Category: English

It was my wedding to Lucas, and there, amidst the guests, stood our maid, heavily pregnant. That’s when I found out: after every intimate moment Lucas and I shared, she would steal the used condoms from our trash. She’d then use the residual fluid to conceive Lucas’s baby. Lucas, full of misplaced pity, said, “Let her have it! It’s a life after all.” Later, while I was deep asleep, the maid brought a portable gas heater into my room, sealing off all windows and the door. In the sweltering 104-degree heat, I was slowly cooked alive, suffocating to death. After my death, the maid spread rumors that I had committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. And then, she married my fiancé. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment she first tried to steal a used condom. This time, I’d already ordered ten used condoms online and dumped them into the trash. A crushing, suffocating pain squeezed my chest. My eyes snapped open, and I gasped, sucking in ragged breaths. Beside me, Lucas slept soundly, his face serene and cool. Without a second’s hesitation, I grabbed my phone, found a SnapChat group, and flash-bought ten opened condoms. The person on the other end replied quickly, “Ten? Woah, ma’am, you got some wild tastes.” “Cut the crap. One hundred thousand bucks. Are you selling or not?” They replied instantly, “Sold!” Half an hour later, I had the package. Holding back a wave of nausea, I dumped everything into the trash can by the bed. Then I scrambled back onto the bed. The moment I lay down, the bedroom door creaked open. A slender figure sneaked in, ghost-like. She paused, frozen, when she saw the ten little balloons tossed in the trash. Then, she clenched her jaw, cursing under her breath, “You shameless hussy, trying to get Lucas to mess around! Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?” A cold laugh bubbled in my chest. Anyone listening would think she, Scarlett Reed, was Lucas Hayes’s girlfriend! But the truth was, she was just a charity case I’d taken under my wing because I felt sorry for her. Yet, behind my back, she repeatedly tried to seduce Lucas, even secretly applying to be our housekeeper under the guise of ‘repaying my kindness.’ She used her position to steal Lucas’s used condoms while cleaning, then secretly underwent IVF. I couldn’t comprehend it. I offered her a hefty sum to terminate the pregnancy, but she twisted it, claiming I was insulting her and her baby, throwing a tearful tantrum and threatening suicide. Lucas, of course, immediately chastised me for overreacting and being heartless, all to protect Scarlett. Lucas and I had a huge fight. Scarlett, seizing the opportunity, locked me in my room. Then she brought in a small, portable gas heater, sealed my windows and doors, and left it running, ensuring the room would fill with deadly carbon monoxide, cooking me alive in the sweltering 104-degree heat. After my death, Scarlett faked my suicide. Armed with Lucas’s supposed child, she replaced me, marrying into the Hayes family and becoming the envied Mrs. Hayes. Now, reborn, fueled by burning hatred, I peeked open one eye. I watched Scarlett hesitate, then pick up the condom with the most visible fluid residue. “Once I’m pregnant, I’ll make sure Lucas kicks you out!” she hissed venomously, turning to leave. I stayed hidden under the covers, a chilling smirk spreading across my face. Oh, she wanted to be pregnant, did she? Then I’d grant her wish. I just hoped Scarlett wouldn’t cry when the truth finally came out. 2 The very next morning, my assistant, Derek, called. “Aurora, it’s bad! Sterling Corp. is canceling our deal!” “What?” The Sterling Corp. deal was a major project I’d poured six months into, sacrificing countless nights to secure. We were on the verge of wrapping it up. Why would they suddenly cancel? A knot of unease tightened in my stomach. When I arrived at the company, I saw Scarlett. Gone was her usual timid demeanor. She stood in the conference room, yelling at our business partner. “What if I hit you? You deserved it! Dressing like that to secure a deal, obviously trying to seduce Lucas, aren’t you? Not on my watch!” She patted her belly, which wasn’t yet showing, as if cradling a priceless treasure. “My baby’s daddy is a very powerful man. Do you really want to disrespect me?” With that, she grabbed a cup of coffee and splashed it right in the business partner’s face. “Scarlett!” Seeing that, I trembled with rage. I lunged forward and slapped her across the face. “This isn’t your playground!” Suddenly, a large, boisterous woman, dripping in gaudy gold jewelry like she’d just won the lottery, burst in and slammed into my lower back. “You bitch! How dare you hit my daughter!” I stumbled, falling to the floor, my forehead hitting the sharp edge of the table. Amidst the chaos, a cool, detached voice suddenly cut through. “What’s going on?” Lucas, his long hair simply tied back, dressed in pristine white, exuded an ethereal detachment that felt completely out of place amidst the chaos. Scarlett’s eyes instantly lit up. She burst into tears and threw herself at Lucas’s feet, clinging to his leg. “Lucas, you always preach about equality, but Aurora here, just because she’s from a rich family, treats us common folk like dirt! She hits and curses at us ordinary employees!” “Just because I’m pregnant, Aurora got jealous and deliberately teamed up with our business partner to target me and harm my baby!” “Is that true?” Lucas frowned, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of onlookers outside the conference room. Everyone exchanged glances, unsure how to respond. Lucas, misinterpreting their silence as fear of me, immediately frowned, his expression hardening. “Scarlett has a tragic past. I only hired her to give her a chance at a livelihood, but you grew jealous, Aurora, and took advantage of her. You’ve truly disappointed me.” “Aurora, apologize to Scarlett!” I couldn’t waste time arguing with them. I quickly stood up and blocked the furious business partner from leaving. “Ms. Sarah, please, let me explain. This is all a misunderstanding…” Ms. Sarah was a young woman, beautiful and exceptionally capable. And now, she was branded by Scarlett as someone who had slept her way to the top. “Some people in your company…” Her gaze swept over the messy conference room. She shook her head. “I’m afraid I cannot condone this behavior.” 3 After Ms. Sarah left, Lucas still maintained his detached, almost ethereal composure. “So the deal is off. Money and power are fleeting, Aurora. Your greed is insatiable.” I took a deep breath. I still couldn’t understand how Lucas’s parents, notorious for their cunning and manipulative nature, could have produced such a weak-willed son. Meanwhile, Scarlett’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Reed, were still wailing, demanding an explanation from me. “Our innocent daughter came to your house and somehow ended up pregnant! How is she supposed to live now? You must give us an answer!” Bystanders gathered, watching the scene. I couldn’t help but sneer. “She shamelessly got pregnant out of wedlock! It’s clear the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – you raised a delinquent daughter, what does that have to do with me? And Scarlett, you’re fired!” Scarlett scoffed, clearly prepared. She pulled out her phone and aimed the camera at me. “You can’t fire a pregnant employee! I’ll sue you! ‘Sterling Enterprises, heartless corporation, fires pregnant employees! Aurora can’t have kids, so she forces her staff to get abortions!’” Using the name of Sterling Enterprises, the live stream was instantly flooded with viewers, commenting wildly: [What’s wrong with being pregnant? Can’t pregnant women work?] [Hayes Corp. needs to learn some laws! Firing pregnant employees is illegal!] … I almost laughed. Mr. and Mrs. Reed thought I was out of options, pushing me to find the man who got Scarlett pregnant. I nodded, agreeing readily, then pulled out my phone, pretending to live-stream a “search for the baby daddy” for Scarlett’s unborn child. Scarlett suddenly shoved her parents away. “Idiots! What do you know? This is the baby I worked so hard to get! Once I give birth, I’ll marry into a rich family!” She turned to me, her eyes glinting with a secret mix of defiance and triumph. She was probably imagining kicking me out of the Hayes household once her baby was born. Mr. and Mrs. Reed were stunned. Their eyes darted around, then they suddenly proposed that I should personally take care of Scarlett’s baby-to-be. “You also need to give us another sum of money to cover the cost of our daughter’s pregnancy!” It sounded as if Scarlett was pregnant for me. Lucas nodded too. “It’s our responsibility to care for the vulnerable.” I pondered for a moment, then suddenly nodded. “Fine.” “Scarlett is my employee, after all. Since she’s pregnant, of course I’ll take responsibility.” Right in front of them, I not only arranged for Scarlett to move back into the villa but also called a doctor, ordering the highest level of prenatal care for her entire pregnancy. Scarlett thought I was caving in because of her baby. She swelled with smug satisfaction, bossing me around. “You! Go make me some bird’s nest soup! The best golden blood swallow!” The many housekeepers stared at her in astonishment. “Scarlett, what’s wrong with you? That blood swallow was specially bought by Lucas for Aurora! How can a mere employee like you eat it?” Scarlett sneered. “So what if I’m an employee? My belly is far more precious than hers!” “…What’s there to be proud of, being pregnant and unmarried?” Everyone else thought she’d lost her mind, but I wasn’t angry in the least. Instead, I smiled sweetly and personally brought her a bowl of the blood swallow. Scarlett grew even more smug. “At least you know your place.” She put on airs, tasted the bird’s nest, then turned to boss the housekeepers around, hitting and scolding them if she was even slightly displeased. She even secretly ordered a wedding dress identical to mine. I let her do as she pleased. Six months passed, leading up to Lucas and my wedding. Business magnates arrived in droves. The officiant, as per tradition, asked, “Lucas, do you take Aurora to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Lucas delicately pursed his lips, just about to say “I do,” when a voice suddenly cut through. “I object!” 4 Scarlett, also dressed in a wedding gown, stood at the end of the aisle, her voice ringing clear. The officiant, likely encountering this for the first time, asked in astonishment, “Who are you? On what grounds do you object?” Scarlett, nearly six months pregnant, looked triumphant, as if she were about to crush me underfoot. “Because I am the future lady of the Hayes family, and I am carrying Lucas’s child in my belly!” The words caused a ripple of shock throughout the entire hall. In front of everyone, Scarlett vividly recounted how she had stolen the little balloons, gone to the clinic, and undergone IVF. Then, she dropped to her knees before Mrs. Hayes, her voice brimming with eagerness. “Mom! My belly carries the Hayes family’s only grandchild!” Mr. and Mrs. Reed, behind her, chimed in. “That’s right, dear in-laws, our daughter is a great hero for your Hayes family! How can a hero only be a mere maid!” They pointed at me. “It’s all that malicious woman’s fault! She can’t tolerate our Scarlett. Dear in-laws, you must uphold justice for our daughter!” Mrs. Hayes’s face flushed with embarrassment. She instinctively glanced at me, then at Scarlett, who was proudly displaying her belly. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. After a moment of thought, still considering the Sterling family backing me, she spoke coldly. “Guards! Get this crazy woman who’s spouting nonsense out of here!” Scarlett’s wails froze. She stared at Mrs. Hayes, dumbfounded. She failed to consider that Lucas and his mother were originally just one of Mr. Hayes’s many illegitimate children. He only became the Hayes Corp. heir because I had taken an interest in him. To Mrs. Hayes, how could an unconfirmed baby outweigh the influence and power of my Sterling family? Seeing the security guards approaching, Scarlett gritted her teeth and suddenly lunged towards a window. “Lucas! This is your child in my belly! If you don’t acknowledge him, I’ll jump from here!” Amidst the uproar, I clearly saw a flash of amusement in Lucas’s eyes. “Aurora, she’s pregnant and carrying a child. Why are you so aggressive?” Aggressive? I scoffed. It seemed this rose was too tempting; even Lucas, who usually feigned aloofness, couldn’t help but be swayed. Too lazy to engage with him, I finally spoke. “Scarlett, are you absolutely sure the baby in your belly is Lucas’s?” Scarlett nodded without hesitation. “Just because you can’t get pregnant, you think no one else can? My baby is absolutely, genuinely, a Hayes family bloodline!” “Oh~” I drew out the sound, the smile in my eyes deepening. The next second, the main doors suddenly burst open. A middle-aged man rushed in, grabbed Scarlett, and shouted, “Honey!”

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I caught my best friend Chloe’s fiancé cheating. I couldn’t let Chloe marry a man like that. I helped her confront him and demand a ten-million-dollar settlement. Overnight, Chloe became a wealthy woman. But the fiancé, Damien? He just moved on and threw an even more lavish wedding for someone else. As Chloe watched the live stream of the ceremony, her face twisted with envy. Then she picked up a fruit knife and pointed it at me, hysterical. “This is your fault, Ava! If you hadn’t made me leave him, I’d be the one at that wedding!” Before I could explain, she slit my throat. I died on the spot. When I opened my eyes, I was back to the day I caught Damien cheating. This time, I swore I wouldn’t say a word. Let Chloe believe she can tame a playboy. But she has no idea that Damien’s other lover isn’t a woman…it’s a man! “Ava, what did you just say about Damien Hayes?” My best friend Chloe blinked, looking up from the wedding dresses, her eyes bright with excitement. Hearing that question again, the one that had pushed me into an abyss, I sharply drew a breath. That’s when I knew: I’d been reborn. I was standing there, having just caught Damien cheating, ready to expose him. In my last life, I’d seen Damien at a hotel, caught in an intimately ambiguous moment with a man. It all made sense. I’d screamed at him, called him a beast for using Chloe. Afraid Chloe couldn’t handle the full truth, I only told her Damien was cheating before their wedding, that he was no good, and marrying him would be a disaster! Chloe had cried until her eyes were raw, confronting him. But Damien dismissed her. “Chloe, don’t make a scene. It was a minor mistake. We’re getting married tomorrow. You know I love you.” Chloe sobbed, broken, unable to speak. She always said her love had to be perfect, a pure meeting of souls with no flaws. The truth about Damien would have destroyed her. So I helped her demand a huge settlement for her wasted time. Damien signed the check with a sigh. “Chloe, even without you, tomorrow’s wedding would still go on.” Chloe became an instant millionaire. And the next day, Damien married someone else in lavish, highly-publicized ceremony. Chloe watched the live stream, her face contorted with bitter jealousy. I quickly turned off the live stream, trying to comfort her. “Chloe, don’t watch it. He’s not the man you thought he was. He was never worth your heart.” But she grabbed a fruit knife and pointed it at me, hysterical. “Ava, it’s all your fault! Damien said he’d love me forever; he just made a mistake, one that all men make when they’re confused. How dare you make me call off the engagement!” “If it weren’t for you, that grand wedding would be mine!” “You just don’t understand me! I don’t want tons of money; I want tons of love!” Before I could explain, she slit my throat with that knife, and I died on the spot. “Ava, what are you thinking about?” Chloe’s face suddenly leaned in close, and I instinctively recoiled. Last life, I poured my heart out, planning everything for her, yet she mercilessly raised a blade against me. This life, I absolutely refuse to get involved in their messed-up love and hate. I touched my suddenly cold neck, forcing down my anger. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking how much Damien must love you, preparing so many priceless wedding dresses.” Chloe hugged her flushed face, swaying her body. “Ava, tomorrow I’m marrying Damien! It feels like a dream. To meet such a wonderful man, such genuine love, I’m truly so happy!” I sneered internally. Your happy days are just beginning, alright.

