Category: English

I was once the golden girl, born into wealth and privilege. But overnight, my world crumbled. One accident turned me into a pariah, the family disgrace. The man I loved for eight years, my shining beacon, came to hate me with every fiber of his being. He said I was the cause of it all—the reason for every tragedy. Before I died, he stood over me and asked, “Do you still love me?” I shook my head. “Never again.” Three years later, I came back. I had waited three long years for this moment. In the passenger seat of the car, my brother, Sean Miller, let out a cold snort, breaking the heavy silence. “Drop the pitiful act. That look on your face is disgusting.” He turned, glaring at me with contempt. “You stole Cassidy’s life for years. What you owe her can’t be repaid this easily.” In the past, I would have fought back. I would’ve given him a piece of my mind. But now, I only looked at my reflection in the car window—a pale, gaunt face stared back at me, with hollow cheeks and dull, lifeless eyes. There was no trace of the proud, glamorous princess I once was. Three years of living under someone else’s roof had taught me how to swallow my pride. I nodded quietly. “Okay.” Sometimes, lowering your head is the only way to survive. I was no longer the spoiled, entitled girl of the Miller family. As long as I could leave that hellhole behind, I would do whatever they wanted. The car pulled into the parking lot of an exclusive country club. “Come with me,” Sean ordered. He didn’t give me room to refuse. As I got out of the car, I caught the look of disgust in his eyes—sharp, clear, and unmistakable. Inside the private suite, my heart froze for a moment. Our eyes met. There he was—Lucas Hart. The man I had loved for eight years. For eight long years, I had trailed behind him, desperate for his attention. At the time, I wanted the whole world to know: I, Nora Miller, would never marry anyone but Lucas Hart! But he never once responded. Everyone knew he couldn’t stand people who were clingy and shameless. Three years had passed, and now he looked even colder, sharper—his presence radiating an icy aura. “What are you doing here?” It was obvious Lucas had no desire to see me. “Hey, Lucas, who’s this?” a friend of his asked, clearly intrigued. I lowered my head, wishing I could disappear. “Wait, isn’t this that girl? The one who used to chase Lucas around like a stray dog? The Miller heiress?” The scandal back then had been the talk of the town, so it wasn’t surprising that someone recognized me. “What’s the deal? Lucas is engaged to Cassidy now. Are you still haunting him?” “Exactly. Have you even looked at yourself in a mirror? What part of you could possibly compare to Cassidy?” Their taunts were merciless, each one cutting deeper than the last. My hands, hidden inside my sleeves, clenched tightly into fists. I kept telling myself: Endure it. Just endure it. I forced myself to speak, my voice trembling but steady. “Back then, I was the one who wouldn’t let go. I caused you so much trouble, Lucas. I won’t bother you anymore. Please, just let me go.” Lucas seemed taken aback by my words, but only for a second. His surprise quickly turned into something colder, sharper. “You’re back?” he asked, his tone as icy as ever. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Yes.” “Why?” I hesitated, twisting my fingers nervously before answering with as much sincerity as I could muster. “Lucas, I promise I won’t appear in your life again. I won’t bother Cassidy, either.” “Remember those words,” he said, his gaze like frost, sending chills down to my fingertips. I forced a brittle smile. “Congratulations to you both…” “Get out!” Before I could finish, he cut me off, his voice sharp and unforgiving. He didn’t even want to look at me. Sean stood to the side, arms crossed, enjoying the humiliation I was being put through. It was clear he was satisfied. I understood in that moment: this man who once adored me, who once called me his precious little sister, now lived to see me suffer. I walked back to the Miller estate. The road felt endless, and by the time I reached the house, the sky had already turned dark. Autumn winds bit through my thin sleeves, chilling me to the bone. When I finally arrived at the gates, my limbs were numb from the cold. The grand, tightly shut doors stood before me, keeping the warmth inside firmly out of reach. I stood there, alone, with nowhere to go. 3 Cassidy broke her leg. It wasn’t my fault. But no one believed me. Not even Lucas Hart. Three years ago, he used a DNA test to send me back to my biological father in a run-down countryside town. I don’t even know how I survived those three years. My father was a gambling addict who owed more money than I could count. Debt collectors showed up constantly, tearing the house apart and taking anything of value. The weight of it all fell entirely on me. Whenever my father drank, he’d beat me senseless and call me a worthless piece of trash. I had no choice but to work myself to the bone, trying to scrape together enough money to keep us afloat. One day, the debt collectors came back, this time with a knife pressed to my throat. They told me I had ten days to pay them back. If I couldn’t, they’d sell me to a nightclub. I begged them on my knees, pleading for more time. Eventually, they gave me a month. But there was no time to breathe. The moment they left, my father stormed in with a leather belt in his hand. The belt lashed across my back, cutting into my skin like a blade. No matter how much I screamed and begged, he didn’t stop. “Tomorrow, you’ll sell yourself on the streets and start making money for me!” I knew if I didn’t escape, my life would be over. In the dead of night, while my father was passed out drunk, I forced myself to stand. Shaking, I dialed the number that had been buried in my memory for years. I swallowed my pride, abandoned every shred of dignity I had left, and begged him to help me escape. “This is your home. Where else do you think you can go?” His cold, detached words hit me like a bucket of ice water poured over my head. I didn’t dare provoke him further. He had a hundred ways to make my life miserable, and I no longer had the strength to fight back. I just wanted to survive. I didn’t dare hope for anything more. Fragments of memory and reality blurred together in my mind. I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or if I was already dead. I wanted to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt heavy, as though they were weighed down with lead. Then, I collapsed, my consciousness slipping away. I had a dream. In that dream, I was still Nora Miller, the carefree, pampered daughter of the Miller family. I lived a life of luxury, untouched by pain or hardship. Cassidy’s accident had never happened. Lucas Hart didn’t hate me. If only none of it had ever happened… A sharp tug yanked me out of my dream and back into the cold reality. Someone grabbed me roughly, dragging me off the ground. “Nora, get up! Quit pretending! Who are you trying to fool with this pathetic act? I know exactly what you’re up to!” I forced my heavy eyelids open and saw Sean Miller’s twisted face glaring down at me. In my dazed state, I instinctively tried to defend myself. “I’m not—” “Let her in!” came my stepmother’s shrill voice from inside the house. “People will think we’re mistreating her otherwise!” Sean shoved me forward, and the housekeeper, Mrs. Lewis, rushed to catch me. Her worried expression was the only kindness I’d seen in that house. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice weak. The moment the words left my mouth, my knees buckled, and I nearly stumbled into the door handle. I don’t even remember how I made it to my room. The next thing I knew, it was the following evening, and I was burning up with fever. Mrs. Lewis had secretly given me medicine, but it wasn’t helping. Sean stood nearby, his face twisted in disgust. “Quit acting like you’re on death’s door. You caught a little cold—it’s not that serious!” 4 Yeah, so what if I spent an entire autumn night freezing outside? How did my body end up this weak? For three years, I’ve never had a single day where I was warm or full. I worked myself to the bone every day, taking on any job I could to earn scraps of money. And when I got home, I had to face my father—a man who could lash out and beat me without warning. If I got sick, I couldn’t afford medicine, and I definitely couldn’t risk missing work because of it. That’s how I ended up like this—permanently worn down, broken. Fevers have become a normal part of my life. But losing consciousness like this? That’s new. I went to the hospital. Sitting on a plastic chair in the hallway, I stared at the report in my hands for what felt like hours. Reality always seems to hit the hardest when I’m already at my weakest. Finally, I forced myself to stand and leave. As I stepped toward the exit, the elevator doors opened, and Cassidy walked out, holding Lucas Hart’s arm. Her prosthetic leg was so realistic it was indistinguishable from the other. Her face radiated happiness, her smile glowing like sunshine. Lucas looked down at her with a tenderness so soft it felt like a knife slicing through me. “Nora?” Cassidy’s voice was filled with surprise. “What are you doing here? Are you sick?” She sounded genuinely concerned, but I knew better than to believe it. Hearing her words, Lucas turned his icy gaze toward me. The warmth in his eyes froze over in an instant. I instinctively lowered my head, avoiding his stare. “I’m sorry,” I stammered, my voice shaking. “I didn’t mean to run into you. I—I’ll leave right now.” My words spilled out in a panicked rush, barely coherent. I didn’t even wait for a response—I fled. Ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I was terrified that if I stayed one second longer, Lucas would decide to send me back to my father. Back to that living hell. This hospital? I wouldn’t be coming here again. When I reached the hospital entrance, I saw Sean leaning casually against a car, arms crossed. What was he doing here? Why did it matter? It’s not like he was waiting for me. I turned my head and headed for the bus stop without a second thought. “Nora.” Sean stepped in front of me, blocking my path. I blinked at him, confused. “Get in the car,” he said flatly. Was he… waiting for me? But why? Since when had Sean ever been so kind? 5 Just as I expected. He was here to accuse me. “Nora, Lucas and Cassidy are engaged. Stop clinging to your ridiculous fantasies!” “I’m not!” For the first time since I came back, I raised my voice to defend myself. “Then why are you here?” Sean said, his expression dripping with smug certainty, as though he could see through me completely. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning!” “I don’t know how you found out they’d be at this hospital today, but let me warn you—next month is their wedding. If anything happens to Cassidy again, you won’t get off so easily!” His chest heaved with anger, as though I were some unforgivable criminal. But what had I done wrong? Was it a crime to fall in love with Lucas Hart? I had already promised to stay away from him. What more did they want from me? I’d said it a thousand times—Cassidy’s accident had nothing to do with me. No one believed me. Everyone thought I was the one who hurt her. My hands clenched around the crumpled medical report. The sharp edges of the folded paper pressed into my palm like needles, cutting into my skin. Would they only be happy if I died? When I didn’t respond, Sean assumed I was still holding onto some foolish hope. His accusations turned even nastier. “Nora, are you seriously this pathetic? Why Lucas? Of all the men in the world, why him? Are you that desperate?” “Enough!” I shouted, my breath uneven. “I already told you, I won’t bother him anymore. I meant it!” “You’d better not,” he sneered. Then his gaze shifted to the crumpled paper in my hand. “What’s this?” Before I could stop him, he grabbed the report from me with ease. But the next second, he glanced at it briefly and tossed it straight into the trash can by the side of the road. “It’s just a fever. You’re not dying or anything. Stop being so dramatic.” I stared at him, trembling with rage. “Sean, I honestly wish you were dead.”

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I had been secretly in love with Connor, the top student in our class, for years. But he just announced he was in a relationship. At a party, his girlfriend deliberately asked me, “What’s your ideal type?” Looking at Connor’s face, I described someone completely opposite to him. Unexpectedly, the next day, his best friend approached me with a video from the party. Seeing my confused expression, he calmly said something that shocked me for the entire day. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you have a crush on me?” 1 After hearing Zack’s words, I choked on my bubble tea for a full minute. He sat across from me, knowingly holding his phone in front of my eyes. “Why so shy? Isn’t this the ideal type you described? It matches me perfectly.” In the video, I was staring at Connor’s face, speaking clearly word by word. “My ideal type is an outgoing, confident, and humorous guy.” He slowly lowered his phone, revealing a smug smile. “Although I have many admirers, I’ll reluctantly let you cut in line.” “Just pursue me for a month, and I’ll consider accepting you. But…” Looking at the chattering person in front of me, I expressionlessly closed the door. Zack’s sports car was eye-catching. Me riding my bicycle alongside his car was even more eye-catching. From the lowered car window, Zack’s mouth never stopped moving. “A month is a bit long, but you need patience when pursuing someone, right?” “I’m a young eligible bachelor, I can’t just say yes because you asked.” Annoyed by the noise, I stopped and gave him two middle fingers. Just as I was about to turn and pedal hard, I heard the voice I least wanted to hear. “Ava? Why are you cycling to school today?” Connor came up from behind, hugging his books. Seeing Zack’s sports car, his expression became a bit unnatural. “Hey, buddy, why aren’t you in the classroom yet?” Connor was the top student, always the first to arrive for 8 am classes. Everyone called him the scholarship maniac. “Something came up.” I used to wait for him at the cafeteria entrance every day to go to class together. He was never late in the morning. Today he probably had breakfast with Sophia. Thinking about this, I uncomfortably started pedaling my bicycle slowly. Connor walked beside me, frequently turning his head to look at me. “Ava, why are you coming with Zack?” Although he asked very quietly, Zack still heard it. “She wants to pursue me, so I’m teaching her how to win my heart.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Connor’s hand crumple a corner of his book. Under his inquiring gaze, I glanced at Zack without saying anything. Seeing that I didn’t refute, Zack spoke more enthusiastically. He leaned almost half his body out of the car. “She even insisted on buying me rings to wear on both my middle fingers just now.” “I don’t think it’s necessary though, don’t you agree, buddy?” “Rings are something that…” BANG– A huge crash mixed with Connor’s startled cry rang in my ears. The moment the telephone pole tilted, I really wanted to close my eyes and pretend I couldn’t hear anything. 2 After paying the bill at the reception desk and coming back, Zack was hugging his leg and complaining to the doctor. “Aren’t you embarrassed enough already?” Hearing my voice, he suddenly turned around, pointed at his leg, and looked at me with silent tears. Just before the tears reached the corners of his mouth, I rushed over and wrapped his head with my jacket. “Doctor, quickly!” After a round of wailing, I sat on the examination bed with a cold face, waiting for the doctor to disinfect the bite mark on my arm. “Zack, why didn’t that telephone pole kill you?” He touched the cast on his leg and wiped away his tears. “Don’t say such things. I promise to be with you, okay?” So I brought up the ring-buying thing again. By the time everything was over, it was already afternoon. Watching him flying around my house like a swallow, I couldn’t help but frown. “When are you going to leave?” He opened a bag of rice crackers and stuffed them into his mouth, shaking his head. “If you’re not leaving, then pay up. Towing fee, medical fee, transportation fee. SnapChat or PayPal?” “I’ll pay in kind.” He opened a carton of milk for himself and covered his face coyly. It was enough to make anyone angry for no reason. I immediately took out my phone to dial 91

