Category: English

Three days before our silver anniversary. I stumbled upon his secret—a hidden basement. Every inch from floor to ceiling was covered in photos of another woman. I realized that from his thirties to his sixties, his heart belonged to someone else. Those crucial business trips, those mysterious souvenirs—they all made sense now, seeing the radiant smiles in the photos. I stared at my own hands, marked with the signs of hard work. Suddenly, I felt exhausted. Declan was away on a business trip, but his assistant showed up at my door. “Mrs. Carter, we really need that document. It’s important to us.” Standing at the door, Declan’s assistant looked at me with respect. I tried calling Declan three times, but there was no answer. “Are you sure it’s in the study?” The assistant nodded politely. I reluctantly went upstairs to search for it. I rarely entered Declan’s study. He didn’t like to be disturbed while working. As I fumbled around the desk, a pen holder caught my eye. It seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen it before. The assistant’s voice urged me from downstairs. As I exited, I accidentally knocked over the pen holder. With a loud thud, an opening appeared behind the bookshelf. I was taken aback, hearing the assistant calling from below. I quickly went down and handed over the document. The assistant seemed concerned by my expression. “Mrs. Carter, is everything alright?” I pressed my lips together and shook my head. After he left, I went back to the study. Staring at the lit basement, I hesitated. My instincts screamed not to enter. But my legs moved on their own, leading me inside. The room was bathed in a warm yellow light. Yet, upon entering, I was completely frozen. The walls were filled with photos of one person. Some were faded, others discolored, clearly aged. Yet, they were carefully framed by the owner. I stepped closer and gently touched a photo. Not a speck of dust—indicating the owner’s deep care for these photos. The subject was always the same person. She looked familiar—I recognized her at once. It was Declan’s first love, Nora. The wall was covered with photos of young Nora. Reading, shopping, dining—captured in many moments. The most recent showed her, with some gray hair, feeding pigeons. She was wearing a blue traditional dress, timelessly elegant and graceful. Her smile was bright as she looked at the camera. The thought that Declan might have taken this photo inexplicably upset me. Nora was Declan’s first love. Back when he was at his lowest. She left without a word to study abroad. But the travel expenses were covered by my father, who felt sorry for her troubled home life. Because of this, for a long time after I married Declan. He treated me coldly. I quietly endured a lot of grievances. Looking closely at these photos. There were quite a few of them together. Declan appeared relaxed in front of the camera. I rarely saw him so carefree. I looked at my hands, marked with the toll of labor, dull and lifeless. I sat quietly in the room, staring at the wall of photos. I thought about many things. Years ago, to be with Declan, I had a falling out with my parents. I almost missed seeing my father one last time. During Declan’s three years of studying abroad, I managed the household through all its ups and downs. I took care of his bedridden mother every day. I even financially supported him during his studies. We had a harmonious time together. During that period, we had our son, Theo. But back then, Declan’s career was just starting. He didn’t have time for household matters. I took on everything so he could focus on his career. During that time, he treated me very well. Though it was tough, it was also happy. When did things change? It was when Nora returned from her messy divorce abroad. I remember when I heard the news, Theo was only two. I worried that what I had was just an illusion, like a moonlit reflection on water. Sensing my unease, Declan comforted me for a long time. He said many things, promising he wouldn’t look back. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, without a hint of guilt, I felt relieved. Looking back, perhaps he did have genuine feelings, but true feelings can change in an instant. Suddenly, my heart felt swollen and heavy, like a sponge soaked in water. My hands trembled uncontrollably. He must have struggled to hide it from me. It’s been most of a lifetime.

An indescribable sadness spread from my chest to my entire body. I wanted to ask him why. Why did he do this? But as I picked up my phone, all my strength left me. I collapsed to the ground, letting the overwhelming emotions consume me. I carefully put everything back in its place, as if they had never been disturbed. But only I knew that beneath the seemingly flawless exterior, everything inside was already in ruins. Quietly, I packed my things, one by one. I had lived here too long. There were many scattered items, fortunately, Declan was away. It took me almost three days to pack everything. There were many things, but none of value. The valuable items I brought long ago had been sold during tough times. Leaving the house, I felt an indescribable lightness. I looked back at the house I had lived in for most of my life, still feeling reluctant. But I knew, no matter how long I stayed, it was never truly mine. It always bore someone else’s mark. I got into the car to go home. Since my parents passed away, I hadn’t returned home. In my years of wandering, I thought I had finally settled down. But it turned out to be a sugar-coated poison. I was coaxed into willingly consuming it. Three days after I returned to my hometown, someone finally called me. “Mom, where did you go?” “Tomorrow, Theo has a holiday. Leo and I are too busy. I’ll bring Theo over tomorrow.” My son’s voice was full of energy, with a hint of dissatisfaction and reproach. “Mom, did you hear me? In bright daylight, it’s so sunny. Stop running back and forth. I’ve been there several times for nothing.” His nagging continued in my ear. I was a bit dazed. I don’t think I ever complained about my parents like this, did I? I shouldn’t have. It’s been too long; I can’t remember. “Theo, let your mother-in-law bring him. I’m not convenient right now.” I calmly finished speaking and hung up the phone. Lying in the room I slept in during childhood, I felt especially at ease. A sense of security filled me. Unexpectedly, the person who should have returned in a week was standing at my door, looking worn out. Seeing Declan’s travel-worn appearance, I was surprised. “Maeve, what are you doing? Do you know the paparazzi caught you? Now everyone is saying we’re getting a divorce. The company is asking questions. It’s a big deal.” Declan’s words shattered all my illusions. I felt ridiculous for still holding onto fantasies about Declan. I thought he rushed over because he was worried about me. But his first instinct was to think about something else. “But if you don’t say and I don’t say, who knows I’m your wife?” My tone was dismissive. Noticing his harsh tone, he changed his approach. “Maeve, these days, you weren’t home. Our son and I were worried about you. What happened?” “Tell me, I’ll stand up for you.” “Did the assistant say something offensive?” Declan’s gritted teeth made it seem like he’d fight for me. Turns out, all these years, I was deceived by his act. “Declan, let’s get a divorce.” His endless chatter stopped immediately. He paused, seemingly thinking about what I just said. “Maeve, what’s wrong?” Declan’s voice was urgent. “I don’t agree. Who upset you? Let’s confront them, okay? Don’t say things in anger.” I just looked at him coldly. I never noticed before how well he acted. The praised good husband was secretly a hopeless romantic collecting photos of his first love. “Declan, I discovered the basement.” His expression froze completely at my words, his face turning visibly unpleasant. “Didn’t I tell you not to enter the study?” See, this person whom I had adored since my youth—once his secrets were exposed, his first reaction was to lash out and blame me. In that moment, all the small incidents from the past rushed into my mind. Without exception, they were all about Declan’s disdain and barely veiled contempt. Yes, a nouveau riche family like mine, being able to reach the heights of someone as educated as him, was indeed considered a stroke of ancestral luck. Reflecting on this, I couldn’t help but recall the numerous past events. “You should go back. Next time, bring a lawyer, alright? I won’t shortchange myself even a cent.” I stood, blocking the doorway, indicating for him to leave. Declan’s face turned grim.

He frowned, “Mabel, everyone has a past. Could you stop clinging to it and let it go?” “Besides, we’re both at an age where nothing could happen between Nora and me.” “And at our age, announcing a divorce would be laughable. People will gossip about you.” Declan’s words seemed to consider my welfare, yet they were continuously faulting me for being immature. “There’s no need, Declan.” “You should go back.” “I keep telling you, there’s nothing between Nora and me. Why won’t you believe me? Think it over.” Declan left, his expression stern. I had seen him off to study abroad on a ship. Sent him off on countless flights for field research. Every morning, I saw him off to work. And now, I watched him leave in a huff. I felt a whirlwind of emotions, an indescribable discomfort. Yet, I also felt an unusual sense of relief. I took all my belongings home. He should understand the firmness of my decision this time. I waited for the lawyer to arrive. After all, his company was built on the hard-earned money of my parents, whom he regarded as mere merchants. I waited and waited, but it was my son’s family who showed up instead. As soon as they entered, my son covered his nose in disdain. “Mom, this place reeks of mold. How can anyone live here? It’s covered in dust. Come back with us, okay?” Even my four-year-old grandson, Theo, mimicked him, covering his nose. In a sweet voice, he said, “It’s stinky here. Grandma, come back with us.” With that, he tried to grab my hand. I quietly avoided his hand. “Why did you bring the child here?” “Isn’t it because of you, Mom? Dad told me everything. Why are you still fussing over this? You’re both so old now. Why not just stay home peacefully with Theo?” “Why do you have to follow the young people’s trend of getting divorced? It’s a mess.” “I met Aunt Nora. She’s honest and straightforward with Dad. There’s nothing improper between them.” Declan Junior scolded me thoroughly over the phone. My expression gradually turned cold. “So why are you here? To be your dad’s messenger?” His expression paused for a moment. “I’m here to check on you. You moved out in a hurry, with no one to look after you. Of course, we worry about you.” He said that, but his eyes couldn’t help but glance around the slightly shabby house, failing to hide his disdain. My daughter-in-law stood obediently to the side. “Alright, you’ve seen me. There’s nothing wrong here. You should go back.” Declan Junior didn’t say anything, just had Theo come over and hug my leg. I patted his head. Suddenly, I remembered, Declan Junior used to be just like that. He looked so soft and fair. When I stayed up late worrying about making ends meet, working on side projects by lamplight, he would wake up and cling to me. He’d massage my forehead with tiny hands, promising to buy me a big house and ensure I lived a good life when he grew up. His hands were so small back then, his words naive, his voice soft. But now, he’s looking at me with impatience, looking at this house with disdain. He used to love visiting his grandma’s house. Children you raise with your own hands can grow so distant when they grow up. Let alone a spouse. Maybe it’s because I never really understood them. I pushed Theo back. Gestured for my daughter-in-law to take the child outside. She didn’t say much, just took the child out. I looked at the child who was now two heads taller than me. I felt a bit dazed. Time flies, and Theo has grown so much. “When did you meet Aunt Nora?” My voice was steady, but Declan Junior was impatient. “Mom! This isn’t the time to dwell on that. The company is affected. Can you stop fighting with Dad? He’s so old now, and he can’t do anything with Aunt Nora. Can’t you just see her as an ordinary old friend?” “Besides, at this age, who doesn’t have friends? You’re always at home, not interacting with others. You should go downstairs and chat with the neighbors more often. I think you’re too idle, that’s why you overthink everything.”

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Joshua and I had been childhood sweethearts for twenty years. At the height of our love, he got into a car accident trying to save me and lost his memory. I bent over backward, doing everything I could to help him remember our past. But to my horror, during this time, he fell in love with the woman who had once bullied me. Private photos of me, taken during the days I was bullied, spread like wildfire online. And he? He wrapped his arm around the woman who tormented me and laughed along with the crowd: “Her? Covered in scars. Just looking at her makes me sick.” When I saw Joshua speaking softly to Ivy, my blood ran cold. I never thought I’d see her again. Back then, after she failed her college entrance exams, Joshua’s family used their influence to make her disappear from Bayhurst for good. I had believed I’d never have to face her again in this lifetime. But here she was. The moment I saw her, I couldn’t stop myself from trembling. The cigarette burns on my arms and thighs—scars that had never fully faded—seemed to come alive again, throbbing with phantom pain. I gripped the doorframe to steady myself, my legs weak. Yet, when I saw her leaning against Joshua’s shoulder with tearful eyes, trembling like some helpless victim, anger surged through me, overpowering my fear. I stormed forward and shoved her away with all my strength. “Get away from him!” Ivy fell heavily onto the couch, looking up at me with wide, frightened eyes before glancing at Joshua, pleading silently for help. Joshua immediately pulled her to her feet, his face full of concern, before turning to me, his expression dark with anger. “Harper, what the hell is wrong with you?!” I panicked, trying to explain. “Joshua, don’t let her fool you! She’s not who you think she is—she’s a terrible person!” He took a deep breath, clearly trying to contain his frustration. “Whether she’s a good person or not isn’t for you to decide!” “And you,” he added, his voice cold, “how long are you going to keep clinging to me just because of some old connection between our families?” I froze, my voice trembling as I tried to reason with him. “I’m not… Joshua, we’re together—we’re a couple!” He rubbed his temples as if my words physically pained him. “Three years. For three years, you’ve been telling me I’m your boyfriend. But I don’t remember anything you’ve been trying so hard to make me believe. You’re the one who’s delusional—don’t drag me into it.” “I tolerated you out of respect for our parents, but this ends here, Harper. You’ve gone too far.” With that, he scooped Ivy into his arms and carried her out of the room, brushing past me without a second glance. As they left, Ivy shot me a triumphant look over his shoulder. The same look she used to give me back then—the look of someone who wouldn’t stop until she’d completely broken me. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor, gripping the edge of the table for support. My entire body was cold, trembling with fear and anger.

