Category: English

Betrayed by Love “Beep… beep…” The thirty-second call went unanswered. Caleb still hadn’t picked up. I had reheated the dishes on the table three times already. The homemade ice cream cake had melted into an unsightly puddle, worse than tears. My fingers gently caressed the gift box beside me. Inside was my pregnancy report. This was meant to be Caleb’s birthday surprise. I had imagined countless times how he would react upon seeing this gift. Perhaps he would be surprised, maybe delighted. It might even bring a change to our hopeless marriage. However, as time ticked away minute by minute, hope began to fade. I stubbornly sat in place, unwilling to give up. A part of me still clung to the slim chance that he was just temporarily delayed. Finally, at two in the morning, the door creaked open. My heart clenched tightly as I stood up from the darkness. Filled with joy, thinking Caleb had returned, I prepared to welcome him. However, the scene before me was like a sharp blade piercing straight into my heart. In the faint moonlight, Caleb had Natalie pinned against the wall. His lips urgently pressed against hers, his hands tightly gripping her waist as if trying to merge her into his body. “You know what? When I sleep with her, all I can think about is you,” Caleb’s voice, tinged with drunkenness, reached my ears with crystal clarity. “That one time with her, it was all forced. I felt disgusted when I woke up.” As these words registered, my world seemed to collapse. The gift box slipped from my hand, hitting the ground with a crisp, jarring thud. Their movements froze abruptly. Caleb turned his head, his gaze colliding directly with mine. A flash of panic and guilt crossed his eyes, but it was quickly masked by that familiar coldness. Caleb frowned slightly, seemingly displeased by my presence. I stood there, feeling as if all the blood in my body had instantly frozen, my hands and feet turning ice-cold. It was Natalie… Caleb’s ex-girlfriend, the one who had once abandoned him, had returned. Anger, sorrow, and despair intertwined into an invisible net, binding me tightly. “Aria, what are you doing there?” Caleb’s voice was cold, devoid of any warmth. I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but my throat felt blocked, unable to produce a sound. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. “Since you’ve heard everything, there’s no point in hiding it,” Caleb’s tone remained icy. “I never loved you. Marrying you was nothing but a forced choice.” I looked at him, the last glimmer of hope in my heart completely shattered. The past gentleness and care, those seemingly beautiful moments, were all just my one-sided wishful thinking. Caleb turned his head, speaking softly to Natalie, his eyes full of adoration. “It’s late, you shouldn’t go back.” He looked at me again, his voice leaving no room for negotiation. “Tonight, I want Natalie to stay.” I gazed at him, feeling as if the person before me was a complete stranger. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself. “Fine, do whatever you want.” I tried to keep my voice steady, but the trembling tone betrayed my devastation. I turned and staggered back to the bedroom. That night, Caleb didn’t step into the room once. As morning sunlight filtered through the window, the house, which should have been filled with warmth, was permeated with a suffocating atmosphere. I hadn’t eaten all night and couldn’t sleep. My head was pounding from crying over last night’s events. When I walked out of the room on an empty stomach, I saw Caleb and Natalie in the kitchen, laughing and making breakfast together. Their intimate behavior made me feel like an intruder in my own home. Natalie noticed me and immediately put on a warm smile. To me, it seemed nothing but fake. “Aria, you’re up! Caleb and I made breakfast especially. Come and try some.” As she spoke, she walked towards me with a bowl of soup. Looking at the bowl, my stomach suddenly churned. The morning sickness from my pregnancy had been getting worse lately, and just the smell of food was making me nauseous. I quickly covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom. “Ugh…” I dry heaved in the bathroom, feeling so sick I could barely stand up straight. When I finally managed to pull myself together and wash my face, I returned to the dining area to find the atmosphere had turned ice cold. “Aria, what’s your problem?” Caleb’s voice was full of anger, his brows furrowed and eyes full of accusation. “Natalie kindly made you breakfast, and this is how you treat her goodwill?” I looked at Caleb, my heart full of hurt. “I didn’t mean to, I—” I tried to explain, but before I could finish, Natalie interrupted me. “Caleb, don’t be like that. Maybe my cooking isn’t good, and that’s why Aria doesn’t like it. I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm.” Natalie’s eyes were slightly red, putting on a pitiful act. But I caught the glimpse of triumph in her eyes. “Enough with your act!” I finally exploded, shouting. “I’m not feeling well and can’t eat. Is that a problem?” “Not feeling well?” Caleb’s eyes were filled with suspicion. “Don’t use that excuse to avoid apologizing!” “Natalie spent all morning making this breakfast. Not only are you ungrateful, but you’re also making a scene!” I looked at Caleb in disbelief. How could he think of me like this? “Who’s making a scene here?” “Why should I apologize just because I can’t eat?” There was no way I would bow my head to Natalie. Caleb impatiently cut me off. “Whether you’re really unwell or not, you must apologize to Natalie!” I raised my head defiantly, tears welling up in my eyes. “I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?” Caleb’s face darkened further. “You’re still being stubborn!” “If you won’t apologize, then drink this soup. You can’t disregard Natalie’s kindness!” I looked at the steaming hot bowl of soup, my heart filled with desolation. It was seafood chowder, the dish I hated most. After five years of marriage, he couldn’t even remember this. “Caleb, how can you treat me like this!” “Are you going to drink it or not?” Caleb’s eyes held no warmth, only a cold command. In his heart, Natalie’s feelings would always be more important than mine. Looking at this man I once loved deeply, who now seemed so unfamiliar, I was filled with anger and resentment. “I won’t drink it!” The next second, Caleb grabbed the bowl and forcefully tried to pour the soup into my mouth! The scalding temperature made me struggle, but I was no match for Caleb’s strength. As my head tilted back, the steaming hot soup burned its way down my throat. It wasn’t just my body that was scalded, but my heart as well! Using all my strength, I pushed Caleb away. With a loud crash, the bowl shattered into pieces. I looked at the cold Caleb and the smugly triumphant Natalie, and spoke each word deliberately. “Are you satisfied now?” Without waiting for their reaction, I rushed out the door, leaving without looking back. At the hospital, a nurse was cleaning and disinfecting my scalded tongue with saline solution. Her brows were tightly knitted. “Try to avoid injuries during pregnancy,” she advised. “It’s not advisable to use burn medication in the first five months of pregnancy. You’ll just have to bear with it for now.” “And you’re allergic to seafood. It’s good you didn’t drink much. Don’t you know what you can and can’t eat at your age?” I nodded vacantly, letting out a bitter laugh. Being forced to drink that soup had not only scalded my tongue. My throat and stomach were still burning and numb. “Being so careless, you might lose the baby, you know? You young people are really reckless!” she added. Finally, to be on the safe side, she suggested I check on the baby’s condition. I thanked her with a pale face, but didn’t tell her that none of this mattered anymore. Because I had decided not to keep this child. Originally, I had planned to surprise Caleb with the news of its arrival. But he had shattered my expectations and joy with his own hands. I clutched the registration slip tightly, my knuckles turning white, as I mechanically headed towards the obstetrics department. My steps were unsteady, each one feeling like I was walking on knife edges. As I sat in the waiting area, a familiar voice crashed into my ears. “Natalie, be careful! Don’t fall!” It was Caleb! I instinctively shrank back, like a startled deer. My hands involuntarily clutched at my clothes. Caleb was supporting Natalie, both of them walking over, chatting and laughing. Their happy appearance was like a sharp blade, stabbing straight into my already battered heart. He noticed me and stopped in his tracks, looking over with a puzzled expression. “Aria? What are you doing here?” Natalie followed Caleb’s gaze and looked at me, a flash of malice in her eyes. Just then, her number was called. Caleb told her to wait while he went to get the test results. Natalie nodded obediently, but as soon as he left, her face turned ugly as she walked towards me. She took out her phone, opened a video, and held it up to my face, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Aria, I didn’t want you to know this originally.” “But you’d better understand where Caleb’s heart truly lies.” The video showed Caleb at a classmate reunion, the night he got drunk. His friend asked him, “Caleb, I heard Natalie is coming back soon. What are your plans?” Caleb replied carelessly, “We’ve cleared up our misunderstanding. Anyway, I’ve sworn to treat her well and not let her suffer any grievances, regardless of our relationship status.” Combined with the tenderness in his eyes and the teasing from those around him, someone spoke up for me. “But your wife has been really good to you too. She loves you so much and has waited for you faithfully for so many years. I think you should forget about Natalie and just live happily with your wife.” Caleb took a drag on his cigarette and laughed coldly. “Her, sincere? She’s just like her father, only knowing how to force people with their methods.” “Otherwise, why would I marry a woman I don’t love?” “I’ve been good enough to her all these years, but I will never touch her!” The more he drank, the more unfocused his eyes became, and he kept calling Natalie’s name, his voice full of longing and deep affection. “Did you see that?” Natalie leaned in close to me, lowering her voice and enunciating each word. “The one who isn’t loved is the real third wheel. I’m pregnant too, and I know you look like that today because you’re pregnant as well. But you and that bastard in your belly shouldn’t exist. Caleb has always loved me from the beginning to the end. You’re nothing but a substitute who can’t even show her face in public. Know your place.” Every word was like a poisoned dagger, stabbing straight into my heart. My breathing instantly became rapid, my chest heaving violently. Caleb returned with the papers. Noticing the tense and strange atmosphere, he asked suspiciously, “What’s going on?” Natalie had already reverted to her gentle demeanor, linking her arm with Caleb’s. “Nothing, Aria just came for a health check-up.” “No wonder she wouldn’t eat my soup this morning. She really wasn’t feeling well.” “Caleb, don’t be angry with Aria anymore.” Caleb’s sharp gaze fell on me, as if trying to see through me. “You’re really unwell, not lying? Usually, you’re as strong as an ox. Only Natalie is naive enough to believe your act.” I trembled, opened my mouth, but my throat was dry. The words “I’m pregnant” almost slipped out, but I swallowed them back hard. I bit my lower lip tightly, my mind replaying the video Natalie had just shown me. The last shred of hope in my heart was completely shattered. Seeing my pale face, a complex emotion flashed in Caleb’s eyes. But he didn’t say anything more, turning to hand the papers to Natalie. His tone was so gentle it could almost drip water, his face wearing a smile I hadn’t seen in a long time. “The baby is doing well. Are you relieved now?” The two embraced lovingly, like an inseparable couple. Many people around cast envious glances at them. I averted my gaze, hearing the arrangements for me to enter the operating room. When I regained consciousness, the baby was already gone. I felt weak all over, unable to even sit up straight. Lying alone on the bed, I shed silent tears, but I didn’t regret this decision. During the days I focused on recovering in the hospital, Caleb didn’t call even once, which I was glad for. After being discharged, I returned home. Caleb and Natalie were cuddled up on the sofa, feeding each other. Seeing me push open the door, they stopped their actions. Caleb was the first to react, standing up angrily. “Aria, what do you mean by this?” “Do you know how many days you’ve been away from home? You even dared to block my number!” I didn’t speak, just stared at him silently for a moment. “Do you really care whether I stay in this home or not?” “It seems you two were quite happy while I was gone.” Hearing the sarcasm in my voice, Caleb awkwardly avoided my gaze. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them and headed straight for the bedroom. Soon after, Caleb pushed open the door and came in. A trace of apology crossed his face. “I’ve been busy taking care of Natalie these past few days because she’s pregnant and not feeling well. I’m sorry for neglecting you.” Saying this, he took out a large gift box and thrust it in front of me. “It’s a new custom-made necklace. Do you like it?” “Let me put it on you.” I subtly avoided him, not at all interested in his casual attempt at appeasement. Caleb wasn’t annoyed and started speaking earnestly. “I haven’t had time to accompany you properly lately, but I promise I’ll treat you well in the future.” “I’ve already been forced into marriage by you and your father. What more do you want? So don’t mind Natalie’s presence.” “She’s just divorced and pregnant. I pity her and want to take care of her, that’s all.” He looked at me and said without hesitation, “As long as you don’t mind her presence, and we three can live well together, I can still treat you as well as before.” I stared at him, speechless, amused by his matter-of-fact words. Then, pointing at the door, I coldly said one word. “Get out.” As he left, he cast a disdainful glance at me, shaking his head to indicate that I didn’t know what was good for me. I kept a cold face and called my father with a grievance. “Dad, I’ve already bought a ticket to go abroad. I want to live with you and mom.” “I’m never coming back.”