Only then did he hurriedly hop over with his cast, looking at me pitifully, “Is a bank transfer okay?” After tearfully transferring a four-digit sum, he was finally allowed to stay as a guest. After all, with a wrecked sports car and a broken leg, going home would be life-threatening. But I didn’t know my kindness would cause me so much trouble. It wasn’t until I finished showering at night and was about to sleep that I truly realized. “Zack, open the door right now!” I knocked until my palm was numb before he finally spoke. “No way, I’m a pure and innocent boy. How could I sleep with you?” I could hear the suppressed laughter in his intermittent voice. I kicked the door once, then reluctantly compromised and walked towards the sofa in the living room. The cheap sofa I bought was narrow and hard. I didn’t fall asleep until late at night. Zack floated out like a ghost and stood in front of the sofa. It gave me a big scare. “What are you doing?” “Your room is too hot. My allergies are acting up. I can’t sleep.” His voice sounded stuffy. “Then what should we do? Do you want me to go out and buy medicine for you now?” “I want to sleep here.” Inexplicably, the sofa became a hot commodity again. I bundled up the blanket around me and went into the room. Instead of heading straight for the pillow, I first glanced at the notebook on the desk. In the moonlight, I felt something was off about it. But it was still in its original place. After struggling for a while, I finally locked it in the drawer before going to sleep with peace of mind. 3 Without his sports car, Zack had to ride on my bicycle to school every day. “Why don’t you take a cab?” “I gave all my money to you. How can I afford a cab?” He sat on my rear seat, carrying my backpack and using an egg to soothe his eyes, his mouth full of complaints. I could only channel my speechlessness into pedaling fiercely. As soon as we entered the classroom, I felt Connor’s scrutinizing gaze. I originally wanted to ignore him and sit at the back, but Zack pulled me to sit in the front row. “My leg hurts. I can’t jump that far.” He sat between Connor and me, constantly yawning. I wasn’t doing much better, feeling extremely sleepy. I had only fallen asleep in the early hours, and at 6 am, he was standing by my bed with puffy eyes. Complaining that the wind chimes in the living room kept ringing, keeping him awake. Unable to bear his constant nagging, I had to get up and throw the wind chimes in the trash. Those wind chimes were a gift from Connor. There was no need to keep them anymore anyway. I mocked myself inwardly. It was just something Sophia had discarded. Why was I still treasuring it like some precious item? As if sensing something, Connor suddenly turned back to look at me. He was about to pass something over across Zack. Before I could see clearly, my shoulder suddenly felt heavy. Zack had steadily fallen asleep on my shoulder. I immediately turned my head straight, narrowly avoiding kissing his forehead. If I woke him up, who knows how he would disgust me. Shouting things like secret crush and paying in kind, then rushing over. Who could stand that? On the podium, the teacher’s gaze, as if tangible, made me feel like I was sitting on pins and needles. Taking advantage of her turning around to write on the board, I pushed Zack’s head. Unexpectedly, not only did I not push him away, he even nuzzled his head on my shoulder. Damn, I wonder if his red hair will stain my clothes. It must stain, otherwise why would my face be so red? “Admit it, Ava. You’re fascinated by me too, right?” Zack once again held up his phone with a smug expression. A photo of me on the campus social media page, red-faced, supporting Zack’s head while taking notes, had gone viral. The photo was taken very cleverly, not even showing a corner of Connor’s clothes next to us. I stared at it for a few seconds without responding to his words. But he suddenly put down his phone and twisted himself into a pretzel. “But you’re being too obvious. Now the whole school knows you like me.” “You’re making it impossible for me to reject you. You’re so bad.” Watching him bury his face in his palms, I silently snatched the sausage from his bowl. 4 Actually, everyone knew I liked Connor. Because no matter what activity it was, as long as I was told Connor would be there, I would participate. The words at that party were indeed just my childish retaliation. So I don’t quite understand why Zack is so certain that I have a secret crush on him. But undeniably, Zack did distract my attention. He accompanies me to class, follows me when I study, and waits for me when I work part-time. When I’m with him, I rarely think about Connor. “Ava, do you think I’d look better with golden hair?” “Mm-hmm.” Busy with my part-time job, I responded habitually. “You’re so perfunctory. I’m such a handsome guy, and you don’t appreciate me at all.” Zack is very good-looking, golden hair should suit him well. He complained verbally, but the next day his hair color had indeed changed. After getting my paycheck, I took him to the orphanage. This was what I had promised him before. He always ate the snacks I stored at home. I told him those were bought for the children at the orphanage. As soon as he heard that, he insisted on coming along and even filled up a lot of toys himself. With free labor and toys for the kids to play with, I had no reason to refuse. But when we got to the entrance, he hesitated, holding two big bags of snacks and toys. “Ava, should I have dyed my hair black instead?” Looking at his golden hair shimmering under the sun, I nodded. Because the kids here love new and interesting things. Once we go in, I’m afraid his head of golden hair will be in trouble. The director was very happy to see me return. She pulled me aside, saying I had gotten thinner again, telling me to eat more, not to take studying too seriously, and that health is the most important. I agreed to everything and also told her not to work too hard. She looked at Zack distributing snacks to the children and whispered in my ear. “Girl, this boy seems quite nice, but why did he dye his hair yellow?” The director pushed up her glasses, showing deep confusion. In the warm autumn sun, Zack held a child in each arm while trying to read a storybook. I stood beside the director, watching him from afar through the window. A warm feeling inexplicably arose in my heart. During dinner, Zack sat next to the director, looking very respectful. Although everything seemed harmonious, I felt something was off. I couldn’t help but ask if he was feeling unwell somewhere. He straightened his back, “No, it’s great here, very comfortable.” “Then why are you acting so strange?” He glanced at the director and secretly asked me, “How am I strange?” “Usually when eating, you practically hug the rice cooker, but today you’re only eating one bowl.” The director heard this and smiled, immediately sending a child to help him get more rice. He buried his face in the bowl and squeezed out a sentence through his teeth. “Ava, don’t I need to save face?” 5 Starting from the day we returned from the orphanage, The notebook in the bedroom drawer began to thin day by day. The weather was also getting colder. I wanted that failed secret crush to leave me like falling leaves. But things didn’t go as I wished. Someone posted photos of Zack and me entering and leaving the hospital together on the campus social media page. There was also a related post. The title was enough to match the big “Breaking” label in the bottom right corner. “The Dirty Secrets of a Poor Scholar and a Rich Kid” It was full of photos of Zack and me appearing together. The text was full of speculation about our relationship. The conclusion was that I was pregnant with Zack’s child, and he accompanied me to the hospital for an abortion. Although many people in the comments didn’t believe it, saying that everyone knew I liked Connor. “The only difference before and after going to the hospital is that the cast on Zack’s leg is gone. Are you saying that cast was their child?” “And anyone with eyes knows that Ava has always liked Connor, right?” But people’s enthusiasm for gossip was no joke. “What’s the use of liking someone if Connor doesn’t like her back?” “Yeah, Connor and Sophia are such a loving couple, why would he want Ava?” “I’m not surprised by this at all. You should see the way Zack looks at Ava…” “I just didn’t expect Ava to be this kind of person. She always acted so high and mighty before.” I was immediately called in for a talk with the counselor and received an afternoon of education in the office. When I came out, I ran into Connor standing at the door. “Ava, are you okay?” I didn’t respond, just stepped aside to let him pass. “I believe you’re not that kind of person.” When I opened the door at night, Zack was no longer there. I woodenly went back to the bedroom and took out the notebook, about to tear out a page as usual. But looking at the words blurred by water stains, I found it strange. Flipping through, every page had them. But I had never spilled water on it. I dug out yesterday’s torn page from the trash can, and sure enough, the writing was also blurred by water marks. When Zack was here before, I always tore pages in the dark at night, so I never noticed. This notebook contained my record of secretly loving Connor since high school. From the first time I realized I liked Connor, to Connor announcing his relationship. Every word was related to Connor. My mind was in chaos as I searched for memories about the notebook. I suddenly remembered the first night Zack came to my house. His intermittent speech, coming out in the middle of the night with a stuffy voice, and his swollen eyelids the next day. Complaining about the wind chimes Connor gave me in the early morning. These moments flashed before my eyes one by one. I touched those round water stains, and a guess formed in my heart. 6 The post was deleted, but I hadn’t seen Zack for a week. After that campus post came out, I never saw him again. He didn’t reply to my messages either. Instead, my contact with Connor passively increased. For some reason, I kept running into Connor everywhere. In class, he no longer sat in the front row or came first. Instead, he waited for me downstairs, followed me to school, and sat with me at the back of the classroom. “Connor, you already have a girlfriend. Please have some self-awareness.” “Ava, it’s not what you think between Sophia and me. I have my reasons.” But I had no time to listen to his reasons. “Don’t you want to know why someone like Zack would be friends with me?” We sat on a bench in front of the artificial lake on campus. I was indeed curious why Zack would be friends with Connor. Because I had known Connor since high school and had a crush on him. Zack, I only met after starting university. Suddenly one day he appeared by Connor’s side, calling him his good buddy. At that time, I thought male friendships just formed that quickly. But now it seems that Connor and Zack are completely opposite personality types. Moreover, Zack’s family background is different from ours. I’m an orphan, and Connor lives with his grandmother. Except for our grades, we’re at the bottom of the social ladder at school. But Connor is a bit better off than me. He’s nice to everyone, and with his handsome face, quite a few people like him. As for me, I’m busy with part-time jobs every day and indifferent to everyone. Even though I look decent, people just say I’m putting on airs. But I don’t care what others think. Because I know others can’t help me live my life. But Zack, I don’t know why he’s different from others. From the beginning, he’s been very enthusiastic towards me. Even when I ignored him, he would still come to talk to me. Before this incident, I hadn’t even looked at his face carefully. “I’m not close to him at all.” “He just came up to me on his own. You know, he’s different from us. People are more willing to believe them.” Seeing that I wasn’t looking at him, he continued. “I became his good friend in a daze, and watched him approach you in a daze.” “Now I finally understand, he was trying to get close to you from the very beginning.” “Actually, I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. Zack is not a good person. Don’t be fooled by him.” 7 I became the protagonist of the campus social media page again. This time it was with Connor. In the photo, we were sitting on a bench with our heads lowered. The title read: “Shocking! Poor Girl Dumped, Turns to Someone Else’s Boyfriend” After being invisible for twenty years, I never thought I’d become a campus celebrity overnight.

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After three years of studying abroad, my billionaire father informed me to return home for my childhood nanny’s funeral. However, as soon as I entered the funeral hall, Rose, the nanny’s daughter, pointed her finger at my nose and angrily scolded me. “Lily! Is this how you repay our mom for funding your overseas education?” “You even dare to be late?” “Kneel down! Apologize to mom!” If this had happened in my previous life, I would have been terrified by this scene. But fortunately, I was reborn. I coldly smiled, picked up the wreath in my hand, and violently smashed it into her face. “That’s nonsense! The nanny wasn’t my birth mother!” “How dare you spread such lies?” “Just wait and see how you’ll beg for my forgiveness later!” Rose was knocked to the ground by my wreath, causing chaos in the funeral hall. She quickly got up, her face flushed red as she pointed at me and said, “Today is mom’s funeral. She ate stale bread and lived on scraps every day just to send you abroad for your studies!” “And now you deny everything!?” “Kneel down!” I frowned, my eyes filled with anger. In my previous life, this was how Rose’s false accusations led to my death! We had only met a few times when I was little, and then hadn’t seen each other for over a decade. Now, I was just back to attend the nanny’s funeral, and she was trying to pass me off as their adopted daughter. Not only did she force me to sign a million-dollar debt, but she also stripped me naked and forced me into prostitution. In the end, I could only commit suicide to preserve my dignity. But this time, I came back prepared. Not only did I bring my personal butler, but I also secretly contacted my father when no one knew. He would arrive in less than an hour! I angrily said to Mr. Thompson standing beside me, “Mr. Thompson, slap her for me. Wake her up and stop her from talking nonsense!” But Mr. Thompson didn’t move. Instead, he turned around and looked at me coldly, saying, “Who are you calling Mr. Thompson?” “I’m your stepfather. Don’t you know?” “After you went abroad, I married your mother!” I took a step back in surprise, asking in disbelief, “Mr. Thompson, what on earth are you talking about?” “How did you become my stepfather?” “This is absurd!” “Slap!” Mr. Thompson slapped me across the face without any expression, sternly saying, “Did you lose all your manners after studying abroad?” “If we hadn’t adopted you and paid for your education, how could you have become successful?” “You couldn’t even bring some valuable burial gifts for your mother when you returned?” I was slapped against the wall, my face stinging with pain. I looked around. The relatives and guests in the nanny’s funeral hall all had strange looks on their faces, gossiping about me. “Is this the adopted daughter of their family? She’s been educated abroad, but she seems quite disrespectful.” “What an ungrateful person. Adopted children are just adopted after all. Our community couldn’t produce such a shameless woman!” At this moment, someone pushed through the crowd. I looked closely and realized it was my boyfriend, Jack. He pointed at me with a pained expression, his body trembling as he said, “Lily, Rose is your adoptive mother’s biological daughter, she’s your elder sister!” “If you lack filial piety, isn’t it right for her to educate you?” “Why are you so evil-hearted that you dare to hit your own sister?” I didn’t bother questioning why Jack was here. We had been in a long-distance relationship for a long time, and he didn’t know my true identity. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, stood up, and said sternly to Mr. Thompson, “Mr. Thompson, this is my final warning to you. Prove my identity to them.” “Otherwise, when my father arrives, you’ll all be in trouble. See who can protect you then!” But Mr. Thompson, who used to dote on me the most, looked at me with a sneer and said, “Lily, have you become stupid from studying? You’re an orphan, where did you get parents from?” “Oh! I get it now. You’ve become successful and can make big money, so you want to cut ties with our family, right?” “Fine, then sign this IOU!” “Sign it, and we’ll be done with each other, with no more relationship!” Mr. Thompson took out an unsigned IOU from his pocket and threw it at my feet. The amount on it was as high as ten million dollars!

