Category: English

At dawn, I came across a post online. “What should I do if I like my female tenant? I’ve never liked someone this much before.” Just when I thought it was some sweet story about a secret crush, the more I read, the stranger it felt. The photos this person posted looked like the hallway of my building. The description also matched me perfectly, but I’m not a tenant, I’m the landlord. There were people giving him advice in the comments. “Women are always reserved. Just go for a forceful kiss, and with a bit of push and pull, it’ll work out.” “A persistent man wins the heart of even the toughest woman. Plus, you’re so handsome, blogger. She definitely won’t be able to resist you.” “That’s how I got my wife. Once you sleep with her, she’ll do whatever you say.” The more I read, the stranger it felt. Isn’t this just sexual harassment? But the next second, my tenant John sent me a message. “Are you there? There seems to be a problem with the water pipes in my place. Can you come and take a look?” If I hadn’t seen that post, I might have gone. Because of years of renting out properties, I’m quite handy with things like changing light bulbs, fixing pipes, and unclogging toilets. Within my abilities, I always try to help tenants solve their problems. But now, I’m a bit afraid to go over. Not only is that post enough to give me the creeps, but also, my house was thoroughly checked just a few days ago. The water pressure, pipes, and electrical circuits were all fine. How could there be a problem as soon as he moved in? I looked at the pitch-black sky outside and felt a chill run down my spine. Even though it was summer, it felt like a cold wind had blown up my clothes. I’d better assume the worst about people. With this in mind, my fingers typed out a few words on my phone screen. “I’m not at home today, and I don’t really know how to fix pipes. How about my boyfriend goes to your place to check tomorrow? What time would be convenient for you?” The chat bubble for the apartment immediately showed “typing”, back and forth. The person on the other end seemed to be struggling with how to reply. I didn’t bother waiting and went to wash up. I don’t know if it was psychological, but I felt like there was a pair of eyes watching me from the darkness. I didn’t even take a shower, just rushed into the bedroom. I put a door stopper in the door crack, only then feeling a bit safer. I had just picked up my phone when I saw John’s message. “How about 8 PM then? I’ll be off work by then.” Seeing this, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe it was just a coincidence. After all, the hallways in city apartment buildings all look similar, and there are countless girls with long black hair who are 1.68m tall like me. Moreover, that person said he liked his female tenant, which is different from my situation. Most importantly, John is quite ordinary looking, forgettable in a crowd. He’s not the handsome type like the poster. As the saying goes, one’s appearance reflects one’s heart. I never thought such a good-looking exterior could hide such a dirty heart. Because just now, I saw the poster liked the comment giving him advice, and replied “DM me”. He clearly has evil intentions. I, like others, bookmarked the post, wanting to see what he would do next. But what about the boyfriend for tomorrow? I’m not in a relationship. Thinking this, I called my good male friend, Ben. I asked him to come tomorrow and pretend to be my boyfriend. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Pretending to have a boyfriend can avoid some unnecessary trouble.

The next day, as I was tidying up and opening the door to go out, I ran into John face to face. The apartment I rented to him is on the floor above mine. The elevator isn’t broken, so he must have been waiting here on purpose. And when I just opened the door, I saw him make a backward movement, indicating he was almost pressed against my door. My heart skipped a beat, and I suddenly thought of the many news stories I had seen about single women being harmed while living alone. At that moment, I deeply regretted not asking Ben to come earlier. “Miss Sarah? Weren’t you not at home?” he said. As soon as he said this, cold sweat broke out on my back. He thought I wasn’t home, so why was he waiting at my door? What did he want to do? I suppressed my fear and said coldly, “I came back in the early morning. What are you doing at my door? My boyfriend is about to come back. If you don’t have anything urgent now, he can go to your place earlier.” John scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed, and said, “My cat ran out. I just heard cat meowing from your place. Did it hide in your apartment?” As he spoke, he tried to peek into my apartment, his eyes darting around. “I don’t have a cat. Go look elsewhere,” I said. But he not only didn’t listen to me, he took a step forward, wedging his foot in the doorframe. “I’ll just come in and look for a moment. I won’t disturb you. Just let me in.” I instinctively tried to close the door, but my strength was no match for a grown man, even if he was thin. “If you keep this up, I’m calling the police!” I said. Just then, my savior arrived. “Hey! What are you doing?” Ben shouted. With one hand, Ben lifted John up and threw him against the wall on the other side of the hallway. John’s body hit the wall with a thud, and he let out an “Ouch” as he sat on the ground. “Are you trying to break in and rob? I’m calling the police!” Ben said, taking out his phone, looking like he was really about to call. John, ignoring the pain in his body, quickly got up and apologized to Ben. “No, no, no, I was just trying to go in and find my kitten. She just closed the door suddenly, trapping my foot. That’s why I pushed the door. I wasn’t trying to rob anyone, don’t misunderstand.” “It’s not me you should be apologizing to!” Ben said. John then bowed and apologized to me, who was still in shock. I calmed down and wanted to confirm one more thing. “This is my boyfriend. Didn’t you say your water pipes were broken? Let’s go to your place and take a look.” Hearing this, John’s expression changed for a moment, then he said, “The pipes were fixed by myself yesterday. It’s all fine now. Sorry for troubling you.” He turned and left after saying this, not mentioning finding his cat anymore. I didn’t have the heart to go to work anymore. My mind was full of the image of John trying to break down the door. If Ben hadn’t arrived, I daren’t imagine what would have happened today. I sat on the sofa, and Ben brought me a glass of warm water. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I’m fine. How come you came so early?” Ben stuffed a bun into his mouth. “I was terrified when I got your message last night. I came straight here as soon as I got off the plane this morning. Good thing I did.” “How long is your contract with him? Just terminate it. Having someone like that living nearby is like a ticking time bomb.” So I sent John a message directly, saying I wouldn’t rent the apartment to him anymore. He didn’t reply for a long time. But I saw that the love-seeking post had been updated. “The female tenant has a boyfriend, tall, dark, and strong. But I think I still have a good chance. After all, young girls nowadays all like thin, pale boys like me.” “I went to her door today to look for my lost kitten. The girl chatted with me for a few words and even batted her eyelashes at me. Her boyfriend found out and punched me once.” “Now she says she doesn’t want to rent the apartment to me anymore. It must be her boyfriend’s instigation. Can someone tell me what to do?” Now I’m really certain that the poster is John. Even if it was a coincidence before, it couldn’t possibly be another coincidence today. The profile picture must be stolen then. At this point, some netizens in the comments section had also realized. “Homewreckers are despicable.” “Even if you’re handsome, it’s not okay to break up other people’s relationships.” But there were still people who held the principle that looks justify everything. “That girl also batted her eyelashes at him, right? It’s not just the little brother’s one-sided love.” “Oh my god, not only is the little brother good-looking, but he’s also an animal lover. I love him even more.” “I just love this kind of forbidden love.” “Keep pursuing! Maybe she’ll dump her boyfriend and be with you. The female tenant might directly become the landlady.” I forwarded the post to Ben. “Tall, dark, and strong? This is called a healthy tan. I specially went to get tanned, what does he know! Who would like his skinny dog type that gets knocked down with one punch? My lean muscle is what’s most popular now!” Ben’s finger swiped left, clicking into the poster’s profile. “Eh? Wait, this photo.”

“What about the photo?” Ben gloated, pointing at the profile photo. “This guy is our company CEO’s son. He’s usually arrogant and domineering. If he finds out his photo was stolen by John and such comments were posted online, what do you think he’ll do? “Or if the CEO learns that someone is smearing his son’s reputation online, what do you think he’ll do?” Ben chuckled and directly forwarded the post to the company CEO. “Big news, boss! Your son wants to be a homewrecker!” Then he recalled the message after two minutes and fifty seconds. I asked him if he wasn’t afraid of being held accountable by the higher-ups. He shook his head: “The boss isn’t that petty. He might even thank me for telling him about this, to prevent his son from making a bigger mistake.” I could only pray in my heart that the boy wouldn’t be beaten too badly. Sorry about that. John was still replying to comments. “Thank you all for your support. I won’t give up. Even if I have to be the other man, I’ll pursue my female tenant!” Ridiculous. He’s clearly the tenant, yet he pretends to be the landlord. How insecure is he about his identity? He also retorted to those comments calling him a homewrecker. “You don’t know anything. This is called pursuing love!” “I know you’re unhappy in life with no love. Don’t be jealous that I’m good-looking and have several houses collecting rent.” “I’m not blind. I can tell if the female tenant is batting her eyelashes at me or not. She wore a short skirt when she came to view the house. If that’s not seducing me, what is it?” Oh my god, wearing a short skirt is seducing him? Then aren’t all the girls on the street seducing him? Besides, it’s hot summer. If I don’t wear a short skirt, should I wear cotton pants? The more I read, the more disgusted I felt. How can there be such an ordinary yet confident and lying man? That familiar avatar came out to give advice again. The username was “Wild Heart”. “Don’t doubt it. When women wear short skirts, it’s deliberately to seduce men. That’s why I couldn’t resist when my wife wore a short skirt back then. She cried and made a fuss afterward, but after some coaxing, didn’t she end up marrying me? She went from being a country girl to a city woman in one go, now living a life of luxury. You’re still too gentle. When her boyfriend isn’t around, just force yourself on her. Don’t worry, she’ll give in.” Isn’t this instigating others to commit crimes? Do they really think there’s no legal responsibility for what they say online? I saved this person’s comments as evidence and consulted a lawyer, but the lawyer told me that without substantial events occurring, it would be difficult to file a case. Although I was angry, I was helpless. Women in this world really have to experience too many dangers and bear too much malice. Not only will wearing a short skirt be assumed as seduction, but even walking on the street will be “taken in” by someone. It’s really terrifying. Many criticizing comments flooded in under Wild Heart’s comment, but he didn’t care at all. He just blocked whoever scolded him. I clicked into that person’s profile and found that he was just a disgusting man, saying that women being trafficked isn’t a bad thing, it can provide labor for rural development. He also said that women not having children nowadays is because they’ve studied too much, and women studying too much is not conducive to national unity. So he called for shortening compulsory education to increase the birth rate. He’s simply a psychopath. That night, Ben stayed in my spare bedroom. He didn’t even go to work because he was afraid something might happen to me. After hearing about this, my mom also told me to move away quickly. These days, losing money is a small matter, but it’s scary to encounter some desperate people. It’s really unfortunate that I, a landlord, am being forced to move by a tenant. Just as I was packing my luggage, Ben, standing by the window, called out. “Our CEO’s son is coming up with five big guys, carrying baseball bats! His face looks a bit red, maybe he was beaten by the CEO. Now he’s coming to take revenge on John.” Ben and I hid in the stairwell, watching the young man kick John’s door. “Open up!” John didn’t open the door, so the young man directly instructed the people beside him to open the lock. “It was you who impersonated me online and smeared my reputation? Ugly people really do more mischief!”

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My Wife Dragged Me to the Court of Selfishness If found guilty, I would lose everything, face ten years in prison, and be forbidden from interfering with her pure friendship with her first love. My wife would get all my property and could legally live with her first love. If found not guilty, my wife would be cursed with misfortune and become the ugliest woman in the world. Her first love would be chemically castrated and have to pay me a million dollars in emotional damages. I would receive ten million dollars as a reward and have the right to divorce her. My relatives and friends all advised me to apologize to my wife, believing she had always been faithful and devoted to me, incapable of cheating. Little did they know that in my previous life, I caught my wife cheating with her first love, and they killed me. This time, I’ll make them pay dearly! Before I even stepped into the Court of Justice, videos of me abusing my wife, being selfish and petty, were already circulating online. Those so-called justice warriors on the internet doxxed me, sent me funeral wreaths, and harassed my workplace with phone calls cursing me, saying I should die, questioning why I got married, and claiming I was wasting oxygen by being alive. Even my colleagues were affected. Some were attacked by angry mobs after work, with a few ending up in the hospital. Under the pressure of public opinion, my boss had no choice but to fire me. This job was something I had worked hard to get after years of studying. The effort I put in was known only to those closest to me. All of this was orchestrated by my wife of three years, Lily. Because in this world, married couples cannot divorce. I arrived at the Court of Justice as scheduled. At the entrance, I ran into Lily, who was visibly startled to see me. Lily probably didn’t expect me to show up. After three years of marriage and two years of dating, it’s enough time to know a person. Lily was certain I wouldn’t appear. She knew I loved her and was afraid of pain, so she thought I wouldn’t come to court. At least, in my previous life, even under intense cyberbullying and immense life pressure, I never appeared in court. Yes, I’ve been reborn. In my previous life, I caught Lily cheating with Ryan. Ryan, without hesitation, knocked me unconscious with a hammer. As I lay in a pool of blood, weakly reaching out to Lily for help, she turned away, grabbed an axe, and chopped me into pieces, stuffing me into a suitcase. They then created the illusion that I had fled the country due to public pressure. Lily and Ryan, the adulterous couple, moved in together, stealing everything I had. Even when my parents searched for me endlessly, they ended up dying in a car crash on a rainy night. Only after death did I realize that Ryan, Lily’s so-called male best friend, was actually her first love. They had been secretly involved for a long time, plotting how to get rid of me. The public opinion was just the beginning. They killed me so early only because I caught them in the act, and they couldn’t hide it anymore. My discovery had disrupted every step of their carefully laid plan. After all, in this world, the punishment for adultery is even more severe than for murder. In this new life, I won’t be foolish enough to trust Lily again.