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My mom runs a boutique selling silk nightgowns. The prices are steep: 2,000forashortone,2,000 for a short one, 2,000forashortone,4,000 for a long one. Yet, women flock to the store, swearing that her nightgowns are made from fabric so fine it makes their skin soft and their complexion glow like spring. But when my sister asked for one, Mom refused. Unhappy with the rejection, my sister decided to sneak into the storage room and take one for herself. That night, I overheard strange noises coming from the storage room. My mom runs her nightgown boutique next to a small nail salon. Her shop is quite unique: it only sells women’s nightgowns, and they’re available in limited quantities—just ten a night, sold only after sunset. One evening, a group of young women, dressed to the nines, gathered outside the shop, giggling nervously and shoving each other but refusing to step in. “Hey, pretty ladies! Why don’t you come inside?” I peeked out from behind my mom and waved at them. The most striking of the group—an older girl with long, flowing hair—flipped her hair dramatically and gave a coy laugh. She nudged one of the younger, blushing girls forward. “Mrs. Carter, do you still have any left? Get my little sister here a nightgown, would you?” She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “The longest, most form-fitting one you have!” “There’s still stock,” Mom replied, a faint smile on her face. The girl blushed, a soft pink spreading across her cheeks as she muttered awkwardly. “Well, uh, the last one I bought… I accidentally tore it.” She winced. “Mrs. Carter, can you please pick another one for me? I promise I’ll be more careful this time!” Mom’s expression immediately soured. “How many times have I told you? These silk nightgowns are made from the rarest material—you couldn’t put a price on them! If you buy one, you have to take care of it! How on earth did you ruin it?” “Oh, it’s because… well… it felt so good on my skin that I… never mind! Please, Mrs. Carter, just one more! I’ll pay whatever it costs. I promise to treat it better this time!” “Fine.” She clung to Mom’s arm, pleading until Mom reluctantly nodded. “Short ones are 2,000,longones2,000, long ones 2,000,longones4,000,” Mom said curtly. She gave the older girl a once-over and frowned at the excitement practically radiating off her. “For you, it’s double this time. $8,000. And you’ll have to put it on here in the store. No taking it home.” “Deal!” The girl stomped her stiletto heel in triumph, her face lighting up with joy. “Eight thousand dollars?!” The younger girl gasped, her face contorting in disbelief. She cast a cautious glance at Mom, and when she saw Mom wasn’t upset, she whispered to her sister. “Sis… are these nightgowns really worth that much? I mean, eight grand? Do you know how many hours we’d have to work scrubbing old men’s feet to make that kind of money?” “Trust me,” her sister said confidently. “Mrs. Carter’s silk nightgowns are unlike anything you’ve ever worn. Once you put one on…” Her voice trailed off, and her expression turned bashful. “Let’s just say they’re magical. They make you feel amazing. You’ll see for yourself. And once you wear one, you won’t have to worry about scrubbing feet anymore—you’ll have rich men chasing after you instead.” The younger girl hesitated, then finally nodded. “Mrs. Carter, please remember what I said. Get her the longest, most form-fitting one!” Mom smiled mysteriously, running her hands over the younger girl’s waist and sizing her up. “Don’t worry. We’ve got plenty in stock tonight—long ones, short ones, whatever you want.”

Mom led the two sisters to the back of the shop, where she slowly slid open a hidden door. “Wait… why do we need to go to the basement just to pick out a nightgown?” The younger girl stared nervously at the dark staircase leading down. She swallowed hard, her unease written all over her face. Mom gave her a cryptic smile. “A nightgown like this is different from anything else you’ve worn. The fit has to be perfect—length, size, everything. Otherwise, you won’t get a good night’s sleep.” Before the younger girl could protest, her sister grabbed her hand and pulled her down the steps. I watched as the hidden door closed behind them. Bored, I plopped down on the floor, waiting. Mom had always told me I wasn’t allowed in there. She said kids shouldn’t see what was inside—it wasn’t “appropriate.” But I wasn’t a kid anymore. Pouting, I pressed my ear against the door, straining to catch any sounds. What I heard was… strange. Rustling noises, faint murmurs, and the occasional sharp cry. Were they fighting over the same nightgown in there? I was puzzled. After two hours, I finally heard loud voices from behind the door. It sounded like they had made their choice. Brushing the dust off my pants, I stood up. Sure enough, a moment later, the hidden door creaked open, and Mom emerged with the two sisters. Both of their faces were flushed, but the younger one looked like she could barely stand, her legs trembling. The older sister was now wearing a short, fitted slip dress, while the younger one had on a long, sleek nightgown. But… they didn’t seem that long to me. I frowned in confusion. Still, they did look different—prettier somehow. The girls waiting outside the shop gasped when they saw the transformation. “Wow, your skin looks so radiant!” “And your complexion—it’s glowing!” The younger girl—apparently called Ann—touched her flushed cheeks, embarrassed but pleased, and hid behind her sister. Mom grinned, helping the girls out the door with a touch of pride. “This is just the immediate effect,” she said. “The more you wear it, the better it gets. We only sell to girls recommended by regulars. Save up your money, and you can all buy one someday.” “But remember this.” Mom’s expression turned serious, almost eerie. “These fabrics are extraordinarily rare. You must treasure them. Wear them with care.” “Whatever you do, don’t let them tear again.”

That evening, my sister came home sobbing uncontrollably. It turned out that her boyfriend of four years had dumped her. The reason? He said she was ugly. “Mom! I can’t live like this anymore!” she wailed. “How is it that you’re so gorgeous, but my sister and I turned out like this? Are you even our real mom?” Mom avoided her gaze, brushing it off with a casual excuse. “Oh, don’t blame me—it’s your dad’s fault. He passed on all the bad genes to you.” But we’d never even met our dad. Not once in our entire lives. “I don’t care!” my sister screamed. “Mom, everyone says your silk nightgowns can make women beautiful! I want to wear one too! I want to be just as stunning as those girls next door—you know, the ones who work at the nail salon? I’ll show Jason what he’s missing!” She begged and pleaded, demanding a silk nightgown so she could “transform,” but Mom refused. She wouldn’t explain why, only mumbling something about it being “for her own good.” Of course, my sister wasn’t having any of it. That night, she dragged me out of bed, shaking me awake. “You’re coming with me. We’re stealing one of those nightgowns.” “I know where Mom hides them,” she whispered, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “They’re in the basement under the storage room. Once I get my hands on one, I’ll look just like Mom—beautiful, with a perfect body. Jason will regret ever leaving me!” She was already imagining her ex crawling back to her. I, on the other hand, was panicking. “What if Mom catches us?” I whispered, trying to talk her out of it. But she wouldn’t listen. The storage room was far scarier at night. When the hidden door creaked open, the narrow staircase leading to the basement was pitch black. We stood at the top, staring into the darkness. Neither of us dared to take the first step. Finally, the temptation to be beautiful won out, and my sister mustered up her courage. She ran her hands along the damp walls, making her way down blindly, step by step. Every few steps, she’d glance back at me, her face pale, as if she expected some terrible creature to leap out from the shadows and drag her away. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, either. I’d seen how other people cared for silk fabric—how they’d hang it out in the sun to keep it fresh and dry. So why did Mom’s silk nightgowns have to be stored in such a dark, creepy basement?

Suddenly, there was a loud bang from the basement. I jumped, my heart racing. “Sister! Are you okay?” I called down, ready to run after her. “Don’t come in!” she shouted back. “I’m fine! It’s just… ahhh!” “Did you fall? Are you hurt?” I could hear her voice, trembling and breathless, but instead of sounding hurt, she sounded… excited. “I’m fine!” she called back, her voice muffled. “I found them! Mom’s nightgowns! Don’t come down here—I’ll put one on and come back up, okay?” She told me to stand guard outside the basement door, making me promise not to let Mom catch her in the act. Before I could argue, she slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside. An hour passed. Then another. I was pacing back and forth, panicking. “Sister! Hurry up! Mom always wakes up early—if she catches us, I’m dead!” I banged on the door, whispering urgently. But she didn’t answer. Instead, strange noises started coming from the basement. Rustling, thudding, and—was that crying? “Sister? Are you okay? What’s going on in there?” I pressed my ear to the door, my hands clammy with sweat. For a moment, everything went quiet. Then, finally, I heard her voice again—weak and trembling. “I’m fine,” she said, though she sounded like she could barely breathe. “It’s just… this nightgown is too long. It’s really hard to put on. Don’t come in!” Her words didn’t match her tone. She sounded fragile, almost like she was running out of air. I couldn’t help but wonder—what was she doing in there? Curiosity got the better of me. I crouched down and peeked through a crack in the wooden door. At first, I couldn’t see anything. The basement was so dark that it felt like staring into a void. But as my eyes adjusted, I began to make out a blurry figure.

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On Valentine’s Day, my flower shop was bustling with business. One customer sent me a picture through DoorDash, asking if I could make the popular cash bouquet that was trending online at the time. I quickly counted, and the bouquet required 52 one-hundred-dollar bills to be stacked. However, he had only paid me 50 dollars. “I want it exactly like the picture, or I’ll leave you a bad review!” I patiently explained that the cash needed to be paid for separately, but all my messages remained unread. As the scheduled time drew nearer, and not wanting to damage my shop’s reputation, I reluctantly decided to use training banknotes as a substitute. The next day, to my surprise, the customer showed up with people to smash my shop. “You fucking bitch! I’ve been so nice to support your business, and you try to fool me with training banknotes? Now my crush won’t even talk to me! “I’m telling you, if you don’t pay me 50,000 dollars for emotional distress, I’ll make sure you regret this!” Robert Morales stepped on the fresh flowers and gestured with his hands. “Pay up! If you don’t, I’ll destroy your flower shop!” Many customers around stopped picking flowers and looked over. I felt heartbroken seeing the blue hyacinths crushed under his feet. This variety had just arrived at the shop. I loved them and had planned to keep a few for myself. A regular customer, Clara Jones, spoke up for me, “There must be some misunderstanding. We’ve been regulars here for a long time. She’s not the kind of person to do this.” Robert immediately pointed a finger at Clara and cursed, “You fucking bitch! None of your damn business!” Then Robert turned to me, his face full of anger. “If it hadn’t been for her using training banknotes in the custom-made cash bouquet for my crush, my crush would have been touched by my sincerity and would have agreed to be with me already!” As soon as he said that, people around started to think I had taken money for nothing, and began to criticize me. An older man’s face darkened, and he cursed at me, “As a business owner, how could you do something so unethical? “You took the money but didn’t deliver, and now you’ve ruined their relationship! How could you, a young girl, be so greedy for money? “Aren’t you going to return the money and compensate him?” Other customers didn’t directly shout at me, but they were all gossiping about me. I glared at Robert’s smug face and remembered why I had used training banknotes for the bouquet. It turned out that the night before, he had only paid 50 dollars and asked me to make a cash bouquet that needed 52 one-hundred-dollar bills stacked inside. I sent him many messages explaining that I was just running a small business. I asked him to bring cash to my shop or transfer the money to me. But he didn’t reply to a single message. According to DoorDash’s rules, if the order wasn’t delivered on time, the shop’s reputation score would drop. I had worked hard for years to maintain an excellent reputation score with no negative reviews. As the deadline approached, I had no choice but to use training banknotes to make the cash bouquet and deliver it. That evening, I received a negative review and a refund request. The reason was that the product didn’t match the picture. My DMs were flooded with angry texts. [You fucking bitch! Who allowed you to use training banknotes?] [How dare you try to fool me with these training banknotes? I guess you’re thinking of closing your shop, huh?] [My crush won’t even talk to me. According to DoorDash’s rules, you must compensate me ten times the amount, that’s 52,000 dollars. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.] He requested a refund only. Looking at those messages, my head was spinning. I immediately appealed on DoorDash, and his refund-only request was rejected. He was hopping mad and left some threatening messages in the chat. [You’ll regret this!] But I didn’t expect that he would show up at my shop this morning to pick a fight. I pulled out my phone and showed everyone the entire chat history. “I didn’t take money for nothing. The chat history can prove it. “He wanted a cash bouquet made from 52 one-hundred-dollar bills, but only paid me 50 dollars. How can this even be possible? I’m just running a small business. I can’t afford to deal with this kind of hassle. “And I also told him I couldn’t do it. I called him multiple times, but he never answered.”

This was absolutely ridiculous. I couldn’t believe something like this happened to me. I felt wronged and wanted to cry. The customers gathered around to look at the chat history. Clara comforted me, “I always said Ms. Wilson was an honest person. How could she do something like this?” Robert sneered, contemptuously smashing a vase on the floor. “You old hag, who asked you?” He then stomped his foot on my beloved fabric sofa, leaving a big black footprint. He pretended to be the one in the right. “She promised the bouquet would look exactly like the picture, that’s why I gave this order to her. “But she even messed up the most important part of the bouquet. Isn’t it normal for me to ask for compensation?” My flower shop promised that if a customer provided a picture, the finished bouquet would have no more than a 5% difference. The bouquet I made, compared to the picture he sent me, was exactly the same, except for the training banknotes. “If you didn’t want this order, I could have gone to another flower shop. Since you took it, you should have made it exactly like the picture!” I had never encountered such an unreasonable thug, so I was at a loss for words. “I sent you many messages saying I couldn’t do it, but all remained unread. I tried calling you, but you didn’t pick up. DoorDash doesn’t allow merchants to issue refunds without reason, so I had no choice but to use training banknotes. “For a flower order, after the platform takes its share and I cover the costs, I only get a few dozen dollars. Do you expect me to pay out of my own pocket for you? Is that even possible? “You think you can get a bouquet worth 5,200 dollars for just 50 dollars? No wonder she blocked you!” I was furious. This was clearly extortion. Everyone around me felt sorry for me and stood up for me. “You’re a grown man, and you actually think you can get a bouquet worth 5,200 dollars for just 50 dollars? Where in the world does something like that even happen?” “You must be nuts! Ms. Wilson isn’t running a charity. She’s going to lose money on your order.” “Exactly. Ms. Wilson is the real victim here, dealing with a customer like you. What you’re doing isn’t business. It’s robbery!” The customers were all defending me. Hearing this, Robert got even angrier. He jumped off the sofa, pointed a finger at me, and cursed. “Stop spouting nonsense. She’s the reason my crush won’t talk to me anymore. That’s the truth, right? “Am I not entitled to ask for some compensation for mental distress? “And then…” Suddenly, he changed his tone and stared at me. “With such a tiny profit, how can you even run a flower shop? “Who knows how you even manage to keep this shop open? “Every day, you dress all fancy, and men are coming in and out. Who knows what kind of shady business you’re running!” Robert’s friend immediately chimed in, grinning lewdly. “Exactly! I’ve seen men going in and out of her flower shop at night. “I kept thinking this girl looked familiar. Turns out she’s a call girl, only charging 200 dollars for the whole night!” Robert laughed loudly. “Well, that’s definitely a small business.” He picked up one of the potted roses I had planted, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. “With a private life like that, how can you still buy flowers from her? Aren’t you afraid of catching something?”