This scene was so familiar! Wasn’t this the same ten-million-dollar IOU from my previous life? The only difference was that in my previous life, I was forced to sign it by everyone in this room, under Rose’s coercion. But in this life, I brought Mr. Thompson to protect me, only to be pressured by him instead! I laughed angrily, picked up the IOU, tore it to pieces, and threw it at them. “You’re really asking for too much, demanding ten million dollars right off the bat!” “Do you look like people who have ten million dollars?!” “Mr. Thompson, who gave you the guts to do this? Do you know what will happen when my father finds out?” Rose suddenly rushed out at this moment, shouting angrily. “Shut up, Lily!” “Today is my mother’s funeral! How can you say such things without hurting her feelings?” “Ever since we adopted an ungrateful person like you, our family has been eating porridge and pickles every day. My academic performance was clearly better than yours, but just because my mother liked you more!” “You got to attend tutoring classes, wear nice clothes!” “My mom sacrificed my future to send you to college! How is that not worth ten million dollars!” Rose covered her face and started crying, as if everything was real. But I was never their adopted daughter! Let alone talk about ten million dollars in compensation! Jack quickly rushed over to hug Rose and comfort her, “Rose, don’t be sad. None of us knew Lily was such an ungrateful person!” I coldly laughed and questioned him, “Jack! Are you my boyfriend or Rose’s!” But Jack, who used to be so gentle with me, now shouted at me angrily. “Lily! How dare you speak!” “Everyone in this room knows that your adoptive mother left you a three-million-dollar inheritance!” “Rose, as the biological daughter of your adoptive mother, didn’t get a penny. How can you say such things?” Rose also cried beside him, “Lily, are you even trying to steal my boyfriend?” I was so angry that my chest was heaving constantly, “Fine! From now on, Jack, this cheating man, is your boyfriend!” Jack’s face changed, and he said with a red face, “Don’t change the subject, Lily. Since you don’t acknowledge your adoptive mother, give that three million dollars back to Rose!” Their relatives around also agreed. “Yes, the money should be left to our family!” “We’ll just consider it as having raised an ungrateful child!” “If you don’t acknowledge us, we won’t acknowledge you either!” My face turned cold again. So it was all about the three million dollars? But the three million in my hands wasn’t the nanny’s money at all! I turned to look at Mr. Thompson, my eyes cold and sharp, “Mr. Thompson, they might not know about this three million, but are you still going to play dumb?” But Mr. Thompson seemed to have become a different person, greedily licking the corner of his mouth, raising his hand to slap me in the face again, the sound crisp. “How could I not know about this three million?” “It’s our money!” “You tore up the IOU, isn’t it because you don’t want to split from us, so you can take away this three million?” “Let me tell you, Lily, no way!” Being hit again, there was no fear in my eyes, but I suddenly remembered a text message I received on my phone when I got off the plane. “Dear Mr. Thompson, your loan of $700,000 from our company is severely overdue…” Thinking of this, I questioned him without mercy, “Mr. Thompson, have you been gambling these three years, borrowing a lot of online loans, so you’re using this trick to cheat me out of three million?” “Did you think that since my dad is abroad and I have no one by my side, you could bully me like this?” “This three million was transferred by my dad to the nanny to build roads for the community, it wasn’t her inheritance at all, was it?” The faces of the guests around changed drastically. “This is money for all of us!?”

Mr. Thompson’s face also turned ugly for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal and continued to slander me. “Our family wouldn’t borrow those harmful things online if it wasn’t for your expenses abroad, it’s all because of you!” “You bitch, I think you need a good lesson!” He was about to hit me again. I coldly snorted, “Mr. Thompson, try to touch me again, I’ve already called my dad, you’re dead when he gets here!” Mr. Thompson’s face became even more furious. He angrily rushed over, raising his hand, shouting. “You dare threaten your elders!” “I think you’ve learned the wrong things!” “I’ll let you see who your real father is today!” At this moment, some guests tried to stop him, saying, “Thompson, don’t hit her yet, the matter of the three million hasn’t been cleared up!” “Whose money is this exactly!” Thompson was stopped, his anger still boiling, and he shouted loudly, “What money? That’s all my wife’s money, who would be so kind to donate three million to our community?” “She’s just trying to trick you so she can escape and keep the money for herself!” A guest slapped his thigh, his face also turning ugly. “Damn, your ungrateful daughter is too cunning, she needs a good beating! Beat her to death!” Jack also angrily said, “She’s just a liar!” “I’ve seen her abroad, she lives quite lavishly, able to live in nice houses and drive luxury cars.” “She even hangs out with a group of black men every night, who knows what she’s doing!” At this point, Jack was even spreading false rumors about my sexual conduct! My anger towards him reached its peak. When we were in love, he said he wanted to see me but had no money. So I bought him a plane ticket to visit me, and paid for all the expenses. During that time, he stuck to me every day, saying “I love you!” all the time. But now? I pointed at Jack and cursed furiously, “Jack, you’re an animal!” Then, I looked at everyone present, “Do you really think they could have three million dollars to give me!?” “The person lying in the coffin is just my nanny, I only drank a few mouthfuls of her milk when I was little!” “How could they have raised me!” Rose then took out a stack of documents from behind her and threw them on the ground, shouting angrily, “Enough! Lily!” “How long are you going to pretend!” “You did take my mom’s three million, I checked my mom’s phone and saw it, she transferred it to you half a month ago, there are text messages, it was from winning the lottery!” After saying this, she shouted again, “Come on, everyone, look at these, these are the luxury cars and big houses Lily bought with this money!” “She didn’t leave a penny for us! This is the good daughter my mom raised!” “If she’s not ungrateful, who is!” Someone picked up the documents from the ground and looked at them, then immediately took out their phone to take pictures of me. “What a beast!” “Expose her!” “Expose her!” I was surprisingly calm, suppressing the anger in my heart, and questioned Rose, “Where did you get my personal information from?” But Rose became even more smug and shouted again, “Did you all hear that? My mom’s adopted daughter isn’t denying it anymore, she admits to using our family’s money!” Jack also chimed in, “I’ve seen the world too, I calculated the assets under her name, it’s not just three million, it’s even ten times that much!” “This ungrateful person just said someone donated money to our community to build roads, is it possible that she embezzled our road construction money!”

The people in the community all changed their expressions, threatening to tie me up and make me spit out the money, or else they would force me into prostitution to make up for it! Rose then shouted, “Never mind all that, let’s grab her phone and take a look at her balance and spending records, then we’ll know!” The guests’ eyes lit up, they spat on their hands and forcibly surrounded me, countless hands trying to snatch my phone from my pockets. I cried out in anguish, “Don’t take my phone, I have the only photo of my grandmother in it!” Rose rushed over and slapped me hard. “Still daring to resist, make her kneel, let her know the price of lying!” I was forcibly pressed to my knees by countless people, their dirty hands groping all over me. Humiliation and anger surged in my heart, but I couldn’t fight back. Rose looked down at me, her eyes full of smugness and pleasure. She took my stolen phone, used my face to unlock it, and pulled up my bank account balance. She showed it to everyone! Their eyes lit up, there was indeed over three million in there! But that was all pocket money from my dad! Immediately, everyone became even more hateful towards me, cursing non-stop, taking turns to slap my face. Mr. Thompson crouched in front of me, forcibly pulling my hair and cursing. “You beast!” “Still putting on an act! I hate ungrateful people like you the most, today I’ll make you spit out every penny you’ve eaten!” He snatched my phone and violently smashed it against my head, forcing me to reveal my bank card password. I howled in pain, feeling warm blood flowing down my face. The people around became even more excited. “Hit her well!” “Hit her well!” “We need to set a good example for our community!” Seeing that I still wouldn’t speak, Mr. Thompson suddenly lifted my head and smashed the phone into my face. My teeth flew out, and the phone shattered! The only thing I had to remember my grandmother was gone! In my grief, I suddenly bit his hand, biting out a big chunk, tearing flesh and drawing blood! “You little bitch, you’ve gone too far!” But at this moment, Mr. Thompson didn’t lash out violently. Instead, he leaned in with a cold face and whispered in my ear. “Miss Anderson, you’re not wrong, I did frame you for all this.” “You don’t need to scare me with your dad either, I know he’s far away.” “Save you? Wait for your next life!” “Hmph! Since you like to bite so much, let’s have you serve some men for ten years, it’s your turn to serve men now!” Mr. Thompson pushed me to the ground, while starting to pull off my pants in front of everyone, shouting. “Come on, virtuous women fear losing their chastity, let’s teach this ungrateful adopted daughter a lesson, all the single men in the community can have a go!” Those dirty guests’ eyes lit up, immediately wiping their hands on themselves and swallowing their saliva. They began to scan me shamelessly. I gritted my teeth tightly, clutching my pants, not letting them succeed. Anxiously praying in my heart. Dad, save me! My clothes were violently torn off, my skin exposed to the air, and the breathing of the men around obviously became heavier. They laughed and rushed towards me with red eyes. I was about to suffer their poison, could only cry out, “My father won’t let you get away with this!” “You bunch of scumbags!” But they shamelessly said, “Hehe, calling daddy so quickly, so slutty!” “But we are your daddies!” But the next second, a roar suppressing thunderous anger sounded from behind me! “I’d like to see who dares to touch my daughter!” The whole place fell silent, everyone was terrified!

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When I, Olivia Pierce, was suffering from morning sickness, vomiting and diarrhea during my pregnancy, my husband, Noah Sinclair, and the nanny, Sophia Caldwell, hid in the storage room, whispering sweetly to each other. Sophia was wearing my pajamas and spoke in a seductive tone. “Mr. Sinclair, I also want to have your baby.” Noah’s eyes darkened, his voice hoarse. “You’re still young. Pregnancy is too hard. I can’t bear it.” I silently booked an abortion and a plane ticket to Eldoria after hearing all this. After the abortion, I returned home, pale-faced. The moment I opened the door, I was greeted by a house full of gifts. Noah lovingly hung a diamond necklace worth tens of millions of dollars around my neck. “Sweetheart, you’ve worked hard with the pregnancy.” He gently helped me sit on the couch and expertly massaged my sore, swollen calves. “I always go with you to every checkup, but this time you insisted I didn’t need to. Look at you. You’re so pale from exhaustion.” Up until now, he still thought I went for a checkup. Noah and I were childhood sweethearts, from school to marriage. Since I got pregnant, he treated it like a battle. Instead of reading up on finance, he was studying pregnancy care in his study. My morning sickness was severe, so he taught himself to cook, trying everything to get me to eat. In three months, I lost more than 10 pounds, and Noah cried as he held me. “Just one child. After that, I’ll get a vasectomy!” Noah loved me deeply, to the point that if science allowed it, he would have carried the baby for me. But none of this stopped him from sending flirty text messages to Sophia one after another. His excuse for learning to cook was nothing more than a way to spend time alone with Sophia. Every night, after lulling me to sleep, he couldn’t wait to slip into the nanny’s room… The next morning, after taking a shower to hide all traces, he would curl up next to me for a cozy nap. He thought his actions were flawless, but I still saw the faint, ambiguous scratch marks on his back. That night, I sat in silence, feeling numb. The baby inside me seemed to sense my sadness and gave a gentle nudge in my palm. At that moment, I overheard Noah trying to calm Sophia. “Pregnancy is so tough. Once Olivia’s baby is born, I’ll have the child call you godmother.” In that instant, it felt as if the world stopped. Tears unknowingly rolled down my face, growing faster and faster. Shaking, I opened my phone and booked the abortion. I couldn’t let my child be born into a loveless home. That would be irresponsible to her.

“Baby, after our little one is born, how about the three of us go to Northfield to see the snow in winter, and climb mountains in spring?” Noah was daydreaming about our future while I slightly turned my head, pretending not to see the hickey on his neck. What Noah didn’t know was that the little life he was so excited about had already died due to his betrayal. “Mr. Sinclair and Mrs. Sinclair are so happy. I want to find someone just like Mr. Sinclair,” Sophia said, and Noah immediately shot a nervous glance at me. “Well, I’ll let him go to you then… Hmm!” Noah immediately covered my mouth, his teeth clenched in anger. “Stop talking nonsense.” He leaned in close. Looking into his eyes, I felt like I was back to the summer when I was 17, the first time Noah kissed me, his eyes full of nervousness and caution. “Olivia, I won’t be like my dad, looking for other women. “I love only you.” Noah’s dad had an affair that drove his mom to her death, and he hated his dad for it his whole life. Like father, like son. Noah had ended up becoming the very thing he despised the most. At dinner, Sophia handed Noah some juice and secretly brushed her palm against his. Unable to tolerate it anymore, I slapped her across the face. “Ah!” Sophia covered her face, tears falling one by one. “Olivia, what gives you the right to hit me?” She turned to Noah with a pitiful look, her eyes red, like a bunny. But Noah didn’t spare her a glance. Instead, he held my hand to his lips, blowing on it gently. “Did it hurt you? “Getting upset isn’t good for your health, especially since you’re pregnant.” Since I was little, my health had always been weak. My parents were busy with their business and didn’t have time for me. Noah had taken the small, fragile me home and cared for me with great attention. People joked that I was his burden, but Noah would always gently defend me. “She’s not a burden. She’s my rose.” Noah would pull the thorns from my body and then… drive them deep into my heart until it bled uncontrollably. Seeing herself ignored, Sophia wiped away her useless tears, and her cheeks were red and swollen. That night, after Noah tucked me in, he quietly went to Sophia’s room. After that, a series of soft noises reached my ears. In the dark, I opened my eyes and called my mentor. “Professor, I’m willing to go to Eldoria and join the secret research organization.” “Are you sure? Once you join, you won’t be able to contact the outside world for five years, and your identity will be erased.” “Yes, I’m sure.” My mentor hesitated slightly. “Then get ready. You leave in three days.” I wouldn’t disappear without a word. I would let Noah know that I knew about his affair before I “killed” myself. Just like how his mom died. I would make sure he lived forever in guilt.

The next day, I saw Sophia wearing a ruby necklace. Noah had said it was a birthday gift for me, but clearly, the birthday gift had turned into Noah’s apology to Sophia. Sophia smiled and played with her bracelet in front of me. “Did you know about me and Noah being together all along?” I looked at her without saying anything, and Sophia continued. “You should have some self-respect. Right now, Noah loves me.” I scoffed. “Then you should have Noah divorce me.” Sophia didn’t get angry. Instead, she laughed out loud. “You’ve just been around him longer than me. I have plenty of ways to steal him away.” Just then, Noah called, as usual. Even though there were many servants at home, he was still worried and wanted to hear my voice. But I didn’t answer, letting it ring. Half an hour later, he rushed back from work. “Baby, why didn’t you pick up my calls or reply to my messages? “I was really scared.” Noah looked pale, clearly shaken by the fear. Noah was really strange. He’d cancel million-dollar contracts just to check on me, but on his way home, he could still send flirtatious texts to Sophia. [Put on the white stockings and wait for me at home.] Sophia flaunted it in front of me. “Every corner of the house is filled with traces of our love. “Especially your bedroom. We’ve tried so many positions in there.” I looked at Noah, trying to suppress the pain and sadness in my heart, and said, word by word. “I aborted the baby.” Noah paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. When he laughed, two little dimples appeared on his cheeks. “Olivia, you’re hilarious!” He knew exactly how much I wanted to be pregnant. Because of my infertility, I had taken a lot of medicine and had countless injections. During that time, I gained a lot of weight from the hormones. I cried every night, afraid that Noah would find me unattractive. After hearing me, he gently kissed my forehead and said, “I will always love you, no matter how you change.” Sweet promises slipped from his lips so easily, and as I thought back on it, I realized he had probably already cheated on me back then. Because Noah was never good at sweet talk, but when he casually said that, someone had clearly been pestering him to say such things, and over time, it just came out naturally.

