation, she sighed and said I was being sensible. When I pushed Emma to call Jason “Dad”, she excitedly said Dad was the best. Even when I transferred all my property and assets to Jason, They didn’t notice anything unusual, They just looked at me with contentment and said, “Our little Adrian has finally learned his lesson.” But I’m also curious, after I die, will they remember me? Under the doctor’s pitying gaze, I swallowed the pain-blocking drug. I had three days left until my death. After taking the medicine, I went to Jason’s hospital room. Inside, Dad was peeling an orange for Jason, while Mom was chatting with him. When they saw me enter, the smiles on my parents’ faces instantly turned cold. “What, done pretending to be sick and here to cause trouble for Jason again? Adrian, I’m telling you, as long as we’re here, don’t even think about bullying Jason!” Dad said to me, his tone icy. “Our family has always been strict with discipline. I don’t know where you learned to be so wicked, jealous of Jason and even trying to steal his chemotherapy opportunity,” Mom scolded, pointing at me. “If I had known, I shouldn’t have given birth to you in the first place!” In a corner out of my parents’ sight, Jason smiled at me, his eyes full of provocation. I lowered my gaze. I had heard these words from my parents countless times before. In the past, I would have argued with them and exposed Jason’s fake persona in public, Even though my parents never believed a single word I said. But now I was tired, too exhausted to fight anymore. “Well, it’s good that you’re here. I have something to discuss with you,” Dad spoke up. I smiled faintly, “Dad, I have something to tell you too.” “Jason wants my store business and company, right? I’ve thought it over. He can have it all!” Dad was stunned for a moment, and Mom looked at me with surprise. “How did you know I was going to talk to you about this today? You agree?” I forced a smile. No wonder they were surprised and kept confirming. Jason had wanted my stores and company for a long time. My parents had said all kinds of things, good and bad, to try to get me to hand over my hard-earned business to Jason, But I had never given in. Now, as a dying man, these things meant nothing to me anymore. Seeing my serious expression, Mom finally smiled with relief and stepped forward to pat my head. “You’ve finally come to your senses!” “Jason has always been more excellent than you since school. Even though he’s sick now, his financial management skills are better than yours,” “We feel at ease letting him manage your stores and company,” I forced a smile and handed the transfer agreement to Jason. After seeing Jason sign it, my parents happily held my hands, calling me a good child over and over. A hint of mockery arose in my heart. How ironic. Only when I gave in to Jason would Mom smile at me. But I was also curious, If Mom discovered Jason’s true face and found out about my death afterwards, Would she and Dad regret it? In the evening, I returned home. I saw my wife Olivia and daughter Emma cooking in the kitchen. Perhaps because of my late-stage cancer, I closed the door quietly. The mother and daughter seemed not to hear me as they laughed while cooking. Olivia turned around with the dish and saw me. Her smile froze for a moment before returning to normal. “Adrian, when did you get back? I didn’t hear anything.” I silently looked at the dish in Olivia’s hand – stir-fried vegetables, Jason’s favorite. Judging by its appearance, it looked as good as a professional chef’s work. It’s quite ironic. I was about to die, And only now did I learn that Olivia, who had lived with me for 5 years, could cook. In the past, she always complained about my cooking. Under Olivia’s “influence”, Emma gradually started to look down on me too. I worked hard for this family, but in the end, I didn’t win any respect. If it were before, I might have started ranting hysterically, But now I just calmly walked past them and sat on the sofa, sorting through the things in my bag. Seeing my silence, Olivia hesitated for a moment. After putting the dish on the table, she came over. “Adrian, I have something I want to discuss with you today.” Olivia bit her lip somewhat unnaturally, hesitated for a moment, but still spoke up: “It’s about your brother Jason.” My heart sank, and a not-so-good thought suddenly came to mind. The next second, Olivia’s words left me stunned: “After Jason’s cancer chemotherapy surgery, he’s been very depressed. So your parents want me to marry Jason, to cheer him up,” My ears were ringing. It took a long time before I found my voice again. “So, you agreed?” Olivia sighed, “Adrian, although Jason isn’t your biological brother, he’s still family after your parents adopted him,” “Besides, it’s just to cheer him up. Once Jason is