They spread rumors about me, causing my customers to drop the flowers and leave. I was so furious that my hands were shaking. I was shocked by his shamelessness. The flowers in my shop were delivered every night, carefully arranged by me for sale the next day. Yet, this guy spread rumors, claiming that I had an inappropriate relationship with the delivery workers. My flower shop had been running for almost five years. I worked hard every day. Not only were my prices lower than most other shops, but my flowers were air-shipped fresh every day, so fresh that you could literally see the water dripping off them. I had been running this shop with integrity, but he slandered me with lies. I clenched my fists, telling myself not to show weakness. “Everything needs proof. If you’re spreading rumors, I’ll take legal action.” Today was Valentine’s Day, one of the most profitable days of the year. I had hoped to handle this privately, avoiding the time-consuming police report. But this guy, Robert, clearly wasn’t going to let it go. I pulled out my phone and called the police. He tried to grab my phone, but I dodged him. When the police arrived, his attitude was still arrogant. They stepped over the flowers and vases scattered on the floor and took both of us to the station. Once at the station, his arrogance quickly deflated. He no longer had that thug-like attitude. “This lady reports that you damaged her shop’s property and spread rumors about her shop’s illegitimacy,” the officer said, taking notes. Robert’s face changed immediately. “This is a misunderstanding, officer! “If it weren’t for her using training banknotes that my crush found out about, my crush and I would’ve been together! “She’s the one who destroyed my relationship! I was just giving her a little lesson!” Of course, he didn’t mention the part where he tried to get a bouquet worth 5,200 dollars for just 50 dollars. He conveniently skipped that part. I interrupted, “Why don’t you mention how you tried to get a bouquet worth 5,200 dollars for just 50 dollars? Dream on! Your crush just blocked you, and that’s already too much for you! She blocked you but didn’t even insult you.” He was angered by me and shouted, “You fucking bitch! Officer! She’s admitting that she ruined my relationship! I’m so angry. I have a headache and stomach pain. I need to go to the hospital, and she owes me compensation for emotional distress!” He was throwing a tantrum on the ground. “Stay quiet!” He forced a smile. “Yes, sir.” The officer turned to me. “Can you explain what happened?” I presented the chat history and security footage, showing that he had attempted to extort me and then damaged my shop’s facilities. “He also spread rumors about my shop being involved in illegal activities. “I’m going to sue him for defamation.” Robert, now frantic, shouted, “Look at how well-dressed you are, and with all those men coming in and out of your shop, it’s hard not to suspect something! I just said a couple of things. Why are you suing me for that?” The officer tapped the table with his pen. “Stay quiet.” He finally stopped talking. The officer looked up at him and said, “You really think you can get a bouquet worth 5,200 dollars for just 50 dollars? Why don’t you just go rob her? Your actions are clearly illegal.” “And you spreading rumors about me being involved in illegal activities has damaged my reputation,” I added. The officer nodded. “That’s right. You’re guilty of provoking trouble and will be detained for four days. You need to compensate the shop owner for the damages. “As for spreading rumors, you’ll be detained for five days and fined 500 dollars…”

As soon as Robert heard that he had to pay such a large sum of money, he immediately backed down. I demanded legal action. The compensation I was entitled to was absolutely going to be received. After handling everything at the police station, I returned to the shop. I looked at the mess all over the floor and felt incredibly frustrated. This flower shop… I had spent five years building it up, little by little, into what it was today. The small chandelier hanging from the ceiling was something I had installed with my own hands. The fabric on the sofa was cut and sewn by me, piece by piece. The flowers and plants in the shop had been taken care of by me for a long time as well. In past years, I would usually make a little extra money on Valentine’s Day. But today, with the mess that Robert had caused, I couldn’t even make a profit—forget about earning money; I was losing everything. This couldn’t go on. I had to pull myself together. So, I began cleaning up the mess. I sold off the remaining fresh flowers at a low price. The next day, I noticed that there were noticeably fewer customers in my shop. But a few days later, a large order suddenly came in. The customer said it was for a birthday party. I couldn’t help but feel a little relieved, thinking that the loss caused by Robert might finally be recovered through this big order. I took a quick look at the recipient’s name—Jameson Cox. Robert’s incident had made me extra cautious. I decided to call the customer to confirm everything. It was a big order, and if the customer canceled at the last minute, I’d lose a huge amount of money again. The customer replied politely, so I felt a bit more at ease. Robert had been detained, so I assumed he would have learned his lesson. But I still felt a little uneasy inside. When I finally delivered and set up all the flowers, my previous unease turned into reality. Robert appeared with a group of people, grinning lecherously at me. “Hey, isn’t this the owner of Daily Blossom?” he mocked. I quickly realized that he was nothing but a thug—how could he possibly let this go so easily? “What do you want?” I asked, feeling both frustrated and unwilling to back down. I had worked so hard to run this flower shop. What did I do to deserve this? Was it just because I didn’t let him take advantage that he wanted to get back at me? Seeing my furious expression, Robert laughed loudly, but then his face turned dark. “I was locked up for ten days because of your call to the police, and I had to pay thousands of dollars in compensation. How could I just let you off the hook? No way!” He spat, spreading his hands wide. “One hundred thousand dollars in compensation, not a penny less. Otherwise, you’ll regret it!” To my surprise, just a few days later, even the amount of the compensation had gone up. One hundred thousand dollars—this was almost half a year’s profit from my flower shop. How could I possibly pay him that much? “That’s impossible! I won’t give you a single penny!” I said firmly. I dropped the flowers and walked out. He had a lot of people with him, and I was afraid of what they might do to me, so I left quickly, my palms sweating. I kept my guard up, thinking I would call the police if anything went wrong. But they didn’t do anything. Fortunately, they had already paid in advance. And since I believed there was nothing wrong with the flowers, I thought that even if they came up with all kinds of excuses, I was confident they couldn’t just get a refund. I kept reassuring myself. But when I got home and checked the messages on DoorDash, I was stunned.

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On Lucas’s 30th birthday, I was forced to drink strong liquor in front of everyone by his first love. “She’s more fun when she’s drunk. Want to see?” Emma said with a mischievous grin. The crowd looked concerned. “Lucas, is this really okay?” Lucas replied coldly, “It’s fine. She has dementia anyway.” “When she wakes up tomorrow, she won’t remember a thing.” He led me by the hand like a docile puppet. Because no matter how he treated me, the next morning, I would only remember the way he loved me. Lucas’s 30th birthday party was a grand affair with many guests. There were old classmates and many people I didn’t recognize. During dinner, the group started playing Truth or Dare. “Lucas, when are you and Olivia getting married?” someone asked. Olivia is me. I’ve been with Lucas for many years, from his humble beginnings to his current success. We still haven’t married. “We’ll see. No rush,” Lucas said casually, almost reluctant to discuss it. His first love, Emma, was sitting across from us. She had come back from abroad especially for Lucas. I heard he had already arranged a position for her at his company. Emma swirled her wine glass, seemingly tipsy. “Let me ask Lucas a personal question. Is the person you like here tonight?” This sparked excitement among the guests. Lucas took my hand in front of Emma and said, “The only person I love is Olivia.” Emma’s expression fell, momentarily stunned, before she said bitterly, “I see.” Only I knew that Lucas was gripping my hand so tightly it almost hurt. He was hoping Emma would break down and beg him to get back together. The next round, it was my turn. Emma, seemingly not satisfied, pleaded with Lucas with misty eyes: “Lucas, let her do a dare, please?” I looked at Lucas in disbelief. He knew the dare was to drink a glass of 56-proof vodka. But Emma’s single plea was enough to make Lucas disregard everything. “Alright,” he agreed. Emma perked up, pulling her chair back and approaching with the glass. “She’s more fun when she’s drunk. Want to see?” Back in school, Emma had tricked me into drinking, then stripped me and took photos. I’ve remembered it all these years. Panicked, I grabbed my purse. “I’m not playing anymore. I’m going home.” Emma, with strength from who knows where, grabbed my arm with help from others. “Olivia, you have to follow through on the dare.” “Lucas, please don’t do this. I can’t drink alcohol.” Lucas just sat at the table, not even bothering to look up. “If you go along with her, I’ll marry you.” Emma forced my jaw open and poured the strong liquor down my throat. It made me choke and cough. The old classmates around looked worried: “Lucas, is this really okay?” Lucas said coldly, “It’s fine. She has dementia anyway.” “When she wakes up tomorrow, she won’t remember a thing.” I was still coughing from the alcohol when I gathered myself and slapped Lucas hard across the face. The room went silent. A red handprint appeared on Lucas’s cheek. Emma gasped, about to rush over. Lucas pushed her away coldly. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

Actually, I only found out I was sick this morning. It was Lucas’s birthday, and I was happily making a cake when he snatched the ingredients from my hands and threw them in the trash. “Don’t bother. I don’t like cake.” He used to love it. I cautiously asked, “Lucas, are you angry about something?” He lowered his head and handed me his tie. “Olivia, help me with my tie.” Before I could finish speaking, I suddenly lost control of my bladder. The living room floor was a mess. The liquid dripping down my legs made me freeze for a moment. What’s… happening to me? Lucas’s previously calm expression instantly tensed. In the end, he just crouched down and silently cleaned the floor. He didn’t say a word the whole time. I helplessly followed behind him, feeling lost: “Lucas, I… I don’t know what’s wrong with me…” He washed his hands many times in the bathroom before saying: “You’re sick.” As he said this, I saw undisguised disgust on his face. I thought, if I hadn’t been with him through all these years of hardship, Lucas would probably want to break up with me. After Lucas left for work, it took me a long time to accept the fact that I was sick. Feeling anxious, I went to Lucas’s office around noon. But I saw Emma outside his company building. She looked like she had fallen, covered in dirt, with Lucas’s expensive coat draped over her shoulders. Her eyes gazed at Lucas with lingering affection. Lucas feigned indifference, but when Emma lowered her head, he silently stared at her, lost in thought. And then, tonight’s events happened.

It was very late when we got home from the party. Lucas suddenly informed me: “Emma’s coming to visit you in a few days. Be good and don’t argue with her.” In just one day, I had accepted too many things. My emotions were on the verge of collapse. “Why is she coming to see me? To see when I’ll die?” “Olivia, don’t throw tantrums.” “I know! I’m sick! No matter how you treat me, I’ll forget everything the next day. I’ll wake up and love you like before, right?” “Lucas, I’m the one suffering. Why can’t I be upset?” “If she dares come to our home, I’ll kill her.” Lucas held the back of my neck, applying slight pressure to make me look him in the eye. His gaze was gentle as he smiled and said: “Olivia, I can let you act out, but this is between us. Don’t hurt others. Okay?” Does this mean he cares? I smashed the decorations on the shelves, leaving the room a mess. Lucas didn’t get angry. “If that’s not enough, there’s more in the bedroom. If that’s still not enough, I can always buy more. Smash as much as you want.” His cold indifference drove me crazy. I sank my teeth into Lucas’s flesh, drawing blood. Lucas frowned slightly, carried me to the bedroom, and whispered in my ear: “Little wildcat, be good tonight.” “You’ve already threatened to break up with me eighteen times this month. You don’t remember any of them.” “Olivia, this is all you have left in this life.”