“Sweetheart, you’ve been so cold to me these past few days.” Noah complained, trying to snuggle up to me. But when I thought of his body being kissed and touched by Sophia, I felt sick and vomited. Without hesitation, Noah quickly caught my vomit in his hands. I hadn’t eaten much in the past few days, so all that came out was bile. “Ah!” The maid, Harper Turner, hurried over to take me to clean up, and Noah tried to follow, but Sophia grabbed him by the arm. When I finally came out, Noah’s concern was a little too late. “Do you need to go to the hospital?” Though he was trying to hold himself together, his voice was still breathless, his lips a bright red. Sophia stood by, blushing, and provocatively raised an eyebrow at me. My phone dinged, and I saw a message from Sophia. [He just kissed my lips until they were swollen and said it was so exciting.] Tears welled up in my eyes from the discomfort, and Noah’s face started to blur. I felt like I had never truly seen him.

The day I committed “suicide” happened to be my birthday. Noah bought every rose in the city, and the buildings around us had huge screens playing Happy Birthday on a loop. People on the internet snapped photos and sighed. Netizen 1: [Another day to cry over the beautiful love story of the heirs.] Netizen 2: [Word is, this is the president of Sinclair Group celebrating his wife’s birthday.] Netizen 3: [First wish for the afterlife. To be Mrs. Sinclair’s firstborn.] Because I had been suffering from the pregnancy, Noah decided to take me to the church to pray. He bought over 20 prayer slips in one go. The vendor joked, “Young man, don’t be too greedy.” Noah smiled lightly. “I don’t want anything for myself. This is for my wife and our unborn child.” The vendor gave him a thumbs up. “Good man!” I silently wrote something on a slip of paper. Noah leaned over to peek, so I quickly hid it. “Alright, alright, I won’t look,” he said, gently ruffling my hair, thinking I was just shy. After placing the papers down, we were about to leave the mountain. Noah’s phone dinged, and he glanced at it quickly before turning it off. What he didn’t know was that Sophia had sent me the same picture. A photo of her in lace, with a maid’s uniform. [Master, I accidentally broke your favorite vase. Want to punish me?] I glanced at Noah, who smiled a playful smile, clearly already having made up his mind. The next moment, his expression shifted to urgency. “Sweetheart, there’s an emergency at the company that I need to handle. “Can I have dinner with you tonight instead?” I coldly replied, “The company’s business is more important.” What Noah didn’t know was that I would never wait for him to have dinner with me again because I was going to die. Before leaving the church, I went to look at the more than 20 prayer papers Noah had left behind. [May Sophia be blessed with peace and joy.] [May Sophia encounter fewer misfortunes and only meet good people.] Out of all Noah’s prayer papers, every single one was about Sophia. There were only a few scattered ones for me and the child. My heart felt like it was being slowly ground by a dull knife, the pain so intense I almost couldn’t stand. A gentle breeze passed by, and the words on my paper flickered in and out of view. [May I never see Noah again in this life, even in death.]

I followed the road’s surveillance cameras and reached a steep cliff. Anyone who fell from here would be gone without a trace. In the salty air of the sea breeze, I sent Noah the evidence of his affair and the text messages Sophia had sent me. Normally, when I sent him a message, he would reply quickly. But 10 minutes passed, and there was no response. He was probably busy with Sophia… I stood up, left my phone and shoes behind, and staged the scene to look like a suicide. Then, I bypassed the cameras, got into a car sent by my mentor, and from that moment on, Olivia was gone. The world would never know her again. Before boarding the plane, I saw a news report on the big screen. [Mrs. Sinclair committed suicide. The Sinclair heir is suspected of dying for love.] The screen showed Noah kneeling at the edge of the cliff, calling my name.

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My wife brought home the leftover cake from her lover and then had the nerve to say it was a special treat for me. If I hadn’t seen the transfer screenshot from her male assistant, Ethan Carter, I would’ve actually believed her. I, Alexander Reed, had only casually replied with: [Work comes first.] And I got blocked. Then Emma Westbrook called to scold me, “I’ve never met such a petty man!” I rubbed my aching stomach, thinking to myself, “Fine, let you two do whatever you want, but I won’t be part of it.” When Emma walked in, I was tossing the takeout box into the trash. I was just diagnosed with early-stage liver cancer, so the doctor had warned me to keep my diet light this month, but I couldn’t resist. Today was the fifth anniversary of my marriage to Emma. I left the hospital early, excited, and booked a hotel to celebrate with her. But after waiting all day and seeing Ethan’s smug post, followed by a phone call from Emma questioning me, I realized I probably would’ve still been at the hotel waiting for her if I hadn’t seen that. She walked in, saw the empty dining table, and immediately furrowed her brows. “No dinner today?” she asked. I casually nodded, keeping my eyes on my phone screen, and said, “You already ate outside, didn’t you?” In the past, no matter how late or tired I was, I’d always rush home and find ways to make her something nice to eat. Now, just seeing her frown made me feel like the sky was falling. Now, it was laughable how humble I was, but no amount of that got me the same love in return. Emma didn’t notice my change and directly pulled out a cake, placing it in front of me. She said she bought it, especially for me, since I’d mentioned wanting something sweet. But when I looked at the cake, I could tell it had been messed with. The top was uneven, and all the fruit had been picked off. I glanced at it, then continued to look down at my phone. Seeing how indifferent I was, she got upset. “Alexander, what’s with you? I brought this all the way for you, and you’re acting like this? Are you going to keep this up?” “I don’t want something others have touched. It grosses me out,” I said coldly. Her phone buzzed, and I didn’t need to guess who it was from. She looked at me, her eyes cold but with a hint of something like hidden pleasure. Then, she said impatiently, “Fine, fine, I’ll go get you a new one. You’re already so tired from work, and now you have to come home to your gloomy face. Just unbelievable!” She turned to leave. I remembered I had rushed out of the hospital and hadn’t picked up my medication yet, so I followed her, saying I’d go with her. She jumped up, practically hissing like a cat with its tail stepped on. “You’re coming with me to buy a cake too? Are you out of your mind? Trying to tie me by your side?” I sighed, explaining that I only wanted to stop by the pharmacy. She finally gave in, but not before ordering a blueberry cake. At the pharmacy, I got out of the car, and she looked surprised. Her tone softened a bit as she said, “Wait here, I’ll get the cake and then come back to pick you up.” With that, she sped off. Mud splashed all over me, and I wiped it off, irritated. I waited outside the pharmacy, the rain pouring harder and harder. My body was numb from the cold, but she still hadn’t come back. Thunder boomed, and I jumped. Just as I thought about taking a cab, the rain came down in sheets, soaking me completely. Remembering the doctor’s advice, I gritted my teeth through the pain and ran into a convenience store to buy an umbrella. But by then, it was too late. My stomach started to cramp badly, and I collapsed on the ground, hugging my knees. Thankfully, a kind stranger offered to drive me home. Otherwise, I’d have had to call an ambulance. As soon as I got home, dried off, and took my medication, Emma stormed in, slamming the door so hard it shook. “Why didn’t you say you were back? I spent an hour in the rain looking for you! Was that on purpose? Was it fun?”

I froze, holding my water glass, completely stunned. She blocked my number, and now she’s blaming me for not contacting her. I had waited for two hours, just walked through the door, and she said she’d been trying to reach me for an hour. I didn’t have the energy to call out her little game. I darkened my expression and said coldly, “If you want me to contact you, you should at least unblock me first.” She bit her lip, clearly holding back her anger. She placed a cake, soaked from the rain and without a box, in front of me. “It’s too late, the box is gone. It was hard enough to find a place that still had it,” she explained. I stared at the cake, feeling nothing but exhaustion. I was numb to her pathetic excuses. Just then, my phone lit up. Ethan had posted an update, a picture of a blueberry cake, with a caption that was so sweet that it was sickening. I wanted to sneer, but I realized I didn’t even have the energy for that. Countless words swirled in my mind, but in the end, I just said, “Thanks, but throw it away.” Her face turned pale in an instant, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “Are you crazy? I went through all that trouble to get this for you, and you just want me to throw it away?” She shouted. “You think I’m playing around with you? It’s just a bonus for the staff, and you’re making such a big deal out of it? I’m the boss, don’t I have a say in this? And about you cursing me out in private, I haven’t even dealt with that yet!” Her voice grew louder and more agitated. I rubbed my aching head, soaked from the rain, and had no energy to explain myself. “It’s not what you think. I don’t have the time or the energy for that. Back then, I…” Before I could finish, she interrupted me angrily. “Enough! Don’t even start! It’s always the same. You’re in your thirties, acting jealous like you’re still in your twenties. There are so many handsome guys in the world, can you keep up with all of them? This is insane!” Her words stabbed deep into my heart. In the past, I’d argue over every little thing, begging her to love only me. But now, I’d woken up. What was the point of questioning love between adults? I sighed, “If that’s how you feel, I can’t do anything about it.” With that, I stood up and headed for the bedroom. She ignored me, tossing the cake into the trash as she began scrolling through her phone, occasionally letting out a suppressed laugh. She went to the bathroom to make a call. I took the opportunity to tidy up the bedding and prepared to move to the guest room. I almost ran into her as I stepped out the door. She looked at me impatiently, glaring at the bedding in my hands, and finally snapped, “What’s this supposed to mean? You want to sleep in a separate bed? “I didn’t complain about the smell of alcohol on you, and now you’re making a scene? I can’t even stand the sight of you anymore!” She spat, her voice full of venom. “If you can’t sleep tonight, don’t come to me!” I didn’t respond. I just walked straight into the guest room and locked the door behind me. In the past, when she came home late, I couldn’t sleep, and my phone would blow up with messages. Then, the next day, she’d hand me a bottle of sleeping pills. Now, I sleep soundly without taking any pills. Those obstacles I thought I couldn’t overcome? They weren’t that hard to get past. I found a reliable divorce lawyer and was ready to start a new chapter in my life. Meanwhile, Emma’s company account was busy posting a celebration video. In the video, she stood next to Ethan, looking every bit the perfect couple. The necklace she wore was a wedding anniversary gift I gave her last year. This year’s gift? I returned it, along with all those unrealistic hopes.

I was about to shut down my phone when Emma’s call came in unexpectedly, her voice full of excitement. “I sent you the address. I’ll pick you up in a bit. There’s a surprise!” I smiled with a touch of sarcasm. I’d had enough of her surprises to last a lifetime. Before I could even respond, she hung up with a sharp click. It was strange. Before the divorce, she at least knew enough to pull me out of her blacklist. After finishing my medicine, Emma’s car was already screeching to a stop downstairs. I got her message and, still in my loungewear, headed out. The moment I got in the car, Emma’s smile froze when she saw my scruffy face as she’d just tasted something awful. “Aren’t you going to shave or change your clothes? You’re going out like this? Do you want to embarrass me on purpose?” She scolded, her tone sharp with annoyance. At that moment, Ethan, in the front seat, leaned over, looking immaculate in a formal suit, his face full of innocence. “Ah, sorry, Alexander. I forgot to let you know… I couldn’t get through to you on the phone.” I shrugged and smiled. “It’s fine. I mean, I’m a guy. My image isn’t something I’m relying on women to fix.” I glanced at Ethan and added, “Besides, with such an efficient secretary, Ms. Westbrook’s reputation is already well taken care of.” Emma was stunned into silence for a moment. I couldn’t be bothered to engage with her and simply took a seat in the back. Throughout the ride, Ethan chattered non-stop about the birthday party, about how impressive Emma was, his tone full of bragging and subtle provocation. I ignored him completely, treating him like air. When we arrived at the hotel, Ethan naturally moved closer to Emma while I trailed behind them. At the elevator, the company’s people were already waiting. The moment they saw Emma and Ethan, the atmosphere turned noticeably tense. James Donovan, a colleague, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. Seeing me enter, James greeted me warmly, “Hey, Alexander! You finally made it! We couldn’t have pulled off this project without you! The whole company owes you one today!” I felt a warm glow in my chest and waved my hand with a smile. “James, you’re too kind. No need to go that far. It feels weird. By the time I get back from my overseas trip, maybe I’ll have some new title, still not even close to being decided though.” I smiled back, fully aware he was just trying to help me out. But as soon as those words left my mouth, Emma’s face darkened. She spun around to stare at me. “What do you mean, overseas? You’re going abroad? How come I didn’t know? Did I agree to this?” Her look made me feel like I was a complete stranger to her. I gave a faint smile and didn’t explain. In my mind, I thought, “This marriage is definitely over.”