For days, I couldn’t bring myself to go find Joshua. Maybe I was too scared to face the truth—that he might actually be falling for Ivy. But deep down, I kept telling myself that couldn’t be true. He lost his memory because of me. This wasn’t his fault. He just forgot… that’s all… I kept repeating these thoughts to myself like a mantra, trying to convince myself I still had hope. Eventually, I decided to bring him lunch. I spent hours preparing a homemade meal and delivered it to his office. Most of his coworkers knew me, so they let me into his office without any trouble. But I waited for over an hour, and he never showed up. Finally, his secretary came in with an apologetic expression. “Ms. Harper, I’m so sorry, but it seems Mr. Carter stepped out for a meeting.” I nodded, forcing a smile. “That’s okay. I’ll just leave this here for him.” I placed the lunchbox on his desk and instructed the secretary, “He’s probably too busy to remember to eat, so make sure he does, okay? Otherwise, his stomach will act up again.” The secretary couldn’t help but sigh. “You’re so thoughtful, Ms. Harper. Mr. Carter is lucky to have someone like you.” I smiled faintly. “Well, I’ll get going now.” As I left his office building, I hailed a cab to head home. But just as I reached my front door, I realized I’d left my bag behind. I had no choice but to turn back. When I walked through the glass doors of his office again, I froze. There was Ivy, sitting in Joshua’s office, eating the lunch I had made. Joshua was at his desk, glancing at her every so often with a soft, indulgent smile. It was the same look he used to give me before he lost his memory. A sharp pain shot through my chest, a mix of heartbreak and nausea. Without thinking, I stormed into the room, grabbed the lunchbox from Ivy’s hands, and threw it to the ground. Ivy’s head snapped up, her glare piercing. That look—it was too familiar. So familiar that my body went weak, and I instinctively took a step back. Joshua was on his feet in an instant, grabbing my wrist. His voice was filled with rage. “Harper, have you lost your mind again?! Haven’t you caused enough trouble? What did Ivy ever do to you?” I could barely keep my voice steady as I looked him in the eye, tears streaming down my face. “You knew I made that for you. If you didn’t want it, you could’ve thrown it away—but why did you give it to her?” For a moment, Joshua hesitated, my words seeming to strike a nerve. But before he could respond, Ivy chimed in with a soft voice. “Mr. Carter… Harper didn’t mean it. She just likes you so much that she doesn’t want someone like me eating something she made for you.” Whatever flicker of doubt Joshua might have felt disappeared instantly. He turned to her, his voice gentle. “Don’t say that. You’re not ‘someone like that.’” Then, he let go of my wrist, shoving me backward. I stumbled and fell to the floor. Looking down at me, his voice was cold and cutting. “If it’s something you made for me, then it’s mine to decide who gets to eat it. If you don’t want me giving it to someone else, then stop being pathetic and stop bringing me food!” His words shattered me. I don’t even remember how I managed to stand up, or how I forced myself to pick up the broken pieces of the lunchbox and leave his office. I straightened my back, determined not to look as defeated as I felt. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

I was about to throw the lunchbox away. But then I remembered it was a gift from Joshua back when I was battling depression and barely had an appetite. He had taught himself how to cook during that time, trying out new recipes every day just to get me to eat a little more. This lunchbox was one of the first things he gave me. I’d kept it all these years, unable to bring myself to let it go. Thinking of the Joshua who used to care for me so deeply, the Joshua who was so kind and loving, I just couldn’t do it. Instead, I grabbed some disinfectant and scrubbed it over and over again. But no matter how clean I tried to make it, the thought of Ivy touching it made me feel sick. No amount of scrubbing could erase the disgust. Just then, my phone rang. On the other end, Joshua’s voice sounded weak. “…Harper, where’s my stomach medicine?” I instinctively answered, “Middle drawer of your nightstand, on the right.” There was a moment of silence. “It’s not there…” I paused, realizing he must’ve run out. Even though I was still angry, I couldn’t help but feel worried. “Is the pain bad? Can you handle it?” Another long silence followed. “…I want some of your shrimp porridge,” he finally said. His tone—it sounded so much like the Joshua I used to know. I couldn’t resist. Before my brain could catch up, the words were already out of my mouth. “Wait for me.” I picked up his prescription from the pharmacy, bought some fresh shrimp and vegetables, and headed to his place. When he opened the door, he looked terrible—his face pale, his lips colorless, his steps unsteady. I immediately handed him a glass of water and the capsules. He took them from me without hesitation, as naturally as if we were back in the old days. Three years of him claiming to hate me, yet he’d grown so used to my care. I got to work on the porridge. Once it was ready, he slowly ate a bowl, and the color started returning to his face. I watched him, lost in thought, and finally asked, “Does it taste good?” He froze, then gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. The truth was, I was the one who loved shrimp porridge—not him. He was the one who used to make it perfectly—not me. Three years had passed, and he still didn’t remember. I forced a small, bitter smile and turned to clean up the dishes. But before I could finish, his phone rang. He answered it, and his expression instantly grew tense. “Are you okay?” “Just stay where you are—I’ll be there right away.” A chill ran down my spine. I didn’t need to guess who was on the other end. My gut told me it was Ivy. I grabbed his wrist before he could leave. “What happened?” His voice was rushed, impatient. “Ivy’s place caught on fire. I need to go check on her.” The moment he said her name, my grip tightened instinctively. “If she had the time to call you, she’s obviously fine. You’re sick—you can’t go out like this…” I was practically begging him at this point. “Please, just don’t go.” But Joshua only frowned, looking at me as if I’d said something unforgivable. “I know you hate Ivy, but how can you say something like that? She’s alone—don’t you think she might be scared?” He pulled his wrist free and stormed out without another word. “She’s alone—don’t you think she might be scared?” Of course, she’d be scared. Just like I was, back when she cornered me in the bathroom stall, holding a lit cigarette that flickered in and out. I had been terrified. Terrified to the point of breaking.

After that incident, Ivy managed to move into Joshua’s house without much resistance. I’d anticipated her next move—I knew her too well. But what I hadn’t expected was for Joshua to actually agree to it. I thought my heart had already gone numb, but the pain of it hit me harder than I imagined. What surprised me even more was the night of Mr. Carter’s birthday celebration. Joshua brought Ivy to the party. I was sitting in the living room chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Carter when the room suddenly fell silent. Following everyone’s gaze, I turned and saw Joshua walking in, arm in arm with Ivy. It wasn’t just me. Mr. and Mrs. Carter’s faces also darkened in shock. Especially Mrs. Carter—she shot up from her seat, her eyes blazing with fury as she glared at Ivy. “What are you doing here?! Get out!” Ivy immediately hid behind Joshua, feigning fear. Joshua frowned. “Mom, I brought Ivy here. How can you treat her like that?” Mr. Carter, unable to stay seated any longer, stood and pointed an accusing finger at Joshua. “You ungrateful brat! Have you even thought about how Harper feels?!” Out of respect for my feelings, my parents and the Carters had never mentioned Ivy in front of me, nor had they spoken to Joshua about her. They had watched as Joshua, after losing his memory, became less and less like the person he once was. But none of them could have imagined he’d go so far as to bring Ivy into his life—and now into their home. Joshua, seemingly dismissive of the gravity of Ivy’s past, furrowed his brow and said, “Ivy’s already explained everything to me. She was just young and reckless back then. Why does everyone have to be so aggressive?” “Aggressive?!” Mr. Carter’s voice was shaking with anger. “If she has so much to explain, it’s Harper she should be apologizing to—not you!” Furious, he shouted for security. “Get this woman out of my house!” Joshua immediately stepped forward to block them. “All this over some petty incident? Do you really have to treat Ivy this way?” A sharp pang shot through my chest. So to Joshua now, everything Ivy had done to me was just some petty incident. Suddenly, Joshua whipped his head around and glared at me, his eyes filled with hostility. “It was you, wasn’t it?” “You’re disgusting. Spreading lies about Ivy to my parents? How pathetic can you get?” Mrs. Carter, trembling with rage, slapped him hard across the face. “You—!” she shouted, unable to finish her sentence as her voice broke with fury. Ivy gasped, her face full of tears, looking like a helpless victim. “Joshua, don’t fight with your family because of me. It’s all my fault—I’ll leave, okay?” She turned and ran toward the door, sobbing. Joshua immediately chased after her. I grabbed his wrist before he could leave, my voice shaking as I asked, “Do you love her?” He looked at me with nothing but contempt, his voice dripping with venom. “Yes. I love her.” With that, he wrenched his wrist free and ran after Ivy without looking back.

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Sophia fell in love with Jack, but Jack already had a girlfriend. Sophia grabbed my chin and said, “You have the same alluring eyes as Aunt Linda. Since Aunt Linda could break up relationships, I believe you can do it too, right?” I did as she asked. I seduced Jack’s girlfriend, but she went crazy. In the pouring rain, she knelt and begged me not to leave her. But it was all too late. “Your eyes are really beautiful,” Sophia said, holding my chin and gently stroking my brow bone. “Just like Aunt Linda’s, equally seductive.” “Since Aunt Linda could break up relationships, I believe you can do it too, right?” Sophia’s voice was like a devil’s whisper, trying to drag me into the depths of hell. Sharp nails dug deep into my palm as I struggled to steady my trembling body. I knew Sophia had fallen for Jack. It was love at first sight for her. But Jack already had a girlfriend. Only by removing this “obstacle” could she be with Jack. However, I never thought she would ask me to seduce Jack’s girlfriend and ruin their relationship. Ironically, breaking up couples was what she hated most. I lowered my eyes, avoiding her hand, and tried to suppress the tremor in my voice: “Okay.” This was what I owed her, what my mom owed her.

In the past, I resented my face. Now, I’m somewhat grateful for it. With just this face, I could easily hook Jack’s girlfriend with a simple gesture. I was like a knife, effortlessly wedging between Jack and his girlfriend. I sent a message, asking Sophia to bring Jack. 【We’re here. What trick are you trying to pull?】 Sophia made no effort to hide her impatience. Even though I was following her instructions to seduce Jack’s girlfriend. Sophia appeared in my peripheral vision, arm in arm with another man, smiling sweetly. My eyelashes fluttered as I held the girl in my arms even tighter. This was the scene Jack walked into. His girlfriend in an embrace with another man. He stood frozen, his face pale, the light in his eyes gradually consumed by coldness. I thought he would rush over and punch me, but instead, he shook off Sophia’s hand and strode away. Sophia’s expression turned icy as she quickly approached, pulling me and Jack’s girlfriend apart. The girl was shocked and angry: “Who are you?” Sophia just stared at me, silent, her dark eyes swirling with turbulent emotions. I wiped my lips with the back of my hand and raised an eyebrow at Sophia: “Aren’t you going to chase after him?” How laughable. Wasn’t it you who said I looked seductive and told me to do this? Now that I’ve succeeded, why the black face? Sophia shot me a cold glare before going after Jack. Of course, this was her perfect opportunity to swoop in. Watching her retreating figure, it felt like a piece of my heart had been carved out, leaving me empty.

I explained everything to Jack’s “ex” girlfriend. She slapped me and left angrily. I laughed bitterly. In the end, I was alone again. Left to lick my wounds in the dark night before dragging my battered self back to a house that wasn’t truly mine. I opened the door to pitch darkness. Before I could find the light switch, someone pulled me inside and pinned me against the door. The doorknob dug into my lower back, uncomfortable. I tried to move away but was trapped in a tiny space, unable to budge. I opened my eyes and stopped struggling. For a moment, Sophia’s passion-filled eyes met mine. Once her breathing steadied, she reverted to her previous coldness, pushing me away before returning to her room.

I look a lot like my mom, especially our almond-shaped eyes. It was with those eyes that my mom captivated Sophia’s dad. She was the culprit behind the breakdown of Sophia’s family and the loss of both her parents. And I was considered my mom’s accomplice. After all, if it weren’t for me, Mrs. Sullivan wouldn’t have been overly sympathetic to my mom, who had me as baggage. She wouldn’t have arranged a job for my mom. She wouldn’t have given my mom the opportunity to take advantage. I couldn’t understand. Thanks to Mrs. Sullivan’s help, my mom and I weren’t left homeless. But why did my mom have to be so ungrateful, betraying her kindness and causing two families to fall apart, leaving two children without parents? So, I knew very well that Sophia despised my eyes. Every time our gazes met, I could see the undisguised hatred. I wanted to run, to escape this boundless hatred, but Sophia was all I had left. After my mom’s affair with Sophia’s dad was exposed, ironically, they died together in a car accident, becoming a pair of ill-fated lovers. As for Mrs. Sullivan, her already frail body couldn’t withstand the double blow of betrayal from her best friend and lover. She wanted to hate, but both were already dead. The resentment festered in her heart, and she passed away, leaving Sophia all alone. Sophia’s young shoulders were forced to bear the burden of the Sullivan family business. As for me, I was too ashamed to continue living off the Sullivans. But Sophia found me and brought me back home, demanding that I atone for my mother’s sins. I wasn’t just atoning for my mom, but for myself as well.

In a moment of impulse, I kissed the child of my enemy. For several days after, Sophia didn’t come home. Until today, when she called, asking me to bring an important document from the study to her. Her tone was urgent, telling me to hurry. Walking through the dark, quiet alley, I wondered if I had taken a wrong turn, or if Sophia had given me the wrong address. Suddenly, a group of people swarmed into the maze-like alley. They seemed to be local thugs, each carrying a stick. I clutched the document, pressing myself against the wall, carefully trying to avoid them, afraid of provoking them. But they kicked me to the ground anyway. The document fell from my hands. I crawled on the ground, reaching for it. Sophia said this document was important, it couldn’t be lost. A sharp pain shot through my hand. A dirty shoe was mercilessly crushing my right hand. I cried out in pain. The leader of the thugs laughed, “I heard these hands are quite talented at painting, even won some awards. Wonder if they’ll be able to paint anything after today!” He knew me! “Who are you? Who sent you?” I demanded. He lifted his foot, scraping it hard on the ground as if he had stepped in something dirty. “You messed with Jack. Don’t you know what you did?” Jack? Jack Sullivan? He looked down at me, tapping my face with his stick: “You’ve got some nerve, trying to steal Jack’s girl.” “Don’t you know he’s Big Dragon’s brother?” “You made Jack lose face, so we’re here to beat your face in!” I hadn’t realized Jack had so many ‘little brothers’. “Go at him, boys! Just don’t kill him!” The sticks rained down on me like hailstones, as if trying to bruise every inch of my skin and break every bone in my body. In the chaos, I finally managed to grab the scattered document on the ground. I curled up, trying my best to protect it.

“That’s enough, let’s stop here.” “Jack, you’re too kind.” Just as I was about to pass out from the pain, I thought I heard Jack and Sophia’s voices. I struggled to open my swollen eyelids, and sure enough, I saw them both. I tried to pull out the document from my arms to hand it to Sophia, but I couldn’t muster any strength in my hands. “Jack, someone like him doesn’t deserve sympathy. If he dares to ruin other people’s relationships, he should face the consequences,” Sophia’s voice rang out again. Tears that had been held back suddenly gushed forth. Once upon a time, Sophia had saved me when I was being bullied. She had carefully tended to my wounds and chased away the bullies. She said that as long as she was around, no one could bully me. The gentle breeze on my wounds, taking away all the pain, that feeling was still etched in my heart. But now. She stood there, coldly watching as I was beaten black and blue. Jack looked away: “That’s enough, we don’t want this to turn into manslaughter.” The thug leader approached Jack, bowing slightly: “Don’t worry, Boss Jack, we know our limits!” Sophia glanced at me curled up on the ground, then linked arms with Jack: “Jack, I know you’re soft-hearted. Don’t look anymore. There’s a dessert shop nearby, let’s go check it out.” Blood from my forehead flowed into my eyes, blurring my vision. I could only see two figures gradually moving away until they disappeared. “What are you looking at?” The thug leader spat and kicked me again: “What? Thinking of stealing my boss Jack’s girl again?” “Too bad, she doesn’t give a damn about you.” “This beauty has been chasing Jack for a long time, I heard. They say she’s loaded too, always giving him houses and cars.” “We should thank you, actually. If you hadn’t stolen Jack’s girl, she wouldn’t have been able to swoop in, and we brothers wouldn’t be able to enjoy the good life.” Yeah, thanks to me. I grinned, tears falling uncontrollably in large drops. “Boss, has this guy gone crazy? He’s smiling?” “Who cares, just go easy on him. We’ll beat him for a bit more and then leave.” Sporadic blows began to fall on my body again. “Stop!” Vaguely, I thought I heard police sirens. In an instant, those thugs scattered like startled fish and birds. “Are you okay?” My eyelids felt like they were glued shut with superglue. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I knew my savior was a girl. The only thing I could be certain of was that this person definitely wasn’t Sophia. After all, Sophia was accompanying her new love, eating desserts at a nearby shop. 【Paywall】

The strong smell of disinfectant surrounded me as I slowly opened my eyes. What greeted me was the distinctive white of a hospital room, and an unfamiliar girl. She leaned in, her face full of joy: “Sir, you’re finally awake!” “I… Ouch!” I tried to sit up, but a wave of intense pain washed over me. “Careful!” She quickly helped me sit up, placing a pillow behind my back, then scolded me fiercely: “Take it easy! Don’t you know your own condition?” “The doctor said you have multiple soft tissue contusions and a mild concussion. You need to stay in the hospital for a few days for observation.” I forced an ugly smile: “Thank you.” “You really should thank me. If I hadn’t happened to pass by, you might have been beaten to death without anyone knowing.” She handed me a bowl of porridge: “Here, you must be hungry? The doctor said you have a gastric hemorrhage from the beating, so you can only have porridge. I ordered this takeout, it’s still hot.” I tried to raise my hand to take it, but the movement pulled at my wounds, making me groan. Her expression twisted slightly, but then she sighed: “Alright, I’ll feed you.” “Thank you.” “By the way, I’m Emily.” I swallowed the warm meat porridge: “I’m Tyler.” Emily blew on the spoonful of porridge, casually saying: “Later, give me your family’s phone number, I’ll contact them for you.” I lowered my eyes: “I don’t have any family.” She paused, then said apologetically: “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Then give me your friend’s number, I’ll call them.” Friends? Sophia didn’t allow me to have friends. She had cut off all my social connections, forcing me to live in the cage she provided. “I don’t have any friends either.” I struggled to speak, really afraid that Emily would think I was intentionally trying to cling to her. Emily looked surprised: “Not even one?” I silently swallowed the porridge in my mouth. Emily sighed: “Then I guess I’ll have to take care of you for the next few days.” “Thank you.” I thanked her once again. In the short time I had spent with Emily, I didn’t know how many times I had said “thank you”. Emily patiently fed me the whole bowl of porridge. As she was cleaning up, she suddenly handed me a stack of blood-stained papers. “When I rescued you, I found you desperately protecting these papers with your body, so I brought them along.” The originally white papers now had several black footprints and indelible bloodstains. It completely stung my eyes. What important document? What time constraint? It was just a trap set by Sophia to win Jack’s favor. As long as this fool believed it and fell for it. I looked away: “It’s just waste paper. Please throw it away for me.”

During my hospital stay, Emily often came to keep me company and chat when she had free time. As we spent more time together and talked more, we became closer. One day, Emily stared at my face, looking puzzled. “You’re not ugly, you could even be considered quite handsome. Why don’t you have any friends? Are you pulling my leg?” I glanced at the phone on the bedside table. It was fully charged. For the past few days, I had been hoping it would receive a call, or even just a text message. Unfortunately, there was nothing. Sophia had cruelly cut off all my social connections, trapping me in the cage she had woven. I humbly begged for a shred of her mercy, only to be carelessly discarded. Perhaps what trapped me wasn’t just her cage, but also a “circle” I had drawn around myself. I should step out of it now. I forced a smile that looked worse than crying: “Emily, would you like to be my first friend?” Emily was stunned for a moment, then came over and pinched my cheeks: “Friend, your smile is so ugly!”

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Jack and Rachel had been together for ten years, from high school sweethearts to newlyweds. To support her career, Jack willingly became a stay-at-home husband. He thought this was the happiness he wanted, until Rachel’s secret young lover called to mark his territory. Jack realized that years of devotion couldn’t compare to a few sweet nothings from a boy toy. Heartbroken, Jack decided to divorce, but Rachel coldly retorted, “You think you can get half of my assets? Dream on!” But Jack didn’t care about the money anymore, because he was already dying. Rachel had been working overtime a lot lately, and her appetite wasn’t good. Jack made her favorite sweet and sour ribs, but she only took one bite before rushing to the bathroom to retch. Jack was worried about her and wanted to check on her, but her phone on the table rang. The caller ID showed an unsaved number, and he instinctively picked it up to answer. “Babe, are you really not coming over tonight? I’ve got some new tricks prepared…” Before Jack could hear the rest of the sentence, Rachel suddenly snatched the phone from behind him. She angrily scolded him, “Who told you to touch my phone!” Jack stood there, stunned. From the day they met until their wedding, Jack and Rachel had been together for ten years. He thought he knew her well enough to trust her, and had never checked her phone. He didn’t expect that simply answering a call for her would provoke such a strong reaction. Rachel realized she had overreacted and quickly adjusted her tone, softening her expression. She explained, “It’s a new intern at the company. He keeps calling me for every little thing.” “Oh, do interns usually talk to their seniors with a cutesy voice and mention ‘new tricks’?” Jack asked. Rachel was at a loss for words but tried to defend herself, “He’s just a Gen Z kid. He jokes around like that all the time. Don’t overthink it. By ‘new tricks,’ he probably meant he came up with some new ideas and wanted my approval.” As if afraid Jack would continue to dwell on it, she cursed a few times at the person on the other end of the line. After hanging up, she playfully snuggled into Jack’s arms as usual. Then, pouting, she asked, “Are you jealous? You’re almost thirty, and you’re getting worked up over a kid?” “Of course not,” Jack lied.

Rachel usually cared a lot about her age. Once, when a college student handing out flyers called her “ma’am,” she was upset for an entire day. Now, to distance herself from the person on the phone, she kept referring to him as a “kid.” Her attempts to cover up were full of holes. Probably feeling a bit guilty, Rachel stopped working overtime for a while. She accompanied Jack to the supermarket and walked the dog in the park, just like when they first got married. However, she often stared at her phone absent-mindedly, with a sweet smile on her face. Jack didn’t want to dig deeper. After all, he didn’t have much time left and just wanted to spend it in blissful ignorance. Unfortunately, the algorithm didn’t spare him. In the friend recommendation list of a video app, Jack discovered Rachel’s “kid” with the cutesy voice. His name was Ethan, a handsome young man. The posting time of each of his videos coincided with Rachel’s “overtime” hours. In the videos, the faceless “older sister” girlfriend cooked for him, ironed his clothes, and patiently listened to his boring daily stories. But this “good sister” of his had Jack’s name initials tattooed on her wrist. “Honey, what’s wrong?” Rachel noticed Jack’s strange expression as he held his phone and asked tentatively. But the next second, Jack pulled her into his arms and almost frantically bit her collarbone. “Ouch… it hurts! Jack, stop it!” Ignoring her protests, Jack flipped her over and pinned her down. At that moment, he only wanted to vengefully leave his mark on her body again.

Slap! Rachel’s hand brought Jack back to his senses. His ears were ringing, and he covered his right cheek as his eyes gradually reddened. She thought she had slapped too hard and quickly sat up to ease the tension. “I’m sorry, honey. You scared me just now, and I instinctively…” “Well, anyway… it’s not that I don’t want to, but I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather lately. Let’s wait until next month for that kind of thing, okay?” Next month? Rachel had probably forgotten that their last time was nearly six months ago. About the same time her boy toy uploaded his first video. Jack remained silent, and as Rachel was about to say more to comfort him, her phone rang. She glanced at Jack, trying to appear calm, then walked to the window to answer. “Mm-hmm, don’t worry. I’ll be right there.” “Honey, I need to go out for a bit. Something came up at work.” Jack looked her straight in the eyes and asked, “Is it that intern from last time?” Rachel paused for a moment, then quickly explained, “You know how young people are. They can’t handle many things and always need help.” “Then fire him. What’s the point of keeping someone so useless?” Rachel didn’t expect Jack to say that. “Jack, who hasn’t made mistakes when they were young? Since when did you become so unsympathetic?” Great, she couldn’t even be bothered to call him “honey” anymore for the sake of her boy toy. Rachel left without looking back. As the door closed, the house fell into dead silence.

In the dark living room, only a mute dog kept Jack company. Seven years ago, on their way to get their marriage license, Jack and Rachel had found this mixed-breed dog. Rachel said its first half of life as a stray had been too bitter, so she named it Sugar Bean and said they’d raise it like their child. But just two months ago, behind Jack’s back, she had Sugar Bean’s vocal cords removed. All because she came home late one night and was annoyed that the dog disturbed her while she was catching up on sleep during the day. It seemed that both Jack and the dog had fallen out of her favor. Jack hugged Sugar Bean, lying on the couch, refreshing someone’s video account page over and over again. Sure enough, he had updated. “Which tie do you think looks best, babe? I’ve got a big client meeting tomorrow.” Ethan had posted three different outfit styles. He was either pulling at the tie around his neck with his shirt wide open, exposing his Adam’s apple and chest muscles, or using the tie as a prop, tying his hands behind his back or blindfolding himself. So this was the type Rachel liked now? She must have been having too much fun to notice the time. She didn’t return home until after 6 AM the next morning. She was surprised to see Jack sitting in the living room waiting for her. “You… didn’t sleep last night?” “Well, I was afraid you might still be angry yesterday, so I crashed at my friend’s place for the night.” Rachel continued to spin her lies, but Jack didn’t want to play along anymore. Expressionlessly, he tossed a pregnancy test in front of her. “Care to explain?”

When they got married, Rachel said she wanted to be child-free, so Jack had a vasectomy to support her decision. It was obvious whose child this was. “You knew?” A week ago, when Jack was leaving the house, he casually took out the trash. If the garbage bag hadn’t had a hole in the bottom, he wouldn’t have accidentally discovered this. Originally, knowing he didn’t have much time left, Jack thought that as long as Rachel and Ethan didn’t flaunt their relationship in front of him, there was no need to expose them. But Rachel kept treating him like a fool for the sake of that boy toy, and it became unbearable. In her panic, she still tried to argue, “Honey, even with a vasectomy, it’s not absolutely…” “Enough!” Jack interrupted her. “Do you remember when was the last time we were intimate?” Rachel’s expression flickered with confusion before settling into undisguisable embarrassment. Knowing she couldn’t talk her way out of this one, she finally came clean: “Yes, I changed my mind. Is that not allowed?” “When we got married, our combined monthly income was less than $1,000. How could we afford a child? I decided to be child-free because I understood your stress. Now that I’ve made it on my own, why can’t I have my own child?” So that’s how she saw it? But Jack clearly remembered that when she was just a sales representative at a small company, he had secured a stable government job. It was Rachel who worried that getting pregnant would cost her job, fearing that Jack might abandon her at any time. To give her the sense of security she wanted, he had the vasectomy. Jack’s voice trembled with anger, the lesion in his abdomen aching dully: “Is this your reason for finding a boy toy outside?” After saying this, how could she not understand who he was referring to? “Yes, I found a young hunk. He’s young, energetic, and knows how to sweet-talk me. Unlike you now, with no ambition and no romance, always looking gloomy. I’m already being merciful by not replacing you as my husband!” Jack laughed bitterly. So what he thought was companionship was, in her eyes, nothing but a burden she had long wanted to shake off. “Let’s get a divorce.” Rachel reacted as if she’d heard a joke: “You? Asking me for a divorce?” “Listen here, Jack. In my dictionary, there’s no such thing as divorce, only ’till death do us part’!”

After being a boss for a few years, Rachel’s demeanor had changed. She unconsciously started treating Jack the way she treated her employees. In the past, Jack would have let it slide, but now it was useless on him. He directly threw the prepared divorce agreement in front of her. Rachel sneered, tearing it to shreds in front of him: “You already had the agreement prepared. You’ve been looking for a chance to turn on me, haven’t you?” “We dated for three years and have been married for seven. Anyone would get bored! I just happened to get pregnant, and you caught me red-handed. As for you, can you honestly say you’ve never wavered? I think you’re just using this as an excuse, trying to divorce me and get half of my assets. Dream on!” Slap! Jack returned the earlier slap, with interest. “Don’t think everyone is like you.” Love isn’t just simple sensory stimulation, replacing partners when the passion fades. It’s about responsibility and companionship. Unfortunately, these things only reveal their true nature with the test of time. It was Jack who had chosen the wrong person, and he had to accept the consequences. “Whether you believe it or not, I didn’t ask for a penny in the agreement. I’ll only take my own savings.” “I have cancer. I don’t have long to live, so I don’t need the money anyway.” Rachel recovered from the slap, her tone slightly mocking: “Cancer? Jack, you’re not very creative, are you?”