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While we were on a yacht trip, my wife Miranda’s first love, Aaron Moore, deliberately sabotaged our yacht, causing it to sink to the bottom of the sea. In my past life, when the yacht broke, I immediately asked my wife, who worked as a Coast Guard officer, to save me and our daughter. Although our daughter was saved, Aaron sank to the bottom of the sea that very day. Miranda comforted me, telling me not to worry. She not only let me rest in the hospital to recover from my injuries but also bought seafood to help replenish my nutrients. However, she tricked me into feeding both myself and our daughter a highly toxic blue-ringed octopus. Before I died, Miranda showed her vicious face and said, “Honey, baby, you killed Aaron. I will make you pay with your lives.” Heaven had mercy on me, and I was reborn back to the moment when the yacht sank. This time, I would repay everything. As the waves kept flooding into the cabin, the yacht rocked so much that I could hardly stand. I tightened my grip around my daughter. The dizziness and nausea made me want to vomit. I turned and threw up in a corner. As I vomited, I suddenly snapped out of the horrific scene of my past life. This time, instead of rushing to my captain wife and asking her to fix the yacht, I immediately called the coast guard’s emergency rescue hotline. Huddled in the corner, I looked at my daughter in my arms, waiting for the crew and sailors to come. From a distance, I saw Miranda, wearing a uniform, running in the opposite direction of the room I was in. When I saw her helping the seemingly unconscious Aaron walk to the highest point of the yacht, I felt relieved enough to call for help from the others. The sailors seemed to think I was just joking, as they teased me for a while. The yacht’s tilt grew worse, and in the corner I was in, some unknown octopuses had already crawled inside. The sea smell made me continue to vomit until I coughed up blood. Still, they ignored me, choosing instead to help other passengers with their bags and belongings, not even sparing me a glance. I endured the constant nausea, pulled the octopuses off me, and climbed toward the highest point of the deck with my daughter. However, the few remaining intact life jackets were all put on Aaron. Miranda didn’t even bother to look at me and simply placed Aaron on the life raft she had repaired. My brain was spinning due to the rocking, and the nausea kept intensifying. In my past life, when I realized the yacht had a leak, Aaron and I ran to Miranda’s room, but in order to protect me and our daughter, Miranda left the only intact life raft for us. By the time she found out that the other life rafts had been damaged, she turned to look for Aaron, only to find that his room had already been submerged due to the tilting of the yacht. Later, the coast guard recovered the wreckage for an entire week but never found his body. At that time, Miranda comforted me, telling me it wasn’t my fault and told me to focus on recovering. She even reduced her time at work and took special care of me. But when I was about to be discharged, she took me and our daughter to the very area where Aaron had gone missing. In front of me, she took out a blue-ringed octopus and shoved it into our daughter’s mouth. I recognized instantly that it was the highly toxic blue-ringed octopus. My daughter’s face turned dark purple, yet Miranda’s grotesque expression was truly horrifying. She asked, “Nathan, do you know that drowning is one of the most painful ways to die? Aaron was so afraid of pain, but he died like that because of you! I’m going to make you suffer a thousand times more than he did!” She tied a stone to my body, and I sank to the bottom of the sea with my daughter. This time, I only wanted to save myself and escape from this terrifying woman.

I never expected that in this life, she would be even colder and more ruthless, not willing to give us even a single life jacket. Watching my daughter’s life slowly slipping away, I clutched her tightly in my arms and dragged myself over to her with great difficulty. Grabbing the hem of her uniform, I used all my strength to plead with her, “Give me a life jacket. Save our daughter, please!” To my surprise, she ignored my plea for my daughter’s sake and shoved me away, then turned and walked off without a second glance. My body lost balance, and I stumbled, my knee crashing painfully against the deck. The sharp pain shot through me, and the pungent fishy smell from the deck made it hard to breathe. The pain and the stench overwhelmed me, but I immediately checked on my daughter in my arms. Seeing that she was unharmed, I finally let out a sigh of relief. But just then, a more mocking voice reached my ears. “Nathan, what are you pretending for? Isn’t it just that you want to steal Aaron’s life jacket? You’re really shameless. Aaron’s unconscious, and you still want to take his things. If you hadn’t damaged the life rafts, we would have escaped by now! Don’t touch the captain with your dirty hands!” “A man who would sacrifice everyone on board just to satisfy his own desires should really be sent to a mental hospital for treatment. And stop fooling around. If it weren’t for your daughter, Miranda would have divorced you a long time ago. Do you really think you’re worthy of competing with a star like Aaron?” I knew Miranda had always looked down on me, but I didn’t expect even her crew to think I was mentally ill. But the swaying of the yacht and the intense pain in my knee made my thoughts blur, and the water was now rising past my calves. The crew was busy tending to other passengers, and no one even spared me a glance. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard voices around me. “What’s wrong with your crew? There’s an injured passenger here, about to die, and you’re still busy saving the yacht’s property?” “Ma’am, don’t worry. We all know him. He’s fine. He’s just making a scene to get the captain’s attention.” “Hey, some passengers are asking why we’re not helping Nathan. Maybe you should have Miranda check on him.” Sure enough, Miranda came, but she didn’t come to save me. She came to scold me. I only vaguely saw the tip of her leather shoes, and then I felt the excruciating pain as her shoes kicked me in the head. Miranda viciously said to me, “Nathan, I’m here, are you happy now? I really think I should send you to a mental hospital. Why did you break the life rafts? Do you really need such a scene to compete with Aaron for attention? The whole yacht is stuck here because of you!” I could only force a bitter laugh. Even in this state, she still thought I was jealous, and she still thought I, a seasick person, could have damaged all the life rafts. I was about to explain, but the nauseous feeling returned, and I could only start vomiting again. The area around my knee had gone numb from being soaked in water. I couldn’t even throw up bile anymore, but I still reached out, trying to touch her pants. I hoped that before the coast guards arrived, I could at least take my daughter to a safer place. But she kicked me away and stepped right onto my leg. “Don’t think that using our daughter as an excuse will make me soften. If it weren’t for my health, I wouldn’t have even bothered to give birth to her. You’re still trying to fool me, but you don’t know that Aaron just woke up. He said he saw you holding a fruit knife, trying to cut the life rafts. This act is getting old and boring.” After saying that, she ground her foot into my leg. The next moment, a passenger nearby screamed out, “Are you crazy? Are you trying to kill him?” To my surprise, Miranda didn’t even look back. She said, “Look at the color, bright red, clearly paint. Normal blood wouldn’t be this color. Don’t worry about him. He’s the reason we’re all in danger. He deserves a little punishment for what he’s done.” After the intense pain, everything in front of me went black, and I lost consciousness completely.

In my dream, it felt as though I had returned to the moment when I first reunited with Miranda. It was at an alumni gathering. She wore a captain’s uniform, looking graceful and beautiful. Despite the attention she attracted from everyone around her, she remained cold as ice, keeping her distance from others. Her demeanor made my heart flutter all over again. I began to pay close attention to her schedule and found excuses to appear by her side. Whether through alumni events or marine conservation activities, I did everything I could to create chances for accidental encounters. At first, she remained indifferent, but I didn’t back down. I took the opportunity to invite her to discuss sailing-related topics or to share carefully prepared gifts like nautical instrument models and specially crafted lanterns. I tried my best to appear interesting, independent, and someone who understood her world. Gradually, she started to warm up to me. After one dinner, I noticed her gaze toward me had changed. Hope sparked in my heart, and I boldly pursued her, giving her more thoughtful little gifts and even preparing customized gear for her crew. She didn’t give me a clear response, but she didn’t refuse either. I thought I was getting closer to happiness. Finally, she accepted me. I believed this was the beginning of our beautiful life together, but little did I know, it was the beginning of a nightmare. After we got together, she became increasingly distant, always using work as an excuse to cancel our dates or leave on sudden missions at sea. I believed in her loyalty to her work until the day of our wedding, when the truth was revealed. That day, I received a sudden email from Aaron, her first love. After his divorce, he reconnected with Miranda, and I had been completely unaware. Their relationship had quietly resumed while I was dating Miranda. In the email, Aaron openly described every moment they spent together after reuniting. Their emotional entanglements over the past 10 years had never truly been severed. It turned out that Miranda’s coldness toward me stemmed from the fact that she had always been by Aaron’s side. Her so-called work and tasks were just a cover for their secret relationship. I felt immense pain, but I didn’t have the courage to confront her. I was afraid of losing her, and I couldn’t bring myself to face the brutal truth. In my previous life, when Aaron died unexpectedly, she remained so calm, even making me think I was the only one left standing. During that time, she took me to several remote cottages away from the city and even personally designed a room with a sea view for me. Her gestures, which seemed to promise me a stable life, made me let down all my guard. But I was terribly wrong. It wasn’t until I died at her hands that I realized all her “care” was part of a carefully planned revenge. She had never truly loved me. The only person she had ever loved was always Aaron. When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital room, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, but Miranda was nowhere to be seen. “Are you okay?” a woman beside me, dressed in a coast guard uniform, spoke in a calm yet concerned tone. “I’m from the Coast Guard. When I was aboard inspecting the yacht, I found you unconscious on the deck. Your condition wasn’t good, so we immediately brought you to the hospital. How are you feeling? Is anything hurting?” The first thing I did when I regained consciousness was ask about my daughter’s whereabouts. “I’m sorry,” she said carefully, “the doctor said… your daughter had already passed away when she was brought in.” Her words, though gentle, couldn’t soften the blow. I gave a bitter smile. “It’s not your fault. I knew it already. Thank you for bringing me to the hospital.” Even a complete stranger could tell something was wrong with my body, but my wife, the woman who had been married to me for five years, had never once shown any concern. Seeing my mood darken, the officer furrowed her brows, her tone turning serious. “You were in a dangerous condition. Why didn’t the crew on the yacht take immediate rescue measures? If we hadn’t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Where is your family? Why hasn’t your child’s mother shown up?” I forced a nod, my voice barely audible. “She… is gone.” The officer gave me a complicated look, as though wanting to say something, but in the end, she simply sighed. She offered to help contact my family and stay with me at the hospital until I recovered. I declined her kindness and transferred the hospitalization and surgery fees to her before urging her to leave.

Although the officer had left, the public opinion surrounding the maritime accident had already begun to ferment. News of the yacht’s leaks and malfunctioning rescue equipment quickly spread online, becoming a hot topic of discussion. Someone had taken a blurry photo of me being carried off the yacht by the coast guards, and it quickly sparked a discussion on social media. The comment section was filled with doubt and anger. Netizen 1: [A big yacht is leaking, and all the rescue boats fail? What kind of management is this?] Netizen 2: [A yacht this important doesn’t even have backup equipment? How irresponsible!] Netizen 3: [If the coast guards hadn’t arrived, this man might have died on the yacht, right? Where were the crew? What were they doing? Why didn’t anyone help him right away?] Netizen 4: [What happened? Can we trust a fleet like this?] These doubts and criticisms no longer had any effect on me. My disappointment in Miranda had already hollowed me out, and those comments online were probably just the beginning for her. But for me, they were far from enough. I opened my phone, preparing to send Miranda a message to file for divorce. However, before I could type a few words, a message popped up first. It was from Aaron. [You’re in this hospital too? I just heard. What a coincidence.] His message seemed neutral, but there was an unmistakable air of superiority in his tone. He followed up with another message. In the photo, Miranda stood by his bedside, her brows furrowed, her face focused as she discussed his condition with the doctor. Even in this simple side profile, it was clear how much Aaron meant to her. I stared at the photo coldly, yet my heart remained calm. Such scenes were too familiar to me now, familiar to the point where they no longer stirred any emotions. I closed the message and immediately dialed Miranda’s number. The phone rang several times before she finally picked up. Her voice was laced with clear impatience. “Nathan, what do you want? Isn’t everything chaotic enough?” “Miranda, let’s get a divorce,” I said directly, without any preamble.

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In my previous life, while watching a movie, my husband found a bag. He repeatedly reminded me to verify the owner’s identity before returning it to avoid any problems, then left. Soon, the owner came looking for me. I thought my husband’s advice was right, so I spent half an hour verifying before returning the bag. Not long after, the owner found my house and kicked me flying. He cursed, “It’s all your fault for dawdling and not wanting to return the bag. My son died from a heart attack because he couldn’t find his medicine!” When I tried to explain, I was accused by my female neighbor who was live streaming: “I was the ticket seller at the cinema that day. I saw with my own eyes that Mia kept making excuses not to return the bag because she wanted to keep it for herself!” “Although we’ve been neighbors for years, I can’t stand by and watch her selfishness cause the death of an innocent child!” I was not only sued by the owner but also attacked by everyone online. The day before the trial, I was pushed off a tall building by angry internet trolls and died a horrible death. My female neighbor became a viral internet justice warrior, making a fortune from live streaming. My husband not only didn’t seek justice for me but happily married the female neighbor. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day we found the bag at the cinema.