Her missed grand wedding finally gave her a moment in the spotlight in my previous life. All the shopping mall screens across the city broadcast the wedding live. The entire internet envied her, this Cinderella who’d soared from rags to riches. Only I knew, this magnificent wedding was just the start of her tragedy. One month later, I was buried in my books at the library when my phone started blowing up with messages from Chloe. I ignored them all, silencing my phone and shoving it into my bag. She barged right into the library, dressed to the nines, but her anger was undeniable. She marched to my table and slammed her phone down. “Ava, why aren’t you answering my calls?!” I kept my grip on my pen, slowly raising my head. “It’s a critical time for my exams; I wasn’t paying attention to my phone.” Chloe suddenly sniffled dramatically, plopping down beside me and digging her nails into my arm. “Ava, Damien’s been ignoring me lately. When I get upset, he just throws money at me.” “What do I want all that money for? I want his love!” “And what’s worse, yesterday his collar smelled like some strange perfume!” “It must be some blind hussy trying to get to him! You have to come with me to his company to catch her! We’ll teach her a lesson!” “I really don’t have time. Maybe you should find someone else.” “Ava! You’re not going to help me? Are you even my best friend anymore?!” She snatched my book and threw it into the trash can. My eyes widened as I yanked my arm away. “What are you doing?” She just shrugged. “Who cares about some book? Grad school won’t make you rich.” Of course not. She hadn’t studied since meeting Damien. She’d forgotten all our late nights, the bond we built over shared stress. Before I could answer, she was pulling me out of the library. We waited for half an hour before Damien emerged from his company, accompanied by a man in a suit. It was Julian Miller, his lover from my last life. As they walked side by side, the man’s hand casually rested on Damien’s shoulder. Damien didn’t pull away; instead, he smiled. Chloe was about to charge forward. I instinctively reached out to stop her, but then pulled my hand back. I was actually curious to see her reaction when she saw how intimate they were. Unfortunately, Damien was sharp-eyed. He spotted us before Julian could make a more intimate move. He walked over to us, naturally put his arm around Chloe’s waist, and spoke softly. “Chloe, what are you two doing here? This is Mr. Miller, my business partner. We just finished a project and were about to grab a bite.” He turned to Julian and smiled. “This is my wife, Chloe, and her best friend, Ava.” Julian’s lips curved into a smile, full of unspoken meaning. “Ms. Hayes, you’ve arrived at just the right time.” As Julian removed his hand from Damien’s shoulder, I clearly saw a matching pinky ring on his ring finger – identical to Damien’s. But Chloe, utterly drunk on Damien’s renewed affection, missed it completely. Instead, she tugged my arm, whispering excitedly. “See? Damien was busy with work. That perfume is Mr. Miller’s. I was just being paranoid.” “And you! You didn’t even try to talk me down. You almost made me ruin a good thing!” I wanted to shake her. God, I wanted to slap some sense into her.

I took a deep breath, forcing down the anger bubbling inside me. “Well, since everything’s fine, I’ll head back to school.” Chloe waved me off, a smile instantly lighting up her face. “Go on, go on. Don’t want to interrupt my quality time with Damien.” No sooner had I settled back into my seat at the library than my phone vibrated. It was a SnapChat from Chloe. It was a picture of a royal blue satin scarf embroidered with gold flowers. “Ava, look! This is the latest limited edition scarf Damien just gave me! He said he specially had someone bring it back from abroad. He really loves me so much!” It was followed by three starry-eyed emojis. “But it’s so strange. This scarf has a… a kind of stinky smell? Is that what luxury smells like?” That scarf wasn’t some latest limited edition at all; it was a runway piece from a luxury brand two years ago. My favorite celebrity wore the exact same one at an event the year before last, and I’d even looked up the details then. But I didn’t expose her. I just replied with a casual, “Looks nice. Glad you like it.” Let them deal with their own twisted love and hate. All I wanted was to quietly prepare for my exams and hoped she wouldn’t bother me again. Clearly, her brain wasn’t equipped to handle emotional problems independently. A week before my exams, she showed up again, sobbing hysterically, her face swollen and bruised. “I only lost one of Damien’s pinky rings, and he hit me! He said it was from his true love, and he wouldn’t let me come home until I found it!” I instinctively moved away, avoiding her touch, my gaze fixed on her red, swollen, and bruised face. To hit her that hard… Damien’s temper and possessiveness were finally showing through. I felt no sympathy, in fact, I almost wanted to laugh. Last life, she killed me for Damien. This life, experiencing his domestic violence felt like a twisted form of karma. Seeing my lack of reaction, Chloe cried, pressing me. “I’m practically dying of grief, how can you, my best friend, have no reaction at all?” I put down my pen, leaned back in my chair, and said, light as a feather. “Oh, he must *really* love you then, if that’s how he shows affection.” Chloe froze, staring at me with disbelief. “Look at my face! Do you think this is love? This is domestic violence! He hit me so hard!” Oh, so she wasn’t completely brain-dead yet; she knew this was domestic violence. I raised an eyebrow, playing along. “Well, if you can’t stand it, you can call the police, or just divorce him. Then you wouldn’t have to look for some stupid ring.” But Chloe reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, immediately retorting. “I can’t divorce him! Damien, he… he was just impulsive. The ring must have some very important sentimental value to him, that’s why he got angry!” “I forgive him. As long as I find the ring, he’ll definitely love me like before!” I couldn’t help but sneer. What kind of decent person, once married, still wears a ring from their “true love”? Chloe clutched my arm, her voice pleading. “Ava, please help me! I really don’t know what to do!” I frowned, frustrated. “You don’t even know where you threw it, how am I supposed to help you find it?” “I don’t care! If you don’t help me, I’ll bother you every single day and prevent you from taking your exams!” I forcefully pulled my hand away, my eyes hardening. “Chloe, don’t push it! You know how important this exam is to me!” Chloe curled her lips, looking at me with a menacing grin. “Then help me find the ring!” In that moment, seeing her twisted expression, I finally understood. Avoiding her was pointless. She would never let me be. Last life, I helped her, and she killed me. This life, if I didn’t, she’d ruin me. I came from nothing. This graduate program was my one shot at a future. I couldn’t let her take that from me. But I knew she would. So fine. If she insisted, I’d let her find the truth herself. The truth she could never see coming.

I softened my tone, asking sincerely. “I can help you look for the ring, but first, you need to tell me when and where you last saw it.” Seeing me relent, Chloe’s voice immediately became agitated. “Last night, Damien was meeting a client at the hotel. He got drunk, and I went to pick him up.” “Midway, he went to the restroom and handed me his ring, phone, and stuff. I just put them on the dining table. When we left, I only remembered to grab his phone.” “Later, I asked all the hotel staff, and they all said they didn’t see it!” “Who was the client he was meeting?” “It was Mr. Miller, Julian Miller.” Chloe’s voice paused, then she quickly added, “But it definitely wasn’t him! He’s Damien’s business partner; why would he steal a ring?” I sneered internally, but on the surface, I pretended to analyze seriously. “Since you were at the hotel, let’s go check the security footage first, to see if anyone else entered the private room when he went to the restroom.” “Also, Damien said the ring was from his ‘true love.’ Has he met anyone special recently?” Chloe thought for a moment, her tone uncertain. “These past few days, besides seeing me, he’s only been with Mr. Miller. But they’re just talking business!” I was silent for a moment before saying. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to that hotel and check the surveillance videos. If we can’t find it, we’ll have to resort to searching the trash dump.” The next morning, Chloe and I arrived at the surveillance room. The footage showed that as Chloe was helping Damien to the restroom, Julian casually picked up the ring. He compared it repeatedly with the ring on his own ring finger, a smile playing on his lips, then finally slipped the ring into his pocket. Chloe watched the monitor, her face turning pale in waves. “He… he has an identical ring?” “No, it can’t be what I’m thinking. They’re partners, even if they have matching rings, it’s nothing, right?” I ignored her, continuing to stare at the monitor. A few minutes later, Chloe returned, helping Damien, and Julian smiled as he watched them leave. Strangely, Julian didn’t leave the private room. It wasn’t until an hour later that he answered a call, toying with the ring. “The ring’s gone? Damien, that was our promise ring. Tell me, how should I punish your little wife?” “What do I say? I’m afraid you won’t want to.” “Then punish her by making her find the ring. If she doesn’t, she’s not allowed to come home!” I don’t know what the other person said, but Julian’s smile grew wider. “Good. For the next week, I’ll be staying at your place, keeping you company.” Hearing this, Chloe looked like she’d been struck by lightning, instantly turning to stone. A few seconds later, she erupted. She grabbed the monitor, shaking it, her knuckles white and eyes wide, staring at Julian’s face. “True love’? A promise ring? This is fake!” “No! This is fake! You’re all lying! Damien loves me! He said we were going to the Maldives!” The security guard, alarmed by the outburst, rushed over. “Ma’am, please calm down. Don’t damage the equipment!” Chloe turned on him, her voice a piercing shriek, her face wet with tears and snot. “Chloe turned on him, her voice a piercing shriek, her face wet with tears and snot!” After crying and screaming for ten minutes, she went silent. The despair in her eyes vanished, replaced by a savage, insane ferocity. She screamed as she stormed out. “I’ll make them pay!”

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On our fifth wedding anniversary, I found a diary Derek had dropped under the bed. Curiosity gnawed at me as I opened it. “Three months ago, I was too busy making out with Tiffany while driving. I crashed. The woman in the other car died.” “If this gets out, Aurora will find out I cheated.” “Panicked. I poured the liquor from my trunk down her throat and all over the car. Made it look like she was driving drunk.” I knew Derek had a habit. He’d write his deepest thoughts in a diary to vent, then burn it. Three months ago, he’d grabbed my identical diary by mistake and burned it. My heart hammered as I read the final lines: “That girl was a stain. She’s dead, she has no future, but we do.” “I just wiped her away. God will forgive me, right?” Some “stain”! I clenched my fists. My sister, Lily, whom I’d been frantically searching for, was actually murdered by him and his mistress. Derek pushed the door open, a custom cake in his hands. He set it down and moved to hug me from behind. “Darling, I’m so sorry I’m late.” “Happy 5th Anniversary,” the frosting read. The words burned my eyes. His excuses buzzed in my ear. “Aurora, I waited two hours at your favorite bakery. Nothing could keep me from our anniversary.” I frowned and pushed him away, my voice cold. “You’ve been with another woman.” He froze, panic flashing across his face. “What? No!” But my nose has always been sensitive. Derek never wore cologne. Yet now, he carried a strange, cloying sweetness. Or maybe it had been there for three months. I’d just been too frantic, too blinded by my search for my sister, to notice. I met his plea with silence. My stillness seemed to agitate him further. “Aurora, believe me! I’d never cheat. Have you forgotten? When you were misdiagnosed with leukemia, I was ready to give you every bone in my body. When they said you couldn’t conceive, I got a vasectomy.” His voice was thick with passion, the corners of his eyes reddening with feigned sincerity. In the past, that look would have shattered me. Now, it left me cold.. I just lifted the photo and placed it in front of him. “What’s this?” Derek’s smile vanished the instant he saw it. He went pale. “Who is this girl?” “My sister. Lily Hayes.” Lily had been studying abroad for six years and was due to return this year. Derek had never met her. But that night, on her way to find me, she had an accident. Three months ago, the police called to say my sister had died in a drunk driving accident. “Impossible,” I’d told them, clutching the phone. “She’s allergic to alcohol. She never drinks.” But the officer insisted. “There were alcohol bottles scattered at the scene, and her tox screen came back positive for a high alcohol level…” I didn’t hear the rest before I rushed out of the house. For days, I investigated in secret. The private detectives found nothing. It wasn’t until I found Derek’s diary under the bed that I realized the secret he’d been hiding from me, the one that had tormented me so much. “Why didn’t you tell me your sister was back in the country, darling?” Derek asked, his voice dripping with feigned concern. “I haven’t even had the chance to meet her. I would have been planning a welcome party, not to mention getting her a proper gift…” Derek stood up, his face ashen. “”Where is she?” he stuttered. “Should I go get her?” “It’s okay. I already found her.” Derek’s face went pale. “What did you say? Found… found her?” Derek desperately tried to suppress the guilt in his eyes, forcing a smile that looked worse than a grimace. He’d sunk her car, with her body inside, to destroy the evidence. I nodded. “Three months ago, she was murdered. And I’ve found the killer.”