discharged from the hospital, I’ll still be your wife, Emma’s mom.” Before I could speak, Emma chimed in: “That’s right, Dad. Uncle Jason has been feeling really down lately. You should try to understand him!” I silently looked at the mother and daughter in front of me. This was the woman I had loved for years. This was the child I had raised with great effort. I asked myself, I had never done anything wrong. To my family, wife, and child, I had always been conscientious. In the end, what I got was their betrayal. But it doesn’t matter now. If Jason wants everything, I’ll give it all to him. All of it, I don’t want any of it anymore. I looked up at Olivia, “Alright, I agree!” Olivia’s eyes flashed with surprise, “Really?” She quickly took out divorce papers from the drawer and put them on the table. I smiled bitterly. Olivia, oh Olivia, you can’t even hide your eagerness? I picked up the pen and quickly signed the papers. After signing, Olivia’s face was full of relief, her expression solemn and affectionate. “Adrian, after Jason is discharged, we’ll remarry. Don’t worry, I’ll never let you down!” After saying this, Olivia also signed the divorce papers. After signing, She looked at me and sighed, “Adrian, you’ve become much more reasonable than before. I’ve made mistakes in the past too, I was wrong,” “After Jason gets better, Emma and I will come back to take care of you!” “That’s right, Dad!” Emma also spoke up like a little adult, “Dad is so good to Uncle Jason, I’m proud of you!” Looking at them, my heart turned to ashes. Before this, I had held onto a last glimmer of hope for Olivia and Emma. But now… Forget it. Apart from death, I have no expectations left. I stood up, intending to go around them and return to my room to rest. A strong wave of dizziness hit me, and I couldn’t help but faint. In the moment before everything went black, I saw Olivia’s anxious face. I was awakened by a chill. When I opened my eyes, I found myself still lying on the floor. Looking at Olivia and Emma again, both mother and daughter were looking at me with disappointed expressions. “Mom, I told you, Dad was faking it again!” Emma said. “Dad, can you stop being so childish? You’re really holding us up from visiting Uncle Jason at the hospital!” Faking it? At this moment, Olivia also spoke with disappointment: “Adrian, can you stop making a scene?” “I’ve told you, even though we’re divorced, I still love you. You don’t need to use such childish tricks like pretending to faint to test me!” After hearing Olivia’s words, I finally understood. The pain-blocking drug I took could shield me from all illness and pain for these 3 days. During this time, I would look like a normal person, with complexion no different from others. But the side effects were severe. After 3 days, I would die from organ failure. It seems this drug is really effective. I struggled to stand up, “It might be low blood sugar, it’s nothing. I’ll go to the hospital with you.” “There are some transfer procedures that still need Jason’s signature.” Olivia nodded. There was no surprise on her face. It seems my parents must have told her in advance. After arriving at the hospital, Jason was watching TV in the ward. “Adrian, you’re here!” Jason’s face was still very pale, But his spirits were clearly much better. However, I didn’t miss the smugness and arrogance in his eyes. “Adrian, thank you for trusting me and letting me manage your business. Don’t worry, I won’t let you down!” “That’s right, Adrian. Letting Jason manage your stores and company is great. You can stay at home and enjoy the dividends every day!” Mom said with a smile. I took out the remaining paperwork from my bag. “In that case, let him manage all my assets too,” “This way I won’t have to worry about anything in the future.” Everyone in the ward was stunned. “Adrian, are you serious? You want to give all your assets to Jason?” Olivia grabbed my arm, her eyes full of surprise. This time, it was my turn to be confused. In the past, they always sided with Jason, giving him whatever he wanted. If I didn’t agree, they would scold me endlessly. How come now that I’m giving everything to Jason, They don’t understand? Dad was the first to come to his senses, his eyes full of satisfaction, “This child has finally learned his lesson, he’s grown up! Our efforts in raising you weren’t in vain!” “Adrian, you’ve learned to accept your brother now, that’s a good thing!” “From now on, you two live well together, and we can rest easy even when we’re old!” Rest easy? Dad, Mom, you’ve been fooled by Jason’s fake persona for too many years. Do you really believe Jason will manage everything well for me? My head started spinning again, and my nose felt itchy. I touched it and realized it was a nosebleed. “Adrian, why are you having a nosebleed? The weather