“Honey, this bag looks expensive. We can’t let someone claim it falsely. Make sure to check the information carefully. Only give it to someone who can describe every item inside!” Jack’s voice came through as I looked down at the all-too-familiar leather bag in my hands. My body still ached as if my limbs had been torn apart. As Jack walked away, I surveyed the familiar cinema, finally realizing what had happened. I had been reborn to the day we found the bag at the cinema. Remembering what happened in my previous life, I decided to get rid of this troublesome bag first. “Excuse me, I found a leather bag,” I said to a staff member. But the person in front of me kept their head down, pretending to be deaf while playing on their phone. They didn’t respond to me at all. I felt something was off. “So you’re the one who found my bag? Hand it over!” Ryan ran over, rudely extending his hand towards me. In my previous life, I remembered my husband’s reminder and asked him what items were in the bag. He stammered for a long time, unable to answer a single question. I still patiently asked for other information, and it took half an hour to confirm the bag was really his. Now that I think about it, it was very suspicious. I made sure nothing was missing from the bag, secretly turned on my phone to record everything, then tossed the bag to Ryan. Now, there shouldn’t be any problems. In my previous life, my husband, who was always busy with work, rarely took me to the cinema. After the movie, Jack found a men’s leather bag. He repeatedly reminded me to carefully verify the owner’s identity before returning it, then hurriedly left. I followed his advice and spent half an hour verifying the owner’s identity before returning the bag. Unexpectedly, not long after, the owner found my house and accused me of not returning the bag containing his son’s heart medication in time, resulting in his son’s death from a heart attack! When I tried to explain, I was accused by my female neighbor who was live streaming: “I was the ticket seller at that cinema. I happened to be working that day and saw with my own eyes that Mia kept making excuses not to return the bag because she wanted to keep it for herself!” “Although we’ve been neighbors for years, I can’t stand by and watch her selfishness cause the death of such a young child!” With these words, all the blame fell on me, and I was branded a murderer! I was not only sued by the owner but also attacked by everyone online. The day before the trial, I was pushed off a tall building by angry internet trolls and died a horrible death. My female neighbor became a viral internet justice warrior, making a fortune from live streaming. My husband not only didn’t seek justice for me but happily married the female neighbor. In this new life, I won’t let the tragedy of my past life repeat itself! Early the next morning, there was a violent knocking at the door. I wondered who it could be. Unexpectedly, Ryan forcibly broke open the door and came in, kicking me to the ground. “You’re the bitch who killed my son!” “When you returned the bag, you secretly took out my son’s medicine, causing him to die from a heart attack!” “I’m going to make you pay with your life!” I was stunned. Why was this life unfolding the same way as the previous one? I had clearly checked that nothing was missing, so why was he saying he couldn’t find the medicine? Ryan was putting all his strength into stomping on me, with no intention of communicating properly. Suddenly, I realized that neither in my previous life nor in this one had Ryan mentioned his son’s heart condition when he came to claim the bag! Otherwise, I would have done everything to save the child first. “I heard everything from inside. How could you be so vicious?” “Just because you couldn’t keep the bag for yourself, you had to cause someone’s death? Is the little money in that bag worth more than a human life?” Jack came out of the neighbor’s house, angrily accusing me. My heart ached. It was Jack who had told me to carefully verify the owner’s identity, and now that something had happened, he was blaming me? Hearing the commotion, Olivia also came out of her house, trying to persuade me kindly: “Mia, you really did wrong this time. A life has been lost, such a poor little child! Let’s apologize to the family and ask for leniency, okay?” Olivia was wearing sexy pajamas, with many visible kiss marks on her body. I snorted coldly: “You two aren’t even trying to hide it anymore? Ever since I got married, you’ve been constantly asking my husband to come over to fix things around your house.” “I thought you were a single mom and life wasn’t easy for you, so I put up with it even though I was uncomfortable. I didn’t expect you two to become so blatant!” “You’re so generous, why don’t you go confess? I won’t admit to something I didn’t do!” Jack, embarrassed and angry, slapped me: “How dare you spread rumors and ruin Olivia’s reputation?” Olivia hid behind Jack and said sarcastically: “Mia, the facts are clear. Even if you try to slander us to divert attention, it won’t work!” Ryan immediately caught on and grabbed my collar menacingly: “Don’t try to change the subject! Wait until the police come, and we’ll see how you can still deny it!” 3 “Officer, my poor grandson had such a miserable fate!” Ryan’s mother came with the police, wiping non-existent tears as she complained: “My poor grandson, so young, died of a heart attack because of this wicked woman. Now he’s lying in a cold coffin, about to be buried.” “He was the only heir of our Thompson family. We can’t let this vicious woman get away with it!” Ryan rolled up his sleeves, making a gesture as if to hit me: “That’s right! We don’t want anything else, we just want you to pay for this murder with your life!” The police stood between us, trying to calm Ryan and his mother. Ryan kept saying he didn’t want compensation, only my life. But from what I heard Mrs. Thompson say earlier— The child was about to be buried, yet neither of them was attending the funeral, instead coming here to deal with me first? If they really cared about the child, why weren’t they going to see him one last time? Olivia suddenly spoke up: “Officer, Mia has always been selfish and likes to take advantage of others. She must know she’s wrong now!” “Mia, I pretended not to notice when you stole my takeout from my doorstep and the sausages downstairs. I thought as longtime neighbors, we should get along and share things. But now someone has died, and you still won’t admit it?” “Mia, why are you still being stubborn? Apologize quickly! If you delay any longer, I won’t be able to help you!” I noticed Olivia discreetly pointing her phone’s rear camera at me. In my previous life, this was when she secretly started live streaming, causing my reputation to be ruined. I coldly grabbed her wrist, and the live stream comments came into view: “Oh my god! She’s been immoral all along, and now she can even harm a child? Is she even human?” “Facing death and still not apologizing? This woman is rotten to the core!” “Doesn’t anyone feel sorry for the streamer? She misjudged someone, forgave so many times, and can only advise her neighbor to turn back now. How kind!” I squeezed her wrist hard and said: “When did I ever steal your things? You’re just pretending to be nice! If you really cared about me, why are you secretly live streaming?” Jack slapped my hand away: “Olivia is righteous and kind-hearted. Of course she wants to expose a scumbag like you publicly!” “I’ve had enough of you for a long time. You’re selfish at home, never do any housework or work, and you’re always beating and scolding me. If it weren’t for my sense of responsibility as a man, I would have divorced you long ago!” I no longer had any feelings for Jack and slapped him back: “You’re willing to do housework, but only at Olivia’s place!” The police coughed twice, signaling us to be quiet. “The surveillance footage we obtained from the cinema shows that Ms. Johnson was the only person who touched the bag.” Jack eagerly said: “The evidence is clear, what else do you have to say for yourself?” “I was truly blind to have married such a vicious woman. How come you haven’t learned any kindness from Olivia after being neighbors for so many years?” I couldn’t help but laugh coldly inside. He’s supposed to be my husband, yet he’s the most eager to convict me. I didn’t rush to present my evidence for self-defense; I still needed to draw out more clues. I tentatively said: “But the surveillance footage also doesn’t show me taking anything out. How can you prove you’re not deliberately slandering me?” “Bah! You murderer, still trying to argue? You even dare to turn this on us? I’ll beat you to death!” Ryan spat at me and rolled up his sleeves, coming to hit me. Mrs. Thompson pretended to stop him but secretly kicked me twice, while still acting pitiful: “Ryan, don’t do anything stupid! We’re all law-abiding citizens. The police will surely bring this menace to justice and send her to prison!” The police struggled to separate the three of us and controlled Ryan with a headache. “Ms. Johnson has a point. The evidence is insufficient. This case needs further investigation!” But my husband wouldn’t have it and blurted out: “Evidence? What more evidence do you need?” “Officer, I’m her husband. I know her best. She’s just bitter about losing her own children and can’t stand seeing other people’s kids. Her mind is twisted, and she wants to take revenge on society!” 4 My heart skipped a beat. I remembered my three daughters from before! The first two died shortly after birth, before I could even see them. I was extremely careful with my third daughter, raising her like my own life until she was three years old. Once, when I returned from a business trip, my mother-in-law told me my daughter had been hit by a car and was already buried. She refused to tell me where the grave was. Those days I was close to a breakdown, but Jack was now tearing open my deepest wound! Remembering the past, I choked up and questioned him: “When I was pregnant with our third daughter, I asked you – your mother has always favored boys over girls. If you were worried that I might not be able to have a son after being hurt, we could divorce!” “You disagreed and sweet-talked me into keeping the baby. Do you regret it now?” Jack, embarrassed and angry, raised his hand to hit me but was stopped by the police: “Sort out your personal matters in private. Regarding this case, Mr. Wilson’s words are not sufficient evidence. Please come with us to the police station to make a statement—” Olivia suddenly interrupted the police with a serious expression: “At this point, I must speak up!” She walked in front of me and made a show of bowing: “I’m sorry, Mia. Although you told me not to say anything, I really can’t bear to see such a young child die innocently.” I frowned, realizing this two-faced woman was stepping on me again. “I was the ticket seller at the cinema that day. I saw with my own eyes Mia secretly taking out the medicine from the bag behind the cameras before reluctantly returning it.” “She originally wanted to give the bag to me, to frame me, but I couldn’t do such a thing! With my conscience, I can’t cover up for her anymore.” I understood now that the staff member who ignored me earlier was Olivia! Mrs. Thompson held Olivia’s hand, full of gratitude: “Ms. Parker is truly impartial and righteous!” “On behalf of our grandson, I thank you for coming forward to testify. Officer, can you arrest her now?” Ryan raised his eyebrows at me triumphantly, but I felt increasingly strange. I was certain that this mother and son didn’t care about the child’s life at all! They just wanted to send me to jail! I kindly reminded Olivia: “Do you know the consequences of perjury?” Jack stood in front of Olivia, extremely concerned: “Mia Johnson, you brought this on yourself! If you knew this day would come, why did you do it? Threatening Olivia now is useless. Just wait to go to jail!” Ryan broke free from the police’s control and urged: “We have both witness testimony and physical evidence now. Hurry up and arrest her! Don’t delay my business!” Olivia looked at me provocatively: “Mia, I’m really sorry, but I just want to give everyone justice and fairness.” I took out my phone and sneered: “How did you forget to ask if I have any evidence?” In front of everyone, I pressed play. The video clearly showed that all items in the bag were intact and I threw it back to Ryan.