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My sister was the unattainable love of my husband. He was willing to be her secret lover. Even when I was drugged and locked in a room with him, he just tossed me into a cold bath and stood by, indifferent. People praised his deep devotion, while I lay feverish that night. Though I survived, I was left mentally impaired. Later, he wept and begged for my forgiveness, while his Uncle shielded me. “Griffin, I’m your Aunt, please show some respect!” I imitated his Uncle’s tone, stumbling over the words. By the time they frantically searched for me, I had already run away with their money. 0 Today marks the third anniversary of my marriage to Griffin, and it’s also the last day of the three-year agreement with my Father. The divorce papers waited silently on the nightstand. Once Griffin signed them, I could finally escape this place for good. “Isn’t today your wedding anniversary? Are you waiting for your sister to personally invite you over?” Father called just as I arrived at the Johnsons. Cora Johnson was leaning against Griffin, teasing him with something that made her cheeks blush. On my anniversary, my sister and husband were entangled like they were the real couple. A three-person marriage, how absurd. “Nora Johnson, come here!” Father shouted at me with a stern face. We went to the study, where a document lay on the table. “Three years and you can’t even have a child to secure Griffin. Raising you has been a waste!” “Sign this, and you’ll get one percent of the shares. Tomorrow, go for IVF, and make sure you…” “Father, I’m divorcing Griffin.” I couldn’t listen anymore and interrupted him. “Are you trying to kill me?!” Father hurled a table ornament at me in anger. I instinctively blocked it, leaving a noticeable bruise on my arm. “Father, you promised that if I took the blame for drugging Griffin and married him for five years, my debt would be repaid.” Father had schemed for me to marry Griffin, and shortly after, Griffin discovered Cora was his long-lost ideal love. I had taken her place to marry him. I tried to explain, but Father covered his tracks well. I had nothing but my untrustworthy word, and no one believed me. So I took the fall, becoming the malicious adopted daughter who would stop at nothing to rise. “If I hadn’t let you marry him, could you have snagged such a good man?!” “Father, I won’t be your tool anymore.” Our conversation ended badly. When I returned to the dining table, Griffin was still flirting with Cora. “Sister!” Cora saw me but didn’t move away from Griffin. “How did you get hurt?” Griffin noticed the bruise on my arm, sounding displeased. “I accidentally fell, it’s nothing.” I awkwardly twisted my wrist. “Sister, how could you be so careless?! Let me help you with some medicine after dinner.” Cora snuggled in Griffin’s arms, pretending to care. “No need, I can manage.” “Nora, how can you speak to your sister like that!” Father started scolding me again. “When will you be as sensible as your sister?! Apologize!” “Oh Dad, don’t be mad. Sister’s just afraid I’d hurt her with my clumsiness. If she doesn’t need my help, then forget it.” Cora spoke pitifully, making me seem ungrateful. I ignored their conversation. I knew that any rebuttal would only bring insults and slaps. It’s not the first time, but it will be the last. The maid bringing the food was a new girl, someone I hadn’t seen before. “Hey, Mary, does the ring fit well?” Cora suddenly spoke. I instinctively glanced at Mary’s hand—it was a gift I bought for Cora with the first money I earned from a part-time job. 0

I remember we were still students back then. I didn’t have much pocket money. After a breakup, Cora cried, saying that guy wouldn’t even buy her a ring. So, I gave her one. Back then, Cora said she’d wear it for life, even after getting married. “Sister, look, the ring fits Mary perfectly! Things should match people, right, sister?” “Yeah.” I drank a glass of water, swallowing the bitterness. Just sincerity—if it’s not wanted, then so be it. “Drinking water is boring, have some wine.” Father handed me a glass of wine. I had a stomach issue from childhood, so my stomach’s always been weak. But no one cared. It’s the last day, I told myself. I stood up, adjusting my expression. “This one, to Father, thank you for saving me from the kidnapper. I’ve repaid my life-saving and upbringing debt.” Griffin looked at me, seemingly hearing my background for the first time. “This one, to Cora, thank you for teaching me what sisterly bond means.” “This one, to Griffin, thank you, I’m free now.” Before I could drink the last glass, Griffin stopped me, frowning. “You don’t…” “You’re not worthy of my toast.” He always acted hypocritical, condescending, offering charity. I shook off his hand, grabbed his glass and mine, and drank them both in one go. “Now, we are no longer indebted.” But as I sat down, dizziness suddenly hit me. Cora pointed at the glass I drank last, looking innocent. A bad feeling surged in me. I looked sharply at Father, who avoided my questioning gaze. What was I hoping for? I should’ve known long ago that no one in this family loves me. “Sister can’t handle her liquor, Griffin, help her to her room.” Cora’s soft, coy voice floated. Griffin took the opportunity to kiss her, then reached to support me. “No need! I can walk myself!” I instinctively stepped back, my voice sharp. Griffin, angered by my reaction, dragged me upstairs. “Let go!” He threw me onto the bed. “Why pretend to be a chaste matron now? Rest assured, touching you disgusts me.” “Then just get out!” I clung to the bedsheets, the drug’s effect too fast. Griffin, frustrated, turned to leave, only to find the door locked. “I love you, but… I’m sorry Griffin… I’m sorry…” Cora’s crying faded away outside the door. Griffin’s face was filled with towering anger. “Nora, you’re really surprising me.” 0

The drug took effect quickly. No matter how I knocked, no one responded. I had to ask Griffin for help. At least they’d have some fear of him. “Griffin, please, I’m begging you! Help me, please…” Heat coursed through me, making me growl like a small beast. Leaning against the cold door kept me barely sane. “Nora, when you drugged me back then, did you think you’d end up like this?” Griffin sneered, watching me beg at his feet. “Nora, how can someone be so cheap?” “You schemed to marry me, and now you want to drug me.” “Do you feel no shame trying to climb into my bed like this?” “The drug—I drank it for you, you can’t do this!” I ignored his insults and accusations. My body’s unquenchable thirst made me want to bash my head in. “Griffin! You can get out, I know you can. I don’t care if you stay faithful to Cora, but please… I don’t want to die like this!” “Just get me to a hospital, just this once! I’m really… about to die…” I clutched Griffin’s hand, begging shamelessly. It felt like he touched my face, but he just threw me into the bathtub. It was just a fleeting illusion. The cold shower shocked me, but I lost all strength and couldn’t crawl out. “It hurts…” I whimpered instinctively. “Hurt? If you shed a few tears, I might believe you.” “Stay here and keep cooling off.” The icy water soaked me, while he watched from the door, arms crossed. I swallowed back the words I wanted to say. It was useless; he wouldn’t save me. “Griffin, I really regret it, regret ever being so foolish to like you.” “Your kind of love only scares me.” Seeing me stop struggling, Griffin left the bathroom. I heard him laughing with his friends on the phone. “Unmoved by temptation, Griffin, a modern-day Saint, our role model!” “Oh my, Griffin, your wife must be head over heels for you…” “But Griffin, won’t leaving Nora like that cause problems?” “What could happen? She drugged me last time, and I soaked in cold water too.” “Let her learn her lesson.” ………… The cold water and my body’s heat tormented my senses. Even biting my knuckles was futile. Griffin noticed I had stopped resisting and left the bathroom. I overheard him on the phone, laughing with his friends. “Griffin, you’re a paragon of restraint, truly admirable!” “Wow, Griffin, your wife must be absolutely enamored with you…” “But seriously, Griffin, just leaving Nora there, won’t she be okay?” “What could possibly happen to her? She tried to set me up last time, and I ended up soaking in cold water.” “Let her learn from her mistakes.” ………… The mix of cold water and feverish heat overwhelmed my senses, and biting my knuckles didn’t help. My mind was clouded, and the sensation of needles piercing my nerves was relentless. I felt myself sinking, suffocated by the sensation of drowning, unable to escape. But I couldn’t accept it. I was so close to being free. 0

The pain was unbearable… That was the only thought echoing in my mind. “Cold…” When I regained consciousness, I was wrapped in a blanket in a car, held by a man. I knew my body was burning with fever, yet I felt cold. “Nora, just hold on a bit longer, we’re almost there!” Hearing my words, he held me tighter and asked the driver to turn up the heat. Was I being rescued? The itch, like ants gnawing at my bones, made me squirm. If not for the man’s firm hold, I might have moved more. But it was unbearable. I instinctively tried to bite my hand, which was already raw and bloody. The expected pain didn’t come, but the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. It took me a moment to realize I was biting the man’s hand. “Don’t worry, you’ll be okay, you’ll be okay.” I didn’t know him, but his worried expression seemed genuine. That night, I had a persistent fever in the hospital, and the man stayed by my side, talking to me incessantly. I could feel my life slipping away, vitality draining from me bit by bit. “Sir, could you tell me your name?” The man paused for a moment. “Ezra, my name is Ezra.” Before I completely blacked out, I thought that when I woke up, I must thank him for saving me. But I didn’t anticipate that this would be my last coherent thought. I seemed to have a dream. I was curled up on the ground crying, and the child version of me approached. Back then, she was innocent and kind, resilient and brave. “If you’re tired, just rest for a while.” She held me, and it felt like being back in my mother’s warm embrace, so I fell asleep peacefully. 0

Griffin couldn’t understand how things ended up this way. He didn’t know why soaking in cold water left Nora so pale. He didn’t know why a stranger kicked open the door and took Nora away. “What right do you have to take her? Nora is my wife!” Griffin felt an inexplicable rage. “You still remember she’s your wife?” The man’s eyes were red, glaring fiercely. “But soon, she won’t be.” Numerous bodyguards stopped him, and Griffin could only watch as they took Nora away. How could she not be? Nora loved him so much she used deceitful means to be with him. How could she leave him? Despite his thoughts, he still felt uneasy, as if something was slipping out of his control. Until he got home and saw the divorce papers. Nora only asked for a divorce, no assets. Griffin felt like he never truly knew Nora. Besides love, he gave everything to Nora. What was she dissatisfied with?! Wait—love? Griffin recalled the man who took her away, as if he grasped something. “Investigate, find out everything about Nora! See who she’s been in contact with, especially men!” He thought of Nora’s image as a dutiful wife and loving mother over the years, as if she would never get angry. Because she didn’t love, so she didn’t care? Griffin felt an unprecedented anger. How dare Nora betray him! Griffin never considered Nora’s condition after going to the hospital. Instead, he obsessively investigated, as if catching Nora’s fault would solve everything. So, a month later, a document was delivered to him. “Boss, this is all the information we could gather about your wife. Also, there’s one thing you should be prepared for.” The speaker was Griffin’s trusted aide, who knew almost everything about him. Griffin didn’t know why he was nervous, as if opening this file would change something. “Where.” He pretended to be calm. “Your wife’s data was erased, but we discovered something by asking around locally.” “Boss, the kidnapping case you and your Uncle went through sixteen years ago, your wife experienced it too.” “In other words, the one who saved you back then might not have been Cora Johnson, but your wife.” “And three years ago, the day you were drugged, your wife’s whereabouts were concealed, but it’s certain she wasn’t in this city.” Griffin couldn’t hear anything more after seeing the kidnapping information. It was her! It was Nora! Griffin almost wanted to rush out to find her immediately. But when he stood up, his eyes caught the divorce papers nearby. A tidal wave of guilt and regret overwhelmed Griffin, suffocating him. “What should I… what should I do to bring her back…” Griffin murmured. 0

I slept in a daze for a long time. When I woke up again, I was alone in the hospital room. I stared blankly at the ceiling, not knowing why, I started to sob. My chest felt like it was blocked by a stubborn stone, only crying could relieve it. “Nora?! What’s wrong, are you in pain?” The person who came in, I recognized as Ezra. I remembered he saved me. Hearing Ezra’s voice, I don’t know why, but I cried even harder. At first, I tried to control my voice, but when Ezra patted my shoulder, I burst into tears. “It hurts so much, here, it really hurts.” I cried and pointed to my heart, feeling it wasn’t enough, I clenched my fist and pounded it. Ezra’s eyes also reddened, and he held me tight, continuously comforting me: “It won’t hurt anymore, I won’t let Nora hurt anymore.” So I cried until I almost couldn’t breathe, like I was pouring out all the grievances from these years. ………… “In simple terms, the patient’s mind has temporarily regressed to a child’s state, and her memory is confused. We can’t say when she’ll recover, we can only promise to do our best.” The doctor who examined me said. “What’s important is, even with her mind regressed, Nora is too quiet and understanding, not like a normal child.” The doctor looked at me, cautiously hiding behind Ezra, and forced a smile full of pity. “You don’t have to smile.” I muttered. The doctor froze for a moment, then walked over to me: “Nora, does it still hurt?” I instinctively shrank back behind Ezra and shook my head. Seeing he couldn’t talk to me, the doctor sighed. “The patient should stay away from environments that caused her harm. It’ll be up to you to take care of her, sir.” Ezra was about to agree when I quickly said, “I don’t need it, I can take care of myself!” I glanced at Ezra, and when our eyes met, I quickly looked down, adding, “… I won’t be a burden.” “Nora, look up.” I felt Ezra turn to face me, placing his hands on my shoulders. He bent down slightly, speaking earnestly: “Nora is not a burden. I’m happy to take care of you.” “So you can ask me to do anything, as long as you want.” He was the first person I saw when I opened my eyes. In my strange and long memory, he was also the first to say I wasn’t a burden. Tears just fell from my eyes. Ezra held me again. “Sorry, I came too late.”

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Twenty years after our wedding, Frank and I were both given a second chance at life, transported back to before we got married. This time, he bravely pursued his true love, choosing his dream girl, Jessica. I watched coldly as he did everything for Jessica. I saw him running around to celebrate her birthday, getting into fights and facing disciplinary action for her sake, and even giving her the job our professor had recommended for him. A friend told me they were planning to get married right after graduation. I smiled and said, “I sincerely wish them a lifetime of happiness together.” The first thing I did after getting this second chance was to go to the professor’s office. I wanted to take back my decision to give up my spot in the study abroad exchange program. In the office, the professor looked at me with an amused smile. “Why the sudden change of heart? Didn’t you initially tell me you were staying local because Frank was planning to find an internship here?” “I was thinking what a shame it was that such a good student would let love cloud her judgment.” “So many people would kill for this opportunity, and you just gave it up. Now you want it back?” I laughed awkwardly. In this new timeline, I had sent the message to the professor just five minutes ago. After carefully rephrasing my request and begging for another chance, the professor called me to the office and said the words above. She didn’t know that this was my first attempt to change my life after being given this second chance. I stood there awkwardly, not knowing how to explain. After stammering for a while, the professor let me off the hook and agreed to keep the spot for me. As I was about to leave, she called out to me. “Will you still give up your future for that boyfriend of yours?” I thought about Frank. To be fair, he was quite a catch, at least in others’ eyes. When Frank first entered college, the senior girls all declared him the most handsome freshman. His entrance exam scores were also among the top in our major. I had managed to win Frank’s heart by sacrificing my chance to study abroad. After pursuing him for a long time, he finally seemed moved by my efforts but said hesitantly, “But aren’t you going abroad? How can we be together?” So, I gave up the opportunity. Back then, I chose love without hesitation. Later, when I found out he had pulled some strings to give that spot to Jessica, we had a huge fight, but it was too late. Which is more important, your future or love? In my past life, I fell hard for love and paid a heavy price. In this new life, I just want to forge a path that truly belongs to me. The professor was still waiting for my answer. I smiled, looked back at her, and said cheerfully, “Professor, even a love-struck fool like me wouldn’t sell herself short anymore.” “I’m ambitious Samantha now. I don’t care about love, only my future!” The professor laughed and shooed me out of her office. Leaving the office, I headed back to the dorm.

In my past life, after giving up the exchange program, I struggled to find an internship. I rented a small studio apartment and was looking for other job opportunities. But Frank went crazy during that period, showing up drunk at my place every few days. After an accident, I got pregnant. Frank married me hastily out of a sense of responsibility. My parents had passed away early, and I had no other family. I wasn’t sent to an orphanage but was raised by the whole community, each family giving me a meal here and there. Before the wedding, I asked Frank if we could visit my uncles and aunts who had helped raise me. They had taken care of me for so many years, and now that I was starting a family, I wanted to let them see that I was doing well. But Frank impatiently said, “They’re not your real parents. What’s the point of visiting them?” My heart sank. I knew Frank still had feelings for his dream girl, Jessica, but I thought maybe he would fall in love with me after we got married. We got married without a wedding ceremony and without notifying our parents. Later, Frank got a job at a physics research institute through a senior’s recommendation. By chance, he ran into Jessica at the entrance. Jessica hadn’t found a job and had resorted to becoming a mistress to a rich man’s son. She even had a child, hoping to extort a huge amount of child support, but failed. The wife kicked her out, but she didn’t give up. She came to the research institute where the rich man’s son had a position, hoping to try her luck. She didn’t run into him but met Frank instead. While I was at home, suffering from pregnancy sickness and unable to sleep, Frank was taking Jessica and her child out for dinner. He even found Jessica a cushy job and accepted her daughter as his goddaughter. As for me, I slipped and fell at home. I called Frank, but he didn’t answer. It was our neighbor who took me to the hospital. On the way, I was pale with pain, and the neighbor scolded, “What is Frank doing? His wife is so far along, and he’s not taking care of her at all.” In the end, I lost the baby. I was in too much pain to sleep, but thinking about my unborn child, I cried with hatred. I had ruined my promising future for Frank, but he ignored all of that. He abandoned me for his dream girl he had reunited with. Every day in the hospital, I waited for Frank to come, but day after day passed without him showing up. It was our neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, who couldn’t bear to see me like that and brought me milk. She also brought me news. Mrs. Johnson went home that day and felt something was off. She asked her husband to inquire, and what she found out infuriated her. During this time, Frank had been eating at the staff cafeteria with Jessica and her child every day. Family members were allowed at the research institute, so everyone assumed Jessica was Frank’s wife. Occasionally, a curious colleague would ask, “Frank, having lunch with your wife and kid?” He would just smile and nod, tacitly agreeing. Mrs. Johnson’s face reddened with anger as she continued. Even for the institute’s employee benefits, like holiday trips, the name Frank filled in as his family member was Jessica’s. My hand trembled slightly. Mrs. Johnson patted my arm and looked at me with pity. “Samantha, dear, you’re a good girl. People need to learn to move on. You’re still young, you can cut your losses now.” But by then, I was blinded by anger. The day I miscarried, the doctor told me I might never be able to get pregnant again. I had lost my chance at motherhood. I couldn’t let it go! I couldn’t forgive! What I hated was that after marrying me, Frank didn’t give me any respect. He remained silent even when his mother bullied and ordered me around. I hated even more that he disregarded his unborn child and his married status, wining and dining with Jessica outside. He didn’t bring a penny home, treating Jessica like a goddess, and even treating Jessica’s child with another man as his own. But his own child? He couldn’t care less. On one of the rare occasions when he was home, the baby kicked in my belly. I excitedly called Frank over to feel it. He looked at my belly and turned away in disgust. “That’s so unsightly. Don’t expose your belly like that. Look at Jessica, she would never be so indecent.” All of these things fueled my endless hatred in my past life. Mrs. Johnson advised me to let go. Friends urged me to find a new path. But why should the unfaithful go unpunished? Why should I be forced to retreat? Do good people always have to compromise? I refused. I did all the chores at home, big and small. My hands were swollen from washing piles of dishes. I didn’t want to let that scumbag and his mistress off the hook. Even if it cost me my entire life, I wouldn’t let Frank and Jessica walk proudly in public. As long as I didn’t divorce him, Jessica would always be the other woman. Later, after twenty years of marriage, Frank asked me to meet and talk. He looked exhausted too. I knew that Jessica had recently run off with her child when she saw no hope left. She had already lined up her next target. I was a bit curious about what Frank wanted to say, so I went with him. But we hadn’t driven far when he started shouting at me with a twisted face, “If it weren’t for your constant interference, I would have been with Jessica long ago. You should just die!” As soon as he finished speaking, he crashed into an oncoming truck. In the intense pain and fear of death, I suddenly realized, why did I tie myself to this scumbag? I could have chosen a better life. Overwhelmed by regret, I thought maybe heaven took pity on me and gave me this second chance. I was reborn at the moment I gave up my spot in the exchange program. I still had a chance to be myself again.

Back at the dorm, my friend Lily looked at me with concern and tried to comfort me, “Samantha, don’t be sad. Frank betrayed you. He’ll surely come to no good end.” I looked at Lily in confusion. What was she talking about? At this point, Frank should have just agreed to date me. How could he have betrayed me? That was all in the future, wasn’t it? Lily showed me her phone’s social media feed. She had Jessica as a contact. Jessica had posted a status update with a caption: [We’re together now!] The photo showed her and Frank holding hands tightly, beaming with joy. I looked at the unread messages on my phone. Frank had sent a breakup message while I was meeting with the professor. So, it seems I wasn’t the only one given a second chance at life.

I burst out laughing. Lily felt my forehead and asked, “What’s wrong, Samantha? Do you have a fever?” I had pursued Frank for a long time, starting from the beginning of the semester. I brought him breakfast, lunch, and bubble tea every day. Lily thought I had gone mad with anger. But that wasn’t it. In this life, I don’t have time to get entangled with Frank. He chose to be with his dream girl, so let him have his wish. Let him see just how great his precious Jessica really is. There’s only one month left before the study abroad exchange program. Soon, I’ll be heading towards a bright future. But I never expected Frank to have the audacity to bring Jessica to confront me. “Why didn’t you bring me food today? Did something hold you up?” Frank looked at me coldly, as if I were his enemy. I looked at the two of them in disbelief and asked, “Didn’t we break up?” We’ve broken up, so why would I still bring you food? Do you think I’m running a charity? Perhaps because he was used to me taking care of him in every way in my past life, Frank didn’t expect me to talk back. In his mind, I was still the Samantha who clung to him. Maybe he wasn’t used to not having someone anticipate his every need. Back then, I would bring him food every day at school. After we got married, whenever he came home, I would have several dishes prepared for him. He was used to having everything handed to him, and now he couldn’t adapt. At this point, he didn’t have much money. I was poor too, but I could work part-time jobs. I even managed to bring him breakfast and lunch every day. Now that he’s lost all that, he has the nerve to blame me? “Frank, honey, I heard that Samantha used to bring you delicious food every day. You promised me I could try it too,” Jessica chimed in. Frank looked at Jessica awkwardly. I laughed out loud. So they came here to mooch off me. I grabbed the broom from the dorm supervisor and waved it in front of them, kicking up dust that covered their faces. Frank, ignoring the dirt on his face, pulled me aside. “Samantha, I’ll give you money. Just do me this favor.” Favor? What face does he have left now? Frank used to have some money saved, but seeing me bring him food every day, he became extravagant in his spending. Now at the end of the month, he’s so broke he has to come begging from me. I laughed coldly, shook off Frank’s hand, and deliberately raised my voice, “No money to play big shot! I’m not lending you anything!” Jessica’s face changed color beside us, apparently not expecting Frank to be penniless. I know Jessica’s type. She loves money above all else. In my past life, seeing that Frank had a managerial position at the research institute, she latched onto him tightly. I remember most clearly one time when she brought her child to our door with Frank. She looked at me timidly, “Sister-in-law, don’t misunderstand. My child and I just have nowhere to go. We’re just staying for a couple of days.” I knew she had slept with Frank. I found it disgusting and had long since started sleeping in separate rooms from Frank. They stayed at hotels when they met outside, and I didn’t care. I just didn’t expect them to bring it home, apparently unwilling to even pay for a hotel room anymore. I had just finished cooking when Jessica’s child, without even a greeting, went straight to the table and started gobbling down the food. While eating, the child loudly said, “It’s delicious, Mom! I want to eat this auntie’s food every day!” Frank didn’t look at me, just smiled and said, “If you like it, eat more. You can have it every day from now on!” I flipped the table directly. The food and dishes crashed all over the child. I smiled sweetly as I watched Frank and Jessica rush to comfort the child. Frank angrily questioned me, “What are you doing? What’s wrong with the child eating some food?” I replied nonchalantly, “I didn’t like the look of him, so I won’t let him eat.” My child was gone, so I wouldn’t let this bastard child have it easy either. Frank spent half the day comforting Jessica and the child. In the end, they didn’t stay. Jessica left with the child. Frank came back looking exhausted and looked at me, “If you didn’t want them to stay, they won’t. I guess it’s my fault for disturbing your peace.” It was the first time I heard him speak like a decent person, and I couldn’t help but look at him. However, not long after, Frank moved out. When I went out to take out the trash, I passed by the park and saw Jessica arguing with a man, “Wait a bit longer. Once Frank divorces and we get the money, we’ll leave.” My curiosity was piqued, so I asked Mrs. Johnson to inquire. It turned out that Jessica wasn’t just involved with one man. Frank was just one of them. If she couldn’t get money from him, Jessica would run off. But Frank didn’t know this. He just thought Jessica was disappointed because he hadn’t divorced me yet. Now, Frank had exposed his lack of money early on. I wonder how Jessica will react.

I ignored them and prepared to go to the library to borrow some books. Although I had secured the exchange spot, I knew there were always people better than me out there. Learning more would never be a mistake. Jessica secretly cornered me in the tea room. “Did you know Frank had no money? Is that why you broke up with him?” I ignored her and went back to study. Jessica tried to grab me in frustration, but this was the library and she couldn’t make too much noise. She could only watch me leave, unwillingly. Over the next week, I heard that Frank and Jessica had many arguments. They even fought while walking on campus. Once, Frank even raised his hand against her, “Jessica, how come I never realized you were so materialistic!” Actually, if given some time, Frank could have earned money too. But unfortunately, Jessica wasn’t willing to wait. I found another online part-time job writing copy for social media accounts. Although the school covered my tuition and I had a scholarship, there would inevitably be times when I needed money. The earnings weren’t much, but accumulated over time, it would be enough to ensure I could eat and drink well in a foreign country. The elders in my village were all proud of me. The aunts even wanted to pool some money for me, but I politely refused. They had fed me when I was little; how could I take their money now that I was grown? I set aside some money, planning to send it to the village elders on the day I left for abroad, as a small gesture of filial piety. Back home, I looked at the countdown on my phone screen. Fifteen days left. In fifteen days, I would reach a turning point in my life and embrace a new future.

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I was kidnapped along with Jack’s first love, Ella. He brought $500,000 in ransom money and rescued Ella without hesitation. Even my son, whom I had carried for ten months, chimed in: “I want to take Sister Ella with us! Dad, she’ll be scared if we leave her here!” The Game System declared my mission a failure: “Once your physical body dies, you’ll be sent back to your original world.” So I became desperate to die, wanting nothing more than to go home quickly. But when my husband and son realized I truly didn’t want to live anymore, they hugged me and said: “I’m sorry, please don’t leave us, okay?” After trying to win Jack’s heart for twelve years, he still chose Ella over me without hesitation. Jack quickly untied the ropes binding Ella, his eyes full of concern. Beside them, Tommy, imitating his father, was gently rubbing Ella’s reddened wrists and blowing on them occasionally. “Sister Ella, I’ll blow on it and make it all better.” The three of them were so lovingly harmonious, completely forgetting about me still in the kidnapper’s hands. Even the kidnapper couldn’t help but mock the scene. “Your husband is lost in his romantic paradise. I guess he won’t come to rescue you. Should I just kill you now?” Watching the two of them escort Ella away, the Game System officially declared my mission a failure. The ensuing punishment shocked me unconscious. In my daze, I heard the kidnapper frantically trying to support my collapsing body. “I was just talking tough! Did I really scare her that badly? Oh no, I better get her to a hospital quick. If something happens to her, I’m in big trouble.”

Waking up in the hospital, I confirmed with the Game System in my head: As long as this body dies completely, I can go home, right? After getting an affirmative answer from the system, I moved towards the window. This hospital room was on a high floor, at least 50 feet up. Jumping from here would certainly be fatal. I opened the window and leaped out. An enormous sense of weightlessness hit me, and I instinctively reached out my hand. The howling wind stung my ears. But I wasn’t afraid. In fact, I was looking forward to death. Just a little more, and I would be home – back to a world where someone truly loved me. I closed my eyes, calmly waiting. The next second, the falling sensation disappeared. Someone grabbed my arm forcefully. The momentum of the fall caused my muscles to tear and stretch, sending waves of intense pain from my arm throughout my entire chest. I opened my eyes, feeling like my arm might be broken. The person who caught me was Leo, Jack’s half-brother. I looked up at the sweating young man and calmly said, “Let go.” Leo gritted his teeth and gripped tighter, using all his strength to pull me up. He shouted, “Just because my brother didn’t choose you? You’re jumping off a building for that? Is your head filled with shit?” I reached out, slowly prying his fingers off. “Leo, if I die, it’ll make you happy, right? So, let go.”

Leo hated me. Or rather, anyone close to Jack didn’t approve of me. After Ella ran away for love, Jack married me under family pressure. They were convinced I was a homewrecker who took advantage of the situation. They openly isolated, excluded, and ignored me. Leo was at the forefront of this treatment. Using his status as Jack’s brother, he would strut into the family mansion and destroy all the baby’s breath flowers I had planted in the backyard. Knowing I was allergic to cat hair, he encouraged Tommy to adopt a stray kitten. When I disagreed, he suggested Tommy cry about it. The commotion filled the entire living room. Leo watched from the sidelines, suddenly playing the good guy and taking the high road. “It’s just a little cat. Let the kid have it if he likes it.” Tommy cried even harder, rolling on the ground and mumbling, “Mommy is bad. I want the kitty.” I chased Leo out along with the cat and patiently explained to Tommy that I was allergic to cat hair, so we couldn’t keep a cat, but we could get a puppy instead. After Leo’s manipulation, Tommy only had the cat on his mind and wouldn’t listen. He kept hitting me, demanding I give him back the kitten. This created a rift between Tommy and me. Leo seized the opportunity to continue badmouthing me to Tommy, causing the young child to learn to oppose me. He was like a demon crawling out of hell, turning my life upside down.

I didn’t die. The commotion Leo caused attracted the medical staff. They worked together to pull me back up. Leo glanced at me, closed the window, and fell unusually silent. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking, with dark red marks covering his palms and fingertips. “Mia, I don’t hate you as much as you think I do.” He lowered his head, his bangs hiding his eyes. I thought I heard a hint of guilt in his voice. Just as I was about to dig deeper, Leo crossed his arms and lifted his head, reverting to his carefree demeanor. He said nonchalantly, “Is this another one of your tricks? Let me tell you, my brother won’t fall for this ‘push and pull’ game. If you keep this up, you’ll only make him sick of you…” Leo was lost in his own world, chattering away while the medical staff checked the equipment by the bed. Taking advantage of this moment, I once again stepped towards the window and swiftly opened it. Before I could step out, Leo pulled me back. After two consecutive suicide attempts, Leo finally realized I wasn’t just seeking attention but truly wanted to die. He pulled me away from the window and, after making sure I was within his control, began to patiently counsel me, his attitude becoming gentler. “Don’t do anything stupid, okay? There are plenty of other men in the world besides my brother. Why are you so hung up on him?” He coughed lightly, his cheeks turning red. “I admit, my brother isn’t a good husband, but you can get a divorce, you know? It’s not worth dying for him. Maybe someone out there is secretly in love with you, and you just haven’t noticed.”