isn’t even dry lately?” Mom asked at this moment. My hand paused as I wiped the blood. I couldn’t help but look at them and speak: “Dad, Mom, if one day I really die from illness, would you regret it?” But Mom’s expression didn’t change at all, she just smiled and glanced at me, “Your complexion looks so good, how could you possibly die from illness? Stop saying such unlucky things!” “Yes, Jason is different. When he gets better, we need to make sure he eats well to recover!” Dad said while looking at Jason with concern. “I think so too!” Emma chimed in, “Dad is very healthy, Uncle Jason is the one we’re most worried about!” The last glimmer of hope in my heart disappeared completely. I have nothing left to look forward to… I looked down at Emma and smiled, “Emma, didn’t you always want your Uncle Jason to be your real dad?” “I agree now. Jason is your dad now, why don’t you call him Dad?” Emma’s eyes lit up with joy, “Really?!” I smiled faintly, “After you call him Dad, you can always eat the food he cooks and have him accompany you from now on!” “This has always been your wish, are you happy?” Emma jumped up excitedly, “That’s great! Dad is the best in the world! Thank you, Dad!” After saying this, Emma let go of my hand and hugged Jason. My parents and Olivia watched this scene with satisfaction. I turned to leave, looking back at them one last time. My parents were playing with Emma together with Jason, while Olivia stood by with a smile on her face. No one noticed me. I closed the door of the ward and left the hospital. With only one day left until my death, I had nowhere to go. In my busy and rushed life, I had never taken the time to truly enjoy myself. I booked a ticket to Seaside City to see the ocean at night. I wanted to go hiking, But I couldn’t hold on any longer. Just before I was about to faint, I dialed a number I hadn’t called in nearly 5 years. Then everything went black and I lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I was already in the hospital. I turned my eyes to look at the time. Only 6 hours left until my death. And beside me was my childhood friend Kevin, with reddened eyes. Years ago, Kevin had strongly opposed my relationship with Olivia, saying she wasn’t worthy of my lifelong commitment. But I didn’t listen. I had a big fight with him, which led to him not attending my wedding. I know I shouldn’t bother him now, But besides him, I really couldn’t find anyone else in this world. “What’s going on with you? Weren’t you so proud after marrying Olivia?” “Wasn’t your family of three living happily? How did you end up like this? Why did the doctor say your organs are starting to fail?” Kevin’s voice choked up. I smiled at him while wearing an oxygen mask. When we were young, we made a promise that if one of us reached the end of their life, The other would handle everything afterwards, no matter what. I could no longer speak, so I struggled to raise my hand and point to my bag. Kevin took out several documents from the bag. He looked at the documents for a moment, then nodded slightly and put them in his own bag. Fortunately, our understanding of each other hasn’t changed. We could understand each other’s thoughts without words. Only 3 hours left until my death. I gave up on resuscitation. After another bout of unconsciousness, I woke up. Kevin showed me his phone. It was a message from Jason: [Adrian, I won! I got everything of yours] [You thought you could compete with me? You only have yourself to blame for not being capable enough. Who told your parents to like me so much?] [Just quietly leave the family! I’ll help you take good care of your parents, and your wife and daughter too!] After reading this, Kevin, a hot-blooded young man, cried and cursed in the ward. I sighed self-mockingly in my heart. In my life, I had never regretted anything, except for asking Dad to sponsor Jason. I first saw Jason in a run-down orphanage. At that time, I was following my teacher as a young volunteer at the orphanage. It was snowing heavily that day, and all the children were huddled inside to keep warm. Only Jason was in the backyard, picking leftover bones from the garbage to eat. I couldn’t bear to watch and begged my father to sponsor Jason. After that, Jason and I became close brothers who shared everything. The next year, Jason came to my class. As soon as he arrived, he won the favor of teachers and classmates with his excellence. Whenever someone praised him, I was also very proud. Until later, things started to go wrong. My friends inexplicably began to distance themselves from me, while treating Jason as their best friend. The girls who liked me also gradually became cold towards me, and instead professed their love for Jason. Even my parents began to frequently invite Jason home for meals and to stay over. They even divided up my room to make it Jason’s room. I was too naive and insensitive back then. I never thought that Jason’s specialty was taking away everything that belonged to me amid others’ praises. By the time I realized it, My room was gone, My family was gone, Everything of mine had been occupied by Jason. Actually, I once asked Jason why, but his answer left me feeling cold all over: “Adrian, did you think I would thank you for sponsoring me? How could I possibly thank you?” “I really can’t stand the way you show off in front of me. I will definitely take everything away from you,” “I just want to see your desperate expression after I’ve taken everything from you!” … I once thought I could drive Jason away. I also thought I could make my parents and Olivia see through his facade. But I was too naive. I underestimated Jason’s methods, and overlooked the fondness my parents, Olivia, and even Emma had for him. I lost completely. Only 9 minutes left until my death. My consciousness began to fade, and my vision started to blur. But I still saw the message Mom sent me on Kevin’s phone: [Adrian, have someone repaint the walls of your house in the next few days. Your brother has a favorite color!] [Also, your brother will be discharged in half a month. When he’s out, move some of your things out. Jason needs to put his stuff in!] Even in the last moments of my life, Mom was still concerned about Jason. It seems I really wasn’t important in her heart. So be it then… Kevin seemed to be crying and shouting something in my ear, but I couldn’t hear anymore. I’ve fought for so many years, I’m really too tired. Finally, I can have a good sleep… On November 24th, Adrian Sullivan passed away at Seaside City Hospital at the age of 29. Jason was watching TV in his hospital bed when the door suddenly opened. He looked up and saw a man enter – his biological father. “What are you doing here?” Jason’s eyes flashed with disgust, but also a hint of fear. Frank sneered, “Well, if I hadn’t abandoned you at the orphanage back then, how could you have met such a rich family?” “I’m out of money. Transfer me $100,000!” Jason sat up abruptly, glaring at Frank. “Why should I? Have you ever taken care of me for a single day since I was born?” Frank sat down leisurely on the sofa in the hospital room. “Cut the crap, Jason. Let me tell you, I know all about your dirty tricks.” “You better transfer the money to me quietly, and we won’t have to get ugly. Otherwise, you know what I’m capable of!” Jason’s hands clenched into fists. After a long moment, he finally relaxed them. “Fine, give me some time. I need to be discharged before I can make money.” Frank scoffed, “You don’t have the luck to be born a young master, but you’ve got the illness of one. It’s just early-stage cancer, wasting so much money!” “I’ll give you two days. If I don’t see the money in two days, I’ll go find your adoptive father in the Sullivan family!” Frank kicked open the door and left. Jason violently smashed the glass cup on the bedside table. He was breathing heavily, his eyes filled with intense hatred. Why… Why could everyone else have such a happy life, while he was only fit to be abandoned at an orphanage by such a beast of a father? Why did he have to live a life of being looked down upon? He had worked so hard to take over Adrian’s place, pushing the Sullivan’s son out of the family. He absolutely refused to go back to that hand-to-mouth existence! Jason got up from the hospital bed. After tricking Adrian out of the chemotherapy opportunity, his recovery was progressing faster day by day. He would be discharged soon. But now, he just wanted to quickly sell off all the property, stores, and companies he had snatched from Adrian, Then transfer all the money overseas in batches, and leave the country under some pretext. This way, his beast of a father would never find him again, And neither would the gullible Sullivan family. Yes, he had to get this done as soon as possible! He told the nurse at the station that he was going out for some fresh air, then went downstairs and called a taxi to the bank. At the bank, Jason handed his card to the teller, his heart trembling with excitement. Soon, Adrian’s money would be his. He would finally be free. But then, the teller suddenly looked up, giving him a strange look. “Sir, the name and identity on this card don’t match yours,” “Sir, did you bring the wrong card?” Jason was stunned. “How is that possible? When we were doing the paperwork earlier, my family had already transferred the ownership of this card to me!” “Could there be a mistake on your end?” The teller shook her head, “Sir, the owner of this card is still Mr. Adrian Sullivan, and this card has been placed under a property protection freeze at our bank!” Jason was dumbfounded. Property protection freeze?