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Betrayed by Love On the eve of the Latin dance competition finals, my wife and I had planned to go skydiving together. However, a hundred meters above the ground, the parachute cord suddenly snapped. To save her, I sacrificed myself and ended up paralyzed from the waist down. I could no longer dance Latin, the passion of my life. The harsh reality hit me hard, and I could only numb myself with tears. As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I overheard a conversation between the doctor and Sophia. “Mrs. Anderson, are you sure you want to give up on the treatment? With the latest technology, we can completely heal Mr. Luke’s condition by reconnecting the bones. If we delay any longer, his life will be ruined. Forget about dancing; even his ability to have children might be…” “It’s just paralysis, not death. Besides, we already have a son.” “I can’t let him steal the championship title that Jack has been dreaming of for so long.” Lying on the hospital bed, my trembling eyes shed hot tears. So, the vow of deep love for a lifetime was something only I believed in. If you don’t want my love, I’ll take it back. “Mrs. Anderson, are you sure you want to do this? Mr. Luke is already paralyzed and bedridden. If we cut his tendons now, he’ll never be able to stand up again for the rest of his life.” “I’ve already owed Jack five years. I can’t owe him a lifetime. I just want Luke to be okay. As for Jack… I’ll make it up to him for the rest of my life.” The doctor and Sophia’s words echoed in my ears, sending a deathly chill through my body. No wonder Sophia was so eager to get me into surgery. It wasn’t to save me, but to push me into an abyss of despair. When I opened my eyes again, the anesthesia had just worn off, and my legs were in excruciating pain. In no time, tears soaked my pillow. The pain seeped through every fiber of my being, and I didn’t even dare to cry out loud. Hearing the commotion, Sophia rushed in from outside, pretending to be anxious and worried. Seeing me, she burst into tears: “Honey, you’re finally awake. I thought I’d never see you again.” “How are you feeling? Any better? Promise me you’ll never do anything so dangerous again. You nearly scared me and our baby to death.” I was horrified to realize that I had never truly seen through her. My throat felt stuck, and I couldn’t speak. I could only force a slight smile, pretending that nothing had happened. She held my head against her chest: “Don’t worry, everything will be alright.” Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door. “Young master, you can’t go in. Mr. Luke needs to rest.” “Mom, the toy Uncle Jack gave me is broken. Can you take me to see Uncle Jack?” Our son’s voice broke the silence. Sophia awkwardly held him back. “Be quiet for a moment, your dad is sick.” Only then did our son notice me lying on the hospital bed. “What happened to you?” I had been too busy with work at the dance studio to pay much attention to my son, so he wasn’t very close to me. Seeing my son so concerned, the coldness in my heart dissipated a little. After all, he was still my own flesh and blood. I instinctively wanted to caress my son, but Sophia pulled him away as if guarding against a thief. “Dad’s legs hurt. Don’t hurt him.” Despite her efforts to hide it, I could still see the disgust in her eyes. “Will Dad be disabled forever? I don’t like a disabled dad. Mom, I want Uncle Jack to be my dad.” I froze, my throat dry: “Baby, don’t you like Daddy?” My son shook his head. “I don’t like you. I like a dad who can dance Latin. Uncle Jack is better.” Just as I was about to speak up and educate him, Sophia quickly picked him up and carried him away. “Be good, baby. Dad needs some quiet. Let’s go outside, okay?” “Don’t take a child’s thoughtless words to heart.” I was about to say something when Sophia received a phone call. From my angle, I could clearly see the caller ID. The name “Jack” was glaring on the screen. As soon as she answered the call, Sophia walked towards the balcony. She had always taken good care of herself, maintaining a graceful figure, though she usually wore a cold expression. So, she could smile too. But the smile wasn’t for me. “Wait for me, I’ll be right there,” she said after a few words. Her eyes turned red, and tears welled up. I was about to call out to her, but to my surprise, she picked up our son and left. “There’s been a mishap at the competition venue, and Jack is injured. I’m going to check on him.” “Wait, I want to—” Before I could finish, she quickly cut me off. “Can’t you be more considerate? Jack loves Latin dance so much. If he suffers any injury, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life.” So, it’s okay for me to be paralyzed and have my tendons cut? Sophia, how much of the love you spoke of was actually real? For the next month, I didn’t see Sophia at all. On the day I was discharged from the hospital in a wheelchair, her image suddenly appeared on the rolling screen in the hospital lobby. But the person beside her wasn’t me. “We’ve heard that Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Jack were college sweethearts. After all these years, they still seem so in love. What’s the secret to keeping your love fresh? Can you share it with us?” “Mrs. Anderson has been by Mr. Jack’s side in the hospital, taking care of him non-stop. Mr. Jack, do you have anything to say about this?” “We’ve heard that Mr. Jack won the Latin dance competition. Do you two have any expectations for the grand finals two months from now?” Under the spotlight, her face blushed with girlish shyness. She turned to look at Jack: “I believe in Jack. He will definitely achieve his dream.” The audience erupted in thunderous applause. In a corner ignored by all, a tear slid down my cheek. College sweethearts? So, Jack had always been Sophia’s unattainable love. No wonder she was willing to give up the Anderson Group to accompany me. It turns out she had heard Jack would be there too. So she had planned all along to sacrifice me to pave the way for Jack. Realizing all this, my soul felt as if it had been ripped away. Heartbroken and disillusioned, I immediately sent a message to my brother, a doctor working in Southeast Asia. [I heard you were researching nano-periosteum regeneration technology before?] [No matter what the survival rate is, I want to do it.] After arranging a time with my brother, I returned to the home where I had lived for five years. Coincidentally, Sophia called. “Honey, I heard from the hospital that you’ve been discharged. Where are you now?” Before I could speak, Sophia continued: “The organizers are holding a celebration party. I’ll send you the address on your phone. This is the coronation ceremony for your good friend Jack. Don’t forget to come, okay?” She hung up without even waiting for my response. Good friend? She really knew how to make excuses for herself. I had met Jack less than twice in total. The banquet hall was set up on the top floor of a local five-star hotel. When I appeared in my wheelchair, I almost became the focus of the entire room. There were looks of contempt, mockery, sympathy… and more predominantly, disgust. Panic and unease overwhelmed me. After desperately searching for Sophia’s figure to no avail, I found my son next to a waiter. He saw me too. I moved my wheelchair forward: “Baby, where’s Mom?” But my son, who used to show me some respect, suddenly changed his expression. “You’re not my dad. I don’t have a useless dad like you.” Under everyone’s gaze, I felt utterly humiliated. I lowered my eyes and said bitterly, “I’m sorry, Dad has embarrassed you.” My son frantically tried to explain to those around him: “He’s not my dad. My dad is a healthy person named Jack.” Probably unable to bear the criticism, my son gave me a resentful look before running away in tears. It’s my fault that even my son doesn’t want to acknowledge me. Like a misfit monster, I avoided the crowd and moved my wheelchair up to the rooftop. A door separated two worlds, and I cried. Suddenly, I heard Sophia’s voice. “Jack, I was too impulsive five years ago. I still love you.” “Sophia, thank you for everything you’ve done for me, both five years ago and now. My feelings for you haven’t changed, but I never imagined that time would fly by so quickly. You already have a family and a child. It’s my fault for not being able to control my heart and loving you.” “No, it’s not your fault. You’re wonderful and deserve all the precious things in this world.” “Including you?” Through the thick glass door, I saw Sophia’s blushing cheeks. The sound of lips and teeth intertwining filled my ears as they made love again and again. “If Luke finds out what I’m doing with you, he’ll definitely be angry. Am I a bad person?” “He’s paralyzed in bed and can’t perform as a man anymore. I love you and want you. He’s just a useless cripple who can’t make any waves.” Listening to the sounds of their lovemaking, I felt nauseous. I frantically pushed my wheelchair away and hugged the trash can in the stairwell, vomiting violently. When I came out, I happened to run into Jack. I discreetly turned on my phone’s voice recorder. He looked satisfied, looking down at me condescendingly. “If I were you, I’d jump off the building and die right now. Your wife doesn’t love you, your child doesn’t recognize you. What’s the point of living?” “I know you saw everything just now. How does it feel to watch your own wife succumb to me with your own eyes? Not good, right? Do you know how I’ve lived these years? In every Latin dance competition, I was always overshadowed by you. But now it’s all good. You’re no longer a threat to me.” “To be honest, when Sophia first said she wanted you to voluntarily withdraw from the Latin Dance Association, I didn’t believe her. I never thought she would actually marry you and take you to start a business elsewhere. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have reached this position today.” Every word he said was like a knife stabbing into my heart, each sentence shattering my worldview. So, my relationship with Jack wasn’t just the two encounters I thought we had. In places I didn’t know about, he had looked up to me countless times. When Sophia married me back then, it was actually to clear obstacles for Jack. After five years, she made the same choice again, even though this time she was sacrificing my lifelong passion for Latin dance. She was still willing to do it. I gritted my teeth in hatred: “It’s because you’re not as skilled. You…” “Jack, are you done?” “I’m here, ah…” Right in front of me, Jack tripped over his own feet, fell down the stairs, bleeding profusely, and clutching his leg while screaming non-stop. Sophia immediately embraced Jack, glaring at me angrily. “He has done nothing wrong to you, so why did you do this!” Jack clung tightly to her sleeve in her arms: “It’s not his fault. I tripped over his wheelchair myself. I was in his way.” “Jack, when will you ever learn to be harsh? It’s clearly him who has held you back for decades!” After comforting Jack, she helped him leave, saying coldly: “You go back by yourself. I don’t want to see you right now.” I don’t know how I got back home. When I came to my senses, I had already drafted a divorce agreement. Tomorrow would have been our sixth wedding anniversary. But Sophia had probably forgotten about it. In this house, only the study was a place she would go to every day, but she never allowed me to enter. Walking into the study, the walls were covered with photos of her and Jack. In every picture, they were smiling brightly and tenderly. So, every day you were with me, you were thinking of him. I placed the divorce agreement on her desk. Out of some inexplicable impulse, I turned on the computer. The computer was password-protected. I suddenly remembered Jack’s birthday from a previous registration form and entered it without hesitation. The next second, the computer unlocked. What greeted my eyes was a photo of her kissing Jack. In the bottom right corner of the screen was a file she had named “Treasure”. With trembling hands, I clicked it open, and what I saw was a paternity test report. Below was a line in large letters, supporting that Jack was Ethan’s biological father. I couldn’t believe it and opened it repeatedly, reading it line by line, over and over again. Tears fell drop by drop until my eyes were sore from crying. The test was done one day after Ethan was born. So when I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new life, Sophia was secretly getting a paternity test done. She hadn’t even recovered from the pain of childbirth at that time. I shifted my gaze to Ethan’s 100-day photo on her desk and roughly took apart the frame. The words behind the photo instantly shattered all my self-esteem. [The child is yours. I’m so happy.] [Every day I spend with him is proof of my love for you.] The last line in small letters was even freshly written. [He’s crippled now, not much of a man anymore. From now on, I belong only to you.] I frantically swept everything off the desk. Trying to stand up from the wheelchair, I fell again and again, my tears almost dried up. What were all these years for? The daily busyness in the kitchen, every word of care, the gentle warmth of hot soup and ginger tea – in your eyes, were they all just declarations of love for another man? No wonder you were unwilling to say an extra word to me, to eat an extra bite of hot food. It turns out you were afraid of betrayal. The silent night almost engulfed me. I’ve always been an extra person. Since five years ago. If that’s the case, I’ll leave. I signed the divorce agreement and left it in the study. I erased all traces of my existence. Discarding everything related to her and our son, I bought a boat ticket in the middle of the night, packed my bags, and left. The next morning, the housekeeper called Sophia. “Ms. Anderson, I just received a call from the port. They said Mr. Luke met with an accident at sea, and his body was never found…” “What nonsense are you talking about? How could a cripple go to sea? And what about the anniversary gift I asked you to buy for him? Did you give it to him?” “I didn’t have a chance to give it to him before Mr. Luke disappeared. Also, it seems he found out that you instructed the doctors not to treat him and even had them cut his tendons. I found a suicide note in his room.” As the housekeeper’s voice continued to echo, the phone suddenly slipped from Sophia’s hand.

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On my wedding day, my best friend sent me an intimate video of her with my husband. In a fit of rage, I left Alexander despite his desperate pleas. I ran away with my childhood sweetheart, Ryan Thompson. Alexander, possessive and obsessed, went as far as to blacklist us globally. In the end, I died alone in a rented apartment, sick and penniless. On my deathbed, Jessica Moore looked down at me triumphantly. “Lily Collins, you’re such a fool. You actually believed that AI-generated video I sent you?” “Now that you’re dead, Alexander will have no choice but to marry me!” She laughed smugly. As I finally understood everything, I wanted to slap her, but my arm fell limp. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn! Seeing that intimate video again, I finally realized I had truly been reborn. The embarrassing sounds filled the room. I examined the video carefully and immediately spotted the flaw. Jessica had been careless, forgetting to remove the AI watermark in the bottom right corner. In my past life, blinded by anger, I had overlooked this crucial detail. Alexander thought I had abandoned him for Ryan, so he relentlessly targeted us, hoping I would come crawling back. I was too stubborn to give in, refusing even to ask him about it. This allowed Jessica to swoop in, marry into wealth, and become a rich socialite! In this new life, I won’t fall for her tricks again! The wedding proceeded as planned. Under the officiant’s guidance, Alexander and I exchanged rings and kissed, making everyone envious. Jessica, watching from below, clenched her fists in jealousy so tightly her nails dug into her palms. As the ceremony neared its end, Jessica couldn’t sit still any longer. The moment I stepped off the stage, she urgently pulled me aside. She exclaimed excitedly: “Lily! You can’t be together!” “He’s just a scumbag! You can’t marry him!” “While you haven’t gotten your marriage license yet, break up with him quickly! Otherwise, you’ll have plenty to cry about later!” She spoke with an air of authority, as if she truly had my best interests at heart. I smoothed out the train of my wedding dress and calmly replied: “Oh? You seem to know my husband better than I do.” Jessica missed the sarcasm in my voice and continued: “Of course! You’re my best friend. Anyone who wants to marry you has to be thoroughly investigated by me!” She leaned in close and whispered in my ear: “Lily! You have to believe me! He’s a total scumbag!” “Did you see the video I sent you earlier?” I feigned surprise and shook my head. “Huh? Video? What video?” “I’ve been busy getting married to my husband. When would I have time to check my phone?” Hearing this, Jessica had an expression of sudden realization. She dug her phone out of her purse, held it up to my face, and played the video herself. “Here, look at this now!” “After you see it, you’ll know everything I said is true!” Just as the video started playing, Alexander called out from the doorway. “Honey, haven’t you girls been chatting long enough?” “It’s our big day. If you stay any longer, I might get jealous!” His tone was full of playful complaint. I laughed and replied: “Alright, I’ll be right out!” Then I turned to Jessica with a smile and said teasingly: “Oh Jessica, there’s no need to show us these educational videos.” “Alexander and I have already had plenty of hands-on practice~” With that, I winked at her and walked out.

Jessica stood there stunned after hearing my words. “Wait, can’t you tell it’s me and Alexander in the video?” She looked at the video again carefully, still unable to understand why I could remain so calm after seeing evidence of my husband’s infidelity. I was walking slowly, and when I reached the door, I overheard her words. Seeing her confused expression, I couldn’t help but smirk. Alexander was waiting impatiently at the door. As soon as he saw me, he eagerly pulled me into his arms. Then he scooped me up and strode towards the car with his long legs. Nestled in his embrace, breathing in his unique sandalwood scent, I softly said: “Honey, can we go get our marriage license right now?” Jessica’s words had reminded me that Alexander and I hadn’t officially registered our marriage yet. Without that legal protection, I’d feel more at ease once we had the license. Hearing my request, Alexander’s face lit up with joy. He had asked me countless times about getting our marriage license. He knew I had a childhood friend and was afraid of missing his chance. But I had always refused because of my friend’s words. This was the first time I had brought it up, and he immediately nodded in agreement. He pulled out our IDs and took me straight to the registry office, afraid I might change my mind. He said I was his most beloved treasure – now, in the future, and for all eternity! After getting our license, Alexander excitedly wanted to post about it on social media. I quickly stopped him. “Don’t post it yet. I have an interesting show to watch first!” Although Alexander didn’t understand what I meant, he went along with it. “Okay, I’ll do whatever you say, darling!” Seeing his obedient and innocent expression, I couldn’t resist giving him a kiss on the forehead. My past self was truly foolish! To have doubted a man so completely devoted to me. In this life, I will cherish him properly and make him the happiest man in the world! After the wedding, Alexander treated me wonderfully. When we returned from our honeymoon, he went straight to the office to handle work matters, while I slept until sunset. Jessica, who had been turned away several times, finally caught me on a day I got up at noon. As soon as she entered, she couldn’t help but examine the decorations in the villa, her eyes full of ambition. I saw through her but said nothing. I adjusted my thousand-dollar silk nightgown, covering my fair legs, and said softly: “Jessica, married life is quite comfortable.” “You should find someone to marry soon too.” Hearing this, Jessica laughed awkwardly, then frowned and scolded: “Lily! How can you have so little self-respect?” “You’re only married, you haven’t even gotten your license yet! How can you move into his house?” “Listen to me! Rich men like Alexander are just playing around with you! Don’t get too invested!” I lightly raised my hand, revealing a diamond ring the size of a pigeon egg on my ring finger, along with a thick gold bracelet on my wrist. “Just playing around? He sure is willing to spend a lot if that’s the case.” Jessica stared, her eyes nearly popping out of her head, almost drooling with jealousy. She grabbed my hand and earnestly advised: “Lily! I’m your best friend!” “How could I possibly want to harm you?” “Listen to me, break up with him as soon as possible!” “Otherwise, in the end, you’ll be kicked out with nothing but tears!”