Derek’s face was pale and sickly. He didn’t touch the cake, squirming like he was sitting on needles. He picked at his food with his fork twice, then claimed to feel unwell and retreated to his study. But I heard him lock the door from inside. He frantically called Tiffany. “Did you let something slip?” “Did you really clean up the mess from three months ago?” Hiding outside the door, I listened, my fists clenched. My suspicions were confirmed. Derek’s hushed, frantic questions from behind the door pierced me like shards of glass. “Did you destroy the dashcam memory card? I’ve told you about that intersection camera. It’s a blind spot, but what if…” Tiffany’s voice was sweet but dismissive. “I handled it. It was dark, no one saw our car. What about you? Is your wife suspicious? You didn’t answer my call.” “Stop it!” Derek’s voice was impatient, then dropped to a guilty whisper. “You know Aurora. Her nose is sharper than a bloodhound’s, her mind as venomous as a snake’s. Miss Davis just looked at me, and Aurora ruined her business. She’s in jail! If Aurora finds out…” The rest became an indistinct mumble, but I felt a chill spread through me. He knew everything. He knew I was controlling, he knew I was ruthless, and he knew I hated betrayal most of all. That’s why he acted like a dog, wagging his tail for scraps while secretly gnawing away at my trust. And worse… he killed my own sister. I returned to the bedroom and took out the dashcam footage the police had given me, which they said was completely corrupted. With a calm expression, I cut my palm with a knife and lightly touched the blood to it. A faint white light flashed, and a moving image materialized in mid-air. It was the accident scene, reconstructed by sensing my energy. I saw Derek and his mistress, Tiffany, arguing in the passenger seat. Tiffany’s eyes filled with tears. “What do we do? Derek, someone’s dead! We have to call the police!” “No, we can’t call the police!” Derek forced down his panic. “You know everything I have now, my wife gave it to me!” “She didn’t care that I was broke, but she had one rule: never betray her.” “If we call the police, they’ll take statements and investigate. Everyone will question why we were together in the middle of the night. If my wife finds out, I’m completely finished!” Derek calmed down and started cleaning the scene. Tiffany was terrified, shaking all over, on the verge of tears. “This is a crime, we should still call the police…” But the man pushed her away ruthlessly. “What are you scared of? This is a camera blind spot! No one saw how this accident happened!” “As long as we handle the details, out here in the middle of nowhere, no one will ever suspect us!” They conspired for a long time, finally devising a ‘perfect’ plan. The crash already looked like an accident; if they faked it as her own drunk driving, no one else would be blamed. So, in a rush, they bought a bottle of alcohol from a supermarket and forced it into my sister’s mouth. But as they were pouring, they discovered my sister was still breathing. Both were horrified, staring at each other. Tiffany paused, then seeing my sister was alive, a flicker of hope appeared. “She’s not dead! Let’s call an ambulance…” But Derek, terrified, stopped her. His eyes turned cold. “No! She saw us. If she talks, we’re finished!” “Do you want what happened tonight to get out?” “Don’t forget, if you cross my wife, you won’t even be able to stay in this city!” So, Derek ignored my sister’s pleas, reaching out and strangling her to death. Once she drew her last breath, they faked it as a drunk driving accident and wiped away their fingerprints. I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. If they had just called for help, my sister would be alive. If they hadn’t been so wrapped up in each other, her life wouldn’t have been stolen for nothing. With a wave of my hand, the spectral images in the air dissolved into nothing, as fleeting as a bad dream. Downstairs, Derek was humming, busy at the stove as if it were any other day. I pushed the door open, stepped out, and fixed him with a cold stare. Derek would rather commit murder than let me find out. That’s because he knew all too well that I was a ruthless madwoman. For a man, I could make many of his admirers disappear, destroying people’s lives until they could never recover. But he was wrong. Compared to any man, my sister, Lily Hayes, was my true weakness. My precious little sister, whom I’d cherished like a delicate flowerbud, afraid she’d melt in my hands. As for you, Derek Miller, Tiffany Stone. You killers who murdered my sister, I will never, ever let you get away with it.

Derek had just finished showering when a knock came at the door late at night. The police. “Ms. Hayes, is that right? We’ve recently found new developments regarding your sister’s death. Could you please come to the station when you’re free?” I nodded, agreeing to go to the police station first thing tomorrow morning. From the moment the police appeared, Derek’s face turned unnaturally pale. He even lied, saying he had to work late tonight and I should go to sleep. Only after I started breathing evenly did Derek tiptoe over, whispering to test me, “Aurora, are you asleep?” When I didn’t respond, he put on his jacket and slipped out. The moment the door softly clicked shut, I opened my eyes. Derek had arranged to meet Tiffany at a hotel to coordinate their stories and details once more. But just as they were naked and getting into the deepest parts of their planning, I pushed the door open. “Still figuring out how to get away with your crimes?” “When you pushed her into the river, she wasn’t actually dead, was she?” “She was so weak, desperately begging you, promising not to press charges if you just spared her life.” “But you, afraid of exposure, still drowned her in the river.” “That was a living, breathing human life!” “She didn’t have to die, but because of your momentary evil, you condemned her to a desperate death.” Derek and Tiffany stared at me, naked from the waist up, their faces terrified. Tiffany reacted quickly, shrieking and pulling the covers over herself, while Derek frantically scrambled for his clothes on the floor. “Aurora? What are you doing here?” Derek’s voice was a trembling whisper, his face paper-white. “If I hadn’t come, how would I have ever heard your brilliant plan? Caught you red-handed?” I tilted the knife in my hand, letting the light glint cruelly off the blade. The sight of it made Derek’s legs buckle, nearly sending him to his knees. “Aurora, calm down! It was an accident!” “An accident?” My laugh was cold and hollow. “My sister was allergic to alcohol. She never drank.” “Was it an accident when you forced the bottle into her mouth? When she was begging you to stop? Did your hand ‘accidentally’ slip when you drowned her?” Derek looked like he’d seen a ghost. Tiffany leaped from the bed and threw a lamp at me. “You crazy bitch, stop making false accusations! Your sister crashed the car herself while drunk driving, it has nothing to do with us!” I dodged. The lamp shattered. She lunged again, and I backhanded her. She staggered back, lip bleeding. “Me, crazy?”I smirked, stepping forward, the knife pointed at her stomach. “Next to you two killers? Sure. I feel pretty crazy when I see trash like you. I want to gut you and see what color you are inside.” Tiffany went pale, clutching her belly. “Don’t you dare! I’m pregnant with Derek’s baby! If you touch me, he won’t let you get away with it!” I watched her silently, a mocking smile playing on my lips. “You think I wouldn’t dare?” With that, I raised my hand and slapped her twice. Before she could react, I slammed her against the wall, lifting her clear off the ground by her throat. “Aurora, you bully a pregnant woman like this, I’ll kill you!” She screamed. She knew Sanda, Taekwondo. Now, she fought back with everything she had, every strike aimed to kill. But to me, she was so slow. “Too slow,” I said, dodging effortlessly. “You don’t stand a chance.”

After saying that, my eyes hardened, and I punched her in the stomach. “Ah!” Tiffany screamed, clutching her belly in agony, collapsing to the floor, unable to get up. “Aurora, don’t be impulsive!” Derek yelled, his voice hoarse, trying to calm me. “I know you followed me here today to record our conversation as evidence for the police, to have us brought to justice, right?” I couldn’t help but sneer. “With me dealing with you, the police can wait.” Sensing the murderous intent in my eyes, Derek’s face went white, his lips trembling, unable to speak. From our brief encounter, it should have been clear I could beat them without breaking a sweat. But that mistress, Tiffany, clutching her stomach, still defiantly provoked me. “You old, controlling hag, you deserve this. No man will ever truly love you.” “I’m already pregnant with Derek’s baby! He told me he’d divorce you eventually!” “And when you have a child, we’ll switch them, so my child becomes the sole heir!” Still not satisfied, she raised her hand to slap me. But she wasn’t fast enough, and I slapped her twice more. “Haven’t had enough yet?” “Then I’ll be happy to oblige.” Blood streamed down Tiffany’s face, but I had lost all patience. I raised the knife high. This time, Tiffany finally panicked. “Derek! What are you doing? Help me! She’s going to kill me!” Derek, frozen until now, looked torn. At her scream, he snatched up a heavy stick and charged toward me. I merely shot a glacial glance over my shoulder. He faltered mid-step, the stick clattering to the floor. “Derek,” I stated. “You had a vasectomy. So how, exactly, is she pregnant with your child?” He trembled. “Aurora, it wasn’t me… She seduced me! She’s lying! That… that baby isn’t mine!” “I never betrayed you! And I know nothing about your sister, I swear!” Then, with red-rimmed eyes, he dropped to his knees in front of me. It was a trick. As he knelt, he swung the stick hard at the back of my head. I collapsed.

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I was a disgrace to the entire journalism profession. They said I chased “thrills,” which meant I starred in adult films and fell into a crippling drug habit. Dr. Julian Vance, the chief forensic scientist and my ex-husband, was the one who despised me. He threw me out of our home, accusing me of selling my skin for a quick buck. Later, I vanished completely, just as he wanted. It wasn’t until five years later that Julian received a call from the police department, asking him to pick up an abandoned child. “Can you help me find my mommy? She was sleeping in a red suitcase, and someone carried her away.” Lily’s innocent words brought a roar of laughter from the room. To them, I was just another junkie who had probably gotten high and disappeared on a binge. Julian’s face was dark as he pressed them. “Where is Aubrey Hayes, that wretched woman, hiding now? Did she run out of money for her fix and send you to beg?” I floated in the air, watching Lily raise a blood-spotted rag doll, timidly saying. “Mommy said this is a gift for the hero uncle. It has bad people’s secrets inside.”

I floated above, watching Lily. She was curled on a police station bench, covered in grime, clutching that blood-stained rag doll for dear life. Her small face was a mask of grime, her hair a nest of tangles. The officer beside her made the call, his face a mask of disdain. “Dr. Vance? Your ex-wife’s vanished again. Left the kid. Didn’t want her.” “Once a junkie, always a junkie. When the monkey climbs on their back, they forget everything, even their own child.” I was numb to their vicious, vulgar words. But Lily shouldn’t hear this. I tried to cover her ears, my hands passing through her in a ghostly failure. Powerless. On the other end of the line, Julian’s voice was clear. “I’ll be right there.” Thirty minutes later, Julian finally appeared at the police station entrance. He appeared at the station thirty minutes later, the smell of formaldehyde still on his coat, his expression stormy. He completely bypassed Lily, asking the officer nearby. “Where’s Aubrey Hayes?” The officer shrugged. “Her phone’s off. No one’s home..” Julian let out a cold sneer. “Probably overdosed in a ditch somewhere. Saves us the trouble. One less junkie on the streets.” Lily heard his voice and timidly looked up. “Are you my daddy? Mama said my daddy is a hero.” Julian recoiled in disgust, stepping back to avoid Lily’s outstretched, dirty little hand. “Don’t call me that. I don’t have a child with a junkie, let alone a bastard.” Lily flinched, tears flooding her eyes. In a desperate, hurried motion, she thrust her rag doll toward him. “Mama said to give this to the hero uncle. And we can get food.” Julian slapped the doll away. “Don’t you dare try to disgust me with that filthy thing!” Lily stumbled to the ground, crying as she picked up the doll, carefully brushing off the dust. Julian knelt down, staring at Lily. “Where’s your mother?” “Mama was put in a suitcase by a bad man.” Lily sobbed, hugging her doll tightly. “The suitcase had lots and lots of red liquid coming out of it. Mama told me to run, and to give the doll to Uncle…” The surrounding police officers burst into laughter. “A red suitcase? This kid must have inherited her mother’s psychosis.” “Aubrey probably got high and hallucinated, and the kid’s just making things up.” “Or maybe her drug dealers came for her. Aubrey skipped town with a huge debt, cooking up this red suitcase story to fool the kid.” Julian’s face turned grim, listening to their disgusting remarks. He grabbed Lily’s arm and pulled her towards the exit. “Come home with me. We’ll wait and see when your wretched mother decides to grace us with her presence.” By the car, as the headlights flashed, Julian noticed Lily’s bare arms were covered in dense bruises and tiny needle marks. His face changed instantly, erupting in fury. “Aubrey, that animal! Did she actually inject drugs into such a small child?” I cried out desperately beside him: No! That’s from when Lily was sick, and they drew blood for her medicine! But Julian couldn’t hear me. He only thought I was so depraved I’d even harm my own daughter. Lily didn’t understand the man’s anger. She rubbed her grumbling stomach and whispered, “Uncle, I’m hungry. I want white powder.” Julian’s eyes flashed with fresh disgust. “Drugs? At your age? Find your junkie mother for your fix.” Lily flinched, her small body trembling. “No! Not that white powder!” Lily pleaded, her voice shaking. “Mama said it means formula!” “Lies.” He yanked the car door open and shoved her inside. “You’ve infected your own child, Aubrey. Rot in hell.” The car door slammed shut. Terrified, she clutched her rag doll. “Mama,” she whispered, “will you come back?” Julian heard Lily’s whisper and snarled. “You’d better not.” I pressed against the car window, watching my daughter curled up in the back seat and Julian’s cold indifference. Tears silently streamed down my face.

Julian took Lily back to his villa. I looked at the familiar furnishings inside. This had once been our marital home, still spotless, but everything related to me had been meticulously erased. Lily stood at the entrance, looking at the clean floor, hesitant to step on it. She quietly took off her worn shoes, standing barefoot in the foyer. “Julian, you’re back.” Sophia Reynolds, a woman in a beige shawl, glided out from the master bedroom. It was Sophia, my mother’s adopted daughter. After I “fell” and left home, she seamlessly filled the void I’d left, completely replacing me, staying by my mother’s and Julian’s side. Seeing Lily, she clearly paused. “This child is…” “Aubrey, that bitch, just dumped her here.” Julian loosened his tie, annoyed. “She’s run off again.” Sophia walked over to Lily, kneeling down. “What’s your name, little one?” Lily hugged her rag doll tighter, timidly shrinking back. “Lily.” “What a sweet name.” Sophia smiled and reached out to touch her head, but Lily recoiled. Sophia’s smile faltered for a second, then quickly softened again. “The child is so dirty; I’ll take her to have a bath.” Julian nodded, and Sophia led Lily towards the bathroom. I frantically followed, a sense of foreboding washing over me. Sure enough, as soon as the bathroom door closed, the tenderness vanished from Sophia’s face. She intentionally made the water scalding hot. Lily screamed in pain, but Sophia pretended not to hear, vigorously scrubbing her wounds. “Shut up. A junkie’s daughter has no right to cry about pain.” I desperately tried to push her away, but I couldn’t even touch a strand of her hair. I could only watch helplessly as my daughter was tormented. After the bath, Sophia led Lily out and sighed to Julian. “Julian, look, this child has so many marks on her body.” Sophia lowered her voice. “It seems Aubrey’s life out there… has been a mess. Who knows how much suffering this child has endured with her.” Julian’s face grew even darker. “What good could a junkie ever do?” “Julian, please don’t be angry.” Sophia gently soothed him. “You’ve already done more than enough for Aubrey.” Lily’s eyes lit up when she saw the bread on the table, but she didn’t dare to take it. Julian casually picked up a slice of bread and tossed it at her feet, as if shooing away a stray dog. Lily was starving; she swallowed her pride, picked up the bread, and wolfed it down, almost choking. But she only ate half, then carefully wrapped the rest and tucked it into her pocket. Julian frowned. “Eat, why aren’t you eating more?” Lily was startled by his harsh tone, timidly saying, “Mama… saved for Mama. Mama’s in the suitcase, she doesn’t have food.” “She’s out there selling her body for her next fix. Do you really think she’d starve?” Julian sneered. Lily seemed not to understand. She pulled out a crumpled bill from her pocket, carefully smoothed it flat, and offered it to Julian. “Uncle, Mama said we shouldn’t take things for free. This is all my money.” That was the last ten dollars I got from selling my blood to pay for Lily’s medicine; it still had faint traces of my blood on it. Julian slapped the bill away. “Keep it. Maybe it’ll buy your mother a coffin.” The bill fluttered to the floor. Lily slowly picked it up, folded it neatly, and put it back in her pocket. “Mama said, if I’m good, she’ll come back.” “You actually believe anything that junkie says? She can’t even take care of herself, why would she come back for you?” Julian lit a cigarette. Lily shook her head. “Mama really is in the red suitcase. I saw her.” “I also saw men hitting Mama, and Mama bled so much red. Lots and lots of red…” Lily’s tears started again. “My doll also got red from the liquid. Mama said it has bad people’s secrets inside…” “Enough!” Julian suddenly stood up. “Has Aubrey, that bitch, taught you to lie at such a young age? What red suitcase, what bad guys? It’s all a twisted game she made up!” Lily was so scared by Julian that she collapsed to the floor, crying. My heart was in agony. I reached out to hug my Lily, but my hand passed powerlessly through her tiny body. I’m so sorry, Lily. Mommy was useless. Sophia stepped forward and took Julian’s arm. “Julian, please don’t be angry. It’s normal for a child to pick up bad habits from an adult like that, we’ll just have to teach her slowly.” She turned to Lily. “Sweetheart, what your mommy did was very wrong, but Uncle Julian and Auntie Sophia will teach you to be a good girl.” I looked at Sophia in fury, wishing I could rip apart her hypocritical facade. Before Sophia could finish, my mother stormed into the villa.

Lily was still kneeling, crying into her doll. My mother saw her and began to tremble with rage. “So this is Aubrey’s bastard?” Lily flinched, shrinking back and hugging her rag doll tighter. “Grandma.” she timidly began. “Don’t you dare call me that!” My mother stepped forward and pushed her. “We don’t have trash like you in this family!” Lily fell hard to the ground, hitting her head on the corner of the coffee table. Blood instantly gushed out. “No! Mom! Lily isn’t a bastard!” I frantically rushed to stand in front of Lily, my fingers trembling with fear and rage, but no one could see me. Julian moved to help Lily up. “Don’t you dare touch her!” My mother pointed at Julian. “Why did you bring this little mongrel, born to Aubrey and God knows who, back here?!” I watched helplessly as my daughter’s blood stained the floor. I wanted to hold her, to wipe away her blood, but I couldn’t do anything. How I wished I were still alive, so I could protect my Lily. “Mama…” Lily cried, crawling up, blood streaming from her forehead into her eyes. “Lily hurts so bad…” “Good, I hope it kills you!” My mother sneered. “Your mother was a whore who made adult films, a junkie so far gone she was barely human! You’re no good either!” “My mommy isn’t a bad person!” Lily suddenly cried out loudly. “Mama is a hero!” “A hero?” My mother laughed in disbelief. “A junkie who stripped for money – does she deserve to be called a hero?” She turned to Julian. “Two choices. You send her to an orphanage, or I die on this spot. Your move.” Sophia quickly stepped forward to support my mother, who was swaying precariously. “Mom, please don’t get agitated. Your health is important.” “How can I not be agitated?” My mother clutched her chest. “Aubrey, that wretched woman, has brought nothing but shame to our Hayes family! And now she expects us to raise her bastard child? Dream on!” Julian stood rooted to the spot, his face grim. He looked at Lily, whose face was covered in blood, then at his trembling, enraged mother. “I’ll contact the orphanage,” he said, closing his eyes, his voice weary. “I’ll send her there once I finish the case I’m on.” “No.” Lily cried, crawling to Julian’s feet. “I’ll be good, I don’t want anything, I just want to find Mommy.” “Your mother abandoned you long ago!” Julian kicked her aside. “Stop talking nonsense!” Just then, Julian’s phone rang. “Dr. Vance, we have a break in The Riverbend Dismemberment Case! A complete red suitcase was found at the scene. We need you here, now!” Julian hung up, glancing at Lily, who was sprawled on the floor. “She’s coming with me.” “Julian,” Sophia softly began. “Why not leave the child here?” “Take care of my mother,” Julian said, looking at Sophia. My mother scoffed. “Better if she dies in a place like that. Saves me the trouble of seeing her.” Sophia helped my mother sit down, gently soothing her. “Mom, don’t be angry. I’ll get you some water.” I clearly saw a subtle curve on Sophia’s lips as she turned to the kitchen. I knew she had deliberately told my mother, but I couldn’t expose her hypocritical face. I could only watch helplessly as Julian picked Lily up like a rag doll and tossed her into the car. The car raced into the night. Lily huddled in the back, the cut on her forehead crusted over. She hugged her rag doll, murmuring soft, broken words. “Mama, I found him, but he doesn’t believe me.” “Mama, I’m so scared.” “Mama, are you cold in the suitcase? Please come get me…” An agony I could no longer feel twisted deep inside me. I could only press closer, a silent prayer for warmth I couldn’t give. I’m so sorry, Lily. I failed you. I couldn’t even secure your future.

The car stopped by the riverbend. A crowd of onlookers gathered outside the police tape. Julian put on his gloves, his face expressionless, and knelt down. “Mama! Mama!” Lily, still in the car, excitedly pounded on the window when she saw the red suitcase. Captain Miller, the detective, frowned. “Dr. Vance, why did you bring the child?” “Aubrey’s bastard,” Julian said without looking up. “I’ll drop her off at the orphanage after this.” “No! She’s your daughter! Julian, you can’t send her away!” I screamed with all my might, but Julian couldn’t hear me. Captain Miller sighed. “This child is truly unfortunate, stuck with a mother like Aubrey.” “Unfortunate, really?” Julian sneered. “Like mother, like daughter. She’s only five and already learned how to lie and manipulate for money.” I watched my Lily crying, gasping for breath, my heart in agony. I turned to look at the now cold Julian, remembering seven years ago, when he saved me and his arm was gashed open, bone-deep. He had firmly told me, “No matter what happens, I will always trust you.” But who could have imagined now… The sound of the zipper opening was jarring, and a putrid stench instantly spread. Several young officers covered their mouths and rushed to the side, retching. My face inside the suitcase had been disfigured by acid, my hair shaved clean, and my body twisted into a grotesque angle. Julian used tweezers to turn over the corpse’s arm, telling Captain Miller, “The deceased’s arms are covered in needle marks, indicating long-term drug injection. Preliminary assessment points to a junkie.” “The cause of death is excessive blood loss. The killer’s method is highly professional, more like an execution.” He stood up, took off his gloves. “Send her to the dissection room.” Julian slid back into the driver’s seat. In the back, Lily was still crying, her small fists pounding against the window, her voice worn to a raw, hoarse whisper. “Mama… please don’t go…” A cold glance in the rearview mirror. “Shut up,” Julian said, his voice low and sharp as ice. “That is not your mother. God only knows whose bed a woman like that is in right now.” “Make another sound, and I’ll leave you out here for the dogs.” Lily shuddered, immediately silenced, but tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. In the dissection room, Julian shrugged into a blue surgical gown, his face a mask of detached professionalism as he stood over the table. “Another typical junkie,” he remarked to his assistant, Dr. Anya Sharma, his gloved finger pointing with open disgust at the track marks littering the inner arm of the corpse. “People like this will do anything for money. She deserved what she got.” I floated beside him, looking at those needle marks. They weren’t self-inflicted. They weren’t self-inflicted. The traffickers had forced the injections on me daily, just to keep me under control. But he didn’t know any of this. When Julian examined the ankle, his hand paused. There was a scar there, burned by a cigarette, skin puckered and gruesome. “This scar…” Dr. Sharma leaned closer. “The pattern suggests self-harm. It’s common among marginalized individuals with psychological trauma.” Julian said nothing, just stared at the scar for a long, long time. So long that I wondered if he was remembering something. I would never forget that day. Julian pointed at the new butterfly tattoo on my ankle, his face grim. “No shame at all, Aubrey? Getting trashy ink to help you sell yourself?” I didn’t explain. I just took a cigarette lighter and burned my skin, over and over, right in front of him. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. I trembled with pain, but I bit my lip, not shedding a single tear. “Are you satisfied now?” He looked at me, his gaze shifting from shock to confusion, finally settling into utter disappointment and disgust. “Since you insist on debasing yourself,” “Aubrey, then don’t blame everyone for looking down on you!” That was the last time we ever saw each other. … Julian’s hand, holding the scalpel, stilled. After a long moment, he seemed to snap back to himself and resumed the dissection, his movements now even more precise than before. It wasn’t until Dr. Sharma, sliced open my stomach that she let out a sharp gasp. “Dr. Vance, wait! There’s something… solid inside.” With painstaking care, she used forceps to extract the object and carried it to the sink. The water rinsed away the grime, revealing a ring. And there, etched inside the band, was a tiny inscription: “JV❤AH, 2019.5.20.”

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“A size Small?” My gaze zeroed in on the bikini tucked inside Derek’s suitcase. I wore a Medium. This was definitely not mine. When he walked out of the bathroom, I asked him, “Company retreat to Bali with your colleagues?” “Yeah, the company organized it,” he said, his smile easy. I smiled too. “Are you sure the company will reimburse you for the $17,000?” His hand froze. “Wh-what $17,000?” “A double ocean-view suite, $1,170 a night, for seven days. Do the math.” Derek’s face instantly drained of color. The towel wrapped around him dropped to the floor. And those two scratch marks on his butt? Definitely not from me. “You… you checked my credit card?” “It’s a joint account, Derek. I checked *my* card.” I leaned against the doorframe, watching him. He bent to pick up the towel, rewrapping it around his waist. “That was… that was just me paying upfront. I’m getting reimbursed tomorrow.” “So, what about the bikini?” “Oh, my assistant must have grabbed the wrong luggage for me.” He avoided my gaze. I didn’t say another word, turning and walking out of the bathroom. I heard him call out from behind me, “Don’t overthink it, Elara. It really was just a company trip.” Overthink? I walked back to the bedroom, closed the door, and grabbed my phone. The credit card statement – I’d just received a pre-authorization notification this afternoon. A five-star hotel in Bali, a honeymoon suite, seven days. A pre-authorization of $8,200. I zoomed in on the booking screenshot. The order showed two names: Skylar and Derek. I’d met Skylar before – that 25-year-old girl from his office. I’d delivered some files to his company once. She’d called him “Mr. Peterson,” smiling sweetly. And yes, she was a size Small. My fingers trembled a little, but I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn’t alert him. He was leaving tomorrow for seven days. I had seven days. The next morning, Derek wheeled his suitcase out the door. “Honey, be careful on your trip.” I stood at the door, waving with a smile. “Mmm, you take good care of Leo at home.” He kissed my forehead. “I’ll be back soon.” “How many people are going on this company trip?” “About ten, I guess. The core members of the department.” “Is Skylar going too?” He paused. “Yeah, she’s my assistant, so she has to.” “Oh,” I nodded. “Well, have fun then.” The elevator doors closed, his smile still plastered on his face. I shut the apartment door, and my smile instantly vanished. Walking back to the bedroom, I pulled out his spare phone. He thought I didn’t know the password, but I’d seen him type it in several times. I opened the photo album, then ‘recently deleted’. Eighty-seven photos. The first was a Bali beach. Skylar, in a bikini, beaming. Around her neck, a diamond necklace. It looked familiar. I walked to my dresser, opening my jewelry box. The necklace Derek gave me last year for my birthday, the one he said cost $5,200? The one I’d treasured and worn constantly? Now, it looked fake. The real one was around Skylar’s neck. I scrolled through all the photos. Holding hands by the beach, feeding each other in restaurants, embracing in the pool, kissing in the hotel. Each photo twisted a knife in my gut. But I didn’t cry. I screenshotted them, saved them, then put the phone back exactly where I found it. I walked into the living room. Leo was playing with his toys. “Mommy, where’s Daddy?” “He’s away on a business trip.” I squatted down, stroking his hair. “Do you miss him?” “No. Daddy’s never home anyway.” My three-year-old had already gotten used to his father’s absence. “Mommy, can we go to Grandma Eleanor’s house today?” “Okay.” I picked him up, grabbed my phone, and sent Chloe a SnapChat message. “Can you help me with something?” “What is it?” “Can you look into someone for me? Skylar, 25, works at Derek’s company.” Chloe instantly replied: “He’s cheating?” “Yeah.” “Evidence?” “I have some, but it’s not enough.” “What do you need me to do?” “Her background, social media, recent movements.” “Consider it done.” I put down my phone and took Leo out. At my parents’ house, Eleanor was cooking. “What brings you here?” “Derek’s away on a business trip, so I brought Leo to stay for a few days.” “Derek’s away again? Didn’t he just go last month?” “Work’s busy.” Eleanor gave me a look but didn’t press it.

I handed Leo over to Arthur, then walked into the bedroom, giving Eleanor a meaningful glance. “Mom, I need to transfer my $27,600 to your account.” “Why?” “Nothing, it’ll just be safer with you.” Eleanor stared at me. “You and Derek…” “I suspect he’s cheating,” I whispered, “but I don’t have concrete proof yet. I need to secure my money first.” Eleanor’s face paled. “That jerk!” “Mom, please don’t make a scene. I need to deal with him slowly.” “You’re going to divorce him?” “Yes. But I need to get the evidence first, otherwise Leo and I will get nothing.” Eleanor squeezed my hand. “My dear, you’ve suffered so much.” “I’m not suffering. I just regret.” Regret what? Regret that five years ago, when he said, “Just be a stay-at-home mom, I’ll take care of you,” I believed him. Regret quitting my job, staying home full-time with our child, losing my financial independence. Regret that after we got married, his “I’ll take care of you” turned into “You’re spending *my* money.” But there was no point dwelling on that now. I had to get back what was mine. That night, I sat on my parents’ balcony, opening Derek’s credit card statement. Bali, 32 transactions. A total of $17,000. Last year, when my dad was in the hospital for stent surgery, I asked Derek for $6,900. He said: “The company’s cash flow is tight right now. I can only give you $690, the rest we’ll discuss at the end of the year.” $690. I *begged* him. He transferred the $690 and then told me, “Your dad has his pension. Don’t always come to me for money.” I remembered that day, standing in the hospital corridor, looking at the $690 on my phone, wanting to smash it. Later, I used all my pre-marital savings to pay for my dad’s surgery. $20,700, money I’d saved for eight years. When Derek found out, all he said was, “You’re so filial.” And that was it. Now, he was spending $17,000 on his mistress in seven days. An average of $2,400 a day. I took a deep breath and continued scrolling through the statement. Chloe sent a message. “Found her. Skylar, born in 1999. Parents run a business out of state. She joined Derek’s company two years ago as an assistant. Monthly salary, about $1,100.” “Recent movements?” “Her social media has most people blocked, but I have my ways.” Chloe sent several screenshots. Skylar’s Ins post, three hours ago: a Bali sunset by the ocean, captioned, “The most beautiful scenery is having you by my side.” In the photo, she wore a long dress, and that necklace sparkled in the setting sun. The comments section had seven or eight likes. One read: “With your boyfriend?” Skylar replied: “Yep, he’s great to me.” *Boyfriend*. I chuckled. “Can you connect me with a lawyer?” “Divorce lawyer?” “Yes, a specialist. Someone who’s handled a lot of divorce cases.” “Okay, I’ll get you a contact tomorrow.” “Also, can you connect me with a private investigator?” “You want…” “I want concrete evidence. The kind that’s admissible in court.” Chloe didn’t say anything. A moment later: “Any budget?” “No, I have $27,600. I’ll use it all.” “Alright, leave it to me.” I put down my phone, looking out at the night. Derek, you probably expect me to cry, to make a scene, to corner you like some whiny mess. But I won’t. I’ll calmly collect the evidence, then I’ll strip you clean in court. Every single penny you spent on Skylar, I’ll make you cough it up, principal and interest.

On the third day, Chloe brought me to meet Ms. Harrison. Ms. Harrison was in her late 40s, had handled hundreds of divorce cases, and had a 92% win rate. “Ms. Elara, I have a basic understanding of your situation.” Ms. Harrison flipped through the documents I’d brought. “What are your demands?” “First, divorce. Second, full custody of my son. Third, division of assets – I want what’s rightfully mine.” “What are the assets?” “Joint marital assets include a house, valued at $385,000, with an $110,000 mortgage remaining, so a net value of $275,000. Savings: $69,000 in his name, $27,600 in mine. Stocks and funds, about $41,000. Total, around $413,000.” Ms. Harrison nodded. “If we can prove he committed adultery and used marital assets to purchase expensive items for a third party, you can request a larger share.” “How much?” “Normally it’s 50/50, but with sufficient evidence, you could get 60-70%, which would be $247,000 to $289,000.” “I want 70%.” “Then you’ll need to provide sufficient evidence.” Ms. Harrison looked at me. “What do you have right now?” I pulled out my phone and showed her the screenshots. “Matching outfits, credit card statements, hotel bookings, phone photos, the third party’s social media posts.” Ms. Harrison reviewed each one. “These are all good, but they’re not enough.” “Not enough?” “In court, the other side could claim the photos are doctored, the statements are for business expenses, and the social media posts are coincidental. You need more direct evidence.” “Like what?” “For example, intimate videos of them, or a recording of him admitting to the affair, or a third-party witness statement.” “Third party?” “For instance, his company’s HR. Someone who can confirm that this wasn’t a company retreat at all, but his personal annual leave.” My eyes lit up. “Right, I can ask HR.” “And the private investigator. If they can get intimate videos of them, that would be irrefutable proof.” “I’ve already contacted one.” Ms. Harrison nodded approvingly. “Ms. Elara, you’re very smart and remarkably calm. Many people in this situation are emotionally shattered and can’t do anything.” “Because I know crying won’t solve anything.” I looked at her. “I want results, not an outlet for my emotions.” “Good, then let’s start preparing.” Ms. Harrison pulled out a document. “This is a template for a divorce agreement. Take a look. Our strategy is to collect evidence first, and once it’s sufficient, then file for divorce.” “He’ll be back in seven days. I have seven days.” “That’s enough,” Ms. Harrison said. “In these seven days, you need to do a few things: First, contact his company’s HR to confirm if the company trip is real or not. Second, have the private investigator go to Bali to get videos. Third, recover his deleted chat logs; there’s bound to be a lot of useful information there.” “How do I recover chat logs?” “I have specialists who can recover deleted data from phones.” “How much?” “$1,400.” “Okay, I’ll pay it.” Ms. Harrison extended her hand. “A pleasure working with you, Ms. Elara.” “A pleasure working with you.” Back at my parents’ house, Leo was already asleep. I sat in the bedroom and called Derek’s company HR. “Hello, Human Resources.” “Hi, I’m Derek Peterson’s wife. I wanted to confirm the dates for the company’s Bali retreat, if you could.” “Bali retreat?” Ms. Evans’ voice sounded confused. “Our company didn’t organize a Bali retreat this year.” My heart hammered. “No?” “No, our annual team-building event is next month, in a different location, not Bali.” “So Derek’s trip to Bali was…” “Oh, Mr. Peterson took annual leave. Seven days, November 15th to 22nd.” *Annual leave.* I closed my eyes. “Okay, thank you.” “You’re welcome.” I hung up, leaning back in the chair. Annual leave. He told me it was a company trip, but it was actually his personal annual leave. Seven days of annual leave, taking his mistress to Bali, spending $17,000, all with our family’s money. I opened my phone and sent a SnapChat to the private investigator. “Can you go to Bali?” “Yes, when?” “Now. As soon as possible.” “What do you need me to film?” “Intimate videos of them. The clearer, the better.” “Understood.” “How much?” “Round-trip airfare and hotel, about $2,800. Service fee $1,400. Total $4,100.” $4,100. My pre-marital savings were $20,700. I’d saved another $6,900 over the past five years, making a total of $27,600. I spent $20,700 on my dad’s medical bills, leaving $6,900, which I transferred to Eleanor for safekeeping. Now, I needed to take out $4,100, leaving only $2,800. But it didn’t matter. As long as I got the evidence to make Derek walk away empty-handed, this $4,100 was worth it. “Okay, I’ll transfer the money.” “Received. I’ll depart tomorrow.” I put down my phone, staring at the ceiling. Derek, we’ve been married for five years. You went from “I’ll take care of you” to “You’re spending *my* money.”

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When my wealthy mom and dad divorced, Mom wanted to take me with her, but I insisted on going to Grandma Rose’s house out of town. Everyone thought I was crazy. But what they didn’t know was that this was the third time I’d answered that question. The first time, I joyfully moved into a big, beautiful new house with Mom. But when I accidentally messed up one of Matteus’s drawings, she fractured three of my ribs. “I never wanted to take you!” she screamed. “Why are you so shameless, clinging to me like this?” With my broken ribs piercing my organs, I gasped my last breath in despair. Reborn, I smartened up. The next time, I let Mom take my younger brother, Matteus: “Matteus is younger, he needs you more than I do. I’ll just stay with Dad!” But after she took Matteus, she tricked me into coming to her house anyway. She locked both Matteus and me in the basement, where we slowly starved to death. “I didn’t want to take your brother,” she hissed. “Why did you have to meddle?” Now, I’ve been reborn again. Watching Mom’s gentle smile, a chilling dread spread through me. Who was it, really, that she wanted to take with her?

“I don’t want to go with Mom, and I don’t want to go with Dad. I want to go to Grandma Rose’s place out of town!” My whole body trembled as I spoke those words. But I forced myself to look up, meeting Mom’s gaze directly. Mom’s face instantly twisted, her eyes turning red. She grabbed my hand, her voice thick with tears: “Chloe, why? Did I do something wrong? Don’t you like me anymore?” Her hand was soft and warm, but I violently pulled away, afraid to look at her again: “No!” “I just miss Grandma Rose!” “That kid must be out of her mind!” Aunt Brenda’s sharp voice pierced my ears: “Not going with her mom is one thing, but not even going with her dad? What kind of life will she have out in the sticks?” “Exactly, Chloe, your exams are coming up. Don’t be so stubborn!” Aunt Margaret also tried to persuade me. A bitter laugh echoed in my mind. Whether I went with Dad or Mom, I couldn’t escape the fate of being tormented to death. So this time, I had to find my own way out! Ignoring the chaos around me, I turned and ran back to my room. I emptied my piggy bank into my backpack, and without a backward glance, I secretly slipped out of the house. It wasn’t until I was on the bus heading out of town that I finally let out a sigh of relief. Scenes from my previous two lives flashed through my mind like a nightmare. In the first life, when Mom asked that question, I agreed without hesitation. Happily, I went with her to that big, beautiful new house. I foolishly believed Mom hadn’t abandoned me, just moved to a different place. Until that day, when I accidentally knocked over a glass of water, staining a crayon drawing Matteus had made for Mom. When Mom found out, her eyes changed instantly. She snatched up the golf club beside her and swung it fiercely at me, her previous gentleness completely vanished: “Who told you to touch it! I never wanted to take *you* when I divorced!” “I just asked as a courtesy, why are you so shameless, clinging on just to live a good life!” She shattered three of my ribs, causing internal bleeding, but Mom made no move to call an ambulance. After drawing my last breath in despair, I was reborn, returning to the moment Mom said she wanted to take me. This time, I was smarter. I immediately pushed elementary-aged Matteus towards Mom: “Mom, please take Matteus. He’s still small and can’t be without you. I’ll be fine with Dad!” Mom’s face immediately darkened, her eyes chillingly sinister, but in the end, she took Matteus. I thought I was safe. But less than a month later, Mom tricked me into going out, saying she’d take me to the amusement park. Instead, she locked both Matteus and me in the villa’s basement. Through the iron grate, Mom screamed like a madwoman: “Why are you forcing me? I never wanted him! Chloe, why did you have to meddle?” There was no water, no food in the basement. Matteus cried until his throat was raw. I held him close, and in the darkness and hunger, I lost consciousness once more. Now, it was my third life. Clutching my backpack, tears streamed down my face. Mom, who exactly do you want to take with you? Are neither Matteus nor I what you want?

Grandma Rose saw me and was both surprised and overjoyed. She quickly pulled me inside, looking me up and down: “Oh, my sweet girl, why did you come back alone?” “Are you hungry? Grandma will cook for you!” Looking at Grandma Rose’s gray hair and her concerned eyes, a lump formed in my throat. In this world, Grandma Rose was probably the only one who truly cared about me. That night, I snuggled beside Grandma Rose, listening to her chatter about how much money she’d saved. It was all for my college education, she said, telling me to settle in and not worry. My heart felt both warm and terrified. I was scared that even hiding here with Grandma Rose, Mom wouldn’t easily let me go. Right now, I had to figure out who Mom truly wanted to take, and why she was doing all this. Otherwise, it would just be putting off the inevitable. On the day I went to handle my school transfer paperwork, I secretly snuck off to Matteus’s school. Matteus saw me and jumped in surprise: “Chloe, why are you back? Mom came to school yesterday looking for me, asking if I knew where you were.” I pulled him into a corner and lowered my voice: “Matteus, tell me the truth. Have you felt like something’s wrong with our family lately?” Matteus’s eyes suddenly changed, filling with fear. He looked left and right before whispering: “Chloe, I had a really scary dream. I dreamt we both died!” My whole body stiffened! “In the dream, Mom and Dad divorced, and she wanted to take you, but you pushed me towards her! At first, she was really nice to me, but then one day, I accidentally messed up a photo of you…” Matteus’s voice choked with tears: “Mom saw it and became a different person. She hit me hard with a hanger, saying I wasn’t worthy of touching your things. Later, she tricked you into coming, and she locked both of us up…” The more I listened, the more alarmed and confused I became. This was too strange. In the first life, I was beaten to death by Mom for ruining Matteus’s drawing. At that time, I thought Mom loved Matteus and wanted to take him. But in the second life, Matteus was punished by Mom for messing up my photo. Mom seemed to love both of us siblings, yet she also seemed to love neither. What was going on? “Matteus, when you go back, secretly observe Dad.” I instructed Matteus: “See if he’s acting strangely. I have a feeling Mom and Dad’s divorce wasn’t as simple as it seemed!” After settling things with Matteus, I used the money I’d saved to hire a private investigator, asking him to focus on the real reason for my parents’ divorce. My gut told me that the person Mom truly wanted to take was closely linked to the reason for their divorce. A few days later, the detective told me my parents had divorced peacefully due to irreconcilable differences, and the property division went smoothly. Neither of them had been cheating. However, the detective mentioned an old secret. My Aunt Sarah, who had died in a car accident many years ago, had apparently been with my dad before marrying Uncle Daniel. But she was gone, so that lead seemed dead. I comforted myself, thinking that in this life, neither Matteus nor I had gone with Mom, so she should have no reason to go crazy again, right? However, I was still too naive. That day after school, as I walked out of the school gates, I saw Mom standing by her car, smiling and waving at me. She was holding a fancy cake box. A chill shot down my spine.

“Chloe!” Mom hurried forward, her eyes red: “You just left without a word, kid! Do you know how worried Mom was?” She reached out to grab me, and I instinctively took a step back. Her smile faltered, but quickly softened again: “Look, Mom brought you a cake. Why don’t you come home with me for a couple of days?” “Mom also bought you lots of new dresses, and your room is all decorated, it’s your favorite princess style.” If I hadn’t died twice, I almost would have been fooled by her again. I eyed her warily: “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry. Grandma Rose is taking good care of me.” “Chloe, why are you being so disobedient!” Mom’s voice took on a tearful tone: “Mom is doing this for your own good. How can the education in the countryside compare to the city? You’ll fall behind in your studies!” Just then, the back door of the sedan opened, and Dad and Matteus surprisingly got out of the car. Dad looked a bit awkward. He adjusted his glasses and said: “Chloe, your mom is right. Go back with her. Grandma Rose is getting old and can’t take care of you properly…” Matteus stood behind Dad, head down, not daring to say a word, his small hands nervously clutching his shirt. My heart sank. Dad’s attitude was off! In the previous two lives, while he didn’t object to me going with Mom, he certainly didn’t push me away so eagerly! And his gaze, when he looked at me, was somewhat evasive. Mom saw I wasn’t speaking and reached for me again: “Come on, Chloe. Mom even had Aunt Maria cook all your favorite dishes…” Just then, a figure suddenly rushed over and pulled me behind her. It was Grandma Rose! Her face was flushed with anger as she pointed at Mom and scolded: “Eleanor Vance! Have you no shame! You’re divorced, and you’re still harassing my granddaughter!” “I wondered why Chloe wasn’t home so late. Turns out you ambushed her here!” Mom’s face went pale, then green, then white again: “Mom… I’m doing this for Chloe’s own good…” “Who’s your Mom!” Grandma Rose wouldn’t listen: “My granddaughter is doing perfectly fine here! Do you think we need your fake concern?” “Now get lost! If you dare to bother Chloe again, I’ll call the police on you!” Seeing the two of them, a ridiculous thought suddenly popped into my head. Mom treated me so badly in the previous two lives—could it be because she had a bad relationship with Grandma Rose? And since I resembled Grandma Rose, maybe she transferred her hatred for Grandma Rose onto me? Mom seemed intimidated by Grandma Rose’s presence and backed down. She took a deep breath, picked up the cake box, and her tone softened: “Alright, I won’t take Chloe. But this cake, I made it myself.” She said, opening the cake box. Inside was a beautiful cream cake, but it was covered with chopped walnuts. My brow furrowed. I never liked walnuts, even as a child. Mom was here to convince me to come back, so why would she specifically make a walnut cake that I hated? This made no sense at all! And it wasn’t my birthday today, so why make a cake? “Chloe, have a bite! Mom made it especially for you.” Mom held a small spoon out to me, her eyes full of expectation. I didn’t take it. Instead, I looked up at her: “Mom, you know I don’t like walnuts, so why did you make a walnut cake?” Mom paused, then a look of helpless, doting affection appeared on her face: “Silly girl, of course Mom knows you don’t like walnuts, but walnuts are good for your brain! Mom is just thinking about your health!” Her eyes were clear, and her explanation was perfectly reasonable. For a moment, I even wavered. Maybe I was the one who did something wrong, causing Mom to torment me like a madwoman in my previous lives. She remembered all my preferences, had been meticulously caring for me since I was little, would braid my hair beautifully, and would stay up all night when I was sick. Dad traveled frequently for work, so Mom was often the one taking care of Matteus and me. Even though she was busy, she always had patience for us. When did she start changing?

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At the class reunion, Ashley Adams, the prettiest girl from our year, got wasted. Someone asked her what the worst thing she’d ever done was. She pointed at me, tucked away in a corner, and laughed until tears streamed down her face: “It was back then, when Dempsey Thorne was showering. I used his phone to delete his broke girlfriend’s desperate plea for help. And I texted back: ‘Get lost!’ You wouldn’t believe it, that poor girl waited out in the torrential rain all night. It was absolutely hilarious…” The club erupted in laughter. Dempsey’s wine glass shattered in his hand with a sharp *crack*. Blood mixed with red wine streamed down his fingers. He stared at me, his eyes burning. I calmly offered him a tissue. “Mr. Thorne, long time no see.” The city’s most exclusive private club was booked solid tonight. Word was, a new magnate in the venture capital scene, worth hundreds of millions, was back in town and wanted to flaunt his wealth in front of his old classmates. When Mr. Dawson, the manager, handed me the gilded wine list, his eyes held an unreadable hint of pity: “Chloe, that private room tonight… if you don’t want to go, I can arrange someone else.” I glanced down, adjusting my ill-fitting waitress uniform, and smiled faintly. “It’s fine, Mr. Dawson. That’s our highest-spending room. The corkage fee alone means decent tips. I need the money, you know that.” Mr. Dawson sighed, said nothing more, just patted my shoulder. As I pushed open the heavy door, a wave of heat, expensive perfume, and cigar smoke assaulted me. That scent… it was the smell of burning money. On the leather sofa in the center of the private room sat the man I hadn’t seen in seven years. He’d changed so much. The memory of the clear-eyed, stubborn boy in his faded school uniform was gone. In his place was a business elite who exuded an air of absolute power. He was listening to someone beside him, his head tilted slightly, a cold smirk playing on his lips. And nestled beside him was Ashley Adams, the campus beauty who had snatched him away from me all those years ago. Ashley wore a white Chanel haute couture dress tonight, her diamond necklace flashing blindingly under the lights. She swirled her wine glass, looking like a proud swan. “Oh, Dempsey’s main reason for coming back is for me, really. He’s moving his company’s focus back here because, well, we’re getting engaged, you know.” Immediately, a chorus of compliments broke out. “The campus queen and the CEO, what a match made in heaven!” “Mr. Thorne is a finance magazine cover star now, Ashley, you’re so lucky!” “*This* is what you call happiness. Unlike some people who were gold diggers back then. I bet they’re kicking themselves now, huh?” Someone dropped a pointed comment, and the air in the room froze for a second. Everyone’s gaze, as if on cue, shifted to me, standing in the corner, opening a bottle of wine. I moved like a senseless puppet, expertly uncorking the bottle. “Bordeaux Left Bank. Optimal taste after twenty minutes of decanting.” I poured the perfectly decanted wine into the crystal glass in front of Dempsey, my movements flawless. Dempsey finally looked up. What kind of look was it? Disdain, disgust, hatred, and a sliver of deep-seated contempt. He didn’t take the glass, letting me hold it. My wrist, sore from holding the tray for so long, trembled slightly. “Chloe?” He finally spoke, his voice deep and hoarse. “I heard you dropped out of college? What, that rich guy got tired of you and dumped you? Now you’re reduced to serving people in a place like this?” The room fell silent instantly. Everyone was waiting for the show. Ashley covered her mouth dramatically, feigning surprise as she looked at me: “Oh my goodness, it really is Chloe! How could you… how could you be dressed like this?” “If you’re short on cash, you should tell me. Even though you dumped Dempsey for money back then, we’re still old classmates. I’m sure I could arrange a cleaning job for you, no problem.” She deliberately emphasized the words “dumped Dempsey for money.” A ripple of mocking laughter spread through the room. “Serves her right. Dempsey was so good to her back then.” “That’s karma for you. Look at Mr. Thorne now, worth billions. And her? Waiting tables.” “Tsk, tsk, how the tables have turned.” I listened to their harsh words expressionlessly, as if they were talking about someone else’s story. Seven years. I had long since built an impenetrable shield around myself. Living in the darkest corners of this city. Washing dishes in restaurant kitchens, hauling boxes in cold storage, getting drinks splashed on me by drunk customers, being yelled at by landlords for being a pauper. Dignity, that thing, had shattered into a million pieces on that torrential rainy night, leaving nothing but dust. “Mr. Thorne, your wine.” I repeated myself, my voice calm. Dempsey stared into my eyes, as if searching for a trace of regret, shame, or tears on my face. But he was disappointed. There was nothing in my eyes. Only endless numbness and exhaustion. This disregard seemed to infuriate him. He suddenly raised his hand and violently knocked the wine glass from my grasp. “This wine is too cheap. I’m not used to it.” Dempsey pulled out a tissue, wiped his hands, his eyes icy. “Get another bottle. Something with age. Like the one from seven years ago.” He was humiliating me. Seven years ago, he was a broke kid. To celebrate my birthday, he’d scrimped and saved for three months to buy a cheap bottle of red wine. We sat on the campus lawn, sharing sips, our faces flushed, promising to be together forever. Now, he was using this to remind me of the price of betraying him. Ashley giggled beside him, chiming in: “Oh, don’t make it hard on her. This bottle costs tens of thousands. She couldn’t afford to pay for it even if she sold herself. Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Thorne, and clean up the wine on the floor. Then we’ll let it go.” I knelt, took out a cloth, and meticulously wiped the wine stains from the carpet. Glass shards pricked my fingertips, a piercing pain. But I didn’t even flinch. I was just calculating in my head: the commission for this bottle was gone, plus I’d have to pay for the broken glass. Tonight’s shift? All for nothing. Maybe even half a month’s salary gone. This was my life now. No emotions, just endless calculations of prices and debts that could never be repaid. As for love? That was a luxury only the rich could afford. “I’m sorry, Mr. Thorne.” I finished wiping the last bit of wine, stood up, and maintained my humble posture. “I’ll ask the manager to bring the finest wine we have.” Dempsey looked at the beads of blood welling from my fingertips, his pupils constricted slightly, then immediately returned to their cold state. “Get out.”

I didn’t get out. Because Mr. Dawson said the guest tonight specifically requested my service. If I left, the twenty thousand dollar tip would be gone, and even my base salary would be docked. I really needed the money. Mom’s dialysis fees for next month weren’t settled yet, and the landlord had messaged again,催促asking for next quarter’s rent. So I went to the restroom, quickly dealt with my injury, and returned to that suffocating private room. When I pushed the door open again, the atmosphere had changed. After several rounds of drinks, the elites began to shed their pretenses, revealing the rawest human depravity. They were playing Truth or Dare. It was a cliché but eternally effective game, especially when fueled by alcohol; it was the best tool to tear away humanity’s fig leaf. The table was covered with empty bottles—Louis XIII, Hennessy Richard, Ace of Spades… The combined price of those bottles was enough for me to buy a small bathroom in this city. Ashley was clearly drunk. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was practically draped over Dempsey, her eyes hazy and fervent. She was the star of the night, and the biggest winner. About to marry Dempsey and become the envied Mrs. Thorne—this made her smug, even a little bit floating. “Come on, come on! Next round!” Mike, the class rep, slurred, egging them on. “Who does it land on this time?” The empty wine bottle spun rapidly on the polished marble table, making a teeth-grinding sound. Everyone held their breath, staring at the bottle’s neck. Slowly, the bottle stopped. Its mouth pointed directly at Ashley. “Whoa—! The campus queen’s a winner!” “Truth or Dare?” Ashley giggled, waving her hand with drunken eyes: “This lady chooses Truth! There’s nothing I’m afraid to say!” Mike rubbed his hands with a sly grin, his gaze darting between me and Ashley, clearly wanting to stir up some trouble. “Alright then, let’s ask something juicy. Ashley, what’s the most disgusting thing you’ve ever done in your life?” At that question, the private room instantly quieted down a notch. Everyone was an adult; who didn’t have a secret they wanted to keep hidden? But since it was a game, the thrill was the point. Dempsey, who had been resting with his eyes closed, merely lifted an eyelid nonchalantly when he heard the question, making no move to stop it. In his opinion, Ashley was a pure and kind rich girl. Though a bit spoiled, she would never do anything truly awful. Ashley hiccuped, her gaze suddenly cutting through the crowd and landing on me, pouring water for guests in the corner. A malicious smile curled on her lips. Alcohol numbed her brain, but also amplified the jealousy and malice deep within her. “The most disgusting thing, huh…” Ashley swayed as she stood up, her finger pointing straight at me. “It was seven years ago, on that stormy day, I went to Dempsey’s rental apartment to find him…” At the words “seven years ago,” my hand suddenly shook, and the hot water in the kettle almost spilled. Dempsey’s body stiffened slightly too. Ashley laughed, her whole body shaking, as if telling an incredibly funny joke: “Dempsey was in the shower that day, his phone on the table. And wouldn’t you know it, this broke girl, Chloe, texted him.” “Guess what she sent? Hahahaha… She said: ‘Dempsey, please save my dad, I beg you, just fifty thousand dollars… I’ll definitely repay you later.’ ” “Tsk, tsk, tsk, so pathetic, so pitiful.” “At the time, I thought, Dempsey is so exceptional, how can he be entangled with someone so poor? He belongs to me, to a broader future, not to be dragged into the mud by someone from the bottom!” “So…” She paused, a crazy glint in her eyes. “I replied to a text for Dempsey.” “I deleted that plea for help, then, pretending to be Dempsey, I texted back two words: ‘Get lost, leave me alone’!” “Hahahahaha! You wouldn’t believe it, that poor girl actually waited out in the pouring rain all night! I watched her from behind the window, soaked to the bone like a stray dog, watched her fall to her knees crying in despair. It was absolutely hilarious!” “Oh, don’t you think I did a great thing? If it wasn’t for my move, how could Dempsey have gotten rid of that burden? How could he have achieved what he has today? Dempsey, you should thank me…” Ashley’s words were cut short by a sharp, shattering sound. The stemmed glass in Dempsey’s hand had been crushed by his own grip. Glass shards pierced deep into his palm; blood mixed with red wine dripped through his fingers onto the pristine tablecloth, a shocking sight. But he seemed to feel no pain. He just stared at Ashley, his normally cold eyes now bloodshot. “What did you say?” Ashley hadn’t realized anything was wrong. She was still basking in her self-congratulation: “I said I helped you get rid of that broke…” “Shut up!” Dempsey slammed his hand on the coffee table in front of him, overturning it. The loud crash made Ashley shriek, half-sobering her up. She looked in horror at the man before her, like a raging lion, stammering: “What’s wrong with you? I was just joking…” “Joking?” Dempsey swayed as he stood up, advancing on Ashley step by step. “Are you saying, that night seven years ago, she didn’t run off with that rich guy, Jason? She didn’t text to say she hated my poverty and wanted to break up?” “Are you saying, she was at the hospital? She was begging me for help?” His voice grew louder and louder, until he was practically shouting. Ashley, terrified by his intensity, collapsed onto the sofa. Dempsey ignored her. He spun around abruptly, looking at me in the corner. “Chloe…” He called my name, his voice trembling, almost a sob. “Is what she said true?” “That night… were you waiting for me?” The entire room fell silent. No one dared to breathe. I put down the kettle, calmly looking at the truth that had arrived seven years too late. My heart felt surprisingly unmoved. Too late. It was really too late. I took a tissue from my pocket, walked over, and offered it to him. “Mr. Thorne, wipe your hands. They’re covered in blood. It’s messy.” Dempsey didn’t take the tissue. He grabbed my wrist. “Answer me! Chloe! Tell me it’s not true!” I looked into his bloodshot eyes and smiled faintly. “What if it is true, Dempsey?”

Dempsey’s hand trembled. He stared fixedly at my face, searching for any hint of “you’re lying.” Even if it was hatred, even if it was revenge, even if I was deliberately fabricating lies to make him suffer, he could accept it. But he couldn’t accept *this* truth. Because if it was true. Then all his hatred of the past seven years, all his struggle, all the motivation that had pulled him out of the mud, would become a joke. A complete and utter joke. “If you were truly in trouble, why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you come find me? Why did you send that text saying you’d fallen in love with someone else?” I looked at his broken expression, finding it utterly absurd. “Call you?” I gave a light laugh, but no mirth reached my eyes. “Dempsey, that night, I called you thirty-seven times.” “Thirty-seven times.” “The first call was when the doctor gave the critical condition notice. You didn’t pick up.” “The tenth call was when I was kneeling at a relative’s door begging for money and got kicked out. It was hung up.” “The twentieth call was in the pouring rain, I was soaked to the bone, with nowhere to turn. Your phone was off.” “The last time, after I desperately sent that plea for help, I received those two words: ‘Get lost, leave me alone’.” I took a deep breath, those long-buried memories resurfacing. “You ask why I didn’t come find you? I did.” “I stood downstairs from your rental apartment all night. I knew you were home because the lights were on. I watched Ashley’s shadow on the curtains, watched you two laughing and talking.” “I thought then, if only you’d come down to see me, even if you said you had no money, even if you just hugged me and told me not to be scared, I could have grit my teeth and held on.” “But you didn’t.” “You told me to get lost.” Dempsey’s face was ashen. He let go of my hand, staggering back two steps. “It wasn’t me… I didn’t…” He clutched his head, groaning in agony. “My phone was missing that day, I thought I lost it. Later, Ashley said you ran off with Jason, the rich kid. She said you texted that you didn’t want to live a hard life anymore.” He suddenly turned to Ashley, his eyes fierce enough to devour her. “My phone! You took my phone?!” Ashley was terrified now. She had never seen Dempsey so out of control. In her memory, Dempsey was always composed. “Dempsey, please let me explain…” Ashley cried, tears streaming down her face, trying to grab Dempsey’s sleeve. “I loved you so much then, I didn’t want to see you dragged down by her. Her dad was a bottomless pit! I did it for your future!” “For my good?!” Dempsey backhanded her, a brutal slap across Ashley’s face. *“CRACK!”* The blow was heavy; Ashley fell directly to the floor, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. A gasp went through the room, but no one dared to intervene. “You did it for yourself!” Dempsey’s eyes were bloodshot, his finger trembling as he pointed at Ashley. “How dare you make decisions for me! How dare you delete that text message!” “Do you know that was money to save a life?! Do you know what that meant to her?!” Dempsey seemed to go mad, sweeping all the remaining wine bottles off the table. He remembered that night, seven years ago. He came out of the shower, found his phone missing, and Ashley was sitting on the sofa, looking a little flustered, saying she didn’t know where it was. Later, he didn’t think much of it, assuming it was lost. The next day, the whole campus was spreading rumors that Chloe had run off with Jason, the rich kid. He went to confront Chloe, but only saw her back as she withdrew from school. He thought she was guilty, ashamed. “Chloe…” Dempsey turned around and dropped to his knees with a thud onto the shattered glass. His knees instantly pierced, blood soaking his expensive trousers. But he seemed to feel nothing, only crawling towards me, reaching out to grab the hem of my skirt. “I’m so sorry, I truly didn’t know…” “If I had known, even if I had to sell a kidney, sell my blood, I would have saved your dad! How could I have let you face all that alone?” “Your dad? How is your dad now? I’ll get him into the best hospital, bring in the best specialists, I’ll pay any amount!” He spoke incoherently, his eyes gleaming with a hopeful light, as if with money, everything could be undone. I looked at the man sobbing on his knees before me, my eyes still calm. Some mistakes can be remedied. But some mistakes cost a life. “Dempsey, save it.” I coldly interrupted his fantasy. “My dad died.” Dempsey’s body stiffened abruptly. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. “It was just a week after that rainy night.” My voice was flat, as if telling someone else’s story. “Because we couldn’t gather enough for the surgery, we missed the optimal window for rescue. He lingered in the ICU for seven days, and then he died in pain.” “Before he died, he held my hand and told me not to blame you. He said you had it hard, and not to make things difficult for you over money.” “Dempsey, you say you want to save him?” “Are you going to save him in heaven?”

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My parents were pushing me into an arranged marriage with a 60-year-old billionaire. My stepsister, Vivian, panicked and immediately called my three childhood best friends. “Which one of you is willing to marry Iris? Otherwise, she’s going to have to marry that ugly old man!” Ronnie, the guy I’d had a crush on for 10 years, frowned at Vivian. “Vivian, you know perfectly well I like *you*.” Noah, my high school deskmate, scoffed. “Ha, like? You’re just the Sterling family’s butler’s son. How could you ever be good enough for Vivian?” My friend, Alex, leaned back lazily on the couch. “Iris, I’m already Vivian’s boyfriend! Sorry!” I froze. So, all these years, them hovering around me was all because of Vivian. Fine. If that’s how it is, then I’ll marry the billionaire. Vivian secretly glanced at Ronnie, her face flushing as she retorted. “Alex, when did you become my boyfriend?” Alex’s tone was firm. “I will be, eventually.” “Alex, you’re so foolish!” Noah wagged a finger. “Vivian, you can’t keep a guy like that. How about you be my girlfriend instead?” Vivian cupped her face in exasperation. “Alright, Alex, Noah, I really just see you two as brothers, stop messing with me.” Ronnie’s lips curved slightly. He pulled her closer, subtly asserting his claim. Alex’s face instantly darkened. Noah punched the coffee table, the glass shattering with a crash, fragments flying everywhere. Looking at the mess, I pointed towards the door. “Gentlemen, if you want to confess, make a scene, or smash things, please turn right out the door. That’s Vivian’s room.” But after I yelled, my heart felt hollow. I didn’t understand why Ronnie liked Vivian. When I was nine, Mom found out about Dad’s illegitimate daughter but chose to endure it. Yet, whenever she drank, she’d lash out at me, as I resembled Dad so much. Ronnie would always rush over and shield me, laughing carelessly. “Iris, don’t cry. Boys can take a hit; it’s fine.” When I was fifteen, Dad filed for divorce, and Mom jumped from the rooftop. Ronnie desperately covered my eyes and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll always be with you.” At eighteen, Dad brought his stepmother and stepsister home. I ran away, freezing unconscious under a bridge. That’s when Ronnie got angry with me for the first time. “You’re upset and didn’t call me? You’re cold and didn’t crawl into my arms? You just had to hide in a place like this, waiting to die?” I thought he’d always be by my side, that our marriage was only a matter of time. “Iris, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize there wasn’t even one person willing to marry you.” Vivian clasped her hands, pleading with the guys. “Guys, don’t just stare at me! Iris is being forced to marry next week. Can you really stand by and watch her jump into a pit of fire? She’s only twenty-two, and that old man is sixty – he’s old enough to be her grandfather, even if he is the wealthiest man alive! If you have any conscience, you should step up and save her!” Seeing their silence, she seemed to make a huge decision, speaking in a self-sacrificing tone. “As long as one of you is willing to marry Iris, I… I’ll agree to anything.” I was about to cut short her performance when Ronnie spoke in a low, reprimanding voice. “Don’t be ridiculous.” He finally turned his gaze to me, his eyes dark. “You want to help her, but how do you know this arranged marriage isn’t what *she* wants?” Alex raised an eyebrow, his tone playful. “After all, the other party is a billionaire. Even crumbs from his table would be enough to fill the Sterling family’s current hole.” Noah suddenly understood, giving me a thumbs-up. “So what if he’s sixty? That’s prime time to hustle!”

“The old man has no heirs. Iris, you should quickly get pregnant, give him a child, and then after a few years when he’s gone, you’ll inherit everything. Instant millionaire!” He said, still shaking his head with a “tsk.” “Her father played this perfectly! I was just mentally cursing him for selling his daughter for money, but it seems I was wrong.” Vivian looked at me with feigned pity. “Iris, why do you have to sacrifice yourself like this? Even if the Sterling family gets richer, you won’t be happy!” “Or rather, are you really after the billionaire’s fortune?” She tilted her head, gazing softly at Ronnie. “If it were me, maybe I’m just not ambitious enough, but I would never give up love for money.” Ronnie returned a doting smile, but when he turned to me, his face instantly hardened. “It’s not that *you’re* not ambitious enough. It’s that some people have too much ambition; they’re never satisfied.” My throat tightened. But the truth was, Dad had only gone to meet the Hayes family yesterday to discuss business, and today, the news of the arranged marriage broke. I called him countless times, but he kept hanging up. When I was completely at a loss, these so-called childhood best friends came to mock me. Who did they think they were? “Yes! I’m ambitious! I’m vain! I’m not content just being a minor Sterling. I want to be the billionaire’s wife, and I’ll pay any price!” “What’s love? Anyone who stands in my way, I’ll kick them aside, including all of you!” I looked at Vivian, sneering. “You hastily rounded these guys up. Have you had enough of watching my humiliation? Can you all just leave now?” “Heh.” Alex let out a cold laugh, then stood up and walked away. Noah followed, sighing dramatically and looking back every few steps. Vivian’s eyes were red. “Iris, I didn’t know you thought of me so badly.” “I’m sorry, I meddled where I shouldn’t have and almost messed up your marriage.” Finally, only Ronnie remained frozen. He grabbed my hand. “The arranged marriage must be Uncle Sterling’s decision, right? If you don’t want it, I can go with you to beg him.” Begging him would help? Years ago, I knelt before him, begging until my knees ached, but didn’t he still divorce Mom? Looking at the concern in his eyes, I suddenly felt confused. “Ronnie, marry me…” Just a fake marriage, we’d divorce after a year. The next second, he brutally pushed me away. My lower back hit the table corner hard, and I doubled over in pain. Ronnie’s voice fell from above, cold and steady. “Iris, from the first moment I saw Vivian, my heart was set on her. For you, there was never anything like that.” “I’ve always just seen you as a friend, a sister I needed to look after. I’m sorry, I can’t marry you.” I pursed my lips. “Not even a fake marriage?” “No, I can’t let Vivian, in the future, be gossiped about for marrying a man who’s been married twice.” He paused, then seemed to soften. “I can convince Noah to marry you. He has a slight crush on you… Alex, though he has a sharp tongue, has a soft heart; maybe he could…” He said something else, but I didn’t want to hear it anymore. Tears blurred my vision. I stumbled out of the house, and only when I reached Mom’s grave did I finally cry out loud. “Mom, I’m getting married.” “It’s not Ronnie. It’s a sixty-year-old man, even older than you.” My throat tightened, and I forced a smile. “At least at his age, he won’t cheat and raise an illegitimate daughter like Dad did, right?” My phone vibrated. Someone added me as a friend. “Hello, Ms. Sterling, I’m your fiancé.” Looking at the animated, comic-book-character avatar, I replied. “Mr. Hayes, you have a very youthful spirit.” The other party quickly sent a laughing-crying emoji. “Actually, I’m not that old. Just a bit older than you, Ms. Sterling.”

I was speechless for a moment. Sixty and twenty-two, and he said “a bit older.” This was probably what they called inappropriate. Without the mood to chat further, I tossed my phone into my bag. As I walked out of the cemetery, I saw Vivian leaning against my car. “What, you’re coming to tell Aunt about something so shameful as marrying a sixty-year-old man? Aren’t you afraid you’ll make her so angry she’ll flip over in her grave?” Seeing my face change, she grew even more smug. “But she probably wouldn’t care, right? When she found out about me and my mom, didn’t she put up with it for six years? Looks like you and your mother are equally tolerant.” “Speaking of which, in those years, she drank herself silly every night at the bar, her personal life was a mess. She either hit you or yelled at you. I don’t think she even liked you as a daughter, did she?” “Shut up!” I couldn’t take it anymore and raised my hand to slap her. The next second, my wrist was seized by Ronnie. “When your mother was out of control and hit you back then, what did you hate most? And now you’re going to become just like her?” Alex shielded Vivian behind him, giving me a cold look. “Iris, you haven’t even become the billionaire’s wife yet, and you’re already throwing your weight around?” Noah raised his palm towards me. “Try laying a hand on Vivian, I dare you.” Vivian peered out from behind them, looking utterly wronged. “I just saw Iris driving out looking upset, and I was worried something would happen, so I followed her.” “Iris, these three guys are all your childhood friends. They don’t want to help you, you should look for the reason within yourself. Why are you taking it out on me?” The guys, who usually argued amongst themselves, now glared at me, ready to stand up for her. I retorted sarcastically. “Everything she just said, insulting my mother, is recorded on the dashcam. Want to listen?” Alex curved his lips playfully. “Things like that can be faked. I only believe what I see with my own eyes.” Ronnie rubbed his temples, looking exhausted. “Vivian cares about you. Why don’t you appreciate it and have to resort to violence against her?” Noah looked utterly bewildered. “Iris, why can’t you like Vivian like the rest of us? She really is such a sweet and kind girl!” “Is it really that hard to understand that I don’t like my dad’s illegitimate daughter?” I had no desire to argue anymore. One person couldn’t possibly argue against four mouths. As soon as I got into the car, my sixty-year-old fiancé sent a message. He said he wanted to meet before the wedding, that he had something to tell me in person, and he’d set the time for tonight. I was about to decline, but he sent a pleading emoji. “Okay.” My finger moved, and the message was sent. I suddenly felt a little curious. What kind of person was he, exactly? What if he had Alzheimer’s? The car door suddenly opened, and Ronnie got into the passenger seat. “I talked to Alex and Noah. They won’t agree to a fake marriage.” “We’ll go to the Hayes’ place, together, and talk to your fiancé. We’ll make him an offer to cancel the engagement.” In the back, Alex and Noah sat on either side, protecting Vivian in the middle. Vivian smiled. “Iris, it’s okay, I’m not angry anymore.” Alex ruffled her hair, a pained look on his face. “Such a kind, silly girl.” Noah glanced at me impatiently. “Just so we’re clear, if this doesn’t work out, don’t think you can latch onto us.” I silently started the car, not wanting to say another word. Whatever I said, it would only lead to a combined attack from the four of them. Just as we were about to reach the agreed-upon restaurant, an out-of-control truck suddenly swerved and crashed into us from the side. Ronnie cried out in panic. “Iris, how are you driving?!” “Vivian! Alex, Noah, protect Vivian!” “Bang!” The airbags deployed. A sharp pain shot through my head and chest. In a haze, I saw Ronnie, blood trickling from his forehead, frantically hailing a car by the roadside while holding Vivian. Alex and Noah were also injured, but they ignored themselves, just anxiously calling out to the unconscious Vivian.

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It was Kindergarten Family Day. My wife, Serena, claimed she had company business and told me and our daughter, Lily, not to go. So, I decided to take Lily myself. As soon as we walked in, I saw Serena, one arm cradling a little boy, the other hand holding our childhood sweetheart, Ryan. They looked like a real family of three, laughing and chatting, perfectly harmonious. Until they saw Lily and me. Serena’s brow furrowed slightly, and she finally let go of Ryan’s hand. “Daniel, don’t misunderstand. It’s tough for Ryan, being a single dad. Today is his son’s fifth birthday, and he just wanted him to experience a mother’s love.” I shot her a meaningful glance, then crouched down, taking Lily’s small hand. “Sweetheart, say hello to Ms. Serena.” Seeing this, Ryan quickly took his son, his face apologetic. “Daniel, please don’t be mad. Serena meant well. Leo grew up without a mom, and today’s his fifth birthday. Serena was just helping him fulfill a dream of having a mother.” I stared at him, a half-smile playing on my lips. “If that’s the case, now that Lily and I are here, shouldn’t Serena come back to us? After all, we’re the real family of three.” Ryan froze slightly, but the boy in his arms wasn’t having it. “Mommy, you promised you’d spend today with Daddy and me!” The five-year-old glared at me with fierce eyes. I raised an eyebrow. “Mommy”? They’re already calling her “Mommy”? Before I could say anything else, Serena stepped in front of them, adopting a protective stance. Her tone was impatient. “Daniel, you’re a parent too. Do you have absolutely no empathy?” “Ryan and I grew up together. I’m just spending one day with them, just one day! Do you really have to be so petty about this?” I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping me. Was Ryan’s misfortune my fault? Just then, other parents and their kids started arriving, and someone came over to greet us. “Leo’s dad, Leo’s mom, good morning! You two always come to Family Day together with Leo. Not like my husband, always saying he’s busy with work, never caring about our child’s growth.” Ryan awkwardly returned the greeting, and I saw a flicker of panic in Serena’s eyes. I couldn’t help but demand, “Serena, is this what you meant by ‘just one day’?!” Serena flushed with anger, grabbing my arm. “Daniel, there are a lot of people here, don’t make a scene!” She then looked down at Lily, lowering her voice. “If you make a fuss, it won’t be good for Lily, will it?” Lily suddenly heard her name and looked around confused. But she still didn’t seem to understand what was happening, just clinging tightly to my leg, her small hand clutching mine, already sweaty. I felt her unease. I knelt down, stroked her little ponytail, and whispered, “Daddy’s here, sweetheart. There’s nothing to be scared of.” I watched Serena, Ryan, and Leo walk away. Soon, they were surrounded by the crowd. Some parents, eager to flatter, smiled and greeted Serena. They were praising her successful career, how she’d become the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company in her early thirties. Serena was undoubtedly arrogant and smug, practically strutting with pride. And Ryan? He stared at Serena with shining eyes, looking as if he were basking in her reflected glory. Leo, still in Serena’s arms, suddenly looked back and shot me a defiant grimace. A cold laugh bubbled up in my chest. It looked like Serena had gotten way too ahead of herself. Even though I’d cut down my time at the company to be with Lily, 75% of Everwing Group’s shares were in my name. I was the real CEO, the actual boss. She had just latched onto me, and out of marital consideration, I’d given her a manager title. I pulled out my phone and messaged Chloe in HR: “Chloe, transfer Serena from her manager position. Internal announcement next Monday.” Then I messaged Marcus in Legal: “Marcus, draft a divorce agreement for Serena and me.”

A short while later, the Kindergarten Family Day activities officially began. Each family sat at a table that had been prepared beforehand. Lily looked at Serena sitting in the front row and asked sadly, “Daddy, why isn’t Serena sitting with us?” I pinched Lily’s soft, plump cheek. She was still so young; she shouldn’t have to deal with this dirty business. “Because Daddy’s a superhero, and to be fair, Serena went to help other little superheroes.” Just then, the kindergarten teacher announced the start of the first activity: building blocks, smiling as she added, “There’s a prize for first place! A LEGO spaceship!” Lily suddenly brightened, pointing at the spaceship. “Daddy, I want that!” “Alright, then let’s go for it!” The sand in the hourglass was almost gone when Lily raised her small hand and excitedly shouted, “Teacher, we’re done!” The teacher walked over and nodded, about to make the announcement, when a little boy came zooming over from the front row. It was Leo. He shoved over our completed block structure with one hand, then stood there, chest puffed out. “Now first place is mine!” Lily stared at the collapsed blocks, her eyes welling up with tears. Angrily, she picked up a large block and threw it at Leo. Serena’s first words as she arrived were, “Lily, how could you hit someone?! Apologize to Leo right now!” Lily was stubborn. “No, I won’t! He knocked down my blocks first! He’s a meanie!” I stood firmly behind Lily. “Serena, anyone with eyes can see who started it. Leo should apologize to Lily!” Ryan followed her, pulling on Serena’s arm. “Serena, let it go. No need to make a big deal. Adults overlook a child’s misdeeds.” The kindergarten teacher also tried to smooth things over. Just then, Lily suddenly burst into tears, whimpering, “Mommy, why aren’t you protecting me? Why are you being mean to me?” That single word, “Mommy,” instantly stunned everyone. Their gazes darted between me, Serena, and Ryan. Serena’s face flushed red and then white. Ryan looked like he wanted to speak but held back. At that moment, Leo stood with his hands on his hips in front of Lily, his voice venomous. “Who are you calling Mommy? What are you shouting about! She’s my mommy!” Lily was so startled she started hiccuping. She cried, her eyes blurry with tears, her little voice cracking as she shrieked, “Mommy, say something!” My heart ached, and I shot Serena a furious glare, my voice much harsher. “Serena, aren’t you going to explain? Are you just going to stand there and let Lily and me be misunderstood?” Serena’s eyes widened, and she snatched Leo into her arms. “Explain what? Today, I am Leo’s mommy!” She even patted Leo’s head. Instantly, the other parents began pointing and whispering about Lily and me. “Why is that child calling her ‘Mommy’ willy-nilly?!” “Lily’s family usually never comes to Family Day. This time it’s just the dad. Could she be someone’s mistress’s child?!” “I heard Serena is a CEO, super rich. Maybe Lily’s dad was trying to hook up with Serena, and his own daughter stumbled upon them and got confused.” As Lily and I were being attacked by rumors, Serena remained silent, simply comforting Leo. Ryan, standing nearby, barely concealed a smirk, glancing at me. I hugged a sobbing Lily, patting her gently. Though I wanted nothing more than to slap that conniving woman and that slimy man, it wasn’t the time. I couldn’t let Lily get hurt any further. Just then, someone trying to curry favor with Serena simpered, “Leo looks so much like you, Serena. You can tell they’re mother and son at a glance.” I looked up at Serena. A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes, then she quickly changed the subject. Ryan, meanwhile, looked absolutely smug. I’d seen this father and son before, but I’d never noticed that Serena and Leo really did share a certain resemblance in their features. Lily couldn’t stop crying. I had to ask the teacher to take us to the quiet room, hoping to calm Lily down first. In the quiet room, I comforted Lily until she eventually fell asleep. Looking at her swollen, red eyelids from crying, my heart twisted into a knot. I quietly slipped out, walked to the bend in the corridor, and called Chloe and Marcus. “Chloe, Marcus, bring my marriage certificate with Serena, the drafted divorce agreement, and her termination letter to Little Star Preschool now. Hurry!” As I was still discussing the details with them, I suddenly heard a scream—it was Lily’s voice! My heart sank to my stomach.

At the end of the hallway, by the bathroom door, Lily had been pushed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Leading the pack of kids surrounding her was Leo, his face a menacing scowl. “That’s what you get for calling her Mommy! I’m going to beat you to a pulp today!” With that, he kicked Lily in the stomach. Lily cried out in pain, trying to dodge, but the little boy behind him grabbed her. “The mistress’s kid deserves a beating!” “My mom said illegitimate kids should be strangled at birth!” Lily flailed her small hands in protest, crying so hard she could barely breathe. “You’re lying! That’s my mommy! Mommy, Daddy, come save Lily!” “Lily hurts so bad!” “Mommy, Daddy, where are you?!” The moment I saw that, my mind went blank with a roar, blood surged, my veins felt like they were about to burst. The little boys spotted me, exchanged glances, and seeing my furious expression, scattered like startled birds. I scooped Lily into my arms, realizing she was shaking violently. I immediately called an ambulance. “Don’t be scared, sweetheart. Daddy’s here, Daddy’s here.” When the ambulance arrived, other parents crowded around, curious about what had happened. I raced towards the ambulance, carrying Lily. As I passed, Serena was smiling, building blocks with Leo, while Ryan stood by, wiping sweat from her brow. Hearing the commotion, she looked up, a confused expression on her face. As she stood up and started to ask, “What’s going on? What happened to Lily?” Ryan grabbed her hand. “Serena, you promised to spend today with Leo. You don’t know how happy he was when I told him last night you’d be with him all day.” Serena’s footsteps faltered. I had already gotten into the ambulance with Lily. Lily had passed out, and the paramedics immediately began checks and resuscitation in the ambulance. When a female paramedic lifted Lily’s dress, she gasped. “How could anyone be so cruel to such a small child?!” I instantly panicked. Lily’s milky-white skin was covered in bruises, purple and blue, with a fist-sized contusion on her side. Her tiny body trembled uncontrollably. The paramedic’s voice suddenly became urgent. “Quick, get the equipment ready!” Two agonizing hours passed before Lily was stable. Regret and hatred intertwined in my heart, growing wildly, tearing through me. My mother, Eleanor, cried tears of sorrow, complaining, “How could you let this happen, Daniel? My poor baby, what she’s been through!” Lily, hooked up to an IV, weakly opened her eyes on the hospital bed, looking at me blankly. “Daddy, why do they all say Lily’s a child Mommy didn’t want?” “But Lily has a mommy!” “Why didn’t Mommy protect Lily?” I gently kissed her forehead and told her, “Daddy will always, always protect Lily. Lily is Daddy’s most beloved treasure.” “As for your mommy, we don’t want her anymore.” When I returned to the kindergarten, the activity day was on its last item. Families were painting a portrait of their ‘happy family.’ Serena was patiently coloring a picture, Leo nestled quietly in her arms, and Ryan, a look of utter contentment on his face, was taking photos of them both. It truly was a picture of serene domestic bliss, a perfect happy family. But why was my Lily lying in a hospital bed, while the culprits were here, enjoying their happiness?! I stormed over, and without a word, landed a fierce punch on Ryan. The sheer force sent him stumbling back, and with a dull thud, he hit the corner of a table behind him. The sudden sound stunned everyone into silence. Serena shrieked, “Daniel, what are you doing?!” Then she quickly pulled Ryan into her arms, her eyes full of concern. “Ryan, does it hurt?” Tears rolled down Ryan’s face, but he shook his head, playing the victim. “Daniel, have you misunderstood something? I apologize to you.” I sneered. “Just a verbal apology? Isn’t that a bit insincere?” With that, I raised my hand to slap him again. Serena saw it coming and tried to block me. I changed direction, delivering the slap directly to Serena’s face. The five-fingered red imprint was starkly visible on her cheek. Serena clutched her face, stunned for a second, then went ballistic. “Daniel, are you sick?! Who gave you the right to hit me?!” Just then, the kindergarten teachers rushed over to intervene, asking me what was going on. I pointed at Leo, gritting my teeth. “This little brat, when I wasn’t looking, ganged up with a few other boys and beat up my Lily!” The words had barely left my mouth when Ryan anxiously interjected, “No way! Leo is a very sweet boy. Serena, you have to believe me!” I took a step forward. “No way? Then why do you think an ambulance just came?!” Serena once again positioned herself protectively in front of Ryan and Leo. “What harm can a little kid do? Kids roughhouse, it’s inevitable. But you? You’re overreacting, hitting people right away—a total brute!” Seeing my aggressive stance, Serena actually shoved me with force, sending me to the ground. My palm scraped against the ground, bleeding. Those who were trying to curry favor with Serena joined in, looking down on me, ridiculing and cursing. “Is he trying to stage an accident? Knows Ms. Serena’s loaded and wants to extort money!” “Look at his audacity! He’ll be crying when Everwing Group’s legal team is done with him.” “You think, maybe he tried to seduce Ms. Serena before and failed, and now he’s just causing trouble? He’s nowhere near Ms. Serena’s level!” “Definitely acting like a mistress’s man!” Just then, the roar of cars grew louder, and soon three luxury black SUVs pulled up to the kindergarten entrance. A sharp-eyed parent gasped. “Those cars have the Everwing Group logo! They’re executive vehicles!” Someone else, eager to flatter, added, “Ms. Serena is truly amazing, she’s already called the company’s legal team!” With that, the person spat at me, gloating. “You homewrecker, you’re finished! Everyone knows Everwing’s legal team is called the ‘Invincible Force of Oakwood City’! Get ready to pay up and go to jail!” An influencer parent was already buzzing with excitement, holding up her phone. “Wow, what a scoop today! Folks, hit that follow button! I’m livestreaming this brute’s downfall!” Ryan finally reacted, looking at Serena with surprise and affection, while Leo beside her became even more cocky.

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Christmas Day. My parents, chasing triple pay, had left me alone at home again. Thinking back to the last twenty years, how they always did this, I couldn’t stand another cold, lonely Christmas all by myself. So, I went looking for them. To my surprise, my parents, who constantly preached about needing to earn more money, stepped out of a luxury car, arm-in-arm with a boy about my age, laughing and chatting as they headed into a five-star restaurant. “Dad, Mom, is it really okay to leave Alex home alone like that?” My mom just shrugged, dismissive. “It’s fine. He’s used to it.” My dad chimed in, equally nonchalant. “He’s nothing compared to you, Leo. You’re our precious one!” I turned and walked away. They’d been faking poverty, lying to me all this time. This time, I didn’t want their company anyway. Back home, I dumped all the untouched food on the table straight into the trash. Before, I would never have dared. Ever since I could remember, I knew our family was struggling. Everything I ate and wore came from my parents’ tireless scrimping and saving. New clothes were a rarity. Every season, my mom would bring home a bag of used clothes. She’d always tell me, “These were worn by a colleague’s son. They’re clean, no need to buy new ones.” I had no idea where she got those old clothes. My childhood was practically devoid of anything new. I always wore ill-fitting clothes, and my classmates made fun of me, calling me a ragamuffin, like I picked my clothes from a dumpster. I buried myself in my studies, hoping that one day, I could earn enough to buy new clothes for myself. During holidays, I’d hand over any gifts or pocket money relatives gave me, just to ease my parents’ burden. But who knew, they had no burden at all. I’d looked it up. That luxury car was owned by the Davidsons, one of the city’s wealthiest families. The young master of that family had once been spotted cruising around in it with a famous actress, creating quite a stir. I’d seen that gossip news, and the rich kid’s face was unmistakably the same boy I saw tonight. Turns out, I