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CHAPTER Is that me? Being burned alive feels exactly how you’d imagine—a scorching, all-consuming agony that burrows into every inch of my body. I should be dead. But I’m not. Not exactly. I hover, weightless, watching the scene unfold beneath me. Watching her. “Our Evelyn is so beautiful. Tomorrow is your birthday party! Mom bought you this dress.” My mother’s voice is soft, affectionate—a voice I never knew she was capable of. She holds up a shimmering dress. I’ve seen that dress before. My sister once boasted that it cost 10,000 dollars—more than my parents make in a month. Yet, they still bought it for her. They always found a way to meet her demands. When the fire left scars on her fingers, they scraped together the money to have them removed. But when I burned? I got nothing. Not a hospital visit. Not a touch of comfort. Not even a second glance. Because in this family, only one daughter mattered. This cramped, two-bedroom apartment was purchased for her. My parents took out a loan to move closer to a better school. One bedroom belonged to them. The other? Hers. I never had one. “Sis, my classmates will laugh at me if they see how small my room is. Why don’t you sleep in the living room instead?” I was twelve. She dragged me to the couch, tossed me a blanket, and slammed the door in my face. I wanted to protest. I wanted to tell my parents. But all they said was, “It’s just the living room. We used to sleep under bridges, and you can’t even handle this?” So, I stopped complaining. I slept on that couch for five years. And in that time, I learned: I was nothing more than a shadow in this house. Once, I was cleaning her room and accidentally brushed against her bed. My mother’s voice had cracked like a whip. “Your hands are filthy! Do you want to dirty my daughter’s bed?” My daughter. Not her daughters. Just one. From that day forward, I never stepped foot in her room again. And yet, standing here, looking down at the family that ignored me in life, I still hoped—stupidly, desperately hoped—that my death would shake them. That they’d grieve me. That they’d miss me. But instead— “Mom, I’m inviting my friends to celebrate my birthday at a restaurant tomorrow!” My parents exchange hesitant glances. I can see the deep lines of exhaustion on their faces, the weight of financial stress. They can’t afford this. They shouldn’t. But then my mother smiles. Soft. Loving. Indulgent. “Of course, Evelyn! Mom won’t forget your birthday. Everything’s set—you’ll be the most beautiful girl there.” The most beautiful girl. Not a single mention of the daughter they just lost. Not a single flicker of sadness. And then— “Damn it, Big Sis had to die at the worst possible time. What bad luck.” Bad luck. Not tragedy. Not grief. Just inconvenience. My chest clenches with something sharp, something suffocating. I was nothing to them. I had always been nothing. When I was little, I believed that even if my mother was unfair, she still loved me. That my father’s beatings, his cruel words—they meant he cared. “Beating is affection. Scolding is love,” he used to say. So, I endured it. I remembered every lesson. I never made the same mistake twice. The neighbors praised me for being such a “sensible child.” And sometimes—just sometimes—my parents would smile. But as I watch my sister now, dry-eyed and unbothered by my death, I finally understand. I was never their daughter. I was never anything. “Big Sis was so capable,” she sighs, voice laced with insincerity. “But she died in the fire.” Then, as if on cue, she forces out a few fake tears. I stare at her perfect, unmarked face. At those cold, soulless eyes. A surge of hatred curls in my gut. I want to reach out. I want to rip them out. ________ CHAPTER

I remember now. I remember everything. I could have escaped that fire. The flames had been closing in, smoke thick in my lungs, but I had a way out. I was almost free. But then I heard my parents’ voices in my head. “Protect your sister, no matter what.” I turned back. I found her—Evelyn—trapped in the blaze, her terrified eyes locked onto mine. I grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the exit, toward safety. We were almost there. Almost free. And then— She ripped herself away. Before I could react, she shoved the door closed and locked it. I pounded against the wood, screaming her name. She didn’t look back. She left me there to die. My sister. The one I had protected since childhood. And now, as I watch her calmly discussing my death over dinner, I wonder— Had she ever loved me at all? Had they? “That dead girl,” my mother says dismissively, scooping soup into my sister’s bowl. “If she were still alive, she could’ve earned at least 3,000 dollars a month. We could’ve used that money to buy you nice clothes.” They weren’t mourning me. They weren’t even sad. I was nothing more than lost income. Something sharp twists inside me. I think back to all the ways they had stolen from me. All the things I had given up, convinced it was my duty as a daughter—as a sister. When I finished middle school, I begged to continue my education. But my parents refused. “You’re stupid anyway,” they said. “And you already repeated a year.” But that wasn’t my fault. They had made me repeat a year so I could stay in the same class as my sister. “She’s still young,” they told me. “We don’t want to leave her alone in elementary school. Stay with her. Protect her.” And like an idiot, I agreed. I let my parents rob me of my future. I let them take away my chance to learn, to grow—to be more than a shadow. We were struggling financially back then. I did everything—tutored my sister, cooked, cleaned, helped with the farmwork. And because of that, my grades slipped. I begged for tutoring. I wanted a chance to catch up. But my parents scoffed. “The school already teaches you everything. If you’re not learning there, why waste money on extra classes?” And yet, when she struggled, they didn’t hesitate. They spent money on her tutoring. Paid for her dance lessons. Sent her to piano classes. She became refined. I remained a simple country girl. But despite it all, I worked hard. I fought for my education. And finally—finally—I became the top student in my class. For once, I thought they’d be proud of me. I held up my award, heart pounding, waiting for their approval. Waiting for them to say, “Well done, sweetheart. We’re proud of you.” Instead, they turned to her. “Don’t worry, darling,” my mother soothed, stroking her hair. “Your sister is only good at studying. But you? You have talents—dance, piano. Your grades will catch up soon.” They dismissed my success like it was nothing. As if being smart—being capable—wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Because no matter what I did—I would never be their daughter. Not like her. __________ CHAPTER

“It’s such a shame your sister died,” my father sighed, pouring himself another drink. “I had already arranged a good marriage for her. We could’ve started preparing for the wedding next month.” “What a waste,” my mother agreed, stirring her soup. “I’ll ask around about a ghost marriage. Maybe we can still make some money off her.” A ghost marriage. They were planning to sell my dead body off to a stranger. Even in death, they still saw me as nothing more than a transaction. The realization settled over me like a thick layer of ice. I was never their daughter. I was currency. And now that I was gone, they were desperate to squeeze every last bit of value out of my corpse. Tomorrow was Evelyn’s birthday party. She slept soundly, curled up in her bed, looking peaceful, unbothered—alive. I sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her. I was no longer human. I didn’t know why I hadn’t disappeared. Maybe it was unfinished business, or maybe it was pure, unfiltered hatred that tethered me here. I wasn’t sure yet. But I had time to figure it out. If nothing else, I could learn how to make her suffer. I reached out, trailing cold fingers over her cheek. She shivered in her sleep. A notification lit up her phone on the bedside table. I glanced at the screen. 【Give money!】 The message was from an unknown number. I frowned. Who was Evelyn supposed to give money to? Was she in debt? Or was she paying someone off? My mind spun with possibilities, but before I could process them, my mother entered the room. She pulled the blanket up over Evelyn’s shoulders, tucking her in with careful hands. A soft, loving gesture. The kind I had never received. I remembered all those nights I slept on the cold, hard sofa, my body trembling from the chill. No one had ever come to cover me with a blanket. I watched her move, hovering near the ceiling, unseen. “Is the air conditioner too low?” she mumbled, rubbing her arms. I smirked. No, Mother. That’s just me. The next morning, I witnessed something I hadn’t seen in years. A real home-cooked breakfast. The table was filled with steaming dishes—both Asian and Western. My mother bustled around the kitchen, her movements fluid, almost graceful. I never knew she could cook like this. When had she learned? Then, it hit me. She had to. Because after I was gone—after I was sent away to work—there was no one left to cook for Evelyn. She must have struggled at first, forcing herself to get better, to take care of her precious youngest daughter. The daughter that mattered. I watched as Evelyn stretched, rubbing sleep from her eyes before skipping over to the kitchen. “Mom, your cooking is delicious!” she beamed. “I love eating the food you make!” My mother smiled warmly, reaching up to smooth her hair. The scene before me was perfect. A cozy home. A warm meal. A loving family. Anyone would envy this life. And for a fleeting moment, I wondered— Was it my fault? Had I been too cold, too quiet, too difficult to love? Had I pushed them away? Had I done something wrong? I thought back to the younger version of myself, desperate for affection. I remembered standing in this very kitchen, eager to help, eager to please. I remembered the way my mother had shoved me aside, irritated. “Don’t bother me! You annoy me just by being here!” That was when I learned the truth. I was only welcome if I was doing something for Evelyn. That was the only way to earn their approval. And even then, it was never enough. I wanted to leave this suffocating house. To get as far away as possible. But whenever I moved more than ten meters from Evelyn— I was pulled right back. Like a leash. Like a curse. Like I still belonged to her. __________ CHAPTER

Evelyn’s birthday party was lively. My parents had gone all out, renting a banquet hall to celebrate. The room glittered with chandeliers, laughter filled the air, and the guests—most of them wealthy and influential—sipped on expensive champagne, smiling as they mingled. I floated through the crowd, unnoticed. Unseen. But I wasn’t surprised. I had spent my entire life like this. From the corner of the room, a familiar face caught my eye. Caleb Martins. He was here. Evelyn’s former classmate. One of the only people who had ever shown me kindness. I remembered the last time he attended one of her birthdays—last year. “Sis, I want a seafood feast for my birthday.” I had spent hours preparing a lavish spread for her, making sure every dish was perfect. But when we went grocery shopping, she wrinkled her nose. “The market’s selection is disgusting. Go to the supermarket instead.” And I had listened. I always listened. Because my father had said, “You’ve been working for years. Can’t you spend a little money to make your sister happy?” That year, I had paid for every single expense. But Evelyn never even acknowledged my efforts. It was Caleb who had noticed. When she cut the cake, she handed him the second slice. But instead of keeping it, he had placed it in my hands. “This should go to the one who worked so hard to make tonight special. Let’s thank her together.” He had been the only person who ever truly saw me. When I was rushing around, drowning in tasks, he had helped. And later, we had exchanged numbers, keeping in touch through quiet messages. But then Evelyn had smashed my phone. “Sis, don’t be ridiculous and try to pursue Caleb!” I never had. But she had already decided I wasn’t worthy of even speaking to someone like him. “You? A middle school dropout talking to someone from a prestigious university? Have some self-awareness!” After she told our parents, they hadn’t hesitated to take her side. “If you want to get married, we’ll find you a rich man. You’ll be set for life.” A week later, my mother dragged me to a blind date. The man was older than my father. I had fled the city after that. I never thought that the next time I returned… I would be nothing but a charred corpse. The shrill ring of a phone cut through the party’s music. “Hello, your daughter’s body—” My father hung up immediately. “What a terrible omen! Today is Evelyn’s birthday, and you’re talking about my daughter’s corpse? Are you cursing her?” The phone rang again. I wanted him to answer. To acknowledge me. But he silenced it once more. My death meant less than a murderer’s birthday. In his eyes, I was already gone. Irrelevant. I hovered near my mother, listening as she sighed. “I feel a chill, dear.” “You must not be wearing enough layers.” She had no idea I was standing inches away, watching her. The phone rang again. This time, she hesitated before picking up. “If you don’t come handle your daughter’s body in River Creek Village, we’ll dispose of it ourselves,” the voice on the other end warned. My mother’s response was instant, her voice detached. “Handle it yourselves. I’m busy.” Then she turned, beaming at Evelyn. I wanted to scream. To grab the phone and beg the person on the other end to bury me. I didn’t want to be cremated. I had already burned once. I didn’t want to go through that agony again. But when I reached for the phone— My hands passed right through it. I was nothing. And yet, they were smiling, laughing, moving on as if I had never existed. “Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Caleb Martins!” I turned sharply. Evelyn clung to his arm, her eyes sparkling with feigned innocence. Caleb? Her boyfriend? A strange feeling twisted inside me. I didn’t know what it was— Only that something inside me cracked. I looked down at my hands. They were fading. Then re-forming. What was happening to me? I lifted my gaze, watching my parents glow with pride. The same parents who once shamed me for even talking to him. “You? A toad trying to eat swan meat?” But now that Evelyn was with him, they adored the match. “They’re perfect for each other,” my mother gushed. “A match made in heaven.” And then— Caleb looked around, frowning slightly. “But where’s Evelyn’s sister?” For the first time that night— Someone remembered me. _________ CHAPTER

Since my phone had been broken, I had lost contact with Caleb. I never expected him to still remember me. Every year on Evelyn’s birthday, I had been there—either cooking, serving tea, or making sure everything was perfect. I had been so consumed with her celebrations that I had forgotten my own birthday. The only time I had ever celebrated it was when my grandmother was alive. She had cooked me a simple bowl of longevity noodles. That was it. And now, even in death, I was here again. Watching. “Big Sis died in the fire, and it’s so tragic that she’s no longer with us. But today is Evelyn’s birthday, so let’s not dwell on sad things.” Evelyn’s mother had tears in her eyes. Evelyn, ever the doting daughter, handed her a handkerchief, her expression sorrowful. I stared at them in disbelief. I had never seen that woman cry. She was always smiling, always cheerful. So why hadn’t she shed a single tear when I actually died? Not even a pretense of mourning. “Sis always attended my birthday parties, but this year… something unexpected happened.” The mother-daughter duo exchanged sorrowful glances, taking turns dabbing at their tears. It was picture-perfect grief. A textbook display of the deep mother-daughter bond they shared. I had never experienced it. Maybe I had been too dull. Maybe I had never learned how to please my parents like Evelyn did. Maybe that’s why they never loved me. Maybe it was because I didn’t know how to cry. Because if I had, maybe they would have paid attention to me. “The fire was too big,” my father sighed heavily. “We could only save Evelyn. Every night at midnight, I wake up, haunted by the image of Big Sis begging us for help. I’m sorry, Big Sis.” I drifted toward him, my cold, dead gaze locking onto his face. He was the one who slept the most soundly in that house. The one whose lies were always so smooth. If he had truly loved his beloved daughter, maybe he would have been heartbroken to know she was a murderer. But he didn’t care. He just didn’t want people whispering about it. Caleb wore a forced smile as he listened, pretending to be saddened by my death while also comforting my so-called grieving family. I clenched my fists, but my fingers simply passed through my dress like mist. A waiter rolled out a towering three-tiered cake, and the mood instantly shifted. Evelyn was radiant, standing in the center of her admirers. Beautiful. Elegant. Graceful. She basked in their praise like it was oxygen, her lips curling in satisfaction. I had seen this scene too many times before. From childhood to adulthood, she had always craved admiration. Always loved being flattered. I had learned early on that if I wanted to avoid a beating, all I had to do was praise her in front of my parents. They would get so distracted with their perfect daughter that they’d forget about me completely. Evelyn took the first slice of cake and held out the second piece to Caleb. But before he could take it, he turned to her with an unreadable expression. “This one should go to your sister.” The room stilled for a fraction of a second. Evelyn’s hand tightened around the cake server. Her perfect smile wavered. Then, in an instant, it was gone. “I’ll give you this first slice instead,” she said sweetly, pressing the fork into his hands. She had always liked being first. And now, she had decided he belonged to her, too. As guests enjoyed their cake, her friends continued to fawn over her. “Evelyn, if it weren’t for you, I’d never have gotten to eat at such an expensive restaurant.” “Evelyn, your family is so rich. Your parents and sister spoil you so much! This birthday party is amazing! And your boyfriend is so handsome!” Evelyn smiled, her tone light. “Yes, my sister was always good to me. Whatever I wanted, she gave it to me.” But her eyes gleamed with something else. Mockery. Yes. Whatever you wanted, I gave it to you. You even took my life. The room’s atmosphere shattered when the doors swung open. A police officer strode inside, his uniform crisp, his badge gleaming. “Evelyn Brooks,” he announced, his voice steady, “you are under investigation for murder. Please come with us.” The party froze.

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