“Honey, please forgive me. Don’t torment me like this anymore. Ryan is my best friend, my only family. If you promise not to hit me again and not to cut off my contact with Ryan, I’ll withdraw the lawsuit. I don’t want you to be punished,” Lily’s voice pulled me back from the painful memories of my previous death, my back covered in cold sweat. Seeing me appear, Lily reacted quickly. Before anyone else could respond, she knelt down, playing the role of a long-term victim of domestic violence who still loved her petty and selfish husband. In this world, a trial at the Court of Justice was the highest form of punishment, and nobody dared to come lightly. In others’ eyes, if Lily had experienced pain worse than death, she definitely wouldn’t have come to court. My case was the first example in fifty years, naturally causing quite a stir globally. Some media outlets, eager for exclusive coverage, had been waiting outside the court with their cameras. When they saw Lily kneel, they quickly turned on their cameras and rushed over. “Honey, even though I love you, separating me from my best friend is worse than killing me. Please stop this. Let’s go home. As long as you promise, we can go back and live a good life,” Lily continued, seeing that the fire wasn’t hot enough yet. What a declaration of love. If this had happened in my previous life, seeing Lily cry to the point of losing her composure would have softened my heart. But I’ve crawled out of hell, and I won’t be softened again, especially not by the person who pushed me into that hell with her own hands. I just stared coldly at Lily and said word by word, “If that’s the case, then you should just die!” The crowd around us wasn’t just media; there were also many people who had cyberbullied me. They all pointed at me and whispered. “My God, are there really men like this in the world? Don’t married women deserve their own social circles?” “I heard Lily and her male best friend have known each other since childhood. If there was really something between them, why would Jack even be in the picture? I think he’s just jealous because Ryan is handsome. He’s insecure.” “Who would date such a selfish man? He even cursed his own wife to die. Lily must have been blind to fall for such a beast. It seems we need to be more careful when choosing a partner in the future.” Various insults echoed in my ears, deafening, but I still had no intention of backing down. I walked straight into the Court of Justice.

I sat in the Court of Justice, with Lily in the plaintiff’s seat. Her eyes were red, and she looked weak and fragile. Faced with others’ comfort, she spoke with a pained expression. “We can’t blame Jack entirely. Maybe he just can’t understand the concept of pure friendship between men and women.” “He was wrong to hit me, but that’s just how he is. He can’t control his emotions. I feel sorry for him too.” Hearing these words, I almost laughed. On the surface, Lily seemed to be speaking on my behalf, but in reality, she had already confirmed my guilt. The uninformed audience pointed at me and cursed. “Jack, are you even human? Lily has always been so good to you, a model of a virtuous wife. How could you lay a hand on her? Have you no conscience?” “Could it be that Jack has another woman outside? Is that why he’s trying so hard to force Lily to leave?” This comment caused an uproar among the audience and those watching the live stream. Adultery was no small matter; if caught, one could be directly eliminated. Lily’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile of triumph, but she still pretended to defend me. “How could that be? Jack isn’t that kind of person. Don’t say such things. He still loves me. There’s even a lipstick in the car that he bought for me, although it’s been used. He was probably tricked by the sales assistant.” This bombshell revelation directly confirmed the suspicion of my infidelity. The comments flooded in: [Silly sister, it’s not the sales assistant who tricked him, you’re the one being tricked!] [What a good wife, still defending that scumbag even now. Jack should just die, he doesn’t deserve to be human!] Seeing the dense text, I let out a cold laugh, but I didn’t bother to respond. I didn’t need to prove anything to these fools who jumped to conclusions without knowing the whole story. “Your Honor, we can begin,” I said, looking at the stern judge. Someone mocked me, “He’s even eager to start. These days, it seems the more brazen you are, the more you can get away with.” The judge tapped his gavel to silence the court and began the trial. “The plaintiff needs to submit evidence to prove the defendant’s crimes. Once the trial begins, no one can withdraw. Anyone who withdraws will be immediately eliminated.” I saw a flash of panic cross Lily’s face, but she still stood up to start presenting evidence. The first piece was accusing me of domestic violence. The big screen lit up. I glanced at the viewer count, which had reached 80 million. Obviously, this number made me a bit nervous. After all, if public opinion was overwhelmingly against me, it wouldn’t be good for my case.

The big screen showed a scene from our home. Lily had just come out of the shower, and I was sitting on the bed with a dark expression. Lily approached me gently, as usual. “Honey, the water temperature is just right now, and the bathroom isn’t cold. Why don’t you go take a shower?” But I didn’t respond to Lily at all. Instead, I threw my phone on the ground with a loud crash, causing Lily to scream. She was only wrapped in a towel and crouched on the ground, covering her head with her hands. “Bitch! Haven’t I been good to you? Why would you do this?” I shouted as I approached her, punching the wall next to her ear. Instantly, blood seeped from my knuckles. Lily didn’t say anything, just kept crying. My emotions spiraled out of control, and I slapped Lily across the face. “A woman like you doesn’t deserve to be by my side. Get out!” Lily looked at me with a hurt expression, her eyes brimming with tears. After my outburst, she ran out the door without even changing her clothes. The video ended with Lily shivering in the cold wind, crouching on the ground helplessly, mumbling, “Why don’t you believe me? I’m so scared. Honey, can you please take me home?” The screen froze on this image, and the comments exploded. [How can there be such men in this world? Do married women not deserve to have their own social circles?] [Even if Lily did something wrong, you can’t hit a woman, can you? Jack is truly a disgrace to men.] [Didn’t you notice that Lily showered first so that it wouldn’t be cold when Jack went in? How could Jack bear to let such a considerate and gentle wife go out in just a towel in the middle of winter? Forget about safety, it’s freezing out there, she could literally die in those temperatures.] [Although Jack was wrong to hit her, what if Lily really did something terrible that made Jack lose control?] The comments were overwhelmingly against me, with only occasional rational voices trying to defend me, which were quickly drowned out by the vitriol. The judge tapped his gavel. “For the first charge of domestic violence, the defendant Jack is found not guilty.”

The moment the verdict was announced, there was a brief silence in the comments, followed by a flood of text. [Domestic violence was clearly proven, how can he be found not guilty? There must be some behind-the-scenes manipulation!] [I heard Jack is very rich. It’s possible he bribed the judge privately.] [Although I’ve never watched a trial before, I always thought the Court of Justice was a fair and just place. The judge must be in cahoots with Jack!] Faced with these doubts, the judge remained impassive and simply asked Lily, “Do you have a second piece of evidence?” Lily hesitantly submitted the evidence, not even daring to look at me. The second piece was accusing me of infidelity. After the previous verdict, many people were dissatisfied, and their trust in the Court of Justice had significantly diminished. However, the number of viewers continued to increase. It seemed they were dissatisfied with the trial results and were calling in more people to support Lily. The scene shifted to my car. Lily was bending down to pick something up when she suddenly noticed a lipstick under the seat. She asked with a confused expression, “Honey, whose lipstick is this?” As she spoke, Lily opened the lipstick, which had clearly been used. Before I could respond, Lily continued, “I don’t use this brand or this color.” I just glanced at it and replied nonchalantly, “It’s probably from one of my female colleagues who carpooled with me during the last team-building event. Just leave it there, I’ll ask around later to see whose it is.” Lily’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. “Call your female colleagues one by one and ask whose it is. I don’t want to be deceived by you.” I replied impatiently, “Do you know what time it is now? Can you stop being unreasonable?” Lily turned her head away, but tears were streaming down her face. I continued driving, completely ignoring her. After the evidence was played, the comments started pouring in with sarcasm and criticism. [Unreasonable? I think he’s just guilty. When I discovered my husband was cheating, it was also because I found another woman’s belongings in the car. These cheating men all use the same excuses.] [Poor Lily, baby. She’s been betrayed but still has to swallow her pain.] [Scumbag, I wonder if you can escape punishment this time?] Then the judge announced again, “For the second charge of infidelity, Jack is found not guilty.”

This time, the comments completely exploded. Some cursed the judge, some cursed me. Someone even opened a channel for a public vote. Yes, if the audience questions the verdict in the Court of Justice, a public vote can be initiated. In just a few seconds, the votes declaring me guilty reached 26%. If it reaches 60%, I could be convicted by the audience. Lily shot me a challenging look. At this point, there was no need for her to keep pretending. The judge ignored this and continued to ask Lily for evidence. Lily held her head high and submitted the final piece of evidence. This segment was accusing me of being petty and selfish. It showed Lily and me planning a vacation to the Maldives during the holiday. However, when we were about to leave, Ryan showed up with his suitcase. My face immediately darkened. Ryan smiled playfully at me and said, “I’m here to take photos for you guys. Professional vacation photography is so expensive these days. Don’t worry, brother-in-law, I’ll cover all my own travel expenses.” But Lily quickly refused, “How can we let you pay for your own expenses when you’re helping us take photos? We should at least cover your costs, right honey?” She tugged at my sleeve as she said this. I yanked my arm away from Lily and snapped back, “If you have too much money to spend, why don’t you just donate it? This is your friend, why should I pay for him?” Lily was stunned. She looked at me helplessly, on the verge of tears. “Honey, we’re married. Aren’t my friends your friends too?” I sneered, “Don’t make me sick. Is there such a thing as pure friendship between men and women?” I stormed off, leaving the two of them in an awkward situation. After the video played, the judge still said, “For the third charge of being petty and selfish, the defendant is found not guilty.” As he spoke, the vote count on the big screen started rolling, reaching 58%. This meant that if it continued to rise, I could be convicted without the judge’s verdict. [Who says there’s no pure friendship between men and women? Jack must have a dirty mind to see everything as impure!] [Even if they’re just friends, you should still pay for the photography, right? How can Jack be so selfish that he doesn’t want to spend a penny? Why don’t you just die poor?] [If you can’t tolerate your wife having friends, why don’t you just tie her to your belt? Disgusting scumbag, stingy bastard, petty man!] More and more people in the comments were siding with Lily. Lily was now triumphant. Wanting to speed up the voting process, she directly said to me, “Honey, I know you blame me. I won’t quibble about you bribing the judge behind my back. All I ask for is your undivided attention and love, and for you to allow me to have friends freely. We can still continue our life together.”

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I held back my anger and called her, wanting my daughter to see her one last time. “Jack, are you sick? Ethan is ill and needs me. If you’re going to be like this, we should just divorce.” As she wished, after the divorce, she regretted it and knelt before me begging for forgiveness… “Daddy, save me, save Emily, I’m scared…” I was speeding down the road, my mind filled with Emily’s desperate voice. Today was her fifth birthday. My wife Sarah had taken our daughter to a summer resort to play. I was originally supposed to go too, but was discouraged by Sarah’s coldness. “Jack, I want to spend Emily’s birthday alone with her. If you go, I won’t go.” Sarah, who had previously been cold towards Emily, making such a request angered me. But Emily’s hopeful eyes made me nod in agreement. Now, hearing the fear in her trembling voice, I regretted it. “Daddy, Mom left with Ethan and Uncle Mark. I don’t know what to do alone…” “Emily, be good. Daddy’s here. Run towards the place with the police badge, the uncles there will take care of you.” Hearing that Sarah had left Emily alone, my heart filled with bitterness. Although anxious, I could only comfort her on the phone. Just then, heart-wrenching cries mixed with the roars of wild beasts came through. I suddenly remembered there were black bears kept at the resort. I tried to keep my voice steady as I called Emily’s name on the phone, while reassuring myself everything was fine. When I arrived at the resort, I saw a crowd gathered in a circle. “This poor little girl, how could she have gone to the bear enclosure alone? This is too cruel…” One sentence made my suspended heart plummet to rock bottom. I collapsed on the ground, weakly raising my hand to cover my chest. I struggled to crawl forward, seeing the phone watch on her small hand, and completely broke down. Using all my strength to stand up. I saw the girl’s white tulle dress had turned blood red. It was the one I had put on her myself this morning. Before leaving, she had hugged my neck and said in her sweet voice: “Daddy, tonight Emily will blow out the candles with you. You have to give Emily a teddy bear, okay?” After saying this, Emily stole a kiss on my cheek. Seeing her mischievous look, the frustration in my heart disappeared. But now she was lying on the ground like a lifeless doll. A piece of flesh had been torn from her face, with only a bit of skin still connecting it. Her limbs were twisted, and much of her hair was gone. Even the delicate skin on her body had been clawed open by sharp talons. This horrific sight made it hard for me to breathe, and my body began to sway. I took out my phone to call 911, but couldn’t aim at the screen for a long time. The feeling of helplessness made me break down. I knelt on the ground begging the onlookers. “Please help me call 911, save my daughter…” Hearing the ambulance was on its way, my panic subsided a bit. I turned to pick her up, but the bite marks on her body left me at a loss where to touch. I could only carefully kneel beside her, softly calling her name in a choked voice. “Dad… hurts… I… Mom…” Emily’s painful mumbling with closed eyes was her response to me. Thank goodness, she was still conscious. I understood her broken words – she wanted her mom. Seeing my daughter so fragile and miserable, hatred grew in my heart. But not wanting to disappoint her, as she was being sent into the emergency room, I called Sarah.