I tilted my head in confusion and asked: “Why do you keep saying bad things about him?” “I’m very happy now. Shouldn’t you be happy for me?” “Why do you keep wishing me ill?” I coldly stared at her, and the air around us seemed to freeze. Even the mosquitoes sensed the tense atmosphere and flew away, not daring to come near. Seeing that I refused to break up, Jessica’s chest heaved with anger. She glared at me with bloodshot eyes, gritting her teeth. “Lily Collins! I’ll tell you the truth!” “Alexander and I have known each other for a long time! We were even talking about marriage!” “If I hadn’t gotten angry and broken up with him, do you think you’d have had a chance?” “Alexander only loves me. He married you just to make me jealous!” “Otherwise, why would he only have a wedding ceremony with you, making it public knowledge, but not get a marriage license? Isn’t it just to upset me?” Jessica spoke with such conviction that if I hadn’t already gotten the marriage license with Alexander, I might have believed her lies. Seeing that I remained unmoved, Jessica pulled out that intimate video again. She held it up to my face triumphantly and said: “Look! This is proof that we were together before!” “We love each other so much. As long as I change my mind, he’ll definitely abandon you and come back to me immediately!” Hearing this, my expression instantly darkened. Before, I just thought Jessica was stupid, but now I found her utterly disgusting! I coldly looked at her and said flatly: “Who doesn’t have an ex they’d rather forget?” “As long as I’m the only one in his heart now, that’s all that matters.” “Besides, if he would really get back together with you just because you say so, why don’t you go find him directly?” “Why go through all this trouble to tell me?” I went along with her words, pretending to believe what she said. Seeing that I believed her, Jessica’s expression softened a bit. She raised an eyebrow smugly and said: “Fine! You said it yourself, don’t regret it later!” “I only wanted to persuade you to leave voluntarily because you’re my friend!” “Since you won’t listen to reason, just wait to be kicked out!” With that, Jessica angrily turned and left. That evening when Alexander came home, after hearing from the staff about what happened during the day, he hugged me with a wronged expression. “Baby~ I swear, from beginning to end, there’s only been you. I only love you.” “I don’t know why your friend would say such things. I’ve never done anything to betray you!” He was so anxious to prove himself innocent that he almost cried. I stroked his head, smiling as I comforted him: “Of course I believe my husband~” “That bad woman just can’t stand to see me happy and is trying to break us up on purpose.” I buried my head in his shoulder and said softly: “Promise me, no matter what happens in the future, you’ll believe in me, okay?” “Don’t try to understand me through other people’s words. If there’s a problem, ask me directly, okay?” In my past life, I fell because of trust. If I had trusted Alexander a little more, perhaps the outcome wouldn’t have been like that. This time I didn’t fall into Jessica’s trap, but she might try to manipulate Alexander next. Hearing my words, Alexander nodded firmly and raised his hand to swear to me. “I, Alexander Gray, swear that I will trust and cherish Lily Collins for a lifetime!”

I held his hand and said with a smile: “No need to swear, I believe you!” The next day, my phone was bombarded with calls. Looking at the dozen missed calls, I was a bit dazed and called back. “Mom? What happened?” I thought something had happened at home and my heart was in my throat. An angry rebuke came from the other end of the phone. “Lily Collins! You’ve really gone too far this time!” “How could you do something as despicable as being a homewrecker!” “Having a daughter like you, I must have done something terrible in my past lives!” I listened in confusion, bewildered. “Mom, what are you talking about?” “I don’t understand.” My mom let out a cold laugh. “Huh, you don’t understand? If your best friend Jessica hadn’t come crying to our doorstep, I wouldn’t have known you were such a shameless person!” As soon as I heard the key word “Jessica”, I immediately understood what had happened. Jessica must have gone to my parents and told them an exaggerated version of events. I sighed, wanting to explain, but before I could even say “Mom”, I was cut off. “Come home right away. Since you haven’t gotten your marriage license yet, break it off immediately! Don’t go ruining other people’s relationships!” With that, my mom hung up the phone, not even giving me a chance to explain. Left with no choice, I could only drive home to explain things in person. As soon as I reached the front door, I heard Jessica’s crying coming from inside. “Waaah~ Uncle, Auntie, you have to help me!” “I treated Lily like my own sister, but she stabbed me in the back and stole my boyfriend!” My mom was comforting her: “It’s okay, I’ve already scolded Lily.” “Auntie will make them break up right away, she won’t compete with you!” When I entered, this was the scene I saw. Jessica sat on the sofa, crying her eyes out, while my parents were busy offering her tissues and fruit. When she saw me come in, a flash of triumph passed through Jessica’s red-rimmed eyes. My mom saw me and immediately dragged me into the kitchen, berating me. “Lily! How could you be so foolish! Even if Alexander is rich, you shouldn’t become a mistress just to marry into wealth!” I frowned, looking displeased. “I’m not a mistress. Alexander and I had a wedding ceremony, and we got married with both families’ blessings! How am I a mistress?” Seeing that I showed no remorse, my mom raised her hand and slapped me. “Ungrateful child! If I had known you were a homewrecker, I would never have agreed to your marriage, even if it killed me!” She kept calling me a homewrecker, and I knew Jessica must have brainwashed her. Talking was useless since she wouldn’t believe me anyway, so I directly took out the red booklet from my bag. “Mom, look carefully! Alexander and I are legally married. We are the lawful husband and wife!” “Even if Jessica dated Alexander before, that’s all in the past! I am Alexander’s wife now, so please stop helping an outsider!” I thought showing the marriage certificate would calm my mom down, but it only made her angrier. She raised her hand and slapped me again, making my ears ring. I stared at her in shock, but my mom said: “Divorce! Divorce him right now!” I frowned in confusion, wanting to ask why. My mom took a deep breath and pulled out an ultrasound report from her pocket. “Jessica is pregnant! She’s carrying Alexander’s child!”

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For seven years, I’ve been two people to my boss: during the day, his meticulous assistant, Ms. White; and at night, his obedient, mysterious girlfriend. Until just now, when my boss calmly said, “I won’t be coming back tomorrow.” “Don’t try to stop me. This house is yours now—as compensation for the past seven years…” Me: “Okay.” “…Scarlett, after I leave, I won’t be returning.” Me: “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Boss: “???” 0The night before we broke up, Holden bought me a sexy nightgown. As I looked at his deep, composed gaze and the restrained, almost puritanical expression on his face, I couldn’t help but laugh. I never thought a man as serious and uptight as him would pull out something like this on our last night together. Excited, I slipped into the nightgown. But as things heated up, I heard him murmur a name: “Scarlett.” Not “Ms. White,” but Scarlett. I met Holden the year I graduated college. By day, I was Ms. White, his ever-dedicated assistant who handled every little detail of his life. By night, I was his secret, obedient girlfriend. No one except Holden’s senior assistant, Zoe, even suspected that I was anything more than just his employee. Seven years. From 22 to 29, I stayed by his side. Even Zoe once told me, “If I were you, I would’ve made a move ages ago to secure my place. You’re the only woman around him—beautiful, smart, and hardworking. You’re perfect together!” Her words, filled with envy, almost made me believe I had a chance to become the future Mrs. Holden. But then tonight happened. After seven years of loyalty, Holden looked at me and said calmly, “Ms. White, I won’t be coming back tomorrow.” There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes—perhaps even reluctance? Reluctance? Ha! If there was even a shred of truth in that, he wouldn’t have spent the past seven years calling me nothing but Ms. White, both in public and in private. I lowered my gaze, feigning sadness, waiting for his explanation. Sure enough, he continued. “I’m meeting the heiress of the Lee Group tomorrow. It’s a blind date and dinner.” He paused briefly. “This apartment is yours now. Consider it my thanks for the past seven years.” Then, with a hint of condescension, he added, “Ms. White, I hope you won’t waste time trying to change my mind.” This apartment was worth a fortune—located in the heart of the most expensive city in the country. “Okay,” I said. Holden blinked, caught off guard. Maybe my response was a little too enthusiastic? I quickly lowered my head, forcing out a few tears before looking up again, ready to deliver the same heart-wrenching performance I’d perfected over the years. But Holden simply placed a luxury shopping bag on the table in front of me. The next second, I pulled out the skimpiest, sexiest nightgown I’d ever seen—so revealing that even I, a woman, was taken aback. I looked up in shock. Holden’s expression was as serious as ever, but when he noticed my stunned gaze, a faint blush crept up his chiseled face. Then, just barely visible in the dim light, I saw his earlobes turn red—so red they looked like they were bleeding. 0

Me: “…” What the hell? This stoic, “old-school” man could blush? And damn, it was sexy. Unfortunately for me, I’ve always been weak when it comes to good looks. I studied his handsome, restrained expression—the way he sat perfectly upright, his white shirt buttoned all the way to his neck—and felt my lips curl into a mischievous smile. In seven years of dating, Holden had always been so rigid. Even in our most intimate moments, he was precise and methodical. Same time, same place, same positions, every single time. I never expected that on our last night together, he would make such an audacious request. Excitement bubbled up inside me. Smiling, I slipped into the nightgown right in front of him, then straddled his lap. Holden’s entire body went rigid, his eyes darkening as he struggled to remain composed. “Relax,” I teased, brushing my lips against his ear. “Don’t panic.” I didn’t want him to suddenly bolt and ruin my fun, so I whispered soothing words to keep him grounded. Everything unfolded naturally, just like the past seven years—except this time, Holden seemed determined to shed his uptight image. He tried things he’d never done before, as if letting go of his usual restraint. Then, caught up in the moment, he murmured softly, “Scarlett.” Not “Ms. White.” Scarlett. But so what? At the end of the day, men like him always pull up their pants and leave. So, I’ve always believed in beating them to the punch. I opened my eyes the next morning, sunlight streaming through the windows. With a sigh, I turned over and kicked Holden off the bed. The thud was satisfying. For a man who’d spent his life as a powerful CEO, this was probably the first time he’d been literally kicked out of bed by a woman. Holden sat on the floor, stunned. I stretched lazily, then spread my arms with a smile. “Sorry, Mr. Holden. As of today, this apartment—and everything in it—is mine. That includes this bed.” I gestured toward the door. Holden’s jaw tightened, his expression growing colder. For the first time, I didn’t back down. I met his icy glare head-on, refusing to budge. Finally, he stood up, straightened his clothes, and regained his usual aura of cold authority. But as he reached the door, he suddenly turned back. Looking down at me with an unreadable expression, he said, “Ms. White, once I leave, I won’t be coming back.” He paused, his tone softer but still distant. “Are you sure you don’t have anything else to say to me?” 0

Me: “… Don’t let the door hit you on the way out?” Holden’s face darkened, colder than I’d ever seen it. I reached out, shoved him out of the apartment, and slammed the door shut. As Holden’s ever-dedicated assistant, I usually started work at 7 a.m. sharp, preparing his schedule for the day. Today was no different. On the carefully planned schedule I’d drafted yesterday, I added one more item with a blank expression: • 8:00 PM: Dinner with Lee Group heiress. I booked the reservation at one of Holden’s favorite upscale restaurants, in the exclusive VVIP private dining room reserved only for him. I even gave the restaurant manager specific instructions: the evening should be romantic, elegant, and intimate—perfect for a first date. The manager, a longtime collaborator of ours, couldn’t contain her excitement. After all, in all the years she’d worked with us, this was the first time Holden had ever booked a romantic dinner with a woman. “And he’s 35 now,” she gushed. “It’s about time he settled down. This Lee heiress might just be the future Mrs. Holden!” She gave me a knowing look, to which I responded with an equally enthusiastic grin. I even hinted that if everything went smoothly, she could expect a nice reward. The manager’s enthusiasm doubled, and she promised to make the evening absolutely perfect. Meanwhile, I focused on my work as usual, as if nothing had happened the night before. The only small difference was the pink roses that reappeared on my desk that morning. For the past year, I’d been throwing them straight into the trash without a second thought. But today, I paused. Instead of tossing them, I carefully unwrapped the bouquet, grabbed a large red mug I usually used for water, and filled it halfway. I trimmed the stems with scissors during my lunch break, arranged the bouquet in the mug, and placed it on my desk. At 29, I was in my prime—a confident, mature woman. Over the past seven years, I’d worked tirelessly to become the perfect assistant for Holden. I’d pushed myself to meet his every standard, both professionally and personally. During work hours, I was diligent and meticulous. Outside of work, I honed my appearance and skills. I learned foreign languages, perfected my makeup and wardrobe, and even studied the inner workings of Holden Enterprises. I memorized the structure of each department, the preferences of key clients, and the secrets behind the company’s success. I wanted to be indispensable. And I succeeded. Even now, at 29, I was often the subject of admiration during business trips. It wasn’t uncommon for partners to send me flowers as a token of interest. But the person who sent these pink roses was different. Despite my repeated insistence that I didn’t want flowers from strangers, this mysterious sender had been sending them every single day for an entire year—rain or shine. It was… intriguing. At 6 p.m., Holden finished his last meeting of the day. As his thoughtful assistant, I was ready to remind him of his upcoming dinner with the Lee heiress. I’d even gone the extra mile and prepared an expensive diamond necklace as a gift for her. But just as I was about to walk into his office, Zoe stepped out. She hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Scarlett, Mr. Holden said he already has a gift prepared for Miss Lee. You don’t need to worry about it.” She paused, then added, “Oh, and… he said you don’t need to accompany him tonight. You’re free to go home early.” … So this is what freedom feels like? For a moment, I was overwhelmed with joy. Zoe, however, looked at me with a pained expression. She sighed heavily, her voice filled with sympathy. “Scarlett, don’t take it too hard, okay?” Me: “…” “Thanks for your concern, Zoe,” I replied calmly. “But I’m fine. Really.” Zoe didn’t believe me. She frowned, her eyes filled with even more pity. “Scarlett, there’s no need to pretend to be strong,” she said gently. Me: “…” Before I could respond, Zoe’s expression suddenly brightened. She glanced around, lowered her voice, and pulled me aside. “Scarlett,” she whispered conspiratorially, “I know things didn’t work out with Mr. Holden, but when one door closes, another one opens…” I blinked at her, confused. “I know a great guy,” she continued, her tone filled with excitement. “He’s successful, handsome, and every bit as impressive as Mr. Holden. Do you want me to introduce you?” Wait, what? Zoe’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. Her usually serious demeanor had completely disappeared, replaced by an almost giddy excitement. My instincts told me that this “great guy” must be someone truly exceptional. I hesitated, trying to resist. But then Zoe pulled out her phone and enlarged a photo of the man she was talking about. The man in the photo was breathtaking. He had sharp, masculine features, fair skin that was somehow even paler than mine, and naturally rosy lips. But his eyes… They were those charming, almond-shaped eyes I couldn’t resist. How was I supposed to say no to that? I bit my lip, trying to summon the willpower to decline. “Zoe,” I began hesitantly, “I just broke up with someone—less than 19 hours ago. Isn’t it a little too soon to meet someone new?” Zoe’s expression turned even more sympathetic. “Scarlett, you’re clearly still heartbroken,” she said softly. “But listen to me—this guy is perfect. He’s the CEO of the company next door. He’s in amazing shape—unlike Mr. Holden, he works out for two hours every day.” “… Okay, but—” “He has an eight-pack.” “!” “And he’s only 26. That’s practically a whole decade younger than Holden.” “!!!” I stared at Zoe, suddenly overcome with emotion. “Zoe,” I said seriously, bowing deeply, “thank you for your kindness!” It wasn’t my fault—I swear! Blame Zoe for offering too much!