Leo took me back to the family mansion. On the way, he told me that Jack had already found out the kidnapping was orchestrated by me and was now comforting the traumatized Ella. “My brother is pretty angry right now. When we get there, just apologize to Ella properly, and this whole thing will be over.” “Once we calm my brother down, the divorce will be much easier to handle.” I didn’t respond, instead turning my head towards the car window. The scenery outside rushed by, fleeting, not even leaving an afterimage. Combining this with the kidnapper’s panic when sending me to the hospital before I fainted, I guessed that this kidnapping was probably another one of Ella’s schemes to frame me. By pinning the crime on me, she could still play the innocent victim in front of Jack. This wasn’t the first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Ella and I were like opposite poles of a magnet, repelling each other and constantly hurting one another. And Jack? He was the iron filing that always aligned with Ella. No matter how clumsy the ploy, in his eyes, it all became Ella’s adorable nature and need for security. He would stand unwaveringly by Ella’s side, the scales never tipping in my favor. My arguments, despair, and hysteria only earned me one response from him: “Stop making a scene. Look at yourself.”

Suddenly, I remembered when I first started trying to win Jack’s heart. Back then, Ella had eloped with the male lead, leaving Jack, the devoted second male lead, drowning his sorrows in alcohol day after day. The Game System told me that the man lying drunk in the corner was my target. Only by reaching 100% favorability could I return home. I didn’t understand why the mission’s completion condition had to be a man’s love. But to go home, I still nervously approached Jack. He would get drunk at bars, and I’d join him, vomiting everywhere. I’d apologize to the staff and clean up the mess. He missed the desserts Ella used to make, so I enrolled in a baking class and studied his tastes. Those painstakingly made desserts? Jack didn’t even look at them before throwing them in the trash. He warned me not to try to imitate Ella, saying I wasn’t even fit to tie her shoelaces. After that, I stopped making desserts but learned how to cook proper meals. Jack had a sensitive stomach and often skipped dinner when working late. Every day, I’d prepare different dishes, ensuring a balanced diet, and personally deliver them to his office. Perhaps because my cooking wasn’t bad, Jack slowly began to accept my presence. That period was the most harmonious time in my relationship with Jack. I managed to raise his favorability to 98%. Just when I thought I could go home soon, a drunken mistake led to my pregnancy. Jack married me under family pressure. His favorability towards me dropped significantly. From the beginning to the end, he always thought I had intentionally gotten pregnant. That I had set a trap for him to fall into. How ridiculous. I wasn’t the one who forgot protection; if anyone was to blame, it was him. He and Ella were the same type of people, always pinning their faults and crimes on others. Did that somehow lessen their guilt? Hah, how laughable. Forgive me, but I couldn’t understand their logic.

I followed behind Leo. As we pushed open the mansion’s main door, the first thing I saw was Ella, lying comfortably on the sofa. Jack and Tommy were attending to her. The older one held a plate of cut fruit, using a fork to feed Ella piece by piece. The younger one sat at Ella’s feet, grinning as he massaged her legs. If those two had tails, they’d probably be wagging them to the sky by now. Jack turned his head and saw me, immediately putting on a serious face. His brows furrowed as he picked up some documents from the coffee table and threw them directly at my face. He stood up, his presence intimidating. “Mia! I don’t mind you throwing tantrums, but you absolutely shouldn’t have hurt Ella!” “Did you enjoy staging this kidnapping to get my attention? If anything had happened to Ella, you’d be in jail!” I bent down to pick up the scattered papers at my feet. After reading them carefully, I couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. There was only a self-serving statement from the kidnapper. If Jack had been willing to trust me even a little and check the bank account number used to transfer money to the kidnapper, he wouldn’t have wrongly accused me. People only see what they want to see. Seeing my reaction, Ella got up from the sofa. She seemed afraid I might say something, anxiously grabbing Jack’s sleeve. “Jack, I’m fine. You don’t need to be so upset. Mia is a girl, going to jail would be…” Before she could finish, I slapped her hard across the face. I used all my strength, the sound of the slap echoing throughout the living room. Ella looked at me dazedly, not yet recovered from the shock of the slap. It wasn’t just her; almost everyone was stunned. Jack was the first to react. He lunged at me furiously, his hands gripping my throat, his eyes filled with uncontrollable rage. The survival instinct made me struggle and twist. I looked up at him contemptuously. “You think this little evidence is enough to put me in jail? You might be an idiot, but the police aren’t.” This statement greatly provoked Jack. He increased the pressure on my throat, allowing less and less air into my lungs. Death was slowly approaching, but I couldn’t control the smile creeping onto my face. At the critical moment, Leo punched Jack, snapping him out of his rage. Jack instinctively loosened his grip on my throat. The lack of oxygen made my legs weak, and in an instant, I collapsed to the ground. I gasped for air, glaring with slight dissatisfaction at Leo, the culprit who had ruined my two chances at death. He threw another punch at Jack, still not satisfied. “Do you realize she was about to die? You nearly choked her to death!” Jack was dazed from the punches but didn’t choose to hit back. He pushed Leo away and looked at me with a complex expression, only to awkwardly turn his head away after a moment. “So what if she died? It’s her fault for provoking Ella first.”

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On my 26th birthday, my husband Zack forced me to sign divorce papers, then immediately went to marry his mistress, Lily Brooks. I was utterly humiliated. But unexpectedly, Zack’s cousin Ryan burst into the party. He brought 50% of the company’s shares as an engagement gift and declared he wanted to marry me. “Aria is the love of my life. I’d do anything for her!” he proclaimed. Three years into our marriage, I still hadn’t gotten pregnant. In fact, my health was deteriorating. I planned to see a doctor, but overheard a conversation between Ryan and the doctor. “You can’t keep giving her birth control pills. Her body can’t take it anymore.” “Lily made me promise Aria would never get pregnant. That’s why I’ve been switching her vitamins. I could never betray Lily.” So he loved Lily too. I was just a tool to make her happy! And the pills I’d been taking every day had been tampered with by Ryan! The doctor sighed and tried to reason with Ryan again. “What you’re doing isn’t fair to Miss Johnson!” “I’ve already sacrificed the rest of my life for her. She should learn to be content!” Heartbroken, I left him that day, never to see him again.

“Aria, it’s your birthday today. Why hasn’t Zack shown up yet?” my friend asked. “He’s probably busy at work. He loves his job,” I replied with a polite smile, though internally I was cringing with embarrassment. Zack Sherman was my husband, but we weren’t in love. Our marriage was arranged by our families to strengthen business ties. Zack despised me, but for the sake of family reputation, I never confronted him about it. In front of reporters and the media, I always strived to be the perfect “Mrs. Sherman.” “Missing your birthday? You need to teach him a lesson when you get home!” my friends fumed on my behalf. I just smiled gracefully and clinked glasses with them. “Charlie, please contact Zack and ask when he’ll arrive. The press and media are all here. Even if he hates me, we need to keep up appearances,” I quietly instructed my personal assistant. Shortly after, the ballroom doors opened. Zack walked in under everyone’s gaze, wearing an immaculate suit and perfectly styled hair, carrying a large bouquet of roses. I was shocked. Had he finally come around? Was he willing to put aside our differences and get along? Just as I felt a spark of hope, the figure that appeared behind Zack made me freeze, my heart sinking. It was Lily Brooks, Zack’s mistress. Lily was a rising starlet, beloved by fans for her innocent “girl-next-door” look. I’d heard rumors about her and Zack, but I never imagined he’d have the audacity to bring his mistress to my birthday party! I clenched my fists, forcing myself to walk forward with a somewhat warm smile. “You’re late. And you brought a friend?” My tone was stiff, my gaze boring into him – part accusation, part warning. “Aria, drop the act. Let’s end this farce between us once and for all, on your birthday no less.” With that, Zack rudely brushed past me and strode onto the stage, pulling Lily along by the hand in front of all the media and guests. “As you all know, I married Aria two years ago. But that was just an arrangement between our families for the sake of business stability. There was never any love between us. Now, we’ve reached the point where we can’t stand the sight of each other. So I’m divorcing Aria to marry the love of my life, Lily!” My legs went weak and I dropped my champagne glass, but with so many eyes on me, I forced myself not to show an ounce of hurt. Instead, I maintained an icy expression. “Have you lost your mind?” My angry voice carried softly through the room as I walked to the front of the stage. “Does your father know about this? You’re not some reckless 20-year-old anymore! We may not be in love, but I’ve treated you with nothing but respect these past years. Do you really need to humiliate me like this?” “Respect?” Zack sneered, looking at me with disdain. “You’re not worth a single hair on Lily’s head. Your so-called ‘respect’ only disgusts me!” I was stunned. Though Zack could be childish, he had been relatively kind and attentive when we first married. How had we ended up in this vicious situation? I suppose it’s because he never loved me, so when true love appeared, he came to despise me. A wave of emotion washed over me. I felt heartbroken at my own failure. To think that I, the heiress of the Johnson family and future CEO, could be cast aside for a scheming homewrecker. “Aria, please don’t make a scene. It’s embarrassing for everyone,” Lily chimed in, blinking her innocent-looking eyes. She gently rubbed her stomach and gazed at me pitifully. “Besides, I’m already carrying Zack’s child. Surely you wouldn’t begrudge me that?” My mind went blank, as if struck by lightning. I steadied myself and took a deep breath before slowly responding: “You two will never be happy. Zack, one day you’ll pay for everything you’ve done today.” I looked up at him, my eyes red not from sadness, but from anger and resentment. Whispers broke out all around: “Aria is so accomplished, yet she still got dumped. I bet she was too arrogant and he couldn’t stand her.” “Who is this woman? Is she the mistress? Seems like Zack has hated Aria for a while.” “This is juicy! It’ll be the talk of the town tomorrow.” “Kicking his wife to the curb to marry his mistress? Zack is such a shameless scumbag!” The room buzzed with gossip – some mocking, some sympathetic, but most just enjoying the drama. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails nearly broke the skin. “Everyone, I apologize for this spectacle. But since Mr. Sherman has found new love, I’ll graciously step aside. After all, I’d hate to see the cliché of a wife fighting the mistress play out.” With that, I signed the divorce papers and threw them at Zack. “Happy now?” In just a few sentences, I had made it clear to everyone present that Zack was cheating and Lily was the homewrecker. “How dare you spread lies!” Zack raged, raising his hand to slap me. “Stop right there!” The expected pain never came. Instead, a firm, authoritative voice rang out. The ballroom doors opened again. The newcomer wore an expensive suit that accentuated his tall, lean build. He resembled Zack somewhat, with chiseled features and cold eyes, but his aura was completely different – more mature and powerful, not childish like Zack. “Cousin!” Zack exclaimed in surprise, his raised hand slowly lowering. He hurried off the stage to greet the man. “Cousin, you didn’t tell Dad you were coming? I thought you never attended events like this. What brings you here?” Following Zack’s gaze, I noticed the newcomer was flanked by several bodyguards in dark sunglasses. Curiously, they were carrying flowers, jewelry boxes, and luxury shopping bags. “I heard it was Miss Johnson’s birthday, so I came to offer my congratulations. I didn’t expect to witness such an interesting scene,” the man Zack called “cousin” said, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized Zack. His commanding presence left everyone speechless as the cousins faced off, with Zack eventually backing down. I recognized him from the few times my father had mentioned him. Ryan Sherman was the son of Zack’s father’s older brother. Known for his intelligence and steady demeanor, he had successfully managed the company from a young age, becoming a role model for the Sherman children. Ryan scanned the room, his eyes lighting up briefly when they landed on something, before darkening again. Just as I tried to follow his gaze, he walked up to me in front of everyone. He took my hand and brought it to his lips, smiling warmly. “I came here today to announce that I want to marry Aria. I love her.” What?! Everyone, including myself, was shocked. We were all baffled by this turn of events. I barely knew Ryan – I’d only heard his name mentioned by others. Yet here he was, proposing to me right after Zack divorced me. It was absurd! “Mr. Sherman, I think there must be some misunderstanding between us,” I said. “There’s no misunderstanding. You may not know me, but I’ve known you for a long time. Your talent, your ambition, your beauty and grace – everything about you attracts me. To be precise, I’ve wanted to marry you for a while, but you were already engaged to my cousin at the time.” His heartfelt confession touched me. Growing up, my family had always been extremely strict with me. No one had ever affirmed me like this before. It piqued my interest in the man before me. “Mr. Sherman, I appreciate your affection, but isn’t marriage a bit rushed? We…” I started to refuse, but caught sight of Zack’s furious expression from the corner of my eye. Feeling a surge of satisfaction, I changed course mid-sentence. “We may not have met before, but I can tell you’re a true gentleman with integrity. When should we get engaged?” My words caused an uproar. Even the dimmest person could tell I was criticizing Zack for lacking the qualities his cousin possessed. “Cousin! I object! Did you come here just to oppose me? I just divorced Aria – she’s damaged goods now! Uncle won’t approve of this!” Zack protested. “Does it concern you?” Ryan coldly glanced at Zack, dismissing his objections. “You’re really going to humiliate me for a woman I just discarded? Do you want rumors spreading about us feuding?” Zack glared at Ryan in disbelief, his face twisted with displeasure. “Weren’t your actions today humiliating enough for her?” Ryan’s words were icy, but they warmed my heart. He furrowed his brow as he faced off against Zack, and his protective stance made my long-dormant heart flutter. “I’m marrying Aria because she’s the love of my life. I’d do anything for her!” Ryan declared firmly, gripping my hand tighter. My heart bloomed like the first flower of spring, a mix of nerves, excitement and anticipation washing over me. “Ryan Sherman! You’ll regret this. I’ll make you pay for humiliating me today!” Zack seethed, trembling with rage. But he didn’t dare say more, and could only swallow his anger as he stormed out with Lily in tow. As the stars climbed into the night sky, this dramatic scene came to an end. The rest of the birthday celebrations were awkward, with everyone lost in their own thoughts as they halfheartedly toasted to me. “Thank you for today,” I said earnestly to Ryan as we walked down the street after the party. “I meant what I said. I’ll give you three days to consider. I promise I’ll treat you better than he ever did. Please trust me and give me a chance,” Ryan said. Though he appeared cold on the outside, the tenderness in his eyes as he gazed at me intently made it hard to refuse. In fact, I found myself looking forward to being with him. “I understand. My driver’s here, so you should head home too,” I nodded, unable to hide my smile as I watched Ryan leave before getting into my car.

When I got home, my parents had already heard about the day’s events. My father looked stern, and there was tension in the air. “The Shermans have already apologized to us. Do what you think is best – we can’t control you anymore,” my father said gruffly. It seemed he had just finished venting his anger, and his attempt at concern came out more like a reprimand. “Aria, do you really want to marry Ryan Sherman? I’ve heard he’s quite ruthless in business. I don’t want to see you suffer,” my mother fretted. I laughed bitterly to myself. Now they didn’t want me to suffer? Then why did they make me marry Zack in the first place? Ryan’s face flashed through my mind again – his concern and protection for me was unforgettable. I made a firm decision. Pushing down my thoughts, I gave my mother a bright smile. “I want to marry him.” My parents respected my decision. The next day, they discussed wedding arrangements with the Sherman family again. This wedding was different from my previous arranged marriage. It was grand and lavish. Ryan’s engagement gifts were so numerous that it took our staff seven or eight trips to bring them all in, showing how much he valued me. I wore the wedding dress he had carefully chosen, put on the sparkling diamond ring, and exchanged vows of love with him on a romantic island beach. “I’ll only be good to you and love you for the rest of my life,” he promised. “Me too,” I replied. Many media outlets captured this blissful moment, widely promoting it online. Countless people envied our fairytale wedding and were moved by our happiness. I had to admit, marrying Ryan was indeed a great choice. After the wedding, I thought he’d be the type to work late at the office every day for the company. But to my surprise, he made time to go on dates with me, making up for the fact that we didn’t fall in love from the beginning. When he came home from work, he always brought me a bouquet of roses, carefully tending to them in our villa’s greenhouse. Any food I mentioned wanting would be delivered the next day. Items I desired would appear in my room when I woke up. Contrary to rumors about his coldness, he was actually quite affectionate, showing me that marriage could be warm and loving. My love for Ryan grew day by day, reaching the same intensity as his love for me. I was immersed in happiness, unable to extricate myself. From daily trivialities to major decisions we made together, he always respected me and put me first. I respected him equally and saw him as the center of my world. To me, Ryan was like a beam of light, illuminating my once dark and confused life. “Well, well, if it isn’t my ex-wife? How’d you manage to snag my cousin? Look at you now, all decked out in jewels and finery,” a unwelcome visitor suddenly appeared before me as I was enjoying afternoon tea in the villa, nearly making me sick up yesterday’s meal. “When I was married to you, I thought marriage was a tomb. But now I feel like it’s a honeypot. I guess it’s true that birds of a feather flock together. Once I left behind a low-class person like you, even the most ordinary life became blissful,” I shot back coldly, not pulling any punches. “I’ll tear that smart mouth of yours one day! Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty? You don’t know, do you? He’s so busy fawning over you that he doesn’t have time to handle company business anymore. The chairman is quite displeased with him. I bet his assets will be gone before long thanks to you. Let’s see how smug you are then!” Zack warned through gritted teeth, clearly riled up by my words. But I didn’t have time to refute him. Ryan had never mentioned company matters to me before. Whenever I asked, he always said everything was under control and told me not to worry. What a fool. “Why are you here? Just looking to get insulted?” I eyed Zack warily. Since my marriage to Ryan, the two cousins hadn’t interacted, and their relationship had deteriorated to the point of open hostility. His sudden appearance made me suspicious. “Miss me that much? Want to rekindle our old flame now that you’ve seen me?” Zack smirked mockingly, giving me a contemptuous look before handing some documents to my assistant. “I’m just delivering something. You think I want to be here? Seeing you two makes me sick.” “Now that you’ve delivered it, please leave. You’re not welcome here!” I coldly dismissed him, seeing his nasty attitude. Zack turned to go, but suddenly seemed to remember something. He looked me up and down with a sneer. “You’ve been married to my cousin for almost three years now, right? My son is already two. I don’t see any signs of a baby from you two. Don’t tell me it’s a sham marriage?” My eyelashes fluttered in surprise. It was true that Ryan and I hadn’t had children in our three years of marriage. Initially I had wanted a child, but Ryan wasn’t very enthusiastic about the idea, so the matter was dropped. “How is that any of your business? We’re very happy together. As long as you stop showing up to ruin things, we’ll be fine. By the way, I feel sorry for your son. Having parents like you two – I’m embarrassed for him,” I glared at Zack contemptuously, not hiding my disdain. “You-! I’m not going to waste my time arguing with you!” Zack stormed off, unable to get the better of me. After he left, I pondered his question. The Sherman family had been pressuring Ryan to have a child – an heir. But his attitude was ambivalent, even completely uninterested. Could it be that he didn’t want children? Or maybe he just didn’t like kids?

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On the eve of the annual company party, my husband Lucas said he had a surprise for me, a top-tier lawyer. However, the next day, he publicly increased the marketing manager’s bonus fivefold. For me, he only said, “Keep up the good work next year.” When I questioned this, Lucas brushed it off carelessly: “Your courtroom performance is indeed impressive, but without Bella’s promotion, you wouldn’t have become a star lawyer.” “Besides, we’re married. What’s mine is yours. Why fuss over a little bonus?” Everyone was waiting for a show, but I didn’t make a scene. Instead, I remained silent until the end of the party. The next day, I personally placed my resignation letter on Lucas’s desk. “You might as well add my salary to Bella’s. Consider it a wedding gift for you two.” Lucas cursed me for being petty, swearing I’d end up begging on the streets without him. But he forgot that as an experienced top-tier lawyer like me, prestigious law firms would be lining up to hire me! “I don’t want to talk to you anymore!” Lucas loosened his tie and tossed his jacket onto the sofa, his face cold and refusing to communicate. I rubbed my temples, feeling utterly exhausted. Since we got off work, Lucas and I had been arguing about today’s law firm annual party. I couldn’t understand why he downplayed my achievements, nor why he excessively praised Bella, a newcomer who had just joined the firm. Lucas, however, thought I was being petty, fighting with Bella over such small favors. As we argued, neither of us was willing to back down, and the atmosphere grew tense. Just then, Lucas’s phone buzzed with a message. He pulled it out, looked at it, and his face twisted with annoyance. “There’s an urgent matter at the firm that needs my attention. Sarah, I don’t want to argue with you about this. Take care of yourself, and don’t forget to prepare and send me the case analysis for tomorrow’s work.” “If you continue being so petty, I can’t help you. We’ve been married for five years, and you’re hung up on this small amount of money. I’m so disappointed in you.” “I’m being petty?” I felt helpless. Lucas always changed the subject during arguments, never directly addressing an issue. Whenever Bella was mentioned, he always had a bunch of excuses about being busy. Most often, he would use the fact that we were married to tell me not to be so calculative. For the next half hour, I was speechless. Lucas, complaining about working all day, specifically took a shower before returning to the bedroom to change clothes. During this time, we didn’t speak, falling into a cold war. But life can’t go on like this. Someone has to make the first move. “Honey…” After pondering for a moment, I was about to take the initiative to make peace when I inadvertently noticed something strange. Lucas was secretly stuffing something into his suit pants. As I got closer, I was shocked to see it was a pair of black stockings! And I didn’t own that type… The words I was about to say got stuck in my throat. I couldn’t speak them, nor could I swallow them back. My heart sank. I couldn’t help but think about how Lucas had changed towards me over the past six months. He always had work to discuss, was always on business trips, became increasingly impatient with me, and we hadn’t even been intimate for a long time. At this moment, I finally realized he was having an affair. After a moment’s hesitation, I instinctively wanted to stop him, but then I paused. I suppressed the anger in my heart, thinking I might as well use this incident to divorce him directly. After all, my marriage to Lucas had long been a facade. Thinking this, I quietly left the bedroom and sat on the sofa, waiting. Lucas came out not long after, looking slightly nervous. “Sarah, did you call me just now?” Hearing this, I looked up, perfectly feigning a confused expression. “No.” Seeing no unusual reaction from me, Lucas visibly relaxed, his face turning cold again. “I need to go back to the firm now. We’ll talk about the year-end bonus when I get back. I might not be able to come home tonight.” Then, without waiting for my response, he hurriedly left. A few minutes later, estimating the time it would take him to drive out of the neighborhood, I got dressed, went downstairs, and took a taxi to follow him. From the moment Lucas left home, he wasn’t heading in the direction of the law firm!

In the taxi, I let out a cold laugh as I saw his car finally stop in front of a hotel. Although I couldn’t go up to the hotel, I could get into his car. I unlocked the car, played back the driving recorder, and heard Lucas calling a woman just after he got in the car, addressing her as “baby” right off the bat. “Hello? Bella? Are you there yet? I’m almost there… It’s just that Sarah again. I don’t know what’s wrong with her these past few months, always looking for reasons to argue.” I frowned, but Lucas’s next words were even more hurtful. “She should think about who got her where she is today. Now she dares to argue with me over the year-end bonus. She’s really gone too far. It’s making me so angry. I need your kiss, baby…” My blood boiled as I realized the person on the other end of the line was Bella. No wonder her contributions were the greatest this year and her bonus was doubled. It turns out she had been doing “overtime” after work. Lucas, how could you do this to me? Six months ago, when Bella joined the firm, it was strange enough that she was promoted to team leader with just a few years of experience after graduation. Despite her mediocre abilities, Lucas always assigned her the best resources, causing quite a stir among other colleagues. Later, Bella leveraged these resources to become the marketing manager in just six months. That’s when I started to become suspicious. On the other hand, Lucas’s care for her in daily life was meticulous. At most dinners and social events, I often couldn’t sit next to Lucas, but Bella was always by his side. I had voiced my objections before, but Lucas always said she was his junior from college, and it was only right to look after her. For the past six months, every time Lucas didn’t let me accompany him to a social event or business trip, he was probably fooling around with Bella. Finally, I returned home in a daze. Sitting on the sofa, I rubbed my face. Suspecting and actually discovering are two different feelings. At least I had truly loved Lucas. Now, seeing and hearing it with my own eyes and ears, I still felt heartbroken. The TV at home was broadcasting local news about someone killing for revenge for their mother. I had no interest in watching and tossed and turned half the night before finally falling asleep on the sofa. The entire dream was filled with memories of Lucas and me. We met in the workplace after graduation. I was immediately drawn to Lucas’s efficient and decisive work style. I actively pursued him, and after we got together, Lucas directly opened a law firm for me. I was very grateful for his recognition and worked tirelessly for the firm. This went on for six years. Later, Lucas proposed to me, and both sets of parents were very pleased. But I never imagined that now, as the firm has grown bigger and stronger, he would already be cheating before we even reached the seven-year itch. A night of chaotic dreams led to me being late for work the next day. For this, Lucas mercilessly scolded me in front of all the senior staff during the morning meeting. “Sarah! What’s wrong with you? We had a few words yesterday, and now you dare to be late? Let me tell you, you’ve lost your perfect attendance bonus for this month! Reflect on yourself!” Faced with the sympathetic or indifferent gazes of everyone, I just nodded, not saying much. This reaction made Lucas think I had a bad attitude. After everyone else left, he sat down in the boss’s chair, folded his arms, and spoke to me coldly. “Sarah, let me tell you, don’t use your home attitude at the company! Do you think you can give me attitude in front of everyone just because you’re my wife?! I’ve always kept personal and professional lives separate!” Keeping personal and professional lives separate… I mulled over these words, finding them laughable. He keeps personal and professional lives separate with me, but last night in the car, he was all sweet talk with Bella, saying all sorts of nice things. My indifference made Lucas feel disrespected. He became furious, stood up, and slammed the table. “Sarah! What are you trying to do? Have you gone mad?!” I ignored his roar, turned around, and left the office. I went straight downstairs to HR and submitted my resignation.

“Ms. Johnson… are you sure you want to resign?” “Yes, I’m sure.” The HR staff was very surprised and repeatedly asked me. Although I had never made my relationship with Lucas public, over the years, my colleagues had all guessed it. The HR staff clearly didn’t want to get involved in our “domestic affairs” and immediately showed a troubled expression, trying to deflect. “This… this is such a big decision, I can’t make it on my own. Why don’t you go talk to Mr. Wilson about it? Ask for his opinion first.” My position was considered a pillar of the company, and logically, it indeed needed Lucas’s signature. “No need to ask. Just handle it as a regular procedure,” I said softly but firmly, not sounding like an impulsive decision made in anger. The HR staff looked at me for a while and could only agree with a bitter smile, telling me to come back in the afternoon to pick up the report. Just as I left HR, I was called to Lucas’s office again. When I went in, I saw Bella was also there. Seeing me come in, she smiled insincerely and said, “Sister Sarah is here.” “Good timing. Did you see the news yesterday about the person who killed for revenge for their mother? The case has now fallen to our firm. Bella fought for it for you. Sarah, if you handle this well, you could make a big name for yourself.” Lucas called me in, reluctantly showing some goodwill, then arrogantly “entrusted me with an important task” – to defend the killer from last night’s news. I had looked at that case this morning. As things stand, online public opinion has already pushed this case to a critical point. Lucas wasn’t wrong; if handled well, it could indeed make me famous. But I only felt that Bella had ulterior motives. This kind of case is a hot potato. No matter how you defend it, you’ll end up being criticized in the end. The law is unfeeling, but morality is emotional. The outcome of this incident, good or bad, would affect one’s career. It’s like inviting trouble for no reason. Thinking of this, I refused on the spot. “I still have several ongoing cases that aren’t finished yet. Adding a new one would be too much. I can’t take it. Please assign someone else.” “Sarah, Ms. Big Shot Lawyer, what’s wrong? You’ve had some success these past few years and now you’re looking down on this kind of case? You don’t even seize opportunities when they’re right in front of you. What are you thinking?” Lucas’s face showed mockery, his words extremely unpleasant. Bella, seeing this, also pretended to persuade me: “Sister Sarah, if this case is handled well, it will only benefit our firm. You should think twice about it, for Mr. Wilson’s sake and the firm’s long-term development.” “Since this case has come to us, and I’ve worked hard to secure it, it’s only right that someone from the company should take it on. As things stand, you’re the most suitable person for this kind of case, Sister Sarah.” I frowned, ignoring her moral coercion. Just as I was about to speak, Lucas’s phone rang. “Hello? Little Li? What’s the matter? Huh? Who? Who wants to resign?!” Lucas was stunned for a few seconds, his expression becoming extremely unpleasant in the course of a few sentences. He hung up the phone and looked at me in disbelief. “Sarah, you want to resign?! Just because I scolded you a bit this morning?!” He stood up and raged at me, his whole body fuming. I remained outwardly calm, leaning on the desk and slowly moving closer, pulling at the corners of my mouth as I spoke calmly. “Lucas, not only am I resigning, but I also want a divorce.”

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