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I encountered a passenger with a sudden illness on the high-speed train heading home for Christmas. My husband urged me to step forward and offer medical assistance, but I refused. He then shouted, “You’re a doctor! A doctor’s duty is to save lives. How can you just stand by and watch someone die?” I stood with my arms crossed, unmoved, watching the patient die before my eyes. Bystanders accused me of being a cold-blooded monster, even flooding my hospital’s social media account demanding the director fire me. I laughed. Who said doctors must always save lives? 0 Jack Wilson grabbed my arm forcefully. “Emily, someone up front seems to be having a medical emergency. Aren’t you a doctor? Go check it out! Quickly!” I didn’t move, my gaze falling coldly on him as I refused, “I’m not going.” After pulling at me a few more times and seeing that I remained unmoved, Jack suddenly stood up and loudly berated me, “You’re a doctor! A doctor’s duty is to save lives. How can you just stand by and watch someone die?” Someone nearby heard Jack’s words and hurried over. “You’re a doctor? Thank goodness! Please go check on that man. He looks like he’s in so much pain and discomfort.” “Yes, saving a life is worth more than anything. Especially as a doctor, you should take responsibility.” I glanced at Jack, noticing his lips curling into a smile as he heard the others’ words. “That’s right, honey. Don’t refuse at a time like this. Go quickly.” I stood up and walked over to the man who was having the medical emergency. He looked to be in extreme pain, his face pale, cold sweat covering his forehead, his brows tightly furrowed. Seeing that I wasn’t moving, Jack urged me again: “Emily, hurry up! Save him!” I looked coldly at the man before me, still maintaining an indifferent expression. “I won’t.” Hearing my words, the people around started to discuss among themselves. “How can this person be so cold-blooded?” “Yeah, her husband said she’s a doctor. How can she have no medical ethics at all? How can there be such a person!” Amidst their discussions, the man in front of me was becoming increasingly distressed. He reached out and clutched at his throat as if he couldn’t breathe. The woman sitting next to him stood up and knelt before me, tears and snot streaming down her face. “Please, save my husband. He’s only 38 years old. I’m begging you!” “I’ll do anything if you’re willing to save him. I don’t want him to die!” As she spoke, she kept kowtowing to me. Her head hit the cold floor with a thud, and blood started to flow from her forehead. She looked utterly pitiful. Yet I only took a step back, still showing no reaction, my face remaining cold and emotionless. The next moment, the man suddenly stopped all movement and his hand fell limp. He was dead. The woman screamed and threw herself onto him. “Honey! Honey!” “Honey, wake up! What’s wrong? Don’t scare me!” I scanned the scene and calmly said, “He’s dead.” The woman suddenly got up and lunged at me, hitting and scratching. “It’s all your fault! If you had been willing to save my husband, he wouldn’t have died! You don’t deserve to be a doctor!” “You’re a murderer!” “I begged you so much, but you still let him die. Are you even human? You beast! You’re a devil!” I acted as if I couldn’t hear the woman’s accusations, calmly turning to return to my seat. But Jack suddenly grabbed my arm, his tone full of indignation. “How could I end up with someone like you! You’re so cold-blooded and heartless!” “You’re the one who killed him. Doesn’t your conscience hurt at all?” I smiled slightly. “I didn’t touch him at all from beginning to end. How could I have killed him?” Jack was momentarily speechless but quickly recovered. “Is letting someone die your idea of medical ethics? This was a living, breathing person who just died in front of you. Don’t you feel any guilt at all?” I pried his hand off me. “No, I don’t.” The woman was still shouting for the train attendant to come. “My husband is dead! Stop the train immediately!” I raised the corner of my lips in a mocking smile. 0

Looking at Jack’s angry face as he accused me, I suddenly remembered my past life when I had encountered this same sick passenger on my way home for Christmas. My husband had pushed me forward to save him. I had hesitated, “But I just got my medical license. I’m not allowed to practice independently yet. Maybe we should just call the train attendant for help.” Jack had been very anxious. “Can’t you see how much pain this man is in? Who knows how long it will take for the attendant to come.” “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. You’re doing a good deed by saving a life. Don’t hesitate, go quickly!” So, urged on by Jack, I had gone forward and knelt beside the man. I had just checked his pulse and complexion when he suddenly stopped breathing. The woman had shouted that I had killed her husband. Jack had also admitted in front of the train attendant and everyone else that I wasn’t qualified to practice independently, placing all the responsibility on me, saying it was my improper treatment that led to the man’s death. In an instant, I had been cursed by everyone and pushed to the top of public opinion. As a result, I had been sentenced to seven years in prison for illegal medical practice and intentional injury. It was only later that I learned it had all been a trap set up by Jack in advance. He had bribed a terminally ill cancer patient beforehand. The man didn’t have long to live anyway and wanted to earn some money for his family before he died. Before boarding the train, the man had already taken medication that conflicted with his condition. As time passed, the drug took effect, so whether I tried to save him or not, he would have died anyway! Coming back to the present, I heard the accusations of the crowd. “My God, this woman is still smiling!” “Which hospital does she work at? How can there be such a vicious doctor!” “I found out, she’s a doctor at Mercy General Hospital. Everyone, let’s report her quickly. It would be terrible if we ever encountered her as patients!” “Yes! Report her! The hospital must fire her! She’s too vicious!” Hearing the angry curses of the crowd, I found it extremely amusing and couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Jack looked even more furious. “I can’t believe I was so blind! I never imagined you were this kind of person!” I ignored him and calmly sat back down in my seat. The train attendant arrived, and the woman kept shouting, “It’s her! She killed my husband! She’s a doctor but she refused to save him! This beast!” But I hadn’t done anything wrong, so the attendant could only gently comfort the woman, telling her not to be sad. Soon, the train arrived at the station, and the attendant took the woman and her husband away. I noticed that before getting off the train, the woman’s gaze swept over to me, seemingly unintentional, and Jack, sitting next to me, made a small gesture with his hand. Only then did the woman leave with peace of mind. I laughed inwardly, pretending not to know anything as I admired the scenery rushing past outside the window. After the attendant left, people started discussing again, even calling me a murderer by name. Someone, in a fit of anger, threw their water bottle at me. “Just die!” I blocked it and calmly spoke, “He wasn’t killed by me. What did I do wrong?” “As a doctor, refusing to save a life is wrong!” “Which law states that I must save someone? Moreover, I just got my medical license. As a novice, I wouldn’t dare to act rashly.” Some people wavered. “That’s true. If you had tried to save him and something went wrong, it would definitely have been your fault.” “Yeah, that makes sense. If it were me, I wouldn’t dare either…” As people’s opinions started to shift, suddenly a shrill female voice rang out, “But if you had tried to save him, he might not have died. Now he’s dead!” I looked towards the voice and suddenly smiled. This woman was Mia Thompson, Jack’s mistress. Everything that had happened today was a conspiracy between her and Jack. 0

Mia Thompson saw my smile and panicked for a moment, but she quickly recovered. Suddenly, she clutched her stomach and started screaming. “My stomach suddenly hurts so bad! Help!” “Please save me, I’m five months pregnant. I can’t let anything happen to my baby. I won’t blame you no matter what happens.” “I just want to go home for Christmas. The baby’s father is a soldier, serving our country. I don’t want anything to happen to our child while he’s protecting our nation. Please help me!” I calmly looked away, crossing my arms and staring out the window. Mia Thompson’s cries of pain grew louder and louder. Jack, with a worried expression, suddenly spoke up, “Emily, that man just died because you didn’t save him. Now a pregnant woman is in such pain right in front of you, why are you still unmoved?” “Are you really that cold-blooded?” The crowd’s attitude towards me, which had just started to improve, instantly turned angry again. “Yeah, her husband is a soldier protecting our country. Aren’t you breaking his heart by doing this?” Someone cursed me viciously, “Since you’re refusing to save lives now, when you get pregnant, you definitely won’t be able to keep your baby!” I calmly replied, “I’m not an obstetrician. How am I supposed to help her?” Jack’s face looked very unpleasant. He thought I hadn’t noticed, but his eyes glared at me darkly. The next station was approaching. Jack suddenly stood up and walked to Mia Thompson’s side, his voice full of guilt, “I’m so sorry. My wife is a doctor, but she’s just watching you suffer. I feel so ashamed.” “Miss, if you don’t mind, when we reach the station, I’ll accompany you to the hospital for a check-up. It’s the least I can do to make up for my wife’s behavior.” The surrounding passengers praised him, “How can such a good man have such a heartless wife? He’s really ruined his life.” “Indeed, this man is too kind-hearted.” Jack shook his head and said softly, “Please don’t say that. My wife has her own concerns.” “Look, even in this situation, he’s still defending his wife. He’s too naive.” I found it laughable. Even at a time like this, he was still trying to maintain his image. Mia Thompson gratefully replied, “Thank you so much, sir. I appreciate your help.” We arrived at the station. Jack quickly pushed our luggage and then went to help Mia Thompson off the train. I slowly got off the train under the contemptuous and disgusted gazes of the crowd. As we got into a taxi, Jack turned his head, “Honey, since you’re not willing to examine her, I’ll take her to the hospital. You don’t mind, do you?” I smiled slightly, “Not at all.” I leisurely took out my earphones from my pocket and started listening to music. We got out of the taxi about a hundred meters from the hospital entrance. Jack was still supporting Mia Thompson, walking in front of me. He looked back at me as if afraid I hadn’t kept up, but I keenly noticed his eyes fall on my earphones. I gestured to him, asking what he had said, as I couldn’t hear clearly while listening to music. Jack smiled and waved his hand, turning back around reassured. I saw their lips moving as they said something to each other. I smiled too, putting my phone, which had already been set to record, into my pocket. Mia Thompson was still clutching her stomach, her face still wearing an expression of pain, but the words coming out of her mouth were completely different, “Jack, what if she doesn’t fall for it?” Jack replied viciously, “Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged everything at the hospital. She won’t be able to escape!” I became alert. It seemed that Jack, having failed one plan, was implementing another. No matter what, I would face whatever came my way. 0

As we approached the hospital, I took off my earphones. Mia Thompson started shouting in pain again, and soon a nurse came with a wheelchair to take her to the examination room. I was sitting idly outside the examination room, about to take out my phone when Jack suddenly nudged me, “Emily, even though we just met her on the train, we should help her as much as we can. She’s pregnant and it’s not convenient for her. Why don’t you go in and see if there’s anything you can do to help?” I looked at him, and Jack quickly added, “It’s not appropriate for me, a man, to go in and help. Just go in and keep an eye on things.” Unable to refuse, I thought to myself that I would avoid anything related to medical matters to not give them a chance to frame me. So I walked in and had just asked, “Do you need me to do anything?” when Mia Thompson suddenly screamed for help. “Help! Don’t hurt me!” “What are you trying to do? Someone help me!” I then realized that the nurse who had been there earlier had left at some point, and now only Mia Thompson was in the examination room. At the same time, her hand reached under her clothes, fiddling with something. I came to my senses and was about to turn and leave when suddenly the door of the examination room was pushed open violently, and the nurse walked in. “What’s all the shouting about? What happened?” The nurse’s eyes swept over and suddenly froze. “Why are you suddenly bleeding so much?” “Quick, quick, call the doctor!” Mia Thompson started crying and wailing. She pointed at me, “It’s this woman who tried to hurt me, to make me miscarry! I want to call the police! Arrest her!” I curled my lips. She dares to frame me and still wants to call the police? But the next second proved me wrong. Jack rushed in, “No, we can’t call the police!” “My wife just became a doctor. She has a bright future ahead. How can we let her have a criminal record!” “Miss, whatever demands you have, we’ll agree to them. Just please don’t call the police!” I watched coldly as these two acted out their play. I wanted to see exactly what they were trying to do. Seeing that I didn’t say anything, Mia Thompson thought I was really scared. She seized the opportunity and said, “Give me a million dollars, or I’ll call the police and send your wife to jail!” So that’s what this was about. I suddenly smiled. A month ago, my parents had sold our family property and received a million dollars. Jack had set his sights on this money. In my past life, I had fallen for their scheme on the train, and they had successfully gotten the money my parents left for me. But in this life, I’m sorry, I won’t let you have your way! Jack hurriedly agreed, sounding anxious, “Okay! We’ll give it to you. Just don’t call the police!” He turned his head and whispered in my ear, “Honey, as long as you’re okay, I’ll do anything.” “You have that million dollars from your parents selling the property, right? Give it to her first, and I’ll slowly pay you back later.” I found his act of trying to suppress his excitement while pretending to be anxious really amusing. I also pretended to reply, “It’s okay. I didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m not afraid.” Jack grabbed my arm, “No, honey. If you go to jail, what will I do? I absolutely can’t let you go to jail!” I ignored him again, shaking off his hand and stepping forward, “Go ahead and call the police. If you don’t, I’ll do it for you!” I noticed Mia Thompson’s eyes darting around the examination room. Then she immediately shouted angrily, “Fine! You won’t listen until it’s too late! You hurt me and still pretend to be innocent. I’m definitely going to send you to jail!” I raised an eyebrow, smiling as I watched her call the police. Jack, Mia Thompson, I have a big surprise for you too. I hope you won’t be too shocked.

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At the party, my boyfriend Jason Miller’s childhood best friend, Lily Carter, shoved me straight into the pool. She smirked. “Jason cares about me the most. He’ll save me first.” And just like that, he did. Again. When I came to, something felt… off. The mirror confirmed it—I wasn’t me anymore. I was Jason. Jason always told me Lily was sweet and innocent, and that I was overreacting. Bullshit. She’d been messing with me from day one, playing her little games, always making sure I was the one left looking petty. Well, now it was his turn to see her for who she really was. The first thing I saw when I came to was Lily Carter’s face hovering over me, panic written all over it. Her expression lit up as she threw herself into my arms, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Oh my god, you’re awake! You scared the hell out of me—you just went under all of a sudden! “What would I do if something happened to you?” My whole body tensed. What the hell was she up to this time? I shoved her away, frowning. Just moments ago, she had deliberately dragged me to the edge of the pool and pulled me in with her. She said she wanted to prove who Jason Miller cared about the most. No surprise—he chose her again. “What do you want now?” The second I spoke, I realized something was wrong. My voice—it wasn’t mine. And then, I noticed something even more terrifying. The body I was in… was Jason’s. Meanwhile, my own body lay motionless not far away. That’s when it hit me—when Jason had jumped in to save Lily, his leg had cramped up, and he’d blacked out too. “Cough, cough.” A familiar voice rasped from the other side. Jason—now trapped in my body—had finally come to. His eyes widened as the realization sank in. We had swapped bodies. He stared at me, completely stunned, lips parted as if trying to say something. Lily, assuming he was about to defend me, took the chance to play the victim first. “Jason, don’t be mad at Jo. I know she’s upset with me, and maybe she just lost her temper for a moment. “Please, don’t fight because of me. I don’t mind taking the blame.” Before her words even settled, a few of our so-called friends chimed in. “This can’t just slide. Jo has to apologize!” “Yeah, or we won’t let this go.” “If you’re really our brothers, make her apologize to Lily!” Jason shot me a look, sharp and full of disappointment, like I was some reckless troublemaker he had to clean up after. Before I could even get a word in, he had already decided I was in the wrong. With a guilty expression, he turned to Lily. “I’m sorry, Lily. This is my fault. It won’t happen again.” For a split second, something flickered in her eyes—surprise. Because normally, I would have stubbornly refused, insisting I had done nothing wrong. Then we’d have a blowout argument, the night would crash and burn, and she’d slink right in—playing the sweet, understanding friend, wrapping him around her little finger. She must have felt something was off, but it didn’t stop her from putting on her usual act. “Since it’s Jason asking, I’ll let it slide this time.” With that, she reached out, pretending to help me inside. I instinctively pushed her away—only to catch Jason’s sharp glare. That was a silent warning—didn’t pick a fight with Lily again. I let out a quiet sigh, allowing her to lean in close, pressing her whole body against mine like she always did. As we walked away, she glanced over her shoulder at Jason. He froze. I didn’t even need to look to know why. Because every time she successfully stirred the pot, she would flash me that smug, taunting smile—like a twisted trophy. Jason had never seen that side of her before. But now? He couldn’t unsee it.

On the drive back, Jason Miller was fuming, his voice cold and accusing. “Jo Summers, are you happy now? If you hadn’t pushed Lily, we wouldn’t be in this mess! “How many times do I have to tell you? Lily is my sister. When will you stop being so damn unreasonable?” It didn’t matter what had just happened. One look from Lily, and I was still the villain in his eyes. “She pushed me first,” I said, my voice quiet. It wasn’t the first time I’d tried to defend myself. And it wouldn’t be the last time no one believed me. Jason let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Enough. Haven’t you lied enough already? “You’ll say anything to make her look bad, won’t you? “Lily and I grew up together. She’s kind, innocent—there’s no way she’d ever do something like that.” Just like every other time before this, he chose to believe her without hesitation. And once again, I was the one being unreasonable. A dull ache settled in my chest. I didn’t even feel like arguing anymore. The first time I met Lily, I knew she wasn’t as harmless as she pretended to be. The day she returned from abroad, we went to pick her up at the airport. The second she saw Jason, she flung herself into his arms like a butterfly, spinning in circles. “Jason, I missed you so much! Did you miss me?” She practically purred the words before leaning in and planting a kiss on his cheek. Jason’s ears turned red, and his gaze softened, filled with indulgence. “Come on, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Jo Summers.” That was when she finally seemed to notice me. The smile on her face faltered slightly as her gaze swept over me from head to toe. That look—cold, assessing—made my skin crawl. Like she was evaluating an object. A moment later, she smiled again, but something flickered in her eyes—something condescending. “Thank you, Jo, for taking care of Jason while I was gone.” I should’ve known. At the time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about the way she said it. That was the moment she decided she didn’t like me. Not long after we got home, Lily texted Jason again. Apparently, the pool party wasn’t wild enough for her, so now they were hitting up a bar. I told him to make up an excuse and turn it down. Given our current situation, it wasn’t exactly the best time to be hanging around them. But Jason, as always, folded—because when Lily Carter pouted and batted her lashes, saying no simply wasn’t an option. He texted back, agreeing to go. I sighed. Fine. I’d go, make an appearance, and leave as soon as I could. But Jason wasn’t having it. “You’re in my body right now. I can’t let you put Lily in an awkward spot or hurt her feelings.” I let out a dry laugh. This was actually happening. My boyfriend was more worried about another woman’s feelings than mine. At the bar, everyone seemed surprised to see Jason—well, me—show up. Lily wasted no time. She hooked her arm through mine, batting her lashes as she looked at Jason. “Jo, are you at a bar? Didn’t think this was your scene. Or are you just here to spy on Jason? “Come on, do you really think we’d do anything behind your back? We’re all Jason’s closest friends. Can’t you trust us?” Jason blinked, caught off guard by the accusation. For once, he had no idea what to say. He looked at me, confused. I stayed calm. “Jo just came by coincidence. That’s all.” Hearing me stand up for Jason, a flicker of displeasure flashed in Lily’s eyes. As soon as we sat down, a few drinks in, someone suggested a game. I was never good at these, and, unsurprisingly, I lost. My punishment was a dare. One of the guys smirked, “Kiss the girl to your left.” My left was Lily. She let out a soft gasp, tilting her head coyly. “Oh, come on. Jo’s watching. We don’t want a repeat of last time, do we?” Then she sighed dramatically, flashing an apologetic smile to the group. “I mean, I get it—some people just aren’t built for this kind of game.” A couple of them laughed. Jason said nothing. I froze. The first time I went to a bar with them. The first time I watched her pull this same damn move. She had lost a game back then too. Had to kiss someone. Plenty of single guys were there. But she hadn’t even looked at them. Instead, she turned straight to Jason—her so-called best friend. And the worst part? He hadn’t pushed her away. They had kissed. A full three minutes. Slow, deep, lingering. By the time they finally pulled apart, their breathing was heavy, lips swollen. And me? I was right there. Watching. When we got home, I snapped. Told him he had no sense of boundaries, and that this wasn’t okay. Jason had just scoffed, “Jo, seriously? It was just a game. Grow up. “Lily is like a sister to me. If I actually liked her, do you think you’d even be here?” I had trembled with anger, but the worst part was—I couldn’t find the words to fight back. After that night, I never stepped foot in a place like this again.

I wanted to refuse. But before I could speak, Jason cut in. “It’s just a game. Just say yes. I don’t mind.” The room fell silent for a second. People exchanged looks, visibly taken aback. Even Lily hesitated for a moment, suspicion flickering in her eyes. Then, someone broke the silence. “Whoa, Jo’s actually being chill about this? What are we waiting for? Kiss! Kiss!” The crowd quickly jumped in, clapping and chanting. Jason shot me a look, silently telling me to go through with it. I met Lily’s expectant gaze, and all I could think about was every little thing she had done to me over the years. And suddenly, I couldn’t do it. “I’m not feeling great. I’m heading out. You guys have fun—I’ll catch you later.” I didn’t bother waiting for a response. Just turned and walked out. Behind me, voices murmured in hushed tones. “He doesn’t look sick at all. If anything, he looked like he was disgusted by Lily.” “Shut up, Jason and Lily are close. He literally spoils her.” “Yeah, but he has a girlfriend. Maybe this time, they pushed it too far?” Lily’s expression darkened as she watched him walk away. For the first time, Jason hadn’t played along with her little game. The first time he had ever left her hanging. I waited in the car for a while before Jason finally came out. His expression was dark, brows furrowed in frustration. “Jo, what the hell did you do to Lily? Why would she say something like that to me?” I gripped the steering wheel, pulling out of the parking lot before responding. “What did she say?” He hesitated, like he was struggling to find the right words. “She was upset that you embarrassed her back there, so I tried to smooth things over.” “And?” I prompted. His fingers curled into fists. “She told me not to feel too good about myself tonight… that I’d regret it sooner or later.” I had a slow smirk. Exactly what I expected. “I’ve never seen her so…” He trailed off, looking uncomfortable before finally forcing out the word. “Harsh.” Then, just as quickly, he shook his head. “You must’ve done something to provoke her. “Jo, why do you always have to pick on her? She’s just a girl, for god’s sake.” His voice was full of exasperation, like he was sick of my so-called jealousy. Like I was some bitter villain making life hell for his poor, innocent childhood best friend. Meanwhile, the real villain? She was sitting back, waiting for him to come running. I had no interest in arguing. He wasn’t going to believe me anyway. “Think whatever you want.” Jason blinked, surprised by my indifference. After a beat, he exhaled sharply. “For now, just try to get along with Lily, okay? I’ll talk to her too.” I barely held back an eye-roll. Yeah. Sure. As if that had ever worked. Jason was the CEO of the company, and I was his secretary. Usually, we worked in the same office, so it wasn’t strange for him—well, me—to be sitting there. At least, until Lily strolled in. She barely spared me a glance before her gaze locked onto Jason, still in my body, sitting behind his desk. For a split second, something dark flickered in her expression. Then she tilted her head and smirked, “Jo, seriously? Sitting in the CEO’s chair? A mere secretary acting like she runs the place? “If word got out, wouldn’t that make Jason look bad?” Jason froze, clearly taken aback. After an awkward second, he got up from the seat. I leaned back, unfazed. “Relax, there’s no one else here. I told him to sit there.” Lily blinked, lips pressing together in displeasure. But she didn’t argue. Instead, her eyes gleamed with something else—something calculating. Then she turned to him, smiling sweetly. “Jo, could you get me a cup of coffee? Thanks.” She always did this. Every time she dropped by, she’d treat me like some personal errand-runner. If it wasn’t coffee, it was making me stand in line for two hours at some trendy bakery to get her stupid desserts. And every time I refused, she’d pout at Jason, and he’d immediately tell me to do it. “Jo, you’re my girlfriend, and Lily’s like my little sister. That means she’s your sister too—so what’s the big deal about helping her out?” That’s what he’d always say. But today? Today, Jo was Jason. So, of course, he got up and eagerly went to make her coffee. Lily reached out to take the cup, but just as her fingers brushed the mug, a flicker of mischief danced in her eyes. And I knew. She was about to pull some shit. Sure enough, the next second, the coffee spilled all over her pristine white dress. Lily let out a gasp. “Oh my god! It’s boiling hot!” Jason panicked, fumbling to help her. “Shit, sorry! Let me—” She slapped his hand away. “Jo, seriously? I only asked for coffee. Did you really have to dump it on me?” Jason froze. “I didn’t! You were taking it, and I—” Lily’s eyes turned red-rimmed, her voice thick with unshed tears. “Jason, I know Jo doesn’t like me, but this is just too much.” She turned to me, expecting me to do what I always did—snap at Jason, make a scene. And Jason just sat there, completely stunned—like his entire worldview had just taken a hit. Instead, I leaned back and asked him calmly, “Are you going to apologize?” Jason looked at me, utterly lost. “But… I didn’t even do it.” Lily sniffled, throwing herself into my arms—his arms—with a pout. “Jason, it’s okay. If Jo won’t admit it, I’ll just let it go. Please stop arguing because of me.” Jason hesitated, then sighed, “I’m sorry. It was my fault.” Lily’s brows furrowed slightly, eyes flicking toward him in suspicion. She had expected a fight. Instead, Jo had immediately taken the blame. I smoothly pulled away, keeping my tone casual. “Well, since he already apologized, let’s just drop it. “I have work to do, so you can head out now.” Lily bit her lip, clearly annoyed that her little plan hadn’t worked. Still, she had no choice but to leave. But before she walked out, she shot Jason a sharp glare, as if something wasn’t adding up. Jason slumped into the chair, rubbing his temples. His tone sounded a bit wronged. “I swear, I didn’t pour that coffee on her.” I smirked, “I know.” His expression flickered. “Has Lily… done this before?” I nodded. More than once. His jaw tightened. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” I met his gaze, completely unfazed. “I did. You just didn’t believe me.” Every time Lily framed me, he would only stand by her side and believe her unconditionally. Jason stiffened. Guilt flickered in his eyes. “She’s just… she’s always been a little childish. She doesn’t mean any harm.” I said nothing. He would always have an excuse for her. Even now. But I didn’t care about it anymore. After a long pause, he muttered, “Once we switch back, this won’t happen again.” I just shrugged. What I didn’t tell him… was that after we switched back, there wouldn’t be an “us” anymore. On the day we swapped bodies, I had intended to break up with him.

Lily had been reaching out to Jason more and more lately. Luckily, we had been drowning in work for the company’s biggest project. Jason was too busy to leave the office, which meant he wasn’t forcing me to see her. Finally, after weeks of exhausting work, we wrapped up the final stages. It was past midnight when we got home. Both of us collapsed onto the couch, completely drained. Not long after, Jason clutched his stomach, groaning in pain. A sharp instinct flared inside me. I thought back to the past few weeks—he hadn’t been eating properly, running on caffeine and sheer willpower. Especially today. The only thing he’d consumed was coffee. I knew my body. An empty stomach and stress were the perfect triggers for gastritis. Jason broke into a sweat, his face pale as a sheet, his body curled up in agony. “What… what’s happening to me?” he rasped. “Gastritis.” I let out a quiet sigh, heading to the drawer for medicine. Empty. Right. I had finished the last dose. “We need to get you to a hospital. This prescription isn’t over-the-counter.” I helped him up, preparing to leave, when his phone rang. It was Lily. I pressed the speakerphone, and her panicked voice spilled through the line. “Jason! It’s Momo—she’s been so weak these past two days. I think she’s sick.” As she kept talking, her voice started to tremble, and soon, she was sniffing through the phone. “I’m really scared. Can you come home and take us to the vet?” I turned to Jason. I already knew what would happen next. Whenever Lily cried, no matter the situation, Jason would drop everything. Just like that time. That time when I was the one in pain. That time when I had begged him to take me to the hospital. Lily had called then, too. She was crying, saying her dog was about to give birth. Jason hadn’t hesitated. “Shh, don’t cry. You know I can’t stand it when you cry. I’ll be right there.” I had grabbed his sleeve, my body trembling from the pain, tears spilling down my face as I pleaded. “Please, just take me to the hospital first.” But he had yanked his arm away, his voice sharp with irritation. “Stop being so dramatic. It’ll pass. “Momo’s our dog. She’s giving birth for the first time. I’m her dad—I can’t miss this.” And then he had left without looking back. I had barely managed to call an ambulance myself, hands shaking. Hours later, while I was lying in a hospital bed with an IV drip in my arm, Jason had been celebrating. He had posted a picture online—he and Lily was cuddling the newborn puppies. The caption read: [Officially dog parents! So happy!] After five years with Jason Miller. That was the moment I had finally, completely, given up on him. Now, Lily’s sniffles echoed through the speaker. “Jason? Did you hear me? I need you. I’m scared.” Jason swayed, his body barely holding up. His lips trembled as he tried to form words. “Do you… do you think I should go?” I tilted my head, watching him. “You tell me.” He hesitated. For once, he hesitated. Then, gritting his teeth, he gasped, “Take me to the hospital. I… I can’t take this.” A slow smirk showed on my face. I turned to the phone. “Jo’s sick. I’m taking him to the hospital. “Take Momo to the vet yourself.” “But Jason, Momo—” I hung up before she could finish. Jason was already collapsing against me. I had planned to let him suffer a little. Just enough for him to understand what I had gone through. But this was still my body. I wasn’t about to mess around. I rushed him to the hospital, got his prescription, and brought him home. As he rested, I went to the kitchen to make something light. I was stirring a pot of porridge when the door swung open. It was Lily. She blinked in surprise. “Jason? You’re cooking?” She laughed. “You hate cooking.” I kept my voice calm. “Jo’s sick. She doesn’t have much of an appetite. Takeout isn’t great for digestion, so I’m making porridge.” It was an excuse, but she didn’t need to know that. Her gaze flickered toward the steaming bowl, something dark flashing in her eyes. Jealousy. But when she looked back at me, her expression softened into something fragile and sweet. She stepped closer, looping her arm around mine. “Jason, let’s go check on Momo together. She’s still not eating, and she needs her dad. She needs her family.” I swallowed down the nausea crawling up my throat and smoothly slipped my arm free. “She’s sick. Take her to a vet. I’m not a doctor.” I snapped the lid onto the container, my tone flat. “I need to bring Jo her food.” I didn’t turn back as I walked out. But I could feel the anger rolling off her in waves. At the hospital, Jason had recovered enough to sit up. He looked at me, confused. “Since when was your gastritis this bad?” I packed away the containers, my voice steady. “It’s always been this bad.” His brows furrowed. “Really?” Of course, he wouldn’t know. The condition had started when I used to accompany him to business events, drinking on an empty stomach, and pushing past my limits. The first time I had collapsed in pain, Jason had held me close, eyes red-rimmed as he swore, “Jo, I’ll never let you suffer like this again. I’ll take care of you.” So I had stopped complaining. I swallowed the pain and bore it alone. Until that time. Until he had left me for a dog. Until he had walked away like I was nothing. Jason’s face shifted, as if something had finally clicked. “So… when you said you were sick before… you weren’t faking it?” I shot him a dry look. His expression faltered, guilt creeping in. “I thought you were just jealous of Lily. That you were trying to stop me from going to her.” I didn’t respond. Didn’t even look at him. I simply stood, brushing invisible dust off my clothes. “Get some rest.” As I reached the door, his voice stopped me. “I’m sorry.” I didn’t turn around. And I didn’t answer.

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To help her lover, Jack Anderson, become the vice president, my wife Ruby Hayes pretended to have amnesia after a car accident, planning to take my position, Matthew Jacobs. One day, I overheard their conversation as I passed by. Jack asked Ruby, “Aren’t you worried Matthew Jacobs will never speak to you again after this?” Ruby brushed him off, saying, “I’ll only let him play this game for seven days. After that, I’ll just tell him my memory came back. How could he blame a patient for that?” I paused, but I didn’t expose her lie. The next day, at the meeting table, Ruby slammed her hand on the desk and said that Jack was her real husband, ordering me to leave the company and hand over all the projects. All the employees watched me, waiting for me to stop her unreasonable behavior. But I didn’t resist. I simply signed the resignation agreement. What she didn’t know was that the project submission deadline was only seven days away, and the client only recognized me as the core member. After seven days, not only would she not get what she wanted, but she would also face massive compensation fees and even possible prison time.

“You can leave, but you must delete all the clients’ and colleagues’ contact information. These are company assets, and you have no right to take them with you!” Just as I was about to leave, Ruby’s lover, Jack, blocked my path. Having managed the company for years, I knew full well there had never been such a rule. He was just deliberately making things difficult for me. I turned to Ruby. “Is this your wish too?” Ruby paused for a moment, then coldly nodded. If I really deleted these contacts, there would be no turning back. She was sure I wouldn’t leave, so she acted so harshly. It wasn’t surprising she thought this way. We had been married for seven years and had no children. The company was like our child, and I cared for it more than she did. I worked tirelessly, getting up early and staying late, always focused on the business, and never slacking off. Last week, she proposed promoting Jack to head of the tech department. The senior employees flattered Jack to help her out, but I was the only one who stood firm and vetoed her proposal when I saw Jack didn’t have the skills. Ruby knew that I wouldn’t let her make random decisions in the company. So, to get Jack’s promotion, she even went as far as pretending to have amnesia. She was forcing me to give in. Seeing us argue, some colleagues came to try to mediate. “Mr. Jacobs, calm down. Ms. Hayes is just sick. As her husband, you should be more understanding and compassionate during her fragile time.” Ruby was encouraged by this and solemnly declared, “My husband is my everything. Anyone who goes against him is going against me!” The colleagues laughed and teased me, “Mr. Jacobs, look, your wife still loves you. She’s just sick, mistaking someone else for you.” As I felt their envious gazes, I couldn’t bring myself to smile. The truth was the exact opposite of what they thought. Ruby and I were married, and we treated each other with respect. But whenever things got tough, she always pressured me to compromise. No matter who was right or wrong, no matter the situation, she would always stand against me. Because of this, we argued often. But she would always say, “You’re my family. No matter what happens outside, we can always make up at home.” It was different from others. Once she got truly angry, there was no chance of reconciliation. Although I felt uncomfortable deep down, after hearing it so many times, I started to think there was some truth in what she said. But now, seeing her throw away all her principles and bottom lines for Jack, I finally understood that when he truly loved someone, his first instinct when they were hurt was to protect them, not coldly calculate the pros and cons. While I was thinking, Jack suddenly kicked over the chair in front of me. “Matthew, you shameless old man! Ruby’s husband is me! If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll tear your mouth off!” He pointed at me, cursing as if I were the one destroying someone’s family. Ruby watched the whole scene, but she didn’t speak a word to explain. She just silently stood behind Jack, acting as his support. I smiled. “Alright, I’ll delete it.” With that, I pulled out my phone and posted an update on Instagram that I had resigned, then raised my hand to deactivate my work account. Ruby saw that I was serious and suddenly panicked. She quickly stopped me. “Forget it, since you’ve been with the company for so long, you don’t need to delete it. Just go ahead and leave!” Everyone else let out a relieved sigh. But Jack wasn’t happy. He stomped his foot. “Dear, am I not even allowed to have this little bit of authority as Vice President?” Ruby, who usually indulged Jack, gave him a warning look this time, signaling him to stop causing trouble. Then, she softened her tone, transferred fifty thousand dollars to me, and promised, “Don’t worry. The company won’t let its loyal employees feel unappreciated. Even though you’re leaving, you’ll still get everything that’s rightfully yours. It’ll just take a little time. “As for your severance, we’ll give you an answer in seven days. You can go rest for now.” She thought I still didn’t know she was pretending to be sick and naively believed that in seven days, she would use her illness as an excuse to apologize and beg for forgiveness, thinking everything would go back to normal. But what she didn’t realize was that the most crucial project she was responsible for had only seven days left to submit. This project involved a significant amount of money. If it wasn’t delivered on time or faced any issues, she would have to pay a huge penalty. If this were before, for the sake of the company’s stability and her future, I would have swallowed my frustration and quietly endured everything. But I was already exhausted. I didn’t want the company, and I didn’t want her. Right in front of me, Ruby subconsciously reached out to fix my tie but suddenly remembered she was just pretending to be sweet and awkwardly pulled her hand back. I glanced at my phone and reversed the transfer. I deleted the note [Dear Ruby Baby] in one go. After everything was done, I calmly looked at her and said, “Ruby, let’s get a divorce.”

Ruby froze for a moment, then blurted out, “You want to divorce me? Why?” As soon as she said it, she realized her mistake and quickly corrected herself, “Divorce? You’re joking, my husband is Jack. How could I have ever been married to you?” Watching her poor acting, I couldn’t be bothered to expose her lies or waste my breath arguing with her. I played along with her charade and lied, “It was me who tricked you into getting the certificate. Let’s go and divorce now.” Jack immediately grinned, urging, “It’s about time. Let’s go!” Ruby hesitated, frowned, and, ignoring the holes in my story, just wanted to brush it off. “Forget it, this is a bit strange. I’ll make my decision later.” I was confused. I thought, “Doesn’t she like Jack? I’m the one who proposed the divorce to give them space, so why isn’t she happy?” If this were before, I would have asked her why and mockingly questioned if she had ever loved me. But now, I couldn’t be bothered to guess what was on her mind. I just wanted to divorce her as soon as possible. I raised an eyebrow and teased, “You don’t want a divorce because you’re still attached to me, are you?” Jack immediately pulled on Ruby’s sleeve, looking pitiful. “Darling, am I not your favorite husband? How could you marry someone else?” Under the pressure from both of us, Ruby had no choice but to reluctantly agree. When the three of us arrived at the Courthouse and were just about to enter, Ruby suddenly shook her head as if something familiar triggered a memory. She took my hand with a smile. “This place feels so familiar… I remember now. “On Christmas Eve, we stood in line together to get our marriage license.” She knew that day was the happiest day of my life. So, she thought that by mentioning our happy memories, I would hesitate to get a divorce. After all, back then, every time she made me angry, she’d use this trick to win me back. But that day, not only did I overhear her pretending to have amnesia, but I also heard her talk about our marriage. “There’s nothing romantic about it. The reason I chose to marry him on the last day of the year is because I promised to marry him. “But, living the rest of my life with someone I don’t love, I just can’t accept it, so I kept delaying until the very last day when I finally made up my mind. “Anyway, marrying anyone would just be wasting time. He is in good condition and can help me. “He’s a good guy too, a perfect match for marriage…” I stood outside the door, hearing her compliment me, but my heart sank. I thought our relationship was built on love, but for her, it was all about using me. No wonder, after the company started improving, she began to value money and power so much, never letting me touch a single penny. She had always been wary of me. I drifted off for a moment, and Ruby tugged at my hand, asking if I remembered. In a marriage full of mutual distrust, I was exhausted. For me, cutting ties was the best choice. I shook my head, responding casually, “No, you probably just hit your head in the accident and developed a delusion.” Ruby’s smile froze instantly. Seeing her try so hard to please me while I remained indifferent, I realized she was now a patient, yet I couldn’t bring myself to be more understanding. She grew more and more upset, and without another word, she hooked her arm around Jack’s, intertwining their fingers. “Yes, it’s all fake. My husband is Jack. “Once we’re done here, I’m going to marry Jack!” She stomped her foot and walked happily into the Courthouse with Jack as if she were the one here to get married. I didn’t care to indulge her antics and walked in behind them. Once we finished the registration, we were quickly ushered into the mediation room. Ruby immediately sat on Jack’s lap, pulling out grapes she had bought on the way, peeling them, and feeding him one by one. She thought this would make me jealous. But ironically, it only reminded me of the cold, shy Ruby from before. Back then, she wouldn’t even hold my hand in public, saying it wasn’t proper to act affectionately in front of others. Now, she had completely changed. Being so open made everyone uncomfortable to look. Even the mediator couldn’t stand it. With my firm attitude, we quickly entered the divorce process. I kept a completely indifferent expression the whole time, which made Ruby furious. She sulked and gave me the cold shoulder as we rushed through the paperwork. Once we got the divorce certificate, I sighed in relief. The heavy cloud over my head had lifted a little. I hailed a cab to go home. Jack leaned over and saw that I had written our home address. He immediately exploded in anger. “Home? You’re divorced now. That’s no longer your home. “You need to pack your things and get out!” Ruby stood aside, smiling. “Yeah, kick the outsider out. Honey, you come live with me.” She kicked me out to make room for Jack. No normal man could accept that, and I definitely couldn’t have before. But now, I just nodded indifferently. “Alright, I’ll leave right away.” I booked a hotel on my phone in the car, and once I got home, I started packing my things. Things had gone too far to be controlled by Ruby anymore. She rarely softened, but now she pretended to regain some memory and held up our wedding photo, asking, “Matthew, when did we take this picture?” I didn’t even look up as I stuffed clothes into my suitcase, answering casually, “It’s fake. I photoshopped it.” That sentence really set Ruby off. She grabbed my luggage and threw everything outside the door. “Leave! Leave right now!” She slammed the door shut with a bang. I shook my head and said nothing, silently picking up the clothes from the floor, brushing off the dust, and packing them into my bag. Inside, Jack’s anxious voice came through. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have gone for that VP position. “Watching you two get divorced… it really hurts. Maybe I should talk to Matthew and clear things up.” Ruby collected herself and comforted him. “It’s not your fault. It’s Matthew being petty. He’s even arguing with a sick person. “Don’t worry about him. I’ll spend these seven days with you. After that, I’ll deal with things. “Matthew is easy to handle. I just have to wave my hand, and he’ll come back.” I walked into the elevator carrying my things. She was wrong. This time, it was over for good. There was no chance of reconciliation.

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I was crouching at the entrance of the hospital room, scrubbing the floor when Xavier Cheng’s alligator skin shoes stopped in front of me. “You enjoy kneeling to clean the floor that much?” Suddenly, a diamond-studded high heel stepped on the back of my hand. The beauty in his arms looked down at me condescendingly. “Little cleaner, this spot isn’t clean.” Amidst the snickers of onlookers, I felt for the elegant card hidden in my deep blue cleaning uniform. It was the VIP gold card my father had personally given me, reserved only for the hospital’s investors. “Achoo!” The smell of disinfectant stung my nose. I gripped the mop tightly, mechanically wiping back and forth along the corridor. This was my third day working as a cleaner in this hospital. It was also the seventh day since I had taken over this hospital as the primary shareholder. Looking down at the deep blue cleaning uniform I wore, I smiled wryly. Who told me to be so ambitious, challenging my dad to a racing game? He got off easy, flying to Hawaii for a vacation. While I, having lost three rounds in a row, had to honor the bet and experience a month of life as a cleaner. Ding! Just then, the elevator doors opened. I instinctively looked up, but my heart suddenly clenched. It was him, Xavier Cheng. The man I had loved deeply for five years was walking out of the elevator, his arm around a tall, slender woman. He was still wearing that handmade suit I had given him, every gesture exuding the elegance and composure I knew so well. “Xavier, this hospital’s plastic surgery department is quite famous,” a coquettish voice said. I barely recognized Vanessa Sullivan, whose eyes and nose had been completely transformed. She used to be my best friend. “I heard their director is an expert from South Korea? Their filler techniques are top-notch!” Xavier chuckled softly, “Whatever you like, we can do it.” His gaze swept across the corridor, suddenly fixing on me. I hurriedly lowered my head, my heart pounding like a drum. The mop in my hand unconsciously sped up; I just wanted to leave quickly. “Hey, wait. This spot doesn’t seem clean enough.” Xavier’s voice sounded behind me, and I froze in place. His gaze felt like needles pricking my back, making me shiver all over. I took a deep breath and turned to face him. A flash of surprise crossed Xavier’s eyes, quickly replaced by deep mockery: “Well, well, if it isn’t Miss Lin. I heard that recently, one of your family’s companies went bankrupt. What’s this, are you out here working to supplement the family income?” “Xavier, who did you say she is?” Vanessa feigned curiosity, then covered her mouth in mock surprise, “Oh my! The once high and mighty Lin family heiress, now cleaning floors here. How unpredictable life can be.” I gripped the mop handle tightly, my knuckles turning white. Indeed, life is unpredictable. Back then, I never imagined that the boyfriend I had dated for 5 years would be stolen by my closest friend—and that they would flaunt it in front of me on the day of my mother’s funeral.

I’ll never forget that rainy day. I was kneeling in front of the memorial hall, raindrops falling from my hair. My mother had been holding my hand on her hospital bed, saying she wanted to see me in a wedding dress. Now, she lay in this cold coffin, never to see my happy moment. Xavier stood behind me, saying coldly, “Cry a little if you must, but she’s dead. Your tears won’t bring her back.” Outside the hall, the sound of high heels approached. Vanessa walked in gracefully, wearing a red dress. “Xavier, why are you here? Didn’t we plan to go look at wedding dresses?” I jerked my head up to see Xavier wrapping his arm around her waist. “Babe, I just came to say goodbye to Miss Lin,” he turned to look at me with a smirk, “Oh, by the way, let me introduce you. This is my fiancée.” At that moment, I felt the whole world spinning. On her deathbed, my mother had been worried about my future. And now, the man I loved most had brought another woman to show off at her funeral. “Xavier, do you have any conscience left?” “Conscience? Your mom was an A-list celebrity, her death means no more fame for the Lin Group. Without her, why would I even bother with you? Besides, if the Lin family falls, you’re just a nobody. And you dare talk to me about conscience? What an act!” “You!” I raised my hand to slap him, but he caught my wrist. He pushed me hard, and I stumbled, falling in front of my mother’s portrait. Crash! The frame fell to the ground, glass shards instantly cutting my palm. I knelt before my mother’s portrait, watching drops of blood fall onto her smiling face. At that moment, I swore to make these two pay!

Now, they stood before me, taunting and mocking. The gazes of those around us felt like knives stabbing into me. Those curious or pitying looks made me feel like I had thorns in my back. “Excuse me, I need to work,” I tried to keep my voice steady. Xavier deliberately tilted his coffee cup, spilling the brown liquid on the floor: “Now you really need to work.” He wore a malicious smile, as if toying with a lowly servant. “Get on your knees and clean it up, just like you used to kneel and beg me not to leave.” Whispers arose from the crowd around us. In an instant, I felt all the blood in my body flowing backward, my face burning hot. Crouching down, I used a cloth to wipe up the coffee stains bit by bit. Xavier’s shiny leather shoes were right in front of my eyes. I could even smell that familiar cologne. “Xavier, let’s go,” Vanessa linked her arm with his, “Don’t waste time on someone like her.” “Wait,” Xavier suddenly bent down, his long fingers lifting my chin, “You know what? You look much cuter now than when you were that high and mighty Lin heiress.” I slapped his hand away and stood up: “Mr. Cheng, please show some respect.” “Respect?” Xavier laughed as if he’d heard something hilarious, “A cleaner, demanding respect from me?” “Oh no, my lipstick!” Vanessa suddenly exclaimed. A Chanel lipstick rolled to my feet. “Little cleaner, pick that up for me.” She looked down at me imperiously, all traces of her former fawning behavior when she used to tag along with the Lin heiress for free drinks gone. I bent to pick it up, but just as I was about to touch the lipstick, a high heel stomped on the back of my hand. “Oops, I didn’t see that~” A searing pain shot through my hand, and I clenched my jaw. Xavier’s gaze held a hint of amusement, as if enjoying a good show. “Alright, let’s go,” he finally spoke, putting his arm around the woman and turning to leave. But he stopped and looked back, “Oh, Aria, if you really can’t make ends meet, you can come and beg me. For old times’ sake, I might arrange a better job for you, like… my housekeeper?” A burst of laughter erupted around us. I stood there, watching their figures disappear at the end of the corridor. “Just wait. Soon, you’ll know who should really be on their knees.” I turned and walked towards the director’s office. Passing by the glass windows in the hallway, I caught my reflection—beneath the deep blue cleaning uniform were eyes sparkling with ambition.

I stood in front of the director’s office, took a deep breath, and adjusted my deep blue cleaning uniform. Through the crack in the door, I could see Zach Zhou reviewing documents, his long fingers flipping through the pages, his brow slightly furrowed. Knock knock. I gently tapped on the door. “Come in,” his voice was deep and pleasant. As I pushed the door open, the smell of disinfectant was replaced by a faint scent of cedar. Zach looked up, his gaze sharp and profound behind his gold-rimmed glasses. Today he wore a dark gray shirt, sleeves casually rolled up, revealing toned forearms. “Dr. Zhou, I’d like to discuss the hospital’s investment issues with you.” His fingers paused on the document, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes behind his glasses: “You…” “Aria Lin,” I introduced myself, and Zach’s expression instantly froze. He slowly stood up, his gaze moving between my cleaning uniform and the badge on my chest: “Miss Lin?” “That’s right. For the past three days, I’ve been working as a cleaner in the hospital.” I walked to his desk, removed my badge, and placed it on the table, “I wanted to see firsthand what problems exist in the hospital I’ve invested in.” Zach’s Adam’s apple bobbed: “So, what did you see?” “Many issues. Low wages for cleaning staff leading to poor work ethic, chaotic medication management at nursing stations, inadequate order maintenance in waiting areas…” I listed my observations from the past three days. Zach’s expression grew increasingly serious: “These issues indeed need to be addressed.” “Not only that, I also discovered that the hospital has collaborative projects with the Cheng Group,” I continued. At the mention of the Cheng Group, Zach’s expression visibly stiffened: “Yes, they are our largest medical equipment supplier.” “In that case, I intend to terminate our cooperation with the Cheng Group.” I briefly described what had happened earlier. Then I continued, “I’ve already contacted medical equipment suppliers from Germany. They’re willing to provide higher quality products at lower prices.” A glimmer of surprise flashed in Zach’s eyes: “You had this planned all along?” “Correct.” I straightened up, “I’ve been preparing even before taking over this hospital.” I walked to the window, looking at the bustling crowd below. If Xavier thought I was still that naive woman he could manipulate at will, he was gravely mistaken. Cheating on me with my best friend, I could have just written him off as a scumbag and kicked him to the curb. But disrupting my mother’s funeral and flaunting it in my face? He shouldn’t blame me for being ruthless now! “And actually, before entering your office, I had already set things in motion.” Behind me, I heard the sound of a chair moving. Zach came to stand beside me: “Miss Lin, I admire your resolve.” I turned to look at him and found no displeasure in his gaze, only a hint of admiration. “Please, call me Aria.” “Alright, Aria.” His voice softened a bit, “So, what do you plan to do next?” “We need to convene a board meeting to officially announce the termination of our cooperation with the Cheng Group. Secondly, I need a capable assistant.” “You mean…?” I looked directly into his eyes: “Dr. Zhou, would you be willing to be my special assistant?” “Please, call me Zach.” The tips of his ears turned slightly red, but his face bore a gentle smile. “Oh,” I was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. Just then, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Xavier: “Tonight at 8, Ritz-Carlton. Shall we talk?” I smirked coldly and handed the phone to Zach to see: “Looks like someone’s getting antsy.”

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My boyfriend, known as the Silent Boy, has a condition that only one surgery in the world can cure, and it comes with a price tag of a million dollars. I’ve been saving every penny, working tirelessly to pay for it, and I was almost there. But one day at work, I overheard him speaking with a chilling voice: “Just one line to get a woman to spend a million dollars on me, and I’ve won my challenge.” “Crash!” The fruit platter I was holding slipped from my hands, shattering on the floor. The Silent Boy I yearned for turned to look at me. “Emma, what are you doing here?” Declan was shocked to see me, barely able to murmur my name. Hearing his voice made my heart miss a beat, and I felt a numbing pain throughout my body. With tears in my eyes, my voice trembling, I asked: “So… Declan, you’re not mute? You’ve been able to talk all along, haven’t you?!” My question left Declan flustered. He scrambled to explain: “Emma, I didn’t mean to, I just… just…” He stammered for a long time but couldn’t even manage a lie. I felt a deeper chill inside. I clutched my chest, feeling like a part of my heart was being carved out. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to stay calm. After composing myself, I looked at him, eyes red, and demanded: “Declan, do you realize how much I’ve sacrificed to help you get treated?” “I sold the house my parents left me, pawned all my jewelry, and worked five jobs a month. I didn’t spend a single penny on myself, saving everything to help you get treated so I could hear your voice.” “And now… you tell me you could always speak? This was just a game for you, a Rich Kid’s amusement?!” The more I thought about it, the more wronged I felt, and I broke down, screaming at him: “What is real?! Declan, tell me, what is real?!” After my outburst, my voice weakened, and I almost collapsed from exhaustion. Declan reached out to steady me, his fingers brushing against my hands, which were rough and calloused from endless work. Perhaps thinking of all the hardships I endured for him, guilt reddened his eyes too. He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. “Emma, I’m sorry, I owe you. I’ll make it up to you, and I promise to treat you twice as well in the future.” This was his usual way of comforting me. When we lived together in that cramped rented apartment, whenever I was upset and vented at him, he’d hold me like this, gently patting my back. I thought it was because he couldn’t speak and wanted to comfort me and make me feel safe. Now I realize he just found me annoying and was brushing me off. This time, it didn’t work on me. I pushed him away, eyes red, staring at him. “Declan, did you enjoy playing with me?” Faced with my question, Declan seemed at a loss too. He looked down in silence for a long time before speaking: “I’ll compensate you, with two million dollars. Don’t worry, I won’t treat you poorly.” “Heh.” Hearing his words, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. So… in his eyes, I was just a woman who could be dismissed with money.

I couldn’t help but recall our past. Declan was hard to care for. He would rather go hungry than eat cheap takeout with me. So, to take good care of him, I would buy groceries at the farmers’ market every day after work and cook for him. I wouldn’t let him eat bargain food; I always got the best organic vegetables. At first, my cooking wasn’t great, and he’d barely eat a few bites. Seeing this pained me, so I learned his preferences and honed my cooking skills. During meals, I’d always give him the food he liked first. Back then, seeing him eat just one more bite made me so happy. Now, as I looked down at the fruit platter shattered on the ground. In this upscale club, this ordinary fruit platter cost 1888, which was five months of my living expenses. I had to deliver hundreds of orders and make countless crafts to earn that. Looking at his expensive attire, every piece costly. Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but sigh: “Declan, you really went through a lot to deceive me, huh.” Faced with my sarcasm, Declan had no words, only shamefully lowering his head. As we were at an impasse, a delicate hand climbed onto Declan’s shoulder, whining: “Declan, who’s this? Why are you talking so long?” Both Declan and I froze. Declan instinctively straightened up. I felt a chilling coldness from head to toe. I knew that woman’s face all too well. Celeste! How could it be her?! Celeste clearly recognized me too. Unlike my embarrassment, she boldly walked up and kissed Declan’s cheek. As she kissed him, Declan froze, not rejecting her closeness. Celeste intimately clung to Declan’s arm, looking at me with amusement. “Emma, long time no see.” “I never thought I’d see you in such a sorry state. Tsk tsk tsk, even looking at you feels dirty, hahaha.” Then she looked at the frozen Declan, her pale fingers caressing his neck. Her voice was filled with pride: “Declan listens to me the most. As long as I say east, he’ll never go west.” “Last year, Declan chased me and confessed. I casually said if he could make you spend a million on him, playing you like a fool, I’d be with him.” “I never thought he’d actually do it, even pretending to be mute, hahaha.” Saying this, Celeste looked at me mockingly. “Emma, you really do pity every mute person, hahaha.” “No matter how many years pass, your fake compassion is still so annoying!” Hearing Celeste’s words, my face turned pale. I clenched my fists, my heart aching. Even in a warm private room, I felt only cold and pain. Celeste’s face was twisted with the same delight as when she used to bully me. She still hated me, hated me so much that even after Jasper had been gone for so long, she had to find someone to impersonate him to deceive me. Tears fell as I looked at the dazed Declan, shaking my head in despair. He’s not him, no matter how much he looks like him, he’s not him. My heart turned cold, as if I lost all strength, and I turned to leave.

“Hey, Emma, are you running away again?” Celeste called out unwillingly. She continued to provoke me. “Emma, I knew it. As long as Declan pretended to be mute, you’d feel sorry for him. No matter what he wanted, even if it meant digging out your heart for him, you’d do it.” “Because you’ve never forgotten Jasper for a single day!” “Jasper, that dirty soul, only a fool like you would give your all to love him, while I can’t even stand looking at him!” Hearing Jasper’s name, I couldn’t control my emotions anymore. My eyes turned red, all my reason vanished. I rushed over, grabbing Celeste’s collar, crazily demanding: “Celeste! What right do you have to talk about him like that! I won’t allow it! I won’t allow it! Jasper is the cleanest person in the world! He’s the best, the kindest!” “He’s just disappeared, he must still be alive! Tell me! Where is he now! Where is he now! Tell me!!!!” My chest heaved violently, years of pent-up emotions exploding. I felt wetness at the corners of my eyes, not knowing if it was blood or tears. Declan was startled by my outburst and hurried to stop me. He said: “Emma, calm down. Hit me if you must. It’s my fault, not Celeste’s.” His words made my emotions even more intense. “Slap!” I slapped him across the face. “Hit you?! Yeah, I should hit you!” “Declan, did you have fun this year, huh? Can’t help but laugh when you think about it, huh? A Rich Kid pretending to be mute, playing me like a fool. Should I be grateful?” Declan stood still, his face swollen from my slap. “Emma, I’m sorry. You can hit or scold me.” “Bang!” I didn’t hold back, kicking him. Declan clutched his stomach, painfully kneeling. “Declan, stop pretending to be deep. I’ll never forgive you!” “Never!” “Hit you? Yeah, maybe I should!” “Declan, did you enjoy this past year, playing your little charade? Laughing at the thought? A wealthy heir pretending to be mute, making a fool out of me. Should I be grateful?” Declan stood there, his cheek red from my slap. “Emma, I’m sorry. You can hit me, shout at me, do whatever you need.” “Thud!” I didn’t hold back, kicking him hard. Declan doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain. “Declan, stop faking sincerity. I’ll never forgive you!” “Never!” “You can choose not to love me, deceive me, yell at me, but pretending to be mute to trick me is unforgivable! Jasper was the only beautiful thing in my life! He was the untouchable part of my heart! Why did you have to ruin that? Why?!” By the end, I was hysterical. Tears streamed down my face, perhaps because the boy who used to wipe them away was long gone… I never wanted to believe he left me, but I searched every corner of the world and couldn’t find a trace of him. In my despair, Declan appeared, pretending to be mute. I was like a drowning person clutching onto the last piece of driftwood. I gave him everything I had. Even if he only resembled Jasper a little, I was content. But it was all a lie… Just then, Celeste pushed me aside, her fingers gently brushing Declan’s face with concern. “Emma, are you insane?! How dare you hit Declan? Don’t you know he’s the heir of the Declan family?” “Just wait, I won’t let this go. You’ll be begging for our forgiveness!” Her threats didn’t faze me. After all, these rich people are experts at crushing those of us who have nothing. I’m tired of this life, wishing I could just die right now. Maybe in another world, I could find him. — “No… don’t…” “Let her go. I’m fine,” Declan said, struggling to lift his head, tears falling from his eyes. “Emma, I was wrong. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” I looked at him coldly. “Declan, hear me clearly. I never want to see you again!” With that, I turned and walked away. Declan kept his word. When I got home, I found two million dollars deposited into my account, undoubtedly from him. It was labeled as a “voluntary gift.” I scoffed and blocked all his accounts. I never want to have anything to do with him again. Back in my tiny rented apartment, surrounded by decay, I lost the will to live. I pulled out a teddy bear from the bottom of a box. It’s the only thing Jasper left behind before he went away. Since he left, I haven’t slept well. I keep running on that road in my dreams. I wish I could run faster, fast enough to keep him, fast enough not to miss him again. “Jasper, don’t go.” At those moments, I would hold the teddy bear tightly. Tighter, so it wouldn’t slip away from my grasp. When Declan came, I locked the bear deep in the box. I wanted to give myself a fresh start, a detox. I saw Declan, who invaded my world, as another Jasper. When I learned he also couldn’t speak, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. Instinctively, I wanted to save another him, to let him have the happiness Jasper never got. But I was wrong, Declan wasn’t him. He wouldn’t deceive me, wouldn’t let me cry… I clutched the bear, kneeling on the ground, crying. “Jasper, can I come find you? I’m so tired alone…” As I cried, I noticed something strange. One of the teddy bear’s eyes seemed to flicker with a red light. I squinted, removed that eye, and found a small USB drive hidden inside. I quickly got up, stumbled back to my room, grabbed my laptop, and plugged it in. The USB contained a video, an address, and a password. When I played the video, I saw the face I dreamed of, the twenty-year-old Jasper. With his slender fingers, he signed: “Emma, if you’re watching this, I’m probably gone. I’m sorry I lied, but I couldn’t leave with you.” “I hate him. He destroyed my life. I want him dead! I want to expose his crimes and make him pay!” “I know I might not succeed, but I have to try.” Jasper stood up, reached out to touch my head on the screen. “My dear Emma, even without me, you must be happy.” When he sat back down, I saw his eyes were red too, filled with reluctance. He continued signing: “Emma, I’ve saved some money for you. Enough for you to live well your entire life.” “This money… is clean…” “Forget me, Emma. Your life should be bright and brilliant.” The video abruptly ended, yet I was still lost in thought. 5 “Jasper!!!” I screamed his name, crying, hugging the screen, trying to see his face again. But no matter how many times I watched the video, ten, a hundred, a thousand times, he never came back. With the account password, I went to the bank to open the mysterious safety deposit box. As Jasper said, he left me enough money to live comfortably for life. Inside was also a letter that read: “Emma, take this money and leave City A. Never come back, and don’t investigate my cause of death. Forget me and start anew.” Staring at Jasper’s handwriting, tears fell, soaking the paper, smudging the ink. In an instant, I made up my mind. “I’m sorry, Jasper. This time, I can’t listen to you.” I know the road ahead is long and my abilities limited. But I’m not giving up.

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My boyfriend is the Police Captain. When I was cornered by criminals, I calmly called his work phone three times. When he finally answered, all I received was his impatient scolding: “Stop bothering me. I’m on duty, and you’re disrupting my work.” In the noisy background, I heard Violetta’s playful voice: “Thank you, brother, you’re amazing!” With a criminal’s knife close to my throat, I didn’t have the luxury of arguing with him. I quickly dialed 91 The dispatcher regretfully informed me: “All nearby units are handling other emergencies. It will take some time to reach you. I’ll coordinate as fast as I can.” In a daze, I saw a news alert about the Police Captain successfully rescuing a kidnapped girl. If I remember correctly, this was the fifth time Violetta was in danger. Desperate, I looked at the criminals around me, then at the open window. Faced with the choice between being killed or jumping, I chose the latter. A second before I fell, I sent my last text message: [I’m leaving. I wish you happiness. Don’t bother, don’t miss.] 1 I saw my body lying on the ground like a shattered doll. Even though I was already lifeless, my face still showed a longing to live. A blood-stained handkerchief slipped from my hand, marked with signs of fighting the criminals. My right arm was twisted horribly, with bones piercing through the skin, and blood staining the ground. So, I was already dead. Twenty minutes earlier, I was kidnapped by criminals on my way home. They took me to the fifth floor of this remote factory and seized my spare phone before guarding the door outside. I tried to stay calm, looking for a way to escape. My boyfriend, Finnick, is the Police Captain. I learned some methods from him to handle danger. I secretly pressed the speed dial on my phone, calling Finnick. “The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.” The cold message came through the receiver. I checked; the number I dialed was his work phone. When Finnick gave me this number, he promised solemnly: “Serena, this is my work phone. Call me whenever you’re in danger, and I’ll answer.” “No one else will call this number.” “This is our code. As soon as you call, I’ll rush to your side.” I had already dialed 911. But I hesitated and called Finnick again. Simply because my area was under his jurisdiction, and the task might fall to him in the end. Maybe contacting him directly would get me help faster. The waiting tone lingered in my ear. Until I heard Finnick’s annoyed voice. “I’m busy! What’s up, say it quick!” I realized I had dialed his number for the third time. This time was unconscious. I bit my lip hard to wake myself up a bit, and struggled to say, “Finnick, I’ve been kidnapped. Can you come save…” Before I could finish, he cut me off mercilessly: “Serena, stop it. I don’t have time for you now.” “I’m on duty. Violetta just faced danger, and I need to protect her.” Among the background noise, Violetta’s weak voice came through: “Brother Finnick, I’m so scared. Luckily, you’re here.” 2 Really, just on duty? I questioned Finnick in my heart, and I questioned myself. In the past year, Finnick’s work phone often rang late at night. He always left in a hurry, saying it was an emergency task. I thought he was just busy with work. Until I noticed that every time, Violetta’s name flashed on the screen. A woman’s intuition told me something was wrong. I secretly checked Finnick’s call records. There were very few calls related to work. In contrast, Violetta’s name filled the screen. My boyfriend of three years, always there for another woman whenever she needed him. And at my moment of crisis, my only call for help was seen as a nuisance. How ironic! The dial tone echoed in my ear. Finnick hung up on me. The criminal’s knife danced before my eyes. While I still had a shred of sanity, I hurriedly called the police. As I expected, the dispatcher confirmed the address and transferred the task to the police station where Finnick worked. “What? Everyone is out? And so far away, why not assign someone closer!” “Nonsense! Captain Finnick would never make such an unreasonable arrangement!” I didn’t know what response he received, but he seemed angry, and his tone became urgent. Suddenly, the dispatcher’s voice was cut off. He must have realized I could hear and pressed mute. Not long after, he picked up the phone again and regretfully informed me: “Sorry, ma’am, all nearby units are handling other emergencies. Please try to stay calm, and I’ll coordinate other rescue personnel as soon as possible.” My head was getting dizzier. I quickly asked, “How long will it take? I’m afraid I can’t hold on much longer.” The dispatcher carefully chose his words: “The rescue team has already set out. They’ll get there as soon as possible, but you’re in a remote area, so it might take some time. Please be patient.” He then gave some advice on dealing with the criminals. I helplessly looked at my surroundings, at my phone, and at the bag that the criminals had taken. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d tried all that. In a daze, I saw a news alert about the Police Captain successfully rescuing a kidnapped girl. I laughed sarcastically. If I remember correctly, this was the fifth time Violetta had been in danger. I’ve grown tired of hearing this excuse. A month ago, I had a huge argument with Finnick. It was my birthday that day. I had prepared dinner meticulously, waiting for Finnick to come home. The table was filled with his favorite dishes, all cooked by me. Candles were lit on the cake, a surprise I’d planned for him. Yet, Finnick never showed up. I didn’t know if he had forgotten or simply didn’t care. Two hours later, Finnick sent a text: [Sorry, I have a task. I’ll be back when I’m done.] He didn’t come home the entire night. At three in the morning, Violetta updated her Snapchat. [Every time I’m in danger, Brother Finnick is there to protect me. I’m so happy.] 3 There was a photo attached to her post, showing her and Finnick together. His hand was on her shoulder, and his eyes were gentle. The following evening, a tired-looking Finnick came home. I didn’t lose my temper. I calmly asked him about Violetta. He said nothing, his eyes flickering, occasionally glancing at his phone. I stared at his phone and accidentally saw the contact name changed to “Violetta Darling.” Years of suppression and grievance erupted. I was silenced by Finnick’s single statement, “Stop being unreasonable.” He told me to be rational. So I rationally packed my things and left our home. The dispatcher didn’t know my inner pain and continued to comfort me: “Please trust us, the rescue team will arrive as soon as possible. Hang in there!” I calmed myself, hearing the criminals’ footsteps gradually approaching. Then there was the sound of the door opening. I might not make it until help arrives. After hanging up, I couldn’t care about anything else. I resisted the criminals desperately, trying to find a chance to escape. Pain shot through my arm as the criminal’s knife cut me. Blood flowed freely, soaking my clothes. Seeing this, the criminals treated me even more ruthlessly. The hope of escaping from them vanished. I looked desperately at the window, then at the ground below. Jumping might not give me a high chance of survival, but it was still a chance. So, between being killed and jumping, I chose the latter. 4 Not long after, far on the other side of the city, Finnick received a text notification. Perhaps my survival instinct was too strong. My soul followed the text message to Finnick’s side. It was lively around him. Violetta was snuggled up to him, her face glowing with happiness. Finnick looked at her tenderly, comforting her: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” His colleagues behind him exchanged looks, angry but afraid to speak. The youngest officer was pushed forward, cautiously reminding him: “Captain Finnick, we got a report half an hour ago about a girl being kidnapped. Shouldn’t we head out?” I recognized him as Jack, a newcomer. Finnick seemed impatient. He patted Violetta’s shoulder first, adjusted his clothes, and then slowly said: “Didn’t I say earlier to let someone else handle it? No need to wait for me.” Jack replied awkwardly, “You forgot, Captain. You called the whole station to save Miss Lin. All the nearby units are here.” Finnick felt his decision was being questioned and angrily asked: “Are you doubting my decision? Both situations are urgent. I have to weigh the pros and cons! If you’re eager to earn credit, go quickly! I’m not stopping you!” Jack, straightforward by nature, retorted: “What’s this got to do with earning credit? You’re the leader, bringing the whole team to save Miss Lin while ignoring other victims. Is that right?” “What nonsense!” Finnick’s face turned pale, scolding loudly. Finnick felt his authority questioned by his subordinates and angrily asked, “Do you doubt my decision? Both situations are urgent, and I need to weigh the options! If you’re eager to get credit, go ahead. I’m not stopping you!” Jack, known for his bluntness, expressed his dissatisfaction, “This isn’t about getting credit. You’re the leader, focusing on saving Miss Lin and ignoring other victims. Is that right?” “Stop spouting nonsense!” Finnick’s face flushed with anger as he shouted. As they were about to argue, Violetta gently tugged on Finnick’s sleeve, saying softly, “Brother Finnick, don’t be mad. Everyone’s just doing their job. I’ll go with you.” She then turned to the officers, bowed deeply, and with teary eyes said, “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused, and thank you for your help. I’ll be more careful in the future.” A female officer rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, “She always says that.” My body lay on the ground for half an hour. Only then did Finnick and his team rush out. But, my dear fiancé, I had already lost my life. I won’t trouble you anymore. 5. Finnick and Violetta sat together in the back seat. Violetta, pretending to be concerned, brought me up, “Brother Finnick, Serena called you several times earlier. Do you think something’s wrong?” “What could possibly be wrong?” Finnick scoffed. “She doesn’t stay home, rents a place, and lives freely by herself! Earlier, she even told me she’s leaving, probably to have some fun!” Though Violetta feigned concern, there was a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. “It can’t be because of me, right? Brother Finnick, believe me, I didn’t mean to ruin your relationship! Give me Serena’s number, and I’ll apologize to her!” As she spoke, she pretended to cry. Finnick pulled out a tissue, gently wiping Violetta’s tears. “She’s too willful, it’s not your fault.” Finnick turned back to face forward, gripping the tissue in his right hand, and took out his phone, thoughtfully staring at it. Curiously, I glanced at the screen. It showed the last message I sent. [I’m leaving. Wish you happiness. Do not disturb or miss me.] After a while, he suddenly laughed, fingers tapping briskly on the screen. [Where are you going? Stop fooling around, come back.] The driver suddenly hit the brakes. The two in the backseat tilted forward due to the inertia. Violetta complained, “Can you drive properly? I almost hit my head!” Finnick opened the car door and ran out, leaving the phone that had fallen under the seat. The message still remained in the input box, unsent. In the distance, sirens wailed, and flashing police lights lit up the night sky. The police chief stepped out of a patrol car, saw Finnick, and angrily threw his hat at him. “Do you know how urgent the situation is? You were the closest, yet took so long to arrive. If someone died, could you take responsibility?” A stretcher carried out my body first. Other victims were rescued one after another. Out of respect, someone covered my broken body with a white cloth, leaving only my blood-stained fingers exposed. Finnick froze when he saw the ring on my finger.

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