“Sarah, come to the city hospital.” I said, tightly gripping my hands to hold back the anger in my heart. Sarah was choked by my cold voice, then exploded in anger. “Jack, are you sick? Not having a good meeting, but monitoring me instead?” She’s at the hospital too? “Downstairs in the emergency room. Emily is seriously injured and wants to see you.” “Heh, Jack, you really are sick. You’d make up any lie to keep me from accompanying Ethan. He has no mother and is autistic. Now that he’s sick, if I don’t stay with him, he’ll be scared. Can’t you be more generous?” Sarah’s continued outburst made me look towards the emergency room, feeling sad for my Emily. Ever since Mark brought Ethan back to the country three years ago, my daughter had lost her mother’s love. And our marriage had reached a freezing point. To prevent Emily from growing up in a single-parent family, I endured the frustration in my heart and played the role of a good husband. Even so, I still couldn’t win back Sarah’s heart. Sarah was originally my secretary. After repeated collaborations, I developed different feelings for her. After I confessed to her, she looked surprised. I thought she would refuse me, but unexpectedly she walked straight to my side and nestled into my arms. “I like you too.” After getting together, she didn’t want to hear the company employees gossiping, so she quit her job to stay at home. At first, we lived very happily and comfortably, and soon had Emily. I thought I was the happiest man in the world. Successful career, beautiful wife, adorable daughter – a perfect life. But all this disappeared the moment Mark returned to the country. Only endless arguments remained. “I’m not coming home tonight, I need to stay at the hospital to take care of Ethan…” “Enough! Today is Emily’s birthday. You only have eyes for Ethan. What about my Emily?” Hearing her words of concern for Ethan, my rationality completely disappeared. She worried Ethan would be scared, but didn’t think about how terrified Emily would be after being abandoned. But Sarah’s next words further confirmed my intention to divorce. “Doesn’t Emily have you? She’s just a little girl, how delicate can she be?” Hearing the call disconnect, I raised my phone high in anger: “Fuck!” Just as I was about to throw it down, the emergency room door opened. The doctor appeared before me looking exhausted, wearing a blood-stained surgical gown. His heavy expression made my heart tremble. With a choked voice, I begged. “Doctor, no matter how expensive the medicine is, I can afford it. Please don’t give up!” “The child has multiple organ failure. Besides the external injuries, the internal ones are worse. Only one rib is still connected, and she had brain swelling when brought in…” “I’m sorry, my condolences.” The doctor patted my shoulder in comfort, letting me go see Emily one last time. I don’t know how I walked to Emily’s side. The wounds on her face had been sutured by the doctor, but she was so swollen I couldn’t recognize the little girl from this morning. “Emily, are you mad at Daddy for being late, so you’re pretending to sleep? Wake up quickly, or I’ll tickle you…” “Emily, my baby, please wake up. Daddy is begging you. It’s Daddy’s fault for handing you over to her.” “Does it hurt a lot? Daddy will blow on it. Wake up and blow out the candles…” “Emily, my Emily…” Sorrowful cries echoed through the room. The nurse stood to the side wiping tears, not disturbing me. I sat like this holding Emily’s dislocated hand until evening. Only when the doctor forcibly sent Emily to the morgue were we separated.

I stood in the hallway watching Emily slowly disappear from my sight. My heart felt like a piece of flesh had been carved out, making it hard to breathe. Thinking of how Emily had looked forward to blowing out birthday candles with me, I prepared to go home and get the cake to accompany Emily. Unexpectedly, just as I reached the lobby, I saw Sarah struggling to carry Ethan, following behind Mark. Even so, her face still wore an expression of deep maternal love. Watching them walk further away, I quickly followed. I had originally thought to let Sarah go see Emily first, so Emily wouldn’t have any regrets. But just as I reached outside the hospital room, I heard the conversation inside. “Do you think Emily’s injuries are serious? If not serious, will Jack still not divorce?” Sarah chuckled lightly, leaning against Mark in her red dress, tapping his nose with her finger. “Look at how cowardly you are. As long as there’s a threat to Emily, he’ll definitely propose divorce himself. Then we can split half his assets. If once isn’t enough, we’ll do it twice. As for Emily, she’s just one of my children. As long as it’s not life-threatening, I can accept her getting a bit hurt.” Only then did I realize they had deliberately abandoned Emily. Six months after Mark returned, Sarah had proposed divorce to me. At the time, I made her back off by offering to leave with nothing. She promised not to mention divorce again before Emily turned 18. Her only request was to let Mark work at my company, and as a vice president position. These past two years, whenever she came home, I turned a blind eye. But why suddenly make things difficult for Emily now? The next second, Sarah’s hand caressed her belly, and Mark proudly placed his hand there too. “Auntie, when can we leave the hospital? I feel suffocated here.” “Be patient a little longer, sweetie. Once Auntie has resolved everything, our family of four will leave.” Sarah’s voice was full of tenderness, stunning me. Shameless, and unworthy of being a mother. Killing my daughter for her own selfish interests, unforgivable. I kicked the door open forcefully. The loud noise made the three people in the room stand up. Seeing me walk in, panic appeared on Sarah’s face. Mark hid behind her, not daring to come out. “You… why did you come here instead of taking care of Emily? Are you even a man?” Sarah stuttered, shouting out of guilt. I didn’t give them a pleasant expression either, coldly raising my palm. Feeling the pain in my hand and Sarah’s flushed cheek, I felt it wasn’t enough. I wanted to kill them, to make them pay for my child’s death. But that wasn’t enough. I wanted to torture them, to make them lose everything. Sarah looked at me in disbelief, her eyes full of hatred. “Jack, are you sick? How dare you hit me.” “Why? Because you’re a heartless mother who abandoned my daughter at the resort to have a child with another man, causing her tragic death. Even if you all died, it wouldn’t be enough to quell the hatred in my heart.” Sarah’s face turned pale. She took a step back looking at my flushed face.

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I Made a Bet to Win Over the Cold CEO “You’re too rich. Being with you makes me feel insecure.” Later, I heard that Alexander Stone locked himself at home for a week, drinking himself into oblivion. After he sobered up, he forbade everyone in the company from mentioning my name. My friends warned me to be careful, saying Alexander must hate me now. Until we met again at a party, he coldly pinned me against the wall: “I didn’t know the daughter of the richest man in the city could feel insecure about money. Was I really that easy to fool?” When my best friend Emma Sullivan came to pick me up, she was fully disguised. Mask on, hat pulled low. As if she was terrified someone might recognize her. I found it ridiculous. As soon as I got in the car, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I slapped her on the back. “What’s wrong with you? Are you a celebrity or am I? Who are you hiding from?” Emma yanked off her mask and slapped me back. “Idiot, Alexander Stone hates your guts now. I have to be careful not to get caught in the crossfire,” she muttered. “I don’t want to get into trouble because of you.” Me: … I leaned back in my seat, trying to look cool. But inside, I was nervous. “It can’t be that bad, right?” “He must have forgotten about me by now.” Emma’s eyes widened. “What are you thinking?” “The day you broke up with Alexander, he got drunk out of his mind. Then he locked himself at home for a week. No one could get him to come out.” “Think about it – a workaholic like him, staying home for a whole week? He must have been truly heartbroken.” I shifted uncomfortably. “What happened after that?” “After he finally came out, he forbade anyone from mentioning your name. No one dares to bring you up now.” Emma tried to reason with me. “I know your parents’ company is expanding to New York and you’ll have to live in the same city as him, but I advise you not to come.” “I’m worried you’ll get into trouble.” I fell silent. Alexander Stone. Does he really hate me that much? Surely not. I said weakly, “It’s been three months. He’s probably forgotten about me by now.” Emma laughed. “Even if you turned to ashes, he wouldn’t forget you.”

Of course Alexander wouldn’t forget me. Because I got together with him for a bet. At the time, I was in New York for a magazine photo shoot and met up with my best friend Emma for dinner. That night, she took me to a party. There, I ran into an old friend I hadn’t seen in ages – Jack Harrison. He teased me for being single. I joked that he was an empty nester. Jack stomped his foot in annoyance and pointed to a man at the center of the party, surrounded by layers of people. “I’m not an empty nester, he is!” Then he grinned mischievously. “If you can win him over, I’ll give you $100 million, straight up.” My eyes lit up. Money handed to me on a silver platter? I’d be a fool not to take it. “Deal.” I happened to need some funds to open my own studio. And here was an easy target. It took me three weeks. Relentless pursuit. I finally got him. Once the money was in place, I made up some excuse and broke up with him. Alexander was in the kitchen warming up milk for me. I stood at the door with my suitcase and left him with these words: “You’re too rich.” “Being with you makes me feel insecure.” Before Alexander could turn around, I was already at the front door, closing it behind me. By the time he realized what was happening and came after me, I was already in the car, ready to fly to Europe for a film shoot. That shoot lasted three months. Three months. I was sure he would have forgotten about me by then.

I always felt that Alexander didn’t love me that much. He was always so indifferent. Everything he did was with a sense of detachment. It seemed like nothing was a big deal to him. Even when I asked if we could kiss, He just gave me a faint “Mm.” Mm? That’s it? Our first kiss was initiated by me too. The key is, I was a complete novice. I had no experience at all. I just rubbed against his lips for a while, not knowing how to proceed. When I was about to give up and pull away, Alexander finally grabbed the back of my head. “Kiss like this.” Even when kissing, he showed no emotional fluctuations. He was always so indifferent. Even in bed. It was always the same boring position. Like an old prude. Not only was there no passion, He was also incredibly old-fashioned. He would lecture me for half an hour if I wore something too revealing for a photo shoot. In the end, he made me put on a shawl. Sitting in the passenger seat, I told Emma about all my experiences over the years. After hearing it all, she was so surprised her mouth hung open. “What? He doesn’t move in bed?” “Then why don’t you move?” Me: … She sure has a way of understanding things. Emma was like an innocent, curious child. “I’m just saying, maybe you should teach him some stuff in that department. After all, you’ve watched tons of movies.” Me: … Where did that rumor come from?

The second night after I returned from Europe, I finally got over my jet lag. Not long after I woke up, I was dragged to attend a party. They said I was there to make up the numbers. But as soon as I stepped in with my left foot, someone pulled me backstage. I couldn’t even see the person’s face clearly before being dragged to a corner backstage. “Mr. Security Guard, I just happened to step in with my left foot. You don’t have to lock me up just because of that, right?” “Mr. Security Guard…” I had barely finished speaking when I saw the person’s face clearly. Alexander Stone pointed at his own face and laughed sarcastically. “Me, a security guard?” I immediately laughed it off. “Oh no, handsome stranger, who are you?” Alexander smirked. The next second, his face turned cold as he pinned me against the wall. “I really had no idea that the daughter of the richest man in Los Angeles would feel insecure about money.” “Lily James, was I really that easy to fool?” I had imagined hundreds of possible scenarios for our reunion. But I never imagined it would be like this. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Handsome stranger, who are you?”

Alexander laughed angrily. He was truly laughing out of anger. I could even hear the sound of his teeth grinding. “Lily, do you really think I’m that easy to fool?” My back went cold, but I stubbornly kept up the act. “Handsome stranger, if you want an autograph, I can go outside and sign one for you?” “How about a personalized one?” Alexander wasn’t buying it and didn’t play along. He stepped closer to me, backing me into a corner. My dress for tonight had a large open back, and I didn’t want to touch the cold wall, so I stopped moving. At the same time, Alexander’s large hand landed on my waist. He gently caressed it, and I suddenly realized. This was the move he most often did when we were flirting. My waist is a very sensitive spot. I wanted to dodge, but his other hand trapped me. “Lily, still saying you don’t know me?” I stubbornly insisted. It was the kind of stubborn that would make even a rock give up. My ears were burning red, and my legs felt weak. “I really don’t know you.” “Handsome stranger, you’re crossing a line here.” Alexander lightly pinched the soft flesh at my waist. “Want to see how red your face is, hmm?” Alexander clearly had no intention of letting me go. The scorching heat on my waist was impossible to ignore. “This is a public place, what are you trying to do?!” He lowered his head, his thin lips approaching. “What do you think?”

I felt that the Alexander in front of me wasn’t like the Alexander I knew. He was too smooth. So smooth that I could barely handle it. Back when I was relentlessly pursuing him and finally got him, Any physical contact only happened if I initiated it first. Kisses, hugs, and such – if I didn’t make the first move, he wouldn’t budge. At first, I wanted to say he was too conservative when I broke up with him. But thinking it might hurt his self-esteem, I made up that random excuse about feeling insecure instead. I never thought he’d remember it until now! And even corner me at a party hall three months later. … I pointed behind Alexander and said, “Oh, Mrs. Stone, what are you doing here?” Seizing the opportunity, I pushed Alexander away and prepared to escape. But to my surprise, Alexander didn’t even turn around. He caught me and pulled me back. “Hasn’t anyone told you that trick is outdated?” “Did you go to Europe and fall behind the times?” Alexander teased me mercilessly. I lowered my head in defeat. The next second, I was lifted off the ground, my feet dangling in the air. Me: … How could anyone attack with their armpit?! I never imagined Alexander would suddenly tuck me under his arm and walk out of the party. How could someone in a suit just carry a beautiful girl out like this, tucked under his arm?! I covered my face with both hands. Trying not to let people recognize me. But I still heard some comments. “Wow, carrying a woman under his arm, that’s a first for me.” “I have to say, it looks pretty cool.” I went from covering my face with my hands to covering it with my arms. Wishing I could shrink myself. Not letting anyone see me. In my heart, I cursed Alexander to high heaven. Alexander carried me quickly all the way. He rushed straight to the entrance. The moment he put me down, I finally took a deep breath. I had never felt any path was so long before. As soon as my feet touched the ground, my mouth started running. “Alexander Stone, are you crazy? Would it kill you to carry me like a princess? You’ve done it plenty of times before, why did you have to use that method today of all days?!” “Alexander Stone, I’ve lost all face!” I was so angry I was jumping up and down. Alexander just smiled without saying a word. After I finished ranting, he slowly said, “What’s our relationship? I never carry strange women.” I was at a loss for words. Damn it. In a moment of excitement, I forgot I was still acting. My toes curled. Suddenly, things got awkward. The next second, it got even more awkward. “Yo! Lily, I’ve been looking for you everywhere, and here you are flirting with a handsome guy…” Emma came running towards me, but as soon as she saw Alexander’s face clearly, she did a 180-degree turn on the spot. “Sorry, I mistook you for someone else. Who are you guys?” Her retreating back was full of cold indifference. The corner of my mouth twitched. What’s the meaning of this? Afraid Alexander would give me trouble, and not wanting to get involved! Alexander laughed coldly, “You’ve done a good job keeping it secret, haven’t you? Handsome guy?” “I heard there was a bet involved, is that right?” He approached step by step, and I retreated step by step. I waved my hands in denial, “Not much, really not much.” Alexander knew exactly what was going on. “$100 million? Opened a studio? You calculated it all so well. After being together for two months, you broke up without any consideration for my feelings.” My eyes darted around, not daring to look at him. Alexander was still approaching me. “The money they gave you, I’ll double it…” Before he could finish, my eyes lit up. “Okay!”

Alexander left, furious with me. Just because I interrupted him And said “okay” without even thinking. He said I was something else. I thought so too. No one can resist money. Even the daughter of the richest man. Two hundred million dollars. That would make my dad overjoyed. But tonight’s Alexander was a bit unforgettable. Three months later, he’s still so handsome. Tonight, his aggressive approach really made my heart race. I almost couldn’t keep it together. Is this relationship really so hard for him to forget? I covered my unusually fast-beating heart, forcing myself to sleep.

My agent got me an endorsement deal for a luxury jewelry brand. She kept going on about how lucky I was on the way there. “Two hundred million dollars! This endorsement fee is like a gift from heaven!” “You haven’t had any endorsements for so long, and now you get a big one. Your beauty will be on the big screens now!” “When the investor arrives later, you need to smile more. Cheer up for me!” I was still drowsy, not fully awake yet. I had no idea what she was talking about. Endorsement? Just do it, I thought. But soon, I didn’t think that way anymore. When Alexander Stone stood in front of me, I was completely dumbfounded. He walked towards me step by step. “Two hundred million, is that enough?” I couldn’t smile. No wonder my agent was so excited this morning. Turns out someone had sent her money. Two hundred million. This guy just handed it over like that? My agent’s eyes kept darting between Alexander and me. “Do you two… know each other?” Neither Alexander nor I answered. After we started shooting, I thought everything would be fine once we entered the studio. But then I saw Alexander holding a camera. I really wanted to jump up and down in frustration. Alexander just familiarized himself with the camera, then looked at me with a slight raise of his eyebrow. “I’ll photograph you. The photography fee is separate.” “It’s a good deal for you.” Me: … This is all your territory, how can I refuse? Now I understood what it meant to be on a sinking ship. Alexander asked all the staff in the studio to leave. Leaving only him and me. All the hair on my body stood on end, and I entered a state of alert. He tucked my stray hair behind my ear. “Cooperate a bit.” “Lily.”

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When my husband’s mother, Sarah Brown, was hospitalized due to illness, I took care of her around the clock, never leaving her side. After Sarah’s condition finally stabilized, Rita Brown, the wife of my husband’s brother, finally showed up, appearing at the door of the hospital room. Though she arrived empty-handed, Sarah couldn’t stop praising her for her devotion, showering her with compliments. I rolled my eyes in frustration and quietly left the room, feeling a mix of emotions in my heart. Once Sarah was discharged and recovered, I suggested that she stay with Rita for a while so that Rita and her family could have the chance to show their filial piety to her. I couldn’t help but smile coldly when I saw Rita hesitating and reluctantly trying to avoid my suggestion. She had to experience some things herself. “Cynthia Brown, what kind of food did you bring me? Is there anything here that I actually like?” Sarah’s angry shout suddenly rang out, and at the same time, food splashed all over me. The metal lunch box hit my abdomen hard, making me feel a sharp, dull pain. I looked down at the food all over the floor and then at my wet clothes. The sticky feeling was unpleasant and uncomfortable. Not wanting to disturb others’ rest and to maintain my own dignity, I chose to remain silent. With a sigh, I began cleaning up the mess. Once the mess was cleaned up, I changed into fresh clothes before explaining to Sarah. “Sarah, the doctor said you shouldn’t eat greasy food right now, so I made you some light soup and vegetables.” Even though my tone was full of helplessness, Sarah stubbornly turned her head away and kept yelling at me. Knowing that further communication with Sarah was pointless, I quietly reminded her to follow the doctor’s advice before shutting my mouth. Sarah huffed disdainfully and turned away, no longer paying me any attention. It was nearly noon, and everyone else had gone out for lunch. The room was left with only Sarah and me. An oppressive silence filled the air, so thick that even the sound of a falling needle would have seemed loud. I was about to step out of the room for some fresh air when suddenly, I heard the sound of a woman crying uncontrollably. Before I could react, a figure quickly rushed toward Sarah’s bed. “Sarah, how are you feeling? Is there anything else bothering you? I’ve been so worried these past few days. I can’t even sleep at night thinking about your suffering in the hospital…” A stream of concerned words poured out like rapid fire. I looked up and saw that it was none other than Rita Brown, the wife of my husband’s brother, who was sobbing as she clung to Sarah. Seeing her fake display of concern, I felt a wave of disgust wash over me. Just a month ago, Sarah’s chronic condition flared up again, and this time it was quite serious. I rushed Sarah to the hospital and called my husband, Jeffrey Brown. Because it was an emergency, I had no choice but to sign the surgery consent form as the doctor advised. By the time Jeffrey arrived, sweating and panicked, Sarah had already been wheeled into the operating room. We hadn’t even had a chance to inform Jeffrey’s brother, Earl Brown, about the situation yet. And now, Rita, like a latecomer, appeared to lament how much she cared about Sarah. Her insincerity left me feeling completely contemptuous.

Although the doctors had clearly told us that the chances of success for the surgery were quite high, Jeffrey and I still paced nervously outside the operating room, our minds filled with worry about the unknown outcome, fearing any unexpected complications. Luckily, our fears turned out to be unnecessary. When we saw Sarah safely wheeled out of the operating room, the heavy weight that had been hanging over me finally lifted. Though the surgery was a success, the doctors recommended that Sarah stay in the hospital for a month to rest to monitor her recovery closely. I had no objections to the doctor’s advice and readily agreed. However, the reality of the situation presented a challenge. We had a young child at home to care for, and both Jeffrey and I had demanding jobs, making it hard to find enough time to stay with Sarah. After giving it some thought, I called Rita, hoping we could work out a shift plan to help care for Sarah so we could all share the load. Unfortunately, as soon as I mentioned that Sarah was in the hospital, Rita quickly ended the call, citing the busyness of her own household. I tried calling several more times, but no one answered. It was clear that Rita didn’t want to be involved in caring for Sarah. Faced with this reality, we had no choice but to take on the responsibility ourselves. Since Jeffrey worked in sales and was currently in his peak season, his hours were unpredictable, though his income had increased significantly as a result. After weighing the options, I decided to take a month’s leave from work to devote myself entirely to taking care of Sarah in the hospital until she fully recovered. At the same time, considering that Jeffrey couldn’t manage the children, I used my lunch breaks to drop our child off at my mother’s house for her to look after. Despite all my efforts, I never earned Sarah’s full approval. She often criticized my work, either pointing out something I hadn’t done well enough or complaining about things I had done wrong. I tried to bear her criticisms, but what hurt the most was how often she would say that if Rita were taking care of her, she would do a much better job than I did.

I had countless moments when I wanted to directly tell Sarah that Rita, upon hearing the news of her hospitalization, had coldly hung up the phone and, over the past few days, neither showed up nor even bothered to call and check on her. But each time I saw Sarah’s pale face, weakened by her illness, my impulse to say that was quickly suppressed, as I didn’t want to upset her and risk interfering with her recovery. Honestly, I could understand why Sarah might not like me; conflicts in family life were nothing new. What I found hard to accept, though, was Sarah’s clear favoritism toward Rita. Over the past ten years, since Jeffrey and I got married, Sarah has lived under the same roof with us. Our child, Keith Brown, was already seven years old now. I had done my best to show filial piety, but I had never earned Sarah’s genuine affection in return. My thoughts drifted back to the time when Jeffrey and I got married. Both our families were ordinary, living simple lives. When we discussed our wedding, I only symbolically proposed an engagement gift of sixty-six thousand dollars, and after the wedding, I brought it all back as start-up money for our little family. However, when Earl and Rita got married, she immediately asked for an engagement gift of two hundred eighty thousand dollars. As far as I know, this money ended up in her brother’s hands, and it was used to buy property. Not only did she not bring back a penny, but she also often moved things from her home to her parent’s place. So, whenever I saw Sarah’s preference for Rita, a deep sense of injustice would rise in my heart. At that moment, Rita sat on the hospital bed, her eyes full of tears as she expressed her concern for Sarah. Sarah, equally emotional, tightly grasped Rita’s hand, tears streaming down her face in response. Seeing this scene, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Rita’s hypocritical face any longer. I rolled my eyes and turned, walking out of the room. I wasn’t surprised at all by Rita’s sudden appearance at the hospital today. Yesterday, the doctor informed Jeffrey and me that Sarah was recovering well and would be discharged soon. Hearing the news, I was genuinely happy. Even though Sarah had always been cold towards me, I sincerely wished for her to be healthy and free from illness. Jeffrey was also glad. Although he held a grudge against Rita’s family for their indifference, the bond of brotherhood was not so easily broken. After thinking it over, he still decided to share the good news with his brother, Earl.

As for why Rita showed up today, I was well aware. She probably thought that since Sarah’s condition had improved, they no longer needed to pretend to care for her. So, she rushed over to act as the good wife and good son in front of Sarah. After all, when she came, I made sure to glance a few times. She didn’t even bother bringing a box of supplements or anything. She showed up empty-handed. I sat outside for a long while, watching as the evening sky grew darker. It wasn’t until I realized how late it had gotten that I slowly walked back into the hospital. However, when I returned to the room, I found that neither Sarah nor Rita were there. Since Sarah wasn’t due for discharge yet, and with it being so late, where could Rita have taken her? With this question in mind, I quickly pulled out my phone to call Rita. But before I could dial, Joan Arnold, who was in the bed next to Sarah’s, suddenly looked at me. “Cynthia, Rita gave Sarah something to eat a while ago. Not long after, she started vomiting. They’ve taken her to the emergency room…” Joan’s words froze me in place. But as soon as I snapped back to my senses, I widened my eyes and rushed towards the ER, not even bothering to thank Joan. By the time I reached the emergency room, I saw Rita sitting on a chair outside. But I had no time to question her. Instead, I focused on calming myself down and waited anxiously at the door. Fortunately, the panic didn’t last long. The doctor came out quickly. He removed his mask and calmly spoke to me, “We just induced vomiting in the patient. She’s fine now. But you need to follow the doctor’s advice on what to feed her. Don’t give her anything random. She’s elderly and can’t handle this kind of stress repeatedly.” The doctor’s tone held a hint of reproach, but once I heard that Sarah was okay, my worried heart finally eased. Not bothering with further explanation, I kept nodding and thanking the doctor. After the doctor left, I let out a long breath and turned to glare at Rita. “What did you give Sarah to eat just now? What happened? Don’t you know that she’s elderly? If something serious had happened, it would have been too late by then!” As I looked at Rita’s careless attitude, my voice was filled with unmistakable reproach. “Sarah told me you didn’t feed her, and she was hungry. So, I ordered sandwiches and fried chicken for her. You know how much Sarah loves this kind of food.” I noticed her pouting as if she was in the right, which made me even more frustrated. “Even if she loves it, she should consider when it’s appropriate. Sarah’s in the hospital, and she needs to eat lighter to help with her recovery. Sandwiches are hard to digest, and with all the condiments, it’s basically just going to upset her stomach. She’s still taking medicine; how can her body handle such irritating food? And by the way, do you see anyone else eating like this in the hospital?” Before I could finish my scolding, I heard Rita mumbling. “I didn’t come here to take care of her, how should I know? Besides, isn’t she fine now? Do you really have to talk to me like this? Like I’m some kind of villain.” Her words instantly set my anger off. So now, her family didn’t come to take care of Sarah, and yet they still had the nerve to complain? Was I just supposed to suffer through this? Day and night, taking care of her? Just as I was about to completely lose it and confront Rita, Sarah suddenly spoke up. “Cynthia, that’s enough. The doctor said everything was fine. And Rita didn’t mean to, how could she know what Sarah can and can’t eat? But I know in my heart, she’s a good kid. She even remembers what I like to eat.” After saying this, Sarah looked at Rita with a loving gaze. I couldn’t help but think back to how, every time Sarah looked at me, there was nothing but cold indifference and disdain in her eyes. When I saw this, the anger that had been building up inside me suddenly dissipated. If even Sarah, the one involved, wasn’t bothered, why was I so worked up over it? Realizing this, I quietly sat down on a chair beside the bed, not saying another word.

However, the brief calm was soon interrupted by the doctor’s arrival. After everything that had just happened, the doctor suggested we stay a few more days for observation before discharging Sarah, just to make sure everything was truly fine. We nodded in agreement with the doctor’s advice. But as soon as the doctor left, Rita was already at Sarah’s side, looking guilty. “Sarah, you know how busy Earl and I have been with work. We just couldn’t find the time… You’re not mad at me, are you?” Before Rita could finish, Sarah immediately patted her hand and took over the conversation. “Rita, I understand. Don’t worry about me. Just focus on your work. As long as I know you’re thinking of me, that’s enough. Besides, Cynthia’s here, right? She can take care of me. Though she’s not my first choice, she’ll do… so don’t stress, okay?” When I looked at Rita’s fake expression and saw Sarah openly criticize and disdain me in front of her, a deep sadness spread in my heart. I had never imagined that, after all these years of carefully managing our family and serving Sarah with respect, I would be seen as so unworthy in her eyes. Just as I was about to give up and refuse to take anymore, suddenly, an idea flashed in my mind, and it quickly took shape. Given the current situation, it was clear that Sarah had figured out I would continue taking care of her. If I outright refused, with Rita’s persistent personality, who knew what kind of trouble she might cause? So, instead of refusing directly, I decided to go with the flow and keep this last bit of duty intact. Once Sarah was discharged, I could carry out my next plan without anyone being able to find fault with me. With that thought, I immediately switched gears, turning to Rita with a bright, reassuring smile. “Rita, don’t worry about it. Go ahead. I’ve got this. I was just a bit hasty earlier and said some harsh words. Don’t take it to heart, just let it go. There’s no need to argue with me.” Free Point

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## My husband showed up in a sports car to pick up our daughter, and her teacher was so impressed she added him on social media. She claimed it was to “better communicate about the child’s education.” Soon after, her profile picture changed to a heavily filtered selfie, and her social posts turned into daily updates about being “so ready to find love.” I was blissfully unaware of this little drama—until one day, I caught my husband video-calling her while holding our daughter. “Daddy, I want Miss Taylor to be my new mommy!” my daughter chirped. “Yes, yes, Daddy will get a divorce right away,” my husband replied with a grin. Watching the three of them act like a happy little family, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. Seriously? Just because he’s driving a fancy car, my husband—who lives off me—thinks he’s a billionaire now? Time to remind him where he came from. He can crawl back to his broke job anytime. For our 10th wedding anniversary, I bought my husband, Mason, a silver sports car to celebrate. The moment he saw it, his eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. It wasn’t just any sports car—it was one of only ten limited editions in the world. Not something money alone could buy. Mason had gushed about this car more than once, so I figured I’d surprise him. After all, our anniversary also happened to be his birthday. During the test drive, Mason couldn’t wait to snap pictures and show off to his friends. But in his excitement, he accidentally posted it in our daughter Angie’s preschool group chat. The quiet group chat immediately exploded. “Oh my gosh, isn’t this one of those global limited-edition cars? I can’t believe the real deal is in our group!” “Angie’s dad, what kind of business are you in? You must be loaded!” I quickly messaged Mason, telling him to delete the post. But it had been over two minutes—too late to retract it. All we could do was watch as the messages poured in. Some parents even started asking if Mason could invest in their business ideas. And Mason? He was eating it up. “Oh, no, no,” he replied humbly. “Just a small investment here and there. Made a bit of money, so I decided to treat myself.” Small investments? Sure. The only thing he “owned” was a failing internet café I paid for, and it had been hemorrhaging money since day one. With his lack of business skills, Mason couldn’t afford a sports car in ten lifetimes. Still, he was my husband, and I wasn’t about to embarrass him in front of everyone. So, I kept quiet. That’s when Angie’s teacher, Miss Taylor, suddenly chimed in. At first, I thought she was going to tell everyone to stop chatting about unrelated topics in a preschool group. But instead, she directly tagged Mason: “@Angie’s Dad, I’ve sent you a friend request. Please accept it—I need to discuss some things about Angie’s behavior at school.” Mason immediately replied, “Is Angie in trouble? Did something happen?” Miss Taylor’s response came quickly: “Let’s discuss this privately.” I started to worry. Had something happened to Angie at school? I sent Miss Taylor a private message asking if everything was okay. She didn’t reply. Instead, she updated her profile picture. Her old photo had been a scenic landscape. Now, it was a close-up selfie—her wearing a white tank top, strategically revealing just enough skin to leave an impression. It gave off serious “pick-me” vibes. I called Mason. “What did Angie’s teacher say?” He sounded casual. “Nothing specific. She just asked me to stop by the school. I’m heading there now.” “Drive safe,” I said, hanging up. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I went back to work, assuming it was just a minor issue. A few moments later, Mrs. Lee, one of the moms from the group chat, sent me a private message. Her family owned a beauty salon I frequented, so we’d gotten to know each other over time. “Angie’s Mom, don’t you think this Miss Taylor messaging your husband is a little… off?” I replied politely, brushing it off with a couple of vague responses.

Mason and I had been married for ten years, and our relationship had always been stable. He came from a modest background but treated me with unwavering care and devotion. Whatever I needed, he made it happen. For me, he willingly stayed home, managing everything in the household with precision. When I came back late and drunk from work events, he’d pick me up and have a steaming bowl of hangover soup waiting for me. So I wasn’t particularly worried about Miss Taylor’s little schemes. Even if she was hellbent on seduction, it would only work if Mason took the bait. What I didn’t expect was for her to target my daughter first. I’ve always been busy with work, but I’ve made sure to maintain a close bond with my daughter, Angie. Lately, though, she had grown distant, and her words had taken on a strangely sharp edge. One day, I picked her up from school, planning to take her to McDonald’s for a treat. But as soon as she saw me waiting, she started crying and whining at the school gate. “Why did you have to come? I don’t want you to pick me up! I hate you!” At first, I thought she was upset because I’d been so busy with work. I took a deep breath, crouched down, and tried to soothe her. After a lot of coaxing, she finally stopped crying long enough to get into the car, her eyes red and puffy. I smiled gently and said, “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Mommy’s been so busy with work these past few days. That’s my fault. I’ll spend more time with you from now on, okay? How about going to McDonald’s for some ice cream?” But Angie turned her head away, pouting. “I don’t need you to spend time with me. I have Miss Taylor! She’s the best person in the whole world. If I want ice cream, she gives me as many as I want. Not like you, always telling me what I can’t do.” Then she added, her voice trembling with tears, “And Miss Taylor was supposed to take me to the zoo with Daddy today. But now you ruined everything by picking me up!” Her tears started falling again, and she looked like she was about to completely lose it. I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. My voice slipped into a sharper tone. “Angie, that’s no way to talk to your mother!” Angie broke down completely, wailing in the car. “You don’t love me! I hate you! I hate you so much!” Then she added, her voice filled with spite: “Daddy said he’s going to divorce you soon. You won’t be my mommy anymore! I want Miss Taylor to be my new mommy!” I told myself it was just childish nonsense. Angie was too young to understand what she was saying. But someone had clearly been feeding her these words. When we got home, Angie jumped out of the car and ran to the front door. She shoved it open and shouted, “Daddy! Daddy!” Mason emerged from the kitchen, wearing an apron and cleaning gloves. Angie ran up to him, tears streaming down her face. “Daddy, when are you divorcing Mommy? I don’t want to spend another day with her!” “Can you bring Miss Taylor home instead? Please?” At the mention of Miss Taylor’s name, Mason froze for a fraction of a second, his hand instinctively rubbing his nose—a telltale sign he was guilty of something. But he quickly recovered, putting on his “loving dad” face. “Don’t cry, Angie. Daddy’s heart breaks when you cry! Whatever you say, Daddy will do. You want me to divorce Mommy? Okay, Daddy will do that.” He crouched down, wiping her tears. “Now, let’s go try those cookies Daddy made just for you, okay?” Father and daughter both turned to look at me then. Mason’s gaze was full of helplessness, while Angie’s eyes sparkled with triumphant glee. I took a deep breath and asked, “Angie, who’s been teaching you to say such things? Don’t you know how to tell right from wrong anymore?” Angie’s tears started up again. She clung to Mason’s leg like a frightened kitten and whimpered, “Daddy, look at Mommy! She’s so scary, like a wicked witch!” Mason scooped her up into his arms, giving me an annoyed look. “Jenna, she’s just a child. Do you really need to argue with her?” “Can you leave your work persona at the door for once? You’re so strong and commanding at work, but this is your family. Stop bringing that attitude home.” With that, Mason carried Angie to her room, leaving me rooted to the spot in the living room. I could still hear snippets of his soothing voice through the walls. “There, there, Angie. Bad Mommy won’t bother you anymore.” Alone in the silence, I realized my hands were trembling uncontrollably.

I’ve always been busy with work, so Mason has taken on most of the responsibility for our daughter, Angie. Still, whenever I had free time, I made sure to spend it with her. We’ve traveled together, baked cakes, and I’ve spoiled her with pretty little dresses. Whenever she got sick, I’d drop everything to stay by her side, never letting her feel a lack of motherly love. Over the years, we’ve always been close. But lately, Angie had grown distant, and her attitude toward me had turned sharp and cold. I couldn’t help but wonder if Miss Taylor’s meddling had something to do with it. After some thought, I decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with Angie. I carefully pushed open her bedroom door, only to find her sitting in Mason’s lap, video-calling someone. They didn’t notice me come in, as they were seated with their backs to the door. Angie held the phone close to her face, her voice sweet and eager. “Miss Taylor, when are you moving into our house?” “I gave that old witch a hard time today. As soon as Daddy agrees to divorce her, I’ll make her leave! Then you can be my new mommy!” On the other end of the call, Miss Taylor’s voice was filled with undisguised delight. “Angie, you’re such a good girl! But remember, once you pick a new mommy, there’s no going back. Are you sure you won’t regret it?” Angie tilted her head with a little huff. “Of course not! I can’t wait to have a new mommy!” She grinned and added, “Miss Taylor, Daddy already said he’s going to divorce Mommy. When you move in, can you let me have as much ice cream as I want? And can we get a bunch of puppies too? Please?” Mason sat next to her, smiling gently, not saying a word to correct her. The atmosphere between the three of them was warm, cheerful—like a little family planning their future. I stood there, stone-faced, as I pulled out my phone and began recording the entire scene. Miss Taylor wasn’t just overstepping her bounds; she was digging her own grave. At one point, Mason glanced at the screen and caught sight of my skirt in the background. His expression froze immediately. He gently set Angie down and stammered, “Jenna, wait, it’s not what you think! We’re just trying to make Angie happy—” Before he could finish, Angie jumped in front of him like a little guard dog, her tiny fists clenched. “Mommy, you’re just a mean old witch! Don’t you dare bully Daddy!” My anger flared. I snatched the phone from Angie’s hands and addressed Miss Taylor directly. “Miss Taylor, do you think it’s appropriate to poison a child’s mind against her own mother? Don’t you find your tactics a bit… pathetic?” Miss Taylor covered her mouth in fake surprise, her eyes gleaming with smugness. “Oh, Angie’s Mom,” she said sweetly, “we were just trying to make Angie happy. Why do you have to take everything so seriously?” She smirked and added, “No wonder Angie keeps telling me you act like a wicked witch. Growing up in such a tense household must be so hard for her.” Then, as if she hadn’t insulted me enough, she added with a condescending smile, “And I’ve heard you’re out wining and dining for work all the time. A woman should know how to carry herself. Unlike me—I’d devote myself entirely to my family if I had one.” Her smugness made my blood boil. I wanted nothing more than to reach through the screen, grab her by the hair, and drag her off her high horse. But I wasn’t about to stoop to her level. I straightened my back, my face calm and cold. “Miss Taylor, as a teacher, you should be ashamed of yourself for trying to destroy someone else’s family. You’re unworthy of your position, and you’re unworthy of the trust parents put in you.” I paused, then delivered my final warning. “If you keep meddling in my family, you’ll face consequences you won’t be able to handle.” Miss Taylor didn’t seem fazed by my threat. If anything, she doubled down, pretending to look concerned for Angie. “Angie’s Mom,” she said with a sigh, “even if you dislike me, you should think about what’s best for Angie. With your temper, you’re bound to hurt her emotionally.” She shook her head and added, “Sometimes, people should stop blaming others and reflect on their own shortcomings. If your family was truly happy, there’d be no room for anyone to ‘meddle,’ as you put it.” Then, she turned to Angie, her voice soft and pitiful. “Angie, sweetheart, you know I love you like my own daughter. But your mommy really doesn’t like me. If she makes a big fuss about this, I might lose my job. So, from now on, don’t call me when you’re at home, okay? But at school, I’ll still treat you like my real daughter.” With that, she sniffled dramatically, her shoulders shaking as if she were crying, and hung up the call. Angie immediately burst into tears, screaming at me and kicking my legs. “Bad mommy! I hate you! I don’t want to live with you anymore—I want to go live with Miss Taylor!” She stormed out of the room, sobbing. Mason gave me a helpless look before running after her, leaving his phone abandoned on the bed in his rush. I picked it up and unlocked it, scrolling through his messages with Miss Taylor. At first, their chats had seemed innocent enough. Miss Taylor would send pictures of Angie at school, along with comments like: “Mr. Carter, Angie said her hair hurt today, so I fixed it for her. Looks like her mom doesn’t really know much about these things, huh?” “Angie often tells me what a great dad you are, but she doesn’t mention her mom much. Is she not very involved?” “Today, Angie cried because all the other kids had their moms pick them up. Maybe you could remind your wife to spend more time with her?” But as time went on, the tone changed. Miss Taylor started sending pictures of herself with Angie—her holding Angie on her lap, gazing at her with a soft smile. In some of the photos, her low-cut tops revealed far more than necessary. Then there were videos of Angie calling her “Mommy,” and even casual questions about Mason’s job and income. Mason, of course, had exaggerated the truth, claiming he ran a chain of restaurants and a public company—conveniently omitting the fact that it was my hard work that had built everything. Miss Taylor, clearly impressed, began sending him more revealing selfies. I clenched the phone tightly, anger bubbling inside me. I wanted to smash it into pieces and kick Mason out of the house. But no. That would be too easy. If I was going to deal with them, I’d take them both down together. The next day, I met with the director of Angie’s preschool over coffee. After showing him the messages, his face turned pale. “Ms. Carter, I sincerely apologize. Miss Taylor’s behavior has seriously violated our school’s code of conduct. If you’re dissatisfied, we can terminate her immediately.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead and added, “And I can assure you, no reputable preschool will ever hire her again.” I smiled, satisfied. Miss Taylor probably didn’t know that I was a major shareholder in the school. And I wasn’t afraid to use my power. 5 The next evening, the director of Angie’s preschool called me. His voice was filled with exasperation. “Ms. Carter, after we spoke with Miss Taylor today, something seems to have happened between her and your daughter. Now Angie is refusing to let Miss Taylor leave and has even rallied other kids to get their parents involved.”

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I died on my way to see Jasper. The reason? He posted a photo with the woman he’s always loved but never had on Snapchat. And we were supposed to get married tomorrow. I thought death would bring me peace. But unexpectedly, my spirit now shadows Jasper and his long-lost love. “Jasper, will Lydia really show up if you post that picture?” In the dim bar, I sat idly on the sofa, watching Hazel, who seemed boneless, snuggle into my boyfriend’s arms. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes hazy, clearly very drunk. Jasper gently asked the waiter to bring Hazel a glass of honey water and nodded, “She will definitely come!” Yes, I’m already here. But none of you can see me! I waved my hand in front of Jasper’s face. He didn’t notice, focused on adjusting the temperature of the honey water for Hazel. I felt like I was being pricked by countless needles. When Jasper and I were together, I was the one who took care of him. “Good, if she doesn’t come, you’re picking up the tab!” Hazel snuggled even closer. Jasper didn’t speak, just looked at his phone. I have to say, Jasper knows me well. He made the right bet; I would come. Because I saw the always aloof Jasper post a status. The picture showed two wine glasses, with Hazel’s signature tattoo on the hand in the lower right corner. I wanted to ask why. Why did my decade-long love become a joke as soon as she appeared? On my way there, a car accident took my life. A mysterious force drew me to Jasper’s side, wanting to see him one last time. Only to discover, it was just a bet to flaunt his charm. To test if I was truly at his beck and call. How tragic. I looked at Jasper, momentarily lost. Jasper and I had been entangled for nearly ten years. Only this year did we decide to get married. A month before the wedding, Hazel returned home after a divorce. Jasper wanted to postpone the wedding to take care of her, and I went crazy. “Jasper, why should you, her ex, take care of her just because she’s depressed from domestic abuse? Doesn’t she have any family?!” “Why do you want to postpone the wedding as soon as she’s back? You know I’ve been waiting for ten years!” “Ten years! A whole ten years! How many ten years do I have in my life!” “You want to postpone the wedding! Unless I’m dead!” Well, now I’m really dead. I circled around Jasper. He fiddled with his phone, head down. Curious, I leaned closer to see what he was looking at.

I boldly moved forward and saw that the phone was open to our chat. The last message was me asking where the bar was. Jasper didn’t say anything, just sent a location. It was less than a half-hour drive from our wedding house. Now, an hour had passed, and I still hadn’t arrived, nor sent any messages. Did he lose the bet and feel disappointed? I won’t arrive. I will never arrive. You killed me. I screamed, my voice loud, but no one heard. After a few rounds of drinks, Hazel was out cold. Jasper carried her home, stumbling. When I saw the specific door number, I screamed to stop Jasper. “Jasper, no! You can’t bring her to our wedding house!” I shouted desperately, but it changed nothing. I watched helplessly as Jasper laid the drunken Hazel on the sofa, wiping her hands with a warm towel. His gentle actions made it seem like she was the treasure in his hands. I numbly raised my hand to my chest. Can the dead still feel heartache? Hazel clung to Jasper, whining, “Jasper, I feel awful, I want some hot soup.” Jasper chuckled, gently coaxing her to sleep in the bedroom. I watched Jasper walk into the kitchen, skillfully chopping vegetables, lighting the stove… In no time, he brought out a bowl of hangover soup. He softly coaxed Hazel, “Here, drink some soup, your headache will go away.” Hazel refused to drink herself, so Jasper fed her spoonful by spoonful. The atmosphere was intimate and warm, my heart felt like it was being squeezed, breathing was difficult. Memories overlapped with the current scene. That year, Jasper’s family had a sudden change, and Hazel went abroad and got married. Jasper became despondent, drinking, fighting, self-harming… I stayed with him, enduring those dark times. Later, he started his own business, and I accompanied him, navigating social gatherings. Jasper saw how I suffered from hangovers and learned to make this hangover soup out of concern. Maybe those who are favored become fearless. I thought Jasper loved me, and I would tug on his sleeve and pout. “Will you only ever make it for me?” He laughed softly: “Sure, I’ll only make it for you.” The sweet and sour taste mixed with Jasper’s gentle laughter reached my heart. But now, it turns out, I wasn’t the one who was favored. Hazel was the one who had all of Jasper’s sweetness. I couldn’t bear to see Jasper be good to others, especially Hazel. Instinctively, I wanted to escape. I ran desperately towards the door, only to be pulled back by an unseen force each time. The tearing pain spread through my body. After several attempts, I was exhausted and finally realized I couldn’t leave Jasper. I blankly watched the two of them, my boyfriend carefully tending to his lost and found treasure. “Jasper, all these years I’ve never forgotten you. I’m divorced now, can we be together?” Hazel confessed directly. Jasper stared into her eyes for a few seconds, and I held my breath. “So do I.” He replied deeply. Hazel smiled immediately, but her smile faded as if she remembered something. “What about Lydia? She’s been with you for so many years.”

Jasper stiffened, his face complex. Hazel sensed his change, pursed her lips, saying nothing. The intimate atmosphere vanished without a trace. “You only feel gratitude and guilt towards her, you don’t love her, right?” Hazel pressed urgently. “Yes.” As Hazel was about to ask more, Jasper silenced her with a kiss. She wrapped her arms around Jasper’s neck, face flushed, breathing heavily. I felt like throwing up, tears welling up from sheer disgust. Jasper, how dare you! In our wedding house, doing such disgusting things with another woman! I felt like my soul was being torn apart. The home I had painstakingly built with anticipation was being defiled. Hazel, lost in passion, reached to unbutton Jasper’s shirt. Just as they were about to go further, a cat’s meow interrupted them. It was Whiskers. The cat Jasper and I had raised for many years. When we first started our business, we didn’t have much money. We lived in a rundown apartment infested with mice and bugs. I picked up the stray and brought it home. Soon, it became an expert at catching mice and bugs. One winter, when it was especially cold, Jasper and I almost got poisoned by a fire pit. Whiskers knocked it over and yowled, bringing neighbors to save us. If I had known I’d die a wrongful death, I would have taken it with me. Whiskers circled Jasper, meowing. Hazel complained to Jasper about being interrupted by a cat. “Jasper, you know I’m allergic to cat hair, right? Throw it out tomorrow!” Jasper said nothing, just locked Whiskers in the cage. With the mood spoiled, Hazel wanted to continue, but Jasper had lost interest. He urged Hazel to sleep. Jasper stood on the balcony for over half an hour, his phone constantly locking and unlocking. The screen’s light made his face appear more solemn. Perhaps hearing Whiskers’ hoarse cries, worried about disturbing the person inside, he silently unlocked the cage. Whiskers, now free, searched the house and stopped in my direction. Whiskers can see me! This discovery made me both cry and laugh! I waved at it, Whiskers ran over and rubbed against me, though confused when it couldn’t touch me, it was quickly entertained. The kitten couldn’t speak, but it understood everything. Jasper ignored Whiskers’ strange actions, opened the fridge, and took out the beef sauce I made but didn’t finish. I watched him expressionlessly cook noodles, cool them, add the sauce, and stir. Finally, he topped it with scallions and served it. Just like the bowl of noodles I once served him. He ate intently, watching Whiskers jump around, for once a smile appeared on his lips.

Was Jasper thinking of me? Or did he remember my grandma? Beef sauce noodles were my grandma’s specialty. After Jasper’s family crisis, grandma often invited him over for meals. Before she passed, she took his hand, trembling, entrusting me to him. I cried in Jasper’s arms until I couldn’t speak: “Jasper, I only have you now, only you.” Jasper held me tightly, eyes red: “I won’t leave you. We’ll always be together.” From that day, Jasper and I became each other’s support. This dish, therefore, had special meaning. Whenever we argued, I would make him a bowl of noodles. After eating, we’d calm down and reconcile. After Jasper’s family faced a crisis, Grandma often invited him over for meals. Before she passed away, Grandma held his hand with a trembling grip and entrusted me to him. I clung to Jasper, sobbing uncontrollably. “Jasper, from now on, it’s just you and me, only you.” With tears in his eyes, Jasper hugged me tightly. “I won’t leave you. We’ll always be together.” From that day forward, Jasper and I became each other’s lifeline. This dish took on a special significance for us. Whenever we argued, I’d make him a bowl of noodle salad. After eating, we’d both calm down, reflect, and make up. Just like when Grandma was around, soothing us when we were upset, “Once you’ve eaten together, there’s no reason to stay mad.” Grandma, look. So many years have passed, and I’ve lost both you and Jasper. We were so lost in thought that neither of us noticed Hazel sitting at the table. “What are we eating? It smells strange,” she said, picking up a jar to inspect it. “Beef sauce noodles,” Jasper replied mechanically. “Oh, so this was your secret weapon for making peace? That’s quite amusing.” Jasper paused, slightly taken aback. “Yeah, it’s kind of funny.” Hearing that felt like a devastating blow. This was a private secret between Jasper and me, and while I cherished it, he had already shared it with someone else. Together, they had trampled on it. I shook my head, tears streaming down, feeling it was unfair to both me and Grandma. The glass jar slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor, startling Whiskers. “Sorry, Jasper, it slipped,” Hazel quickly apologized. “I’ll get you a new one. I’ll make even better food for you.” Jasper’s knuckles whitened slightly, but he said indifferently, “It’s fine, Lydia will make it again when she’s back.” His words pierced through me like a knife. The things I treasured most meant nothing to him. There won’t be any more! Everyone who knew how to make that dish is gone! We sat in silence until a sudden phone call interrupted.

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My mom, who prides herself on being a health guru, has long believed in using celery to manage my dad’s high blood pressure. Concerned about my dad’s health, I discreetly provided him with blood pressure medication, which eventually stabilized his condition. Later, when my dad discovered my mom’s infidelity, he was so upset that he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. I invested time and resources to help him recover. However, under my mom’s influence, he became convinced that the medication I provided was the cause of his illness. Together, they plotted to have me pushed in front of a luxury car, resulting in my death. When I opened my eyes again, it was the day we first discovered my dad’s hypertension. This time, I sarcastically praised my mom: “Mom, you’re truly a health expert. I completely trust you to take care of Dad’s health.” The doctor studied my dad’s medical report, his brow furrowed, and said, “Your blood pressure is dangerously high—280/180. You must take medication to control it, or the consequences could be severe.” My dad nodded in agreement, “Yes, yes.” But my mom dismissed the doctor’s advice, “Doctors these days always prescribe medication. Don’t they know that medicine has side effects?” “If he takes medication every day, his body will surely suffer.” “In this case, diet therapy is the safest and most effective way to lower blood pressure.” Hearing my mom’s familiar argument, it hit me—I had been reborn, back to the day my dad’s hypertension was discovered. In my previous life, I had taken my parents for a check-up, and we found out my dad’s blood pressure was alarmingly high. The doctor advised medication, but my mom ignored the advice, insisting on using celery to manage his blood pressure. When I realized this, I searched online for cases of strokes and cerebral hemorrhages caused by hypertension, hoping to warn my parents. But my mom slapped me and scoffed, “Those online stories are staged or exaggerated—they’re not reliable.” “If you encourage your dad to take random medicine again, I’ll marry you off to that guy from the village.” Afraid to confront my mom directly, I watched in silence as she continued with her celery regimen. My dad, being a submissive husband, followed her lead. His blood pressure kept climbing, and fearing complications, I secretly bought him medication. After much persuasion, he finally agreed to take it. Later, my dad stumbled upon my mom with another man in the park. His anger led to him collapsing on the spot. I rushed him to the hospital, where the doctor said he had suffered an acute cerebral hemorrhage due to high blood pressure, urging us to gather funds for immediate surgery. Upon hearing the surgery would cost over 200,000 Yuan, my mom exclaimed about having no money and suggested just letting him die. Unable to abandon him, I used my ID to take out a high-interest loan to pay for the surgery. After a long night of emergency care, my dad survived. Though he lived, he was left with severe aftereffects. I quit my job, learned rehabilitation techniques online, and helped him recover at home. Three years later, he was finally back to normal. But he believed my mom, thinking the medication I provided caused his illness and that my efforts were out of guilt. They lured me back home, drugged my drink, and took me to the roadside. When a Rolls Royce sped by, my dad pushed me under its wheels, killing me. They extorted 5 million Yuan from the car owner with my death and lived wealthy lives. My mom even had a son later, becoming a ‘winner in life.’ In this life, I’m curious to see if my mom’s celery can really cure my dad’s hypertension.

The doctor, hearing my mom’s words, looked at me earnestly, “Young lady, please persuade your parents. This is not a joke.” “Every year, over 6 million people in our country suffer from cerebral hemorrhages due to hypertension. Most don’t survive, and only a few are lucky enough to get a second chance.” “You must take this seriously; taking medication can control it.” “Don’t wait until complications arise, or it will be too late to regret.” I snapped back to reality and said cheerfully, “Doctor, don’t worry, my mom’s a health expert. She can definitely lower my dad’s blood pressure.” My mom gave me a rare approving look, then rolled her eyes at the doctor and called him a “quack” before strutting out with my dad. They didn’t hear the doctor’s last words. “Young lady, your mom’s blood pressure is high too. You must convince them both to take antihypertensive medication!” Back home, my mom bought a bunch of celery and prepared various dishes for my dad. After a month of this, my dad complained of dizziness, “Nora, my head’s spinning. It feels like the world is turning.” My mom, engrossed in her TV show, responded without looking up, “You’ve been eating too many vegetables, must be malnutrition. I’ll make some pork trotters to supplement you later.” I chimed in, “Dad, my high school classmate Li Jinjin’s dad didn’t take medication for his hypertension and suffered a brain hemorrhage. He didn’t survive.” “My classmate said her dad felt dizzy and the world spinning before it happened, just like you. Could it be your hypertension?” “Dad, why don’t I take you to the hospital for a check-up?” My dad, timid and hearing about someone dying from hypertension, was terrified. He grabbed my hand and insisted, “Dear, take me to check it out.” As we reached the door, my mom threw her slipper, hitting my dad’s head. We turned to see my mom, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at us, yelling: “Ethan, if you dare go to the hospital today, I’ll never let it go.” “I told you it’s malnutrition, and you’re listening to Lydia, doubting me?” “Unbelievable!” “Lydia, get out, you ungrateful brat.” My dad, seeing my mom angry, wilted and apologized, “Wife, don’t be mad. It’s Lydia’s fault. I believe you, I believe you, calm down.” Yes, I’m Lydia Greene, the unwanted child with no status in this family.

I was born during the strict family planning era. And because I was a girl, my mom wanted to drown me in the cesspool and try for a son. But my dad, soft-hearted, kept me. Whenever I misbehaved, my mom would say, “I should’ve drowned you in the cesspool to avoid the trouble.” My dad would say, “If not for me, you’d have been drowned by your mom. You should be grateful I gave you a second life.” So, I grew up grateful and obedient to them. But all it got me was being killed by them. In this new life, I want to live for myself. I smiled to myself. Dad, this time, I really won’t care about you. I wonder if you’ll regret it once you see mom’s true colors? But I guess dad won’t have the chance to regret. Because mom changed her dietary strategy. Monday to Friday, she used celery to lower dad’s blood pressure. On weekends, she made rich foods to supplement him. In half a year, dad gained weight, and his blood pressure kept rising. Mom watched dad grow fatter and his blood pressure higher, smiling in satisfaction. One day, after breakfast, mom dressed up and went square dancing. After she left, I coaxed dad to take a walk. As we passed the park grove, we heard moans. Dad, hearing the sounds, couldn’t help but curse, “Which stray dog is in heat here?” I listened and then said, “This sounds familiar, like mom’s voice!” Hearing me, dad got serious, “Don’t talk nonsense. You go ahead; I’ll see who’s shameless.” I nodded, “Okay, dad, I’ll take a stroll.” I hadn’t gone far when I heard a commotion behind me. There were panicked curses and dad’s angry shouts: “Nora Bennett, you… you cheated on me!” Ah, dad finally found out about mom’s affair. When I got there, dad was already foaming and collapsed. I took dad to the hospital. Outside the emergency room, the nurse asked mom to pay the surgery fee. Hearing it was 200,000 Yuan, mom widened her eyes, “200,000? Why don’t you go rob?” “Ugh, always asking for tens of thousands. You wouldn’t make 200,000 even if you sold yourself.” Mom’s venomous words made the young nurse tear up and leave. An older nurse approached us, speaking harshly, “You don’t look like you’re struggling financially. Isn’t your husband’s life worth 200,000?”

People around us began whispering and pointing at my mom. “How heartless, not even caring about her own husband.” “Exactly, what a misfortune for this family.” “Maybe she planned to harm her husband on purpose? You never know with people these days.” Hearing the murmurs, my mom finally couldn’t stay silent. She began to pressure me. “Lydia Greene, pay your dad’s surgery fees first.” “Our money is tied up in a fixed deposit. We can’t access it until it matures.” “I know you have 200,000 in savings. You cover it first, and I’ll pay you back later.” “Remember, without your dad, you wouldn’t be here.” I nodded and agreed. I turned around and used her and my dad’s IDs to take out a 500,000 loan from a loan shark. I paid 200,000 for my dad’s surgery. I kept the remaining 300,000 as startup capital. The next day, the doctor issued a critical condition notice. Seeing the notice and the expense list, my mom broke down. She started cursing, “That deadbeat, if you’re going to die, just die already. Stop wasting my money.” “I’m not signing anything. You better refund my money. I choose to abandon treatment. Just take him back and cremate him.” Facing the pointing and whispering, my mom snapped back at those who criticized her. “Are you going to pay for his treatment? If not, why are you meddling?” “Do you live by the sea? Why are you so nosy?” “If the emperor’s not worried, why are you, the eunuch, in such a hurry? Get lost, my family matters are none of your business.” With that, she pushed the doctor aside, trying to storm into the ICU to drag my dad out. I held onto my mom, trying to reason with her. “Mom, don’t give up on Dad. He can still be saved.” “How can you just watch him die?” “You’ve already hurt him once, do you want to hurt him again?” Ignoring me, my mom shoved me to the ground. “I’ve had enough of him. It’s better if he dies.” She pushed the doctor aside and was about to open the door when someone suddenly rushed over, grabbed my mom’s hair, and pulled her away, then slapped her hard. “Phoebe Bennett, how dare you.” Seeing the person who suddenly appeared, I felt a wave of relief. Aunt Fiona finally arrived. After sending Dad to the hospital, I called Aunt Fiona. Dad collapsed; I couldn’t let Mom have an easy time. So I thought of Aunt Fiona, who has always been at odds with Mom. I clung to Aunt Fiona’s leg, crying, “Aunt Fiona, you’re finally here. If you hadn’t come, my mom would have taken my dad straight to the crematorium.” “Aunt Fiona, please save my dad. The doctor said he can still be saved. Boohoo.”

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In the sixth year of my concealed marriage with Elaine, we decided to quietly part ways. He wanted to protect his young girlfriend from being labeled as a homewrecker. He said, “I want no one to know we were ever married.” I nodded silently and added an extra zero during the property division. Elaine’s expression shifted. “Is money all that matters to you?” he questioned. I laughed softly. “After all these years, you know me best.” Elaine ended up in the hospital from drinking too much. A nurse asked, “Who is the patient’s family?” Lily and I both stood up. “I am.” “It’s me.” The nurse frowned. “Who really is it?” Lily quickly stepped forward. “It’s me. Tell me whatever is needed.” The nurse explained the night care instructions, and Lily listened carefully. I glanced at Elaine. His breathing was labored, his brow furrowed, and the corners of his eyes were red, yet his lips were pale and bloodless. It had been years since I’d seen him like this. Alcohol tolerance can be developed, but it also depends on one’s constitution. Elaine, unfortunately, is allergic to alcohol. Lily, with tears in her eyes, warmed his hands. For a mistress to go to such lengths, it’s quite awkward for me, his lawful wife. I hesitated whether to leave when she spoke. “It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have drunk so much.” My assistant had already briefed me before I came. At the banquet, someone flirted with Lily and tried to drink with her, but Elaine intervened. The person mocked, “A man who won’t drink? You might as well be with me.” Elaine had long outgrown reckless behavior, but that night he lost control and started drinking heavily. Those who know Elaine understand he can’t handle liquor. But if he decides to drink his life away with you, you might not keep up with him. In his youth, such recklessness had landed him in the hospital several times. The last time was in the second year of our marriage. He was in the hospital vomiting blood while I got into a car accident on the highway. After that, he changed. Lily asked, “Leader Demi, did he protect you like this before too?” I was at a loss for words. “You take care of him; I’m heading back.” “Leader Demi.” Lily’s voice was urgent. She bit her lip as if making a decision. “I told Elaine I want to get married, and he agreed.”

Two days ago, I had to return to the office for something important. Passing by Elaine’s office, the lights were still on. Lily was sitting on Elaine’s lap, her arms wrapped around his neck, leaning into him. In a sweet voice, she said, “Elaine, I want to get married.” I don’t habitually eavesdrop, but her words made me stop. Elaine wore a lazy smile, his eyes half-closed, gently running his fingers through Lily’s hair. “Why, little girl, can’t wait to get married?” “No, it’s not that!” Lily pouted. “I just want to marry you. Will you marry me, Elaine?” I stood outside, watching Elaine through the half-open door. He was silent for a long time, the smile fading from his face. Quietly, he met my gaze. Then he softly said, “Okay.” “Leader Demi, Elaine doesn’t like you anymore; he likes me now,” Lily said confidently. She looked at me with a mix of nervousness and pride. I lowered my gaze. “Well, congratulations.” Elaine returned to the office the next afternoon. As soon as he entered, he called me over. Entering the office, I found him holding his head, pressing hard on his temples. The aftermath of a hangover, the migraine was acting up. “Sort out Julia’s project and hand it over to Lily,” he suddenly said, making me pause for a few seconds. “What?” He didn’t repeat himself, just looked at me intently. “Julia’s project is important, and Lily is new… So she needs a chance, a head start, a glamorous resume.” I stayed silent again. “Demi, I’m not discussing this with you.” Elaine struck the table heavily, clearly impatient. Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my clenched fists. “Fine. But I have one condition.” Elaine raised his chin, signaling me to continue. “Don’t change the original team, just replace the leader with her. The dividends and bonuses for the project members must remain unchanged.” “Fine, I agree.”

With Elaine’s confirmation, I turned to leave. I spent an hour and a half organizing everything and explaining the situation to everyone. Their looks were filled with pity, sympathy, resentment, and anger. I knocked on the table. “No personal feelings, don’t talk about so-called loyalty. It’s just work, do your job, get paid.” With my things in hand, I went back to Elaine’s office. Lily was there too. She was smiling, feeding Elaine cookies. Elaine doesn’t like sweets. Though he frowned, he reluctantly accepted. Seeing me, Lily quickly stood up. “You guys have things to discuss, I’ll step out.” “No need.” Elaine placed the cookie box in Lily’s hands. “Eat in the corner.” Then he looked at me, his tone unfriendly. “Remember to knock next time.” I didn’t knock? Seems like I didn’t. Habit. “There won’t be a next time.” “What?” I placed all the documents on Elaine’s desk. Meeting his suspicious gaze, I handed him the sheet of paper at the bottom. It was a resignation letter. Elaine paused for two seconds. When he looked up again, his eyes were cold. “What do you mean? Threatening me?” I paused. “You’re overthinking. The resignation letter was prepared a long time ago, just waiting for Julia’s project to finish. Now that it’s handed over, I’ve completed everything. Just the right time to resign.” Elaine glared at me, angry. Lily seemed scared. “Leader Demi, I won’t do this project anymore, please don’t be mad. I know I’m not qualified, I just wanted to learn from you. I won’t participate; it’s my fault. I apologize.” Elaine’s expression turned even darker. He pulled Lily close. “Do it if you want. No need to apologize to anyone. Resign, huh? The company won’t stop running without you.” Elaine picked up a pen and swiftly wrote his name at the end. He threw the resignation letter at me. “Get out.” I looked down at the paper at my feet. “One more thing.” Elaine’s face was tight, silent. “Since you and Lily are getting married, shouldn’t we end our marriage first?” Even Lily’s sniffles stopped. She clung to Elaine’s arm, looking at him with both nervousness and anticipation. Elaine seemed stiff. He slowly turned his head. “What did you say?” “I said, let’s get a divorce while we’re at it!”

Lily was sent out by Elaine. She was a bit reluctant but didn’t disobey him. She just gave me a hesitant glance before leaving. Elaine and I stood facing each other. He broke the silence first. “How long have you been planning this resignation?” “Half a year.” “So, you’ve been ready to divorce for half a year, right?” I didn’t affirm or deny. Elaine sneered. “Demi, what right do you have to ask for a divorce?” I looked at him. “Does it matter now?” “Yeah, it doesn’t.” Elaine took out a divorce agreement from the bottom drawer. “Name your terms. Just one thing. I don’t want people saying Lily climbed up as a mistress. So, no one can know about our divorce. Or rather, I don’t want anyone to know we were ever married.” I skimmed through the agreement’s content quickly. Nodding, I said, “Okay, no problem.” Then I picked up a pen and added an extra zero to the property division. Elaine looked at me mockingly. “Demi, is money all that matters to you?” I smiled. “After so many years, you still know me best.” That day, I packed everything and left the company. Some were gloating, some were reluctant to see me go. The most complicated emotions probably belonged to Lily. She seemed hesitant to speak, but her relief was visible. I nodded. “Sure, that’s fine.” I picked up the pen and added an extra zero to the asset division. Elaine looked at me with a sardonic smile. “Demi, is money all you ever think about?” I smirked. “After all these years, you still know me best.”

That day, I packed my things and left the company. Some people were happy to see me go, while others were sad. Lily, though, had the most mixed emotions—she seemed relieved but hesitant to speak. Back home, I felt a bit lost without work to occupy me. I spent the day feeling like a restless cat, unsure of what to do. In the afternoon, my assistant messaged me. “Elaine was like a fire-breathing dragon today, even giving the cold shoulder to his future boss lady. Leader Demi, I bet he’ll soon realize he’s made a huge mistake. If you find a good opportunity, take us with you! We’d love to follow you, hehe.” I chuckled. “Don’t overthink it. As long as Julia’s project goes through, the company’s future is still promising. At least you won’t miss out on your salary.” As for me— I don’t plan on working for a while. In the evening, Rose invited me out for drinks. Like clockwork, she asked every day. I replied: “Send me the location.” Her call came in the next second. “Wow, the workaholic is taking a break? Did Elaine go bankrupt?” Her lively voice made me smile. “So, are you inviting me or not?” “Of course, get over here! We’ve got a private room, drinks, and guys—all set!” I met Rose through Elaine, but we became unexpected friends. She’s one of the few who knows about my marriage to Elaine. So, when Elaine blatantly cheated, she was furious with him and eager to set me up with other men. In her words: “If he’s going to cheat, why shouldn’t you? Let’s see who’s got the better options!” By the time I arrived, Rose was already in full swing. Clutching a drink, she danced and cheered surrounded by six-foot male models. “Demi, over here!” She pushed the most handsome guy towards me. He was quick to catch on, pouring me a drink and calling me “sister.” I smiled and downed it in one go. “Alright, you guys can leave now!” “What do you mean? Demi, you’re such a buzzkill.” I rubbed my temples with a sigh. “It’s too noisy.” She winked at me. “I thought you were shy!” I raised an eyebrow. “Do I look that innocent to you?” “Definitely not. So why stay faithful to Elaine with his behavior?” Rose was blunt. “If he cheats, I cheat—it’s payback.” “Revenge is too strong a word; we’re not there yet. Besides, he cheated after we fell apart.” … “Does he admit that?” Rose sat up, her eyes bright with realization. “I think I’ve just figured something out.” I asked her what she meant, but she kept it mysterious. “Alright! Actually, I came to tell you that I’m going abroad soon.” “For what, a vacation? Business?” “School.” “What?” “I got accepted into a business school for my master’s.” “What about your job? And you and Elaine…” “I’ve already resigned, and as for Elaine, we’ve agreed to go to the registry office tomorrow.” Reaching this point with Elaine was almost inevitable. I always thought I didn’t feel much. But when Rose’s eyes turned red, I felt a pang in my heart. “Is he causing trouble again?” “No.” “Is he targeting you on purpose?” “No.” “Why are you resigning? He should be the one to leave!” Rose and I drank glass after glass. She criticized Elaine, feeling sorry for me and thinking it wasn’t fair. It seems love is the only thing where effort and reward don’t match. It’s strange; once in love, both parties end up feeling shortchanged.

I met Elaine in high school. He wasn’t supposed to be in our small town. But family changes forced him to transfer and live with his grandfather. Back then, he was rebellious. Not long after school started, he was among the first to be publicly criticized. Others at least acted humble when admitting mistakes. But even standing before the whole school, he remained nonchalant. I didn’t like people like him. Nor did I want to interact with him. Yet when he was falsely accused, I couldn’t help but stand up for him. From that day, he followed me, from school to my home, until I went upstairs. “Without me, you’d have been retaliated against by now.” “Good student, stay out of such matters in the future.” He didn’t care. Fighting, false accusations, misunderstandings, and punishments—he didn’t care about any of them. But when my dad’s fist was about to fall on me after hitting my mom, he rushed in, knocking him down. My mom screamed, supporting my dad, glaring at me and calling me a disgrace. Elaine froze. The next second, he grabbed my hand and ran. He made me a bowl of noodles. Cooked too long, it tasted bad. Too much soy sauce made it salty. The veggies were added too late, tasting bland. It was the worst noodles I’d ever eaten, but I finished every drop. In our turbulent youth, two lonely people, we warmed each other and pushed each other forward. But everyone opposed us. The school was against early romance. Elaine’s family looked down on us. “I’ve seen many reaching for higher branches, but never this young.” My mom’s eyes reddened with anger, hitting me and calling me a disgrace. Elaine was forcibly taken away, and I became the school outcast. But he escaped, bringing all his New Year’s money, injuring his leg. He said, “Let’s elope!” I hugged him, leaning against his head. “One year. “We’ll get into the same college. “Then no one can stop us. “Just one year.”

Elaine reached the office before me. I got out of the car, seeing him there, squinting, holding a cigarette, pressing his thumb against his temple. Noticing my gaze, he looked up and put out the cigarette. “Let’s go!” The divorce process went smoothly. The moment I got the divorce certificate, I couldn’t help but sigh in relief. “What about your stuff in the house?” “Toss it.” We turned and walked in opposite directions. There was still a lot left for me to handle. I called a familiar organizer to clear out all the male belongings from the house and pack the rest for storage. Midway through, a young girl came from the study with a 36-inch photo frame. “Sis, what do we do with this?” Inside the cracked, web-like glass was an enlarged red registration photo. Seeing the two heads leaning together, looking happy, I felt a bit dazed. This was hung at our bedside, replacing a wedding photo. We never took wedding photos, nor held a ceremony, just quietly registered behind everyone’s back. The reason was his family’s disapproval. If we insisted on being together, it had to be a secret marriage. I didn’t mind, but Elaine felt bad about it for a long time. At first, he said he’d make it up to me once he was established, making our marriage public. Later, he said it didn’t matter; as long as we were happy, who cared if others knew? Eventually, he smashed the frame, saying harshly, “I’m so glad I listened to my mom.” “Throw the frame away, shred the photo.” After handling everything, I boarded a plane abroad a week later.

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My wife and I faced difficulties conceiving, so we opted for IVF. Before the embryos were combined, I discovered my wife secretly swapping my sperm with that of her first love. I said nothing and simply swapped it back. Then, I took the opportunity to replace her eggs with those of my ex-girlfriend. Twenty-five years later, her first love came to my door, trying to claim my son: “My dear boy, I’m your real father!” Upon returning home from an overseas medical project with my son Caspian, we were taken aback by what we saw. A crowd of distant relatives, usually absent, had gathered. It seemed like the Johnson family was hosting a large family meeting. The most irritating sight was Quentin, sitting on the couch with red eyes, being comforted by my elusive “good wife,” Fiona Johnson. I raised an eyebrow, set my suitcase aside, and looked at Fiona: “What’s the occasion today? Why the crowd?” Caspian stood behind me, arms folded, glaring at Quentin with disdain. He had an inkling of the man’s identity. My mother-in-law sat at the head of the room, looking displeased and hesitant. Before Fiona could respond, Quentin rushed at Caspian, tears streaming down his face: “My dear boy, I’m your real father!” Caspian quickly stepped aside, scowling at Quentin as if he were something filthy. He stepped back, his tone icy: “My dad is Declan.” That kid is truly on my side. I held Caspian’s hand, giving him a reassuring nod, and then struck Quentin with a punch. The sound echoed through the living room. “Don’t make false family claims,” I said coldly, my gaze sharp. Fiona jumped up, helping Quentin, and pointed at me in anger: “Declan, have you lost your mind? How dare you hit Quentin!” She raised her hand to strike me, but Caspian swiftly moved forward and slapped Fiona. “How dare you hit my dad?” Caspian’s voice was calm but carried undeniable authority. Fiona froze, both angry and furious, raising her hand to hit Caspian. But Quentin pulled her back, pretending to cry: “Fiona, don’t hit him, he’s our son!” His fake fatherly act made me want to laugh. Fiona lowered her hand, glaring at Caspian: “If it weren’t for your real father, I’d teach you a lesson today!” Caspian sneered: “Oh, I’d like to see how you plan to do that.” His fierce gaze reminded me of my younger self. I was secretly pleased; he truly is the son I raised!

An elder from the family cleared his throat, trying to restore order to the chaotic scene. “Quiet down, everyone!” His voice was deep, carrying unquestionable authority. Everyone gradually quieted down, eyes on the elder. He looked at Fiona: “Fiona, why did you call everyone here?” Fiona took a deep breath, as if summoning courage. She wrapped an arm around Quentin’s shoulder, looking deeply emotional. “Actually, I have some important news to announce today.” She paused, her eyes scanning the crowd before settling on Caspian and me. I watched her quietly, curious to see what she was up to. “Caspian, he’s… he’s not Declan’s biological son.” Fiona’s voice was soft, but it was like a bomb exploding in the living room. Caspian turned to me, shock in his eyes. I gestured for him to stay calm. The relatives around us whispered excitedly, like vultures circling a carcass. “Back then, when we were doing IVF…” Fiona paused, as if embarrassed, “The doctor said Declan’s sperm quality was poor… So, to spare his feelings, I swapped it with Quentin’s…” This fool tried to shift the blame onto me! Fiona’s malicious gaze landed on me, seemingly expecting me to lose my temper. But I remained calm, waiting for her to continue her performance. “Today, I called everyone here to witness…” She looked tenderly at Quentin, “Caspian recognizes his biological father.” The relatives immediately erupted. “If Caspian isn’t Declan’s son, he needs to acknowledge his real father!” “Exactly, occupying the Johnson family son-in-law position for so many years, it’s time to step down!” “Declan has been holding onto the Johnson family business, now that the truth is out, he should step down from Johnson Corporation!” Listening to these discussions, I laughed coldly inside. These scheming relatives, who’ve been pushed out of the company management and only rely on year-end dividends, aren’t happy with me. They’re eager to watch the drama unfold between Fiona and me, hoping to reclaim a piece of the pie. Caspian, seeing the greed in the relatives’ eyes, squeezed my hand tighter. I spoke: “Caspian will always be my child.” My voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm. Quentin looked helpless, choking up: “Declan, how long will you deceive yourself?”

I wasn’t deceiving myself; Caspian is indeed my child. Did Fiona and Quentin really think they could fool me? Back then, when Fiona couldn’t get pregnant, we decided on IVF. Before the embryo combination, I accidentally caught Fiona colluding with a nurse to tamper with my sperm storage. I overheard her excitedly telling Quentin that she had swapped in his sperm. I didn’t make a scene; I quietly offered the doctor a million dollars to switch it back with my extra sperm. I even “kindly” asked the doctor to swap Fiona’s eggs with my ex-girlfriend’s. On the day of embryo combination, Fiona and I witnessed the “miracle” together. She was abnormally happy, probably thinking it was her and Quentin’s child. Watching her foolishness almost made me laugh. Over the years, seeing her treat Caspian well, thinking he’s her son, was my private joy. She wanted to trick me, but she became an unwitting stepmother for over twenty years. Fiona interrupted my thoughts, mocking me, “You’re stubborn, Caspian may have been with you all these years, but the sperm isn’t yours! His biological father is Quentin.” I replied calmly, with a hint of provocation: “You’re dreaming?” “If you don’t believe me, let’s do a paternity test!” Fiona insisted, “I want a divorce! You forced me to marry you, and being with you for twenty-five years, I’ve done my duty!” Her face showed a hint of joy when she mentioned divorce. Looks like she’s been planning this for a while. Oh? She dares to say she’s done her duty? I’ve been married into her family for twenty-five years, living alone for all those years. While I raised our child, she was off having idyllic romances with Quentin. While I worked hard to uphold the Johnson family reputation, she was indulging in debauchery at entertainment venues. But one thing she got wrong; I didn’t marry her out of love, but to gain control of the Johnson family’s business. Now, Johnson Corporation is completely under my control. Fiona is no longer useful! “Divorce is fine,” I shrugged indifferently, “But there’s no need for a paternity test; I’m sure Caspian is my child.” Caspian looked at me, his gaze firm: “Dad, I believe you.” Fiona and Quentin immediately panicked. “Caspian, don’t you believe your mom?” Caspian ignored her, staying close to me. At this moment, a boy who looked like a college student barged in. He marched straight to Caspian, excitedly shouting: “Brother!” Everyone was stunned. It’s one thing for another dad to pop up, but now there’s a brother too?

Looking at the boy who resembled Quentin, I started to have a hunch. This must be Fiona and Quentin’s illegitimate child. They hid it well, not letting me find out for over twenty years. Looks like this drama is more interesting than I thought. My mother-in-law, sitting at the head, looked at the boy with authority: “Fiona, what’s going on here?” The atmosphere in the living room froze again. The boy looked like he was about to cry, his eyes red. “Brother, I’m Rowan. I… I’ve always known about you.” He stammered, his voice trembling slightly. He sneaked a glance at me, quickly lowering his head like he was afraid of my disapproval. “My… my dad often talked about you, saying you were excellent and handsome…” Quentin started sobbing at the right moment, his shoulders shaking. “Caspian, my beloved son, I’ve missed you so much all these years…” He lifted his head, eyes brimming with tears, as if he was wronged. “Rowan… he always wanted to meet you. We often secretly watched you…” Rowan nodded eagerly, adding: “Really! Brother, I went to your school just to… to be closer to you…” He pulled out a stack of photos from his pocket, carefully handing them to Caspian. “I… my dad used to mention you a lot. He always said you were remarkable and handsome…” Quentin began to sob, his shoulders shaking with emotion. “Caspian, my dear son, I’ve missed you so much over the years…” He looked up, tears welling in his eyes, as if he had been deeply wronged. “Rowan, he… he’s missed you too. We often went to see you secretly…” Rowan nodded eagerly, quickly adding: “Yes, really! Brother, I even went to school near you just to be closer to you…” He pulled out a stack of photos from his pocket and handed them carefully to Caspian. “These are your photos. I… I took them secretly…” Caspian flipped through the photos. There he was, wearing a graduation gown with a bright smile; looking tired after basketball practice; debating energetically with classmates… A shiver ran down Caspian’s spine. All these years, someone had been lurking around him, watching and secretly taking his photos! Fiona Johnson didn’t stay idle. She approached my mother-in-law, pointing at Rowan with a serious tone. “Mom, this is the Johnson family’s grandson! All the relatives are here today to witness this. Please… acknowledge him!” Fiona was clever. She knew that after my father-in-law passed away, it was my mother-in-law who held the decision-making power within the Johnson family. She had invited all the relatives to pressure my mother-in-law into recognizing Rowan as family. She believed that if my mother-in-law agreed to let Rowan join the family, I wouldn’t be able to object. After all, I’ve been dutiful and respectful to my mother-in-law for the past twenty-five years. Rowan, quick on his feet, immediately turned to my mother-in-law and respectfully called her, “Grandma!” My mother-in-law looked at Rowan and then at me, her gaze complex, not immediately acknowledging Rowan’s greeting. I knew she felt sorry for me. Not wanting to make things difficult for her, I broke the silence. “Fiona, your real motive is to have this illegitimate child join the Johnson family and inherit it, isn’t it? Why drag Caspian into this?”

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