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In my previous life, when zombies overran the city, I went to save my parents and brother, only to be pushed towards the undead by them. Reborn, I decided to no longer care for them, letting them fend for themselves. I watched as my father turned into a zombie and was killed. My brother, in a desperate attempt to survive, even drank our mother’s blood. Finally, my brother knelt at my door begging: “Sister, please save me.” But I only sneered and slammed the door shut, leaving him to be devoured by zombies. “Come on, sis, have you been so immersed in your live streaming that you’ve become confused? You actually believe those ridiculous online news? I think you’ve really lost it,” Tyler’s voice on the phone carried a hint of mockery and dissatisfaction. I was momentarily stunned, trying to recall these familiar words. I… had actually been reborn! This sudden realization left me feeling a bit disoriented. I quickly adjusted my emotions and tried to respond in a casual tone, “Haha, you’re right. I was just being silly for a moment. It won’t happen again.” Tyler snickered on the other end of the line. Then, mom took over the phone, her voice tinged with reproach: “You really need to stop looking at all that nonsense online. Instead, why don’t you spend some time helping your brother find a job!” I absent-mindedly agreed to a few things, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. After hanging up, I fell into deep thought. The city I lived in was about to face an unprecedented disaster – a zombie outbreak. In my previous life, I had learned this shocking news from a friend working at a hospital in a neighboring city. He had warned me in advance, allowing me to prepare. At that time, although I was shocked, I quickly sprang into action. I told my family, urging them to prepare essential supplies for any emergency. However, my good-for-nothing brother scoffed at this, believing I was just being alarmist. My parents also believed his words, thinking I was making a fuss over nothing. Since they wouldn’t listen, I could only secure my own place, preparing a series of necessary supplies. But when the zombie outbreak actually happened, they called for help. Softened by their pleas, I decided to save them. I took advantage of noon, when zombie activity was at its lowest, to go to their place. Since my home and theirs were in the same community, separated only by a small garden, I thought there wouldn’t be any problems. However, just as we walked out of the building entrance, a group of zombies surged towards us. We panicked and ran towards my home, but just as we were about to reach my door, Tyler tripped and fell. Seeing the zombies getting closer and closer, I grabbed him and shouted, “Run!” But Tyler, due to his injured foot, was getting slower and slower, and the zombies were about to catch him. At that moment, Tyler suddenly used all his strength to push me towards the zombies. My parents, seeing this, hesitated for a moment, but as the approaching zombies drew near, they finally picked up Tyler and ran towards my home without looking back. I screamed in terror, struggling to break free from the zombies’ grasp, but to no avail… Finally, when they managed to run into my building, they shouted to me from behind the door: “Lena, we’re sorry… but your brother is the only son in our family, we must protect him…” At that moment, my heart felt like it was being torn apart…

The pain of being torn apart by zombies seemed to be imprinted on my soul, but compared to the physical pain, the wounds in my heart were even harder to heal. From a young age, I had lived under the shadow of my parents’ preference for boys over girls. Every bit of warmth and care in the family was prioritized for my brother. When I was little, because my brother loved cake, even on my birthday, the birthday cake that should have been mine was always devoured by him, while I could only watch silently from the side. After starting school, this unfair treatment became even more apparent. My brother could wear expensive brand-name shoes worth over two thousand dollars, showing off his “high-end” lifestyle at school. I, on the other hand, could only wear cheap shoes that cost a few dozen dollars, enduring the embarrassment of my shoes falling apart. Moreover, whenever classmates mocked me for being poor, my brother always pretended not to know me. When it came to the college entrance exam, a crucial moment that determines one’s future, I thought I could change my fate through my own efforts. But my parents, to save money, forced me to choose a ordinary local university that offered scholarships, making me miss the opportunity to enter a top university. As for my brother, even though his grades were terrible, they were willing to spend a huge amount of money and effort to pull strings and find connections, sending him to an expensive private university. After graduation, I made a name for myself in the new media industry through my own efforts and abilities, becoming a highly regarded live-streaming host. I earned my first bucket of gold and bought my own house. But when my parents learned that I had bought a house, their first reaction was not happiness or pride for me, but a demand that I also buy a house for my brother in the same community. They even threatened that if I didn’t meet their demands, they would let my brother move in with me and not leave. Standing by the window, looking at my brother’s home across the street, my heart was filled with complex emotions. Recalling their coldness and heartlessness towards me in my previous life, I decided that this time I wouldn’t care for them anymore, letting them fend for themselves. The threat of zombies was drawing nearer day by day, and I knew I had to act quickly. I initially wanted to leave this city directly, but suddenly realized I didn’t know how many cities this crisis would actually affect. If I went to an unfamiliar city and encountered the same crisis, it would be like going to my death. So I decided to stay. I needed to quickly prepare supplies and equipment to deal with the zombie crisis. Only then would I have a chance to survive.

First, I contacted a renovation company and commissioned them to renovate my home. Previously, due to the requirements of live streaming, my home had already been soundproofed. But in the face of the zombie threat, an ordinary security door obviously couldn’t provide enough protection. I asked the renovation company to install a sturdy bulletproof security door for me, and added an extra iron door behind it as a double safeguard. At the same time, to ensure absolute safety, I also replaced all the windows with bulletproof glass and installed iron bars on the inside. The renovation workers were a bit confused by these requests, so I had to make up an excuse, saying that my address might have been leaked during live streaming, and I needed to enhance security for safety reasons. Meanwhile, I started buying large quantities of daily necessities online. Rice, noodles, oil, toilet paper, mineral water, instant noodles and other supplies were essential. I also purchased enough vegetables and meat to ensure self-sufficiency during the crisis. Considering the limited capacity of the refrigerator, I bought another large freezer, sealed all the meat and vegetables in vacuum bags, and froze them. I also bought some vegetable seeds, planning to grow some vegetables at home for emergencies. To cope with possible power outages, I specially installed solar panels for my home. This way, even if the power was cut off, I could still meet my basic electricity needs through solar power generation. Throughout this process, I remained vigilant and low-key. After all, in a doomsday crisis, the dark side of human nature would be triggered, and I didn’t want my preparatory actions to arouse suspicion from others. I tried to make everything look like part of my daily life as much as possible. Even the delivery guy thought I was just preparing for a live streaming event featuring daily necessities.

When all the preparations were settled, I called my parents. I told them that I needed to go to another city for a business trip for half a month. I knew that once the zombie crisis really broke out, they would definitely come to me for shelter. The experience from my previous life was imprinted in my heart like a brand. At that time, I had earnestly persuaded them to prepare in advance, but they turned a deaf ear. It wasn’t until the shadow of zombies loomed over our city that they started to panic. There were almost no reserves in their home, and in just a week, the food in the house was exhausted. At this time, mom called me, urgently demanding that I go over to pick them up. I suggested they come directly to my place, but they firmly refused, claiming that because of fear, she and dad were already unable to move. I had no choice but to go there myself, but after picking them up, we encountered zombies on the way. As a result, they pushed me towards those terrible creatures without hesitation. At that moment, I understood that they might have planned all along that if they encountered danger, they would use my life to exchange for their safety. To avoid such a tragedy from happening again, I decided to let them think I wasn’t at home at all. Only in this way would they completely give up the idea of seeking shelter at my place. After hanging up the phone, I carefully drew the curtains in my house tightly, ensuring that not a single ray of light leaked out. Because zombies could identify sounds and light sources, I had to avoid exposing myself as much as possible. Moreover, the windows of my house directly faced my brother’s house, so I couldn’t let them see any light from my house. To make them believe I wasn’t at home, I even posted a WeChat Moments visible only to them, showing that I was waiting to board at the airport. After doing all this, I took a deep breath, feeling the tension in my heart ease a little. I knew that the days ahead would be full of unknowns and challenges, but I was prepared to face this doomsday crisis.

Sure enough, the disaster came quickly. The neighboring city had officially announced the outbreak of the zombie crisis, and our city followed suit, urgently calling on citizens to prepare in advance. But by the time everyone realized the seriousness of the situation, supermarkets and shopping malls had already been looted empty. Looking down from upstairs, I saw dad, mom, and Tyler hurriedly going out, only to return with two packs of instant noodles and a bag of rice. This scene made me feel sad for them, as it foreshadowed the difficult days ahead. Soon, mom’s call came through, her voice full of anxiety: “Lena, have you heard? There’s a zombie outbreak in the neighboring city!” I pretended to be unaware, exclaiming in surprise, “What? Wasn’t that just fake news before?” Mom urgently said, “It’s not fake! Signs are starting to appear here too. The community has already issued a warning, telling everyone to stock up on necessities. Where are you now? When can you come back?” My voice was filled with helplessness: “I’m still in City B. Work hasn’t finished yet. The earliest I can come back is next week.” After hearing this, mom’s voice revealed disappointment: “Alright, we’ll try to figure something out ourselves then. Let us know when you’re coming back.” After hanging up the phone, I let out a deep sigh. Although I knew clearly that they had no place for me in their hearts, the fact that mom didn’t even say a word about staying safe at this critical moment made me feel even more heartbroken. I turned on the surveillance camera I had previously installed in their living room. At this moment, the whole family was gathered in the living room, nervously discussing what to do next. Tyler was still indifferent, curled up on the sofa playing games. Mom and dad, on the other hand, looked anxious and uneasy. Mom was fiddling with the meager supplies in her hands, while dad kept rummaging through the refrigerator, trying to find more usable food. I put down my binoculars and turned back to my room. I decided not to worry about them anymore. I took out my small electric pot and started to prepare for a hot pot meal. My supply reserves were abundant, with enough food to last me for at least half a year. Now, without their burden, I could also enjoy this rare moment of tranquility.

After a hearty meal, I took out the plastic buckets I had prepared earlier and began my water storage plan. In this period full of uncertainties, I couldn’t predict whether the water supply would suddenly be cut off, so I decided to store some water for myself every day, just in case. Next, I brought out the vegetable seeds and flower pots that I had prepared from the storage room. I sowed the seeds one by one in the soil, hoping that they would grow strong under my care and face the future crisis with me. As night gradually fell, I composed myself and stepped into my workroom. I pulled the newly bought backdrop behind me, creating a live streaming environment that looked like I was in another city. Although I was very limited in what I could do under these circumstances, I still managed to arrange a special live streaming session for daily necessities and food through my studio. I knew that this crisis might affect more cities, and I hoped that through my live streaming room, more people would realize the importance of stockpiling supplies. During the live stream, I noticed that viewers from different cities had started appearing in the comments, sharing the current situation in their cities. “Host, express delivery has completely stopped in our area. They say it’s because of a virus spreading…” “It’s not a virus, it’s zombies! We’re already forbidden to go out here, the streets are empty.” When this comment about zombies appeared, it was immediately blocked by the system. This shocked me, realizing that this crisis was no longer just a problem of one or two cities, but multiple cities had fallen into chaos. In the live streaming room, I tried to remind everyone in a subtle way: “Dear viewers, the situation is indeed a bit special recently. I suggest everyone should try to prepare more daily necessities and food, so that we can be more composed when facing the unknown.” After the live stream ended, it was close to midnight. I opened the surveillance of my brother’s house again and saw that the living room was empty, presumably they had all gone to rest. I thought they probably hadn’t realized the severity of this crisis yet, simply thinking that hiding at home for a few days would return everything to normal. However, I knew that things were far from that simple.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295911”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #校园School #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller