Category: English

My wife’s assistant kept our client waiting in the cold for four hours. I managed to smooth things over and gently reminded him at the meeting not to let it happen again. To my surprise, he turned the tables, tearfully accusing me: “Director, how can you twist the facts and take credit for my work? It was you who was too lazy to get up. I had to plead with the client, or the deal would have fallen through.” Knowing the truth, my wife not only didn’t support me but promoted him to Vice President and insisted I hand over the project to him. Everyone at work expected me to cause a scene and quit. Instead, I quietly signed the project transfer agreement. My wife thought I’d finally come around and promised with a smile, “Don’t worry, once this project succeeds and the company goes public, I’ll focus on our family and consider having a child.” What she didn’t realize was that the client was an old friend of mine who valued my skills, which is why he agreed to work with us despite past issues. Now, with all the company’s funds tied up in this project, her decision to change the lead has not only squandered the investment but also left her facing hefty penalties.

“Ethan, did you think handing over the project was the end of it? Not a chance!” “According to company policy, you’re going to lose your year-end bonus and pay a fine!” Logan, my wife’s assistant, wasn’t satisfied with shifting the blame; he needed to trample on me to regain his lost face. Everyone knew the truth but dared not take sides, their eyes on my wife, Emily Stone. Logan sneered at my refusal to admit fault, “What? You’re just a loser, and I can’t say that?” I glanced at Emily. We’ve been secretly married for ten years, and she’s always refused to make it public. This time, she gave Logan a chance to shine, but he overslept, leaving the client waiting in the cold for hours, which understandably upset them. This project was crucial for the company going public; it couldn’t be taken lightly. Emily proposed that if I could win back the project, she’d announce our marriage in a meeting. Overjoyed, I worked tirelessly to regain the client’s trust. I thought today would be the day Emily kept her promise. I even bought new clothes and saved for half a year to buy a gold ring for her. But I never expected Emily to break her word, allowing Logan to distort the truth and steal my credit and project. Logan slammed the table in anger when I looked at Emily, “What are you staring at? If Emily didn’t value your experience, you’d have been fired long ago!” Emily gave me an apologetic look and then firmly said, “Forget the fine, but your year-end bonus is gone. Ethan, be more careful next time and avoid such rookie mistakes.” She seemed to defend me, but in reality, she was pinning the blame on me. After all, she’s the boss. Without her consent, how could a newcomer like Logan dare to challenge me? As my colleagues laughed at my expense, I chuckled instead of getting angry and removed my ID badge on the spot: “No need for all that; I’m quitting.” Emily was displeased, “Don’t be ridiculous! If you resign, what about all your projects?” I shrugged calmly, “Mr. Logan is talented; he’ll do better than me.” Everyone’s expressions shifted. They knew the company’s success was largely due to my efforts. If I left, all my projects would collapse, and they wouldn’t get their commissions. Colleagues who had sided with Logan earlier tried to persuade me: “Director Ethan, Emily’s just joking. The company can’t do without you.” Logan, seeing the attention shift away, retorted angrily, “Ethan, do you want everyone to miss their targets? Don’t be so selfish!” Emily raised her eyebrows, intending to stop Logan, but he suddenly clutched his chest and squatted down: “Emily, Ethan made me so angry I’m having an attack. Call an ambulance!” Emily panicked, “Ethan, are you just going to stand there? Help!” I glanced at Logan, whose face was rosy, and he was winking provocatively. He was obviously faking it again. Emily didn’t notice and called for others to help Logan to the car. I turned to leave, but Emily called me in a hurry: “You made Logan sick; where do you think you’re going? Get in the car and help me take him to the hospital.” I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t want Logan to blackmail me later, so I got in. In the back seat, Logan lay in Emily’s arms, whining about the pain: “Emily, Ethan wants to kill me…” Emily was heartbroken and scolded me: “Don’t you know he has a heart condition? Can’t you talk things out calmly?” I was used to it. Because of Logan, I’ve argued with Emily, smashed things, but nothing changed her bias toward him. Even now, when Logan stole my credit and project, and publicly mocked me, when I just didn’t want to be exploited anymore and chose to resign, she thought I was making trouble. If it had been my old temper, I would have argued with her. But since Logan appeared a year ago, he’s taken Emily’s love, my project shares, and now even my reputation. I wonder if he’ll try to take my husband’s position someday. Living like this, I’m really tired. I nodded and said perfunctorily, “Sure, it won’t happen again.” Because there won’t be a next time. Emily looked at me in surprise, satisfied with my compromise, and explained unusually, “I know you’re not a bad person, just your mouth gets you in trouble.” “Logan has a heart condition, and I’m just worried about him getting upset, that’s why I go along with him.” “Besides, he’s your apprentice; don’t you want him to go far?” Yeah! Logan isn’t just my apprentice; I sent him to Emily myself. I supported him through college and paid his medical bills. When he couldn’t find a job after graduation, I got him the assistant job. But he didn’t want to be an assistant forever and begged me to teach him design. I squeezed out three hours daily to teach him by hand. I knew about his condition and asked Emily to take care of him. But I didn’t expect Emily to take such good care of him, to the point of overdoing it. That day, I went to discuss work with Emily and found them sharing an ice cream in the office. Seeing this scene, I was furious and rushed to question them. That was the first time Logan faked illness, and the first time Emily gave me the cold shoulder in public since we married. She rushed Logan to the hospital, attending to him closely. Watching my wife care for someone else so attentively, it felt terrible. In ten years of marriage, I’d never been cared for like that. Once, I had acute appendicitis and was in excruciating pain, begging her to take me to the hospital. She tossed me a bottle of painkillers coldly: “If you want to slack off, just say it. I hate people who fake illness!” I ended up calling a cab myself for surgery. Even after learning about my condition, she was dismissive: “Just appendicitis, everyone gets it. Don’t act like it’s a terminal illness, alright?” I thought she was just harsh but kind-hearted. But she never visited me in the hospital once. I used to think she was just a cold woman. But turning my head, I saw Emily, with her severe cleanliness, using her white cuffs to wipe Logan’s sweat. She urged the driver to hurry as if Logan was her husband. I smiled bitterly, letting go of my obsession. I should have realized earlier; her actions were a clear message. She truly loved Logan, deeply. And I was just a passerby in her life. I sent a message to my senior, telling him I was out. He replied with a shocked emoji: “Ethan, come work with me.” I’d refused him countless times before, but this time, I replied, “Okay.” For Emily, I gave up my future. Now, it’s not too late to turn back and fight for myself. We said nothing on the way to the hospital, where Logan was doing fine. Hearing that, I turned to leave. Emily sighed in relief: “Ethan, wait, I’ll go home with you.” As she reached for my hand, Logan started feigning illness again, clutching his chest in pain. Emily sighed and transferred me $500 as compensation: “You go home first. After the project succeeds, I’ll give you the rest of your share.” “When the company goes public, I’ll return to the family. I won’t go back on my word.” I mumbled an “Okay,” turned to leave, and didn’t accept the money. I don’t plan to stay with her any longer. My senior is preparing the documents, ready to sue her. I turned and left without taking the money she offered. I’m not planning to stay with her anymore. My senior is gathering documents, preparing to sue her. Not only will the contract be terminated, but she’ll also face a substantial compensation. 2 On the way back, I received taunting messages and videos from Logan. “Leo, what does it matter if you’re her husband? She even caught my vomit with her bare hands. Have you ever been treated like that?” I really haven’t. When I was sick, she didn’t even bother to look after me, let alone get me a glass of water. “Leo, is $500 enough for you? If not, I can send you more. My sister felt sorry for me being so ill and gave me $50,000.” I looked at the transfer records he sent. Emily really did feel sorry for him, being frugal with her apologies to me but giving him over ten million in pocket money over time. I ignored his taunts and silently kept the evidence. Back home, I cooked some noodles, ate, and went to sleep. Late at night, Emily suddenly returned and shook me awake: “Don’t sleep. Logan’s sick. I’ve told him to move in temporarily so I can take care of him.” “Hurry and clean up the guest room, change the sheets and comforter.” Woken up, feeling irritable, I turned over and went back to sleep: “Do it yourself, I’m busy.” Hearing this, Logan frowned and barged in to criticize: “Emily initially planned to stay at my place. She came back for the sake of your dignity as her husband.” “I’ve already agreed to stay here, and Emily also pleaded with you not to overdo it.” Emily shook her head in disappointment: “Don’t you usually do it with enthusiasm? Why are you deliberately targeting Logan now?” “He even told me he wouldn’t mind that you made him sick. You really have less tolerance than your apprentice!” I let out a cold laugh, too lazy to argue: “Yeah, yeah, it’s all my fault. Go live at Logan’s place; you can take better care of him.” Emily’s scolding halted, and she glared at me with red eyes: “Leo! What husband pushes his wife to someone else’s home?” She hit me a few times in frustration and ran out crying. After she left, Logan slowly walked in and gave me the middle finger: “I didn’t expect you to resort to dirty tricks like me, Master, but you’ll never outplay me. Just wait and see.” I didn’t pay much attention, buried my head, and fell back asleep. The next day, I woke up feeling refreshed, and as soon as I entered the living room, I smelled something delicious. A lavish breakfast was laid out on the table. Emily, wearing an apron, seemed to have forgotten about last night, sat me down, and placed a poached egg in my bowl. “Come on, try this poached egg.” Weird, Emily never cooks. Did the sun rise in the west today? I was about to take a bite when she muttered: “Logan is picky. If it’s even slightly burnt, he won’t eat it. If it’s too soft, he won’t eat it either. Help me taste it…” I put down my chopsticks instantly. I was overthinking it. Why would she make breakfast for me? Today’s meal was all thanks to Logan. Living like this is really a disgrace. I turned to my room, pulled out the prepared divorce agreement, and handed it to her. Emily was busy with something and didn’t even glance at it: “There’s bone broth simmering on the stove. I’ll sign later.” I stopped her: “This is urgent. Sign it first, it won’t take long.” Emily sighed, quickly signed with a pen. Then she suddenly thought of something and casually asked: “Is this your new project? I want Logan to join your team.” “Don’t worry, he won’t take any money, just wants his name on it.” I put the document away. Emily really loves Logan deeply, never forgetting to get him benefits. But this time, she’s bound to be disappointed. “This isn’t a project; it’s a divorce agreement.”

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On the eve of the annual company party, my wife said she had a surprise for me, a top-tier lawyer. However, the next day, she publicly quintupled the bonus for the marketing manager. For me, she only said, “Keep up the good work next year.” When I questioned this, my wife dismissed it casually: “Your cases were indeed well-handled, but without Charlie’s promotion, you wouldn’t have become a star lawyer.” “Besides, we’re married. What’s mine is yours. Why fuss over a little bonus?” Everyone was waiting for a scene, but I didn’t make one. Instead, I remained silent until the end of the party. The next day, I personally placed my resignation letter on my wife’s desk. “You might as well add my salary to Charlie’s. Consider it a wedding gift for you two.” My wife angrily called me petty and cursed that I’d only end up unemployed. But she forgot that as an experienced top-tier lawyer like me, there were plenty of prestigious law firms eager to hire me. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore!” Grace threw her bag onto the sofa, her face cold and refusing to communicate. I rubbed my temples, feeling utterly exhausted. Since we left work, Grace and I had been arguing about what happened at the law firm’s annual party today. I couldn’t understand why she downplayed my achievements, nor could I comprehend the point of excessively praising Charlie, a newcomer who had just joined the firm. Grace, however, thought I was being petty, fighting over such small favors with Charlie. As the argument went on, neither of us was willing to back down, and the atmosphere suddenly turned cold. At that moment, Grace’s phone buzzed with a message notification. She took out her phone, and after looking at it, her face showed obvious annoyance. “There’s an urgent matter at the firm that needs my attention. Lucas, I don’t want to argue with you about this. You’d better shape up, and don’t forget to prepare and send me the case analysis for tomorrow’s work.” “If you continue being so petty, I can’t help you. We’ve been married for five years, and you’re hung up on this little money. I’m so disappointed in you.” “I’m being petty?” I felt utterly powerless. Grace always changed the subject during arguments, never directly addressing an issue. Every time Charlie was mentioned, she had a bunch of excuses about being busy. Most often, she would use the fact that we’re married as a reason to tell me not to be so calculative. For the next few minutes, I had nothing to say. Grace complained that she had worked all day, so she specifically took a shower before returning to the bedroom to change clothes. During this time, we didn’t speak, falling into a cold war. But life can’t go on like this; someone has to make the first move. “Honey…” After pondering for a moment, I was about to take the initiative to make peace when I inadvertently noticed something strange. Grace was secretly stuffing something into her pants. As I got closer, I was shocked to see it was a pair of black stockings! The words I was about to say got stuck in my throat. I couldn’t say them, nor could I swallow them back. My heart suddenly sank. I couldn’t help but think about how Grace’s attitude towards me had changed over the past six months. She always had work to discuss, was always on business trips, and her attitude towards me became increasingly impatient. We hadn’t even had any intimate moments as a couple for a long time. At this moment, I finally realized she was having an affair. After a moment of hesitation, I instinctively wanted to stop her, but then I paused. I suppressed the anger in my heart, thinking that I might as well use this incident to divorce her directly, since my marriage with Grace had long been just a facade. Thinking this, I quietly retreated from the bedroom and sat directly on the sofa, waiting. Grace came out not long after, looking slightly nervous. “Lucas, did you call me just now?” Hearing this, I looked up and perfectly feigned a confused expression. “No, I didn’t.” Seeing that I showed no signs of suspicion, Grace visibly relaxed, her face turning cold again. “I need to go back to the firm now. We’ll talk about the year-end bonus when I get back. I might not be able to come home tonight.” Then, without waiting for my response, she hurriedly left. A few minutes later, after calculating the time it would take her to drive out of the neighborhood, I got dressed, went downstairs, and took a taxi to follow her. From the moment Grace left home, she wasn’t heading in the direction of the law firm!

I let out a cold laugh in the car when I saw her car finally stop in front of a hotel. Although I couldn’t go up to the hotel, I could get into her car. I unlocked the car, played back the dashcam footage, and heard Grace calling a man on her way there, addressing him as “baby” right from the start. “Hello? Charlie? Are you there yet? I’m almost there… It’s just that Lucas again. I don’t know what’s gotten into him these past few months, always looking for reasons to argue.” I frowned, but Grace’s next words were even more hurtful. “He should remember who got him where he is today. Now he dares to argue with me over the year-end bonus. He’s really crossing the line. It’s driving me crazy. I want your kiss, baby…” My blood boiled as I realized the person on the other end of the call was Charlie. No wonder his contributions were the greatest this year and his bonus was doubled. Apparently, he had been doing “overtime” after work. Grace, how could you do this to me? Six months ago, when Charlie joined the firm, it was already strange enough that he was parachuted in as a team leader with just a few years of experience after graduation. Moreover, his abilities were mediocre, yet Grace always assigned him the best resources, causing quite a stir among other colleagues in the company. Later, Charlie leveraged these resources to climb to the position of marketing manager in just half a year. From that point on, I began to have suspicions. On the other hand, Grace’s care for him in daily life was meticulous. During meals and business entertainment, I often couldn’t even sit next to Grace, but Charlie was always by her side. I had raised objections before, but Grace always said he was her junior from university, and it was only right to look after him. For the past six months, every time Grace had a business dinner or trip that I couldn’t accompany her on, she was probably fooling around with Charlie. Finally, I returned home in a daze. Sitting on the sofa, I rubbed my face. Suspecting and actually discovering are two different feelings. At least I had truly loved Grace. Now, having seen and heard it with my own eyes and ears, I still felt heartbroken. The TV at home was broadcasting local news about someone who killed for revenge for their mother. I had no interest in watching it and tossed and turned half the night before finally falling asleep on the sofa. The entire dream was filled with memories of my past with Grace. We met in the workplace after graduation. I was impressed by Grace’s capable and decisive nature at first sight and promptly began pursuing her. After we got together, Grace directly opened a law firm for me. I was very grateful for her recognition and worked tirelessly for the firm. This went on for six years. Later, I proposed to Grace, and both our parents were very pleased. But I never imagined that now, as the firm has grown bigger and stronger, she would already be having an affair before we even reached the seven-year itch. A night of chaotic dreams led to me being late for work the next day. In response, Grace mercilessly reprimanded me in front of all the executives during the morning meeting. “Lucas! What’s wrong with you? We just had a few words yesterday, and now you dare to be late? Let me tell you, you’ve lost your perfect attendance bonus for this month! Reflect on yourself!” Faced with the sympathetic or indifferent gazes of everyone, I just nodded, without saying much. However, this reaction made Grace think I had a bad attitude. After everyone else had left, she sat down in the boss’s chair, folded her arms, and coldly spoke to me. “Lucas, let me tell you, don’t use that attitude from home here in the company! Do you think you can give me the cold shoulder in front of everyone just because you’re my husband?! I’ve always kept our personal and professional lives separate!” Keeping personal and professional lives separate… I chewed on these words repeatedly, finding them laughable. She keeps things separate with me, but last night in the car, she was all sweet talk and coquettish with Charlie, saying all sorts of nice things. My indifference made Grace feel disrespected. She became furious, stood up, and slammed the desk. “Lucas! What are you trying to do? Are you rebelling?” I ignored her outburst and directly turned to leave the office. I went straight downstairs to the HR department to submit my resignation.

“Mr. Lin… Are you sure you want to resign?” “Yes, I’m sure.” The HR person was very surprised and repeatedly asked me. Although I had never publicly disclosed my relationship with Grace, over the years, my colleagues had all guessed it. The HR person clearly didn’t want to get involved in our “domestic affairs” at this moment and immediately showed a troubled expression, trying to deflect. “This… This is such a big decision, I can’t make it on my own. Why don’t you go talk to Ms. Gu first? See what she thinks.” My position was considered a key player in the company, and logically, it did require Grace’s signature. “No need to ask. Just handle it as a regular procedure,” I said softly but firmly, not sounding like an impulsive decision made in anger. The HR person looked at me for a while and could only agree with a bitter smile, telling me to come back in the afternoon to pick up the report. Just as I left the HR office, I was called to Grace’s office again. When I went in, I saw Charlie was also there. Seeing me come in, he smiled insincerely and said, “Brother Lucas is here.” “Good timing. Did you see the news yesterday about the person who killed for revenge for their mother? The case has now fallen to our firm. It was Charlie who secured it for you, Lucas. If you handle this case well, you could make a big name for yourself.” Grace called me in, reluctantly showing some goodwill, and then arrogantly “entrusted me with an important task” – to defend the killer from last night’s news. I had looked at that case this morning. As things stood, online public opinion had already pushed this case to a critical point. Grace wasn’t wrong; if handled well, it could indeed make me famous. However, I felt that Charlie had ulterior motives. This kind of case was a hot potato. No matter how it was defended, it would end up being criticized. The law is impartial, but morality is emotional. The outcome of this incident, good or bad, would affect one’s career. It was like unnecessarily inviting trouble. Thinking of this, I refused on the spot. “I still have several cases unfinished. Adding a new one would be too much to handle. I can’t take it. Please assign someone else.” “Lucas, Mr. Big Shot Lawyer, what’s wrong? Have you become too good for these kinds of cases after achieving some success in recent years? You’re not even seizing opportunities when they present themselves. What are you thinking?” Grace’s face showed mockery, her words extremely unpleasant. Charlie, seeing this, also pretended to persuade me: “Brother Lucas, if this case is handled well, it will only benefit our firm. Think it over. We need to consider the long-term development of Ms. Gu and the firm.” “Since this case has come to us, and I’ve worked hard to secure it, logically, the company needs someone to take it on. Currently, it seems you’re the most suitable person for this case, Brother Lucas.” I frowned, ignoring his moral coercion. Just as I was about to speak, Grace’s phone rang. “Hello? Little Li? What’s the matter? Huh? Who? Who wants to resign?!” Grace was stunned for a few seconds, and in the course of a few sentences, her expression became extremely unpleasant. After hanging up the phone, she looked at me in disbelief. “Lucas, you want to resign?! Just because I said a few words to you this morning?!” She stood up and flew into a rage at me, her whole body fuming. I remained outwardly calm, leaning on the desk and slowly moving closer, pulling the corners of my mouth into a cold smile as I spoke calmly. “Grace, not only am I resigning, but I also want a divorce.”

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Twelve-year-old Luke Wilson picked up two things at the farmers market. One was a newborn female puppy, and the other was me. Luke brought us both home and named me Lily. He provided for me, taught me, and hoped I would grow up safe and sound. Fifteen years later, Luke rebuilt his family business. Everyone thought he loved me more with each passing year. But only I knew he wouldn’t care so much about a little trash he picked up. Finally, the person Luke had been waiting for returned to the country. Without a second thought, he handed me over to his friend: “The female dog at home started breeding with different male dogs when she was two years old.” “What makes you think you’re special?” The Hillside Club was built halfway up the mountain. Without a registered license plate, one had to walk up. Luke’s urgent text messages kept coming. By the time I reached the private room door, my heels were already blistered and bleeding. I dared not delay and pushed the door open. All eyes in the room turned to me. I immediately spotted Luke sitting in the middle of the crowd. He was intimately kissing a woman on his lap, their tongues intertwined. Their hands roamed each other’s bodies. “Well, well, if it isn’t Wilson’s little adopted pet. Cute little thing, isn’t she?” A man on the couch whistled at me, making kissing noises. I clutched my coat tightly, lowering my head in silence. Hearing this, Luke finally released the woman and beckoned me over. “What are you standing there for? Come sit.” Luke, still fondling the woman’s slender waist, pointed at an empty spot on the table: “There’s still room on the table. Make do with that.” “And didn’t I teach you how to greet people properly?” At this, everyone in the room snickered, waiting to see my performance. The woman on Luke’s lap playfully hit him. “Why are you being so mean?” The man grabbed her mischievous hand and kissed it. “She’s young. I’m just teaching her, that’s all.” He then turned to me: “This is your future sister-in-law, Vanessa.” “Come on, call her sister-in-law. Let’s hear it.”

I obediently called her “Sister-in-law” and placed the newly bought stockings and condoms on the table. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.” As I said this, I turned to leave. But the next second, Luke suddenly kicked the table: “Who said you could leave?” “You’ve really gotten spoiled. You don’t even listen to me anymore?” “I told you to sit on the table!” Luke grabbed my hand and threw me towards the table. I lost my balance, and my waist slammed against the table edge. I was in so much pain that I started sweating, my hands pressed against the table as I struggled to stand up. Everyone in the room burst into laughter. Vanessa coquettishly pushed him: “Luke, don’t be like that. She’s still a girl, not really a dog you adopted!” Luke suggestively thrust his hips against the woman: “Oh? Are you finally jealous?” The two continued their intimate behavior. Vanessa held the man’s hand, pretending to be angry: “Stop it, your sister is watching.” Luke immediately gripped Vanessa’s thigh and pressed his lips to hers: “What sister? She’s just a bitch I picked up.”

As the two kissed passionately, the surrounding men became excited and said with malicious intent: “I heard… a bitch in heat can’t be satisfied even by ten dogs!” “Is that true, Luke?” The men around started rubbing their hands and unbuckling their belts. Luke glanced at me from the corner of his eye: “Why don’t you try and find out for yourselves?” I frantically wrapped myself tighter, curling into a ball. My eyes, filled with fear and pleading, looked towards Luke: “Brother… please… don’t…” But seeing my expression only seemed to excite Luke more. He stood up, cupping the woman’s bottom in his arms and bouncing her heavily. Looking down at me, he said: “The female dog we brought home together started breeding with different male dogs when she was just two years old.” “What makes you think you’re special?”

As soon as Luke gave his permission, the surrounding men surged towards me. In my confused state, someone took off my coat and pressed a glass of wine to my lips: “A little drink will make you feel better, puppy!” Luke intervened. “Don’t give her alcohol, she’s allergic.” I foolishly thought he would save me. I struggled desperately to break free from the grip of several men, crawling urgently to his feet, placing my forehead on the surface of his shiny leather shoes: “Brother! Save me, I promise I’ll be good from now on…” “I’ll listen to you and sister-in-law! I swear!” “If you tell me to leave, I’ll go! I won’t ever appear in front of you again!” But the next second, I felt a cold liquid being poured onto my back. The people around went wild: “Luke knows how to play!” “Wine on the back, double the fun!” I was thrown onto the table once again. Someone was filming nearby, saying extremely vulgar things. A sticky tongue licked across my skin. Although there was a table behind me, I felt like I was falling endlessly. Countless hands covered my body, tearing at my clothes. In my confusion, I saw Luke take a sip of wine and pass it to Vanessa with his mouth. “That’s enough, guys. She’s my only sister.” “Don’t break her.”

In my desperation, I caught sight of a wine bottle not far away, slowly rolling towards me due to the shaking table. Seeing it as my lifeline, I grabbed the bottle and smashed it on the head of the man in front of me. Once… twice… In an instant, glass and blood were scattered everywhere. The pungent liquid also splattered onto my face. Vanessa immediately let out an ear-piercing scream. The man I had hit felt the blood flowing from his forehead and fainted shortly after from shock. The bottle was smashed, leaving only a sharp half. I held it, pointing it at the men who tried to rush towards me. They all stopped in their tracks, no one daring to come closer. Luke tried to come up and stop me: “Lily, calm down. We were just playing around…” Luke bet that I wouldn’t hurt him and slowly approached me. My hand couldn’t stop shaking, tears had long been flowing uncontrollably. Seeing Luke less than two meters away from me, my emotions became even more uncontrollable. I pressed the sharp end against my own neck. Luke was too scared to come any closer: “Lily! Are you crazy?!” “I gave you your life! You have no right to decide your own death!” Tears messily stuck to my hair strands, my vision starting to blur. “It’s just one life. I’m giving it back to you.”

If I had known this day would come, I would have rather lived with cockroaches in the sewers of the farmers market. Years ago, Luke’s father was exposed by the media for his evil deeds — behind the facade of a children’s philanthropist was a perverted pedophile. With multiple pieces of irrefutable evidence presented, Luke’s father was sent to prison, where he soon committed suicide, unable to bear the shame. The Wilson family’s assets were frozen for investigation, and the company, deeply affected by public opinion, never recovered. Luke’s mother followed in his father’s footsteps not long after, screaming her innocence until her dying breath. But no one believed her. Overnight, their world turned upside down. That year, Luke was twelve years old. Relatives stayed far away from the Wilson family, and no one wanted to take in Luke, seeing him as a burden. So, just starting middle school, he used the little cash left in the family to rent a small house outside and lived alone for years. To save money, he would always go to the nearby farmers market at dusk to buy cheap, leftover vegetables that others had passed over. Until he met a little girl stealing buns. The bakery owner was chasing her with a rolling pin, determined to teach the little girl a lesson. Luke originally wanted to quickly pay for his items and leave, but he heard the vegetable vendor complaining: “It’s that unwanted little beggar again.” “I wonder what her parents are thinking.” Luke was stunned. He thought, wasn’t he also an unwanted child? He stopped the bakery owner and paid for the buns. When he found the little girl in the sewers of the farmers market, she was feeding the stolen buns to a newborn puppy. But the puppy couldn’t eat what the little girl saw as a delicacy, only whimpering weakly. “Newborn puppies need milk.” The little girl looked at Luke in terror, immediately becoming defensive. Luke just walked up, handed the buns he had just bought to the little girl, and patted her head. “Come on, let’s go home with big brother.” “I’ll make sure you have buns to eat every day from now on.” And so, under the puzzled gazes of onlookers, he took away a little beggar girl and a female puppy. In the rented room, Luke used a warm towel to clean the little girl’s body. “Big brother doesn’t have a family anymore. Will you be big brother’s family?” The little girl didn’t have a family either. She didn’t understand what family meant, she only knew that the brother in front of her wasn’t a bad person. That day, Luke named the little girl Lily. Hoping she would grow up safe and sound, year after year.

I didn’t die, but I wasn’t really living either. I was locked in a room Luke had specially prepared for me in the Wilson house, existing in a state between life and death. The windows were locked from the outside, airtight. Inside the room, there was nothing but a bed and a bathroom, nothing else. I looked at myself in the mirror, bandages wrapped around my neck, my face already gaunt and haggard. Just like before, whenever I angered Luke, he would starve me for days. He would starve me until I had no strength to argue with him, and only when I begged him for food would he be satisfied enough to let me out. But this time, Luke noticed something was different. Because I was getting thinner day by day, but there were no signs of me begging him. So Luke changed his strategy. He started tormenting me day and night. He violently forced himself on me, ravaging my mouth. My stomach, already empty of food, kept churning with bile. I wanted to vomit but couldn’t bring anything up. Obviously, a body so thin it hurt to touch didn’t arouse much interest in him. Until one day, I started eating on my own. Luke rushed home from the company, overjoyed, stroking my head and apologizing. “I was wrong last time, it won’t happen again.” “Will you forgive your brother, Lily?” I put down the soup spoon, looked up at him, and agreed with a smile. I had figured it out. I couldn’t just die so easily. I wanted to make Luke suffer unbearably, to make him experience pain worse than everything I had gone through.

I finally stepped out of that hell, but when I returned to my room, I found Vanessa living in my bedroom. Vanessa was wearing a loose white shirt, her legs exposed. Seeing me, she pretended to be surprised and hugged me: “Oh my God, Lily, how did you get so thin?” “Have you not been eating well? When Luke gets back, I’ll scold him for you!” I didn’t have the energy to play act with her. I looked past her into what should have been my room. “Where are my things?” Vanessa took a small step back, seemingly at a loss: “Oh… were those your things?” “What should we do… I asked Luke and he said they were useless trash, told me to deal with them myself.” “I threw them all away!” “Threw them away?” “Those were my things, what right did you have to throw them away?!” Having not eaten properly for several days, this shout made my heart ache terribly. “What’s all this shouting about in broad daylight?!” Luke had appeared behind me at some point, passing by me to embrace Vanessa. “Lily, what are you doing blocking the way?” “Luke, what should we do? I think I threw away all of Lily’s things.” “Did I make a mistake? I didn’t mean to! Those things really looked like…” Luke glanced at me, carelessly wiping his still damp hair with a towel: “If it’s thrown away, it’s thrown away. It was all useless trash anyway.” “The house is so big, you can just sleep in any guest room.”

In the middle of the night, someone knocked violently on the door of the room I was sleeping in. I opened the door sleepily to see Luke, his face satisfied from recent intimacy. “Go upstairs and change the sheets, and boil some water while you’re at it. Vanessa’s throat is a bit sore.” I obediently agreed: “I have some throat lozenges here, I’ll bring them to sister-in-law in a bit.” But Luke seemed to be in a strange mood. He looked at me oddly and forcefully gripped my shoulder: “Lily, you’re not jealous, are you?” “Don’t you know that from the beginning, I’ve only ever loved Vanessa?” “You volunteered to be Vanessa’s substitute, clinging to me.” … No one knew that the reason Luke cared about a little trash he picked up was because he would embrace me on countless nights. After entering college, during summer break, Luke worked four jobs a day to save money. I wanted to follow him and work too, but he wouldn’t let me, saying male bosses outside always took advantage of young girls. He was afraid I would be treated the same way. So all I did every day was wait for him to come home. By chance one time, I saw the small box that Luke usually kept locked was accidentally left with the key together. Normally, Luke never let me look at what was inside the box, or even get near that area. Driven by curiosity, I turned the key, wanting to see what treasure was hidden inside the box. It turned out there was only a yellowed photograph and two floral hair clips inside. In the photo, a young boy shyly avoided looking at the camera, while a young girl hugged him intimately, smiling happily. That was the first time I saw Vanessa. I finally understood that the box Luke wouldn’t let me open was his last sanctuary, belonging to him alone. The box contained his most precious treasure. Out of jealousy, I hid the key. When Luke came home, he frantically searched for the key but couldn’t find it anywhere. He tried to pry it open with his fingernails in desperation, but all attempts failed. I was too scared to speak, but seeing Luke’s bloodied fingernails, I tremblingly handed the key I had hidden in my pocket to Luke, who was crying with his head down. That was the first time he got so angry with me, and he didn’t come home for several days. A week later, Luke finally came back. I clumsily tried to hug him like the little girl in the photo, hoping to earn his forgiveness. I only remember that night, he kept saying “I love you so much.” But at the end of his passionate confession, it was Vanessa’s name he uttered.

When I entered the room with fresh sheets, Vanessa had just come out of the bathroom. I greeted her and then buried my head in changing the sheets. She walked to the bed wrapped in a towel, eyeing me: “Luke really has no shame, calling you to clean up so late.” “I’m sorry, Lily, we made the sheets too dirty…” Vanessa had intended to provoke me, but found I was unmoved. Her expression changed slightly, and she quickly adopted a different tone: “But come to think of it, Lily’s sexual desires must be hard to satisfy alone, right…?” “For a bitch… does it take five? Or ten?” Memories of the private club suddenly filled my entire mind, and my body felt unbearably cold. “Last time when so many men were on top of you, tell your sister-in-law honestly, you actually enjoyed it…” Before Vanessa could finish speaking, my palm landed on her face. Vanessa was stunned by my slap, holding her face frozen in place. And this scene was just witnessed by Luke, who had just pushed open the door. “Have you fucking lost your mind?!” Luke strode over to me, and the next second, a burning red handprint was imprinted on my face. My mouth was full of the taste of blood. I watched as Luke embraced Vanessa, comforting her with utmost tenderness. Vanessa nestled in Luke’s arms, crying heartbrokenly. “Luke, I just wanted to check if Lily was scared by what happened a few days ago, and she just…!” “It’s okay, Vanessa, don’t be afraid. I’m here.” Luke looked at me like I was garbage: “You’re just a dog picked up by the Wilson family, don’t forget your place.” “It seems you won’t know your mistake without some punishment.”

Once again, I was locked in that hellish room. But this time was different. Luke brought meals to my room on time every day, watching me finish before leaving. After more than a week, I finally understood his purpose for doing this. After dinner, Luke didn’t leave. He reached out and patted my face: “If it weren’t for me, you would have rotted away in that farmers market long ago.” “You should be grateful to me,” “I’ve provided for you so well for so many years, it’s time you repay our family.” Luke wanted to send me as a gift to the boss of a rival company. He dressed me in strange clothes that barely covered anything. “I heard Mr. Qin is quite the playboy.” “Women who end up in his bed never dare show their faces in public again.” “If you can please him,” “I might consider letting you be Vanessa’s bridesmaid at next month’s wedding.” … Gradually, my body began to lose strength. By the time I realized the dinner had been drugged, it was too late. 13 My body was bound with ropes, unable to move. I didn’t know where I had woken up. My eyes were blindfolded, everything was pitch black. When the sense of sight is deprived, the remaining senses become infinitely amplified. I don’t know how long it had been when the door was opened. I shuddered in shock, the scenes from that day at the private club playing on loop in my mind. The sound of leather shoes came closer and closer until it stopped near me. A man’s breath pressed down on me. It was a familiar scent. The next second, the blindfold covering my eyes was lifted. Due to the effects of the drug, my head was pounding, and my vision was blurry. I could only vaguely see the man loosening his tie, speaking with a suppressed voice: “I’ll untie the ropes first. Tell me if it hurts.” The ropes on my body were finally untied, and the man immediately covered me, barely dressed in scraps of fabric, with a blanket. The effects of the drug intensified as time passed. I still lay on the bed unable to move, with the effects growing stronger. Luke had used a potent drug, intending for me to die on this bed. I struggled to focus my vision, trying to make out the man’s face clearly. The man used a damp towel to wipe my sweaty forehead, tucking my hair behind my ear, and spoke again: “Don’t remember me?” “That’s going to be a problem.” “Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t forget me?” 14 In an instant, memories of the past flooded back to me. In college, there were quite a few boys who pursued me, but I had forgotten almost all their faces. Except for one person. We had chosen almost the same courses, and even in a gender studies course with only three students in the entire year, he and I were already two of them. He sat in the farthest position from me, yet always looked at me without trying to hide it. Until one day, I finally couldn’t stand it anymore. After class, I stopped him and asked: “Hey classmate, you’re going to stare a hole through my head.” “Can’t you show some restraint?” I had noticed before when passing by him, he always smelled like… baby powder. It wasn’t unpleasant, it was the kind of scent you could become addicted to. The boy was very tall, always wearing a white polo shirt like he was some kind of inspecting leader. In stark contrast to the color of his polo shirt were his ears, now red as blood. “I’m sorry… it won’t happen again.” “What’s your name—?” [Ethan.] “Have you forgotten me?” The man spoke with some disappointment. I remembered now, that familiar scent from earlier was the smell of baby powder. 15 “Sleep here for the night, I’ll take you back tomorrow.” I had finally managed to leave that hell, and now he wanted to send me back? My will broke through the control of the drug’s effects, and I shouted: “No!” “Help me, I can’t go back there…!” “Please, for the sake of our college friendship…” I grabbed Ethan’s hand. I heard him mutter very quietly: “Just college classmates and you still forgot me…” But soon, Ethan regained his proper demeanor.

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On our wedding anniversary, my wife slit her wrists in the bathtub, taking her own life to follow her so-called “first love” to the grave. When I opened her old diary, I was transported back to her 16-year-old self. And there he was—this so-called “first love”—trying to convince her to tattoo his name on her arm. I couldn’t hold back my anger. Pulling her behind me, I glared at him. “You Punk, get lost!” My wife, Mia, had been battling severe depression for years. Nothing seemed to bring her joy anymore. But today, on our wedding anniversary, she did something unusual—she said she wanted to have a cake to celebrate. I was overjoyed, practically rubbing my hands together with excitement as I agreed and rushed out to buy one. When I came home with a bouquet of roses in one hand and a beautifully decorated cake in the other, I found her lying motionless in the bathtub. Her body was submerged in a pool of crimson water. The cake slipped from my hands, smashing onto the floor, just as shattered as the day that was supposed to celebrate our marriage. I had always known about Mia’s so-called “first love,” Ryan. His death had left her devastated, and she fell into a deep depression because of it. One night, I came home from work to find her numbly pressing a fruit knife against her wrist. For the first time ever, I lost my temper with her. “Mia, what are you doing?! Ryan’s gone. Are you seriously going to hurt yourself over someone who’s been dead for years?” Her hand trembled as she dropped the knife, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry, Brian,” she whispered. “I don’t know… I can’t control myself.” I sighed and pulled her into my arms, gently wiping her cold tears away. “Don’t be scared,” I said softly. “You’re sick, but I’ll get you the help you need. We’ll get through this together.” She nodded. She said she’d try. But in the end, she broke that promise. While sorting through her things, I found an old pink diary with a small brass lock. Mia’s parents had spoiled her when she was younger, back when the family was still doing well. They had bought her one of those trendy diaries with a lock to keep her secrets safe. But as I held it in my hands, the lock fell off on its own, and the pages began flipping wildly, as though carried by an invisible wind. Finally, they stopped on a page. April 16th, 2013 “My sixteenth year feels like a never-ending storm, cold and damp, year-round.” Before I could read any further, a blinding white light engulfed me, and I felt myself being sucked into the diary. A distant, ethereal voice echoed in my ears. “Save her. Please, save Mia…” When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in a noisy high school cafeteria. I was wearing the uniform of Linrose High—Mia’s high school. Finding a reflective tray, I caught my own reflection. I was 16 again—back in my own teenage body! Across the cafeteria, I heard a group of students taunting someone. “Mia, your dad fell off a construction site and died, huh? And now your trashy mom’s working the streets? Heard you’re the one bringing her the bathwater to clean up after her ‘clients,’ huh?” “Makes sense—a trashy mom and her trashy daughter. You keep hanging around Ryan, helping him with homework. What is it? Trying to advertise yourself?” The cafeteria went silent as everyone stopped eating to watch the drama unfold. Mia’s face turned bright red. Her hands shook slightly, but she forced herself to stay calm, chewing her food slowly, pretending not to hear a thing. The girl who had been mocking her grew angrier at being ignored. “You little slut!” she snapped, slamming her tray toward Mia. Mia couldn’t dodge in time, and greasy food splattered all over her school jacket. Before I could react, a boy with bleached, messy hair stepped forward. Without a word, he grabbed his own tray and dumped its contents over the girl’s head. Soup and gravy dripped down her face as she shrieked in outrage. “Ryan, are you seriously beating someone up over a girl?” A chubby kid pointed an accusing finger at him.Ryan ran a hand through his messy hair, grabbed a Coke bottle, and smashed it against the table. Shards of glass scattered everywhere as the chubby kid touched his forehead, horrified to find blood dripping down.“I’ll beat the crap out of anyone who talks trash about Mia!” Ryan yelled. “If I hear one more word about her, I’ll go after every single one of you, one by one!” So… Mia’s so-called “first love” was this punk? And she took her own life over him? Sure, he protected her. But this kind of extreme behavior? It was bound to lead to trouble. Ryan handed Mia an empty Coke bottle and raised his eyebrows, thinking he looked cool. “Mia, nice people get walked all over. You’ve gotta hit them where it hurts so they’ll never mess with you again. Here, take this bottle and teach that liar a lesson.” What? Was this guy seriously encouraging Mia to assault someone? My future wife—kind, gentle, and soft-hearted—absolutely could not be corrupted by this idiot! Mia hesitated, staring at the bottle in her hand. Her eyes flickered with a dangerous, almost manic light. As she raised the bottle high over her head, I darted forward and shielded the girl she was about to hit. The Coke bottle came down hard—right on my back. Damn, my future wife was way stronger than I thought. That hurt. The wild look melted from Mia’s eyes, replaced by panic. She dropped the bottle and rushed to me. “I’m so sorry, are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Before I could respond, the cafeteria supervisor’s voice boomed across the room. “Who’s causing trouble in here? Don’t let me catch you!” Ryan didn’t even wait. He bolted without a word, slipping out the back like the coward he was. I pointed at Ryan’s retreating figure and said to Mia, “Don’t listen to him. Fighting never solves anything. He hit someone and ran away—do you really want to associate with someone who doesn’t take responsibility for his actions?” The supervisor stormed over, spitting mad. “Mia, were you the one fighting in here?” Mia, already burdened by everything happening in her life, lowered her head, ready to take the blame. But I stepped in front of her before she could say a word. “Sir, look at her. She’s tiny and well-behaved. Do you really think she could’ve been the one fighting?” I kept my tone calm but firm. “The one causing trouble was some punk named Ryan. He hit someone hard enough to draw blood and ran off in that direction. You should catch him and teach him a lesson.” The supervisor gave Mia one last sharp look before turning to deal with the injured student. Then, spotting Ryan’s bright blond hair in the distance, he took off at a sprint. “Nothing to see here. Everyone, get back to your meals,” I said. The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving Mia standing there, looking at me with wide, uncertain eyes. “Who… who are you?” she asked softly. I’m your future husband—the one you left behind, the one you broke. When I saw your lifeless body, I hated you for it. Hated that you never left a place for me in your heart, that you ended your life over a man who’d been gone for years. But now, seeing you here, alive and vulnerable, all those feelings melted away. I just wanted to save you, to change your future. Even if there’s no place for me in it, I want you to be happy. I smiled and answered sincerely, “Hi, Mia. I’m Brian. It’s nice to meet you again.” “Brian, thank you for helping me earlier,” she said hesitantly. “But… why did you betray Ryan?” “He hurt someone. He needs to face the consequences. But what about you? Why are you defending him so much?” She paused, thinking. Then she said quietly, “Because… he’s the only one in this whole school who doesn’t treat me like I’m dirty.” I studied her for a moment, then gently reminded her, “Mia, your jacket got stained earlier. You should take it off.” She hesitated but eventually slid the dirty jacket off her shoulders. Without missing a beat, I draped my own clean school jacket over her. “Well, now he’s not the only one. You’re not dirty, Mia. You’re the cleanest, kindest person I’ve ever met.”

In my original life, I attended a prestigious high school in the city. But in this alternate timeline within the diary, I was now living with my grandfather in the small rural town of Linwood, where I had somehow become Mia’s classmate. Mia was one of the top students in our grade, but she sat alone in the far corner of the classroom, her desk isolated from everyone else’s. Nobody wanted to sit next to her. Dragging my desk over, I placed it beside hers and smiled. “Our new seating arrangement. Let’s make it work, seatmate.” Mia nodded shyly. Sixteen-year-old Mia was soft, timid, and completely adorable. If I wanted to change the future and prevent Mia from taking her own life ten years later, I’d have to start by dealing with Ryan. Mia had once told me that Ryan died in June 2013, crashing his motorcycle on a stormy night. To save Mia, I needed to achieve two things: 1. Prevent Ryan’s death in two months. 2. Minimize Ryan’s influence over Mia. Mia and I were in the top-tier Class One, while Ryan was in the bottom-ranked Class Nine. During evening study hall, Ryan would often come to our classroom, knocking on the window by Mia’s desk. With two fingers, he’d make a beckoning motion, signaling for her to sneak out with him. He was trying to lure her away from study hall to hang out with him. Mia hesitated, her indecision written all over her face. When she didn’t move, Ryan started mouthing words dramatically, waving his arms and jumping around outside the window like a lunatic. Just as Mia began to rise from her seat, I grabbed her wrist. “Mia, you hit me in the back earlier, so now you owe me. Sit down and explain these questions to me as compensation.” Mia looked guilty and reluctantly nodded. “Okay.” I tore a page from my notebook, wrote a bold note on it, and stuck it to the window: SHE’S NOT GOING. Then I mouthed a simple, clear message to Ryan: Get lost. I’d graduated from one of the best universities in the country. I thought I’d breeze through some tutoring to make Mia feel accomplished. Turns out, I’d forgotten most of the material over the years. Mia giggled at my confusion, grabbed a scrap of paper, and began patiently explaining the problems to me. Each time she finished a question, I showered her with praise. “You’re amazing, Mia. A total genius.” She tried to keep a straight face, but every now and then, I’d catch her sneaking a little smile. Girls like her deserved compliments—lots of them. Over time, Mia seemed to rediscover a sense of pride in her studies. Whenever Ryan came knocking, asking her to ditch class and ride around with him, she’d brush him off by saying she had to help me with homework. At least for now, my future wife’s attention was shifting ever so slightly toward me. Ryan wasn’t the type to give up easily. Knowing Mia didn’t have much pocket money, he’d often sneak into Class One and leave cheap snacks in her desk drawer. Every time Mia found one of his snacks, her face would light up with joy. I’ll admit—I was jealous. Before and after we were married, I’d spent so much effort picking out gifts for her: jewelry, designer bags, luxury makeup, even handmade items I spent hours on. She’d always react with a polite, distant smile. But now here she was, grinning ear to ear over a packet of junk food. How could someone so hard to please be this happy over Ryan’s cheap snacks? One day, I pulled out a peach-flavored jelly cup from her desk, turned, and casually tossed it into the trash. “You’re allergic to peaches,” I said, rolling my eyes. “He can’t even get that right. Some ‘thoughtful’ gift.” Mia’s expression darkened. “Ryan said that while everyone else in the world throws mud at me, he’s the only one who brings me flowers. How could you ruin something so precious?” I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. From then on, I started bringing Mia breakfast: milk and eggs to start her day, fresh seasonal fruit after meals, and occasionally some high-end snacks. “This is what it looks like when someone really cares about you,” I said, smirking as I handed her a small box of chocolates. “Compared to this, that cheap stuff shouldn’t even catch your eye. Got it, Mia?” She looked down at the treats, then up at me, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Got it,” she mumbled. “Good,” I said, leaning back with a grin. “Smart girl.” On the weekend break, Ryan pulled up on his motorcycle, helmet still on, and called out to Mia. “Mia, don’t go home. Wouldn’t want to interrupt your mom and her ‘clients.’ Look, I’m being generous here—why don’t you crash at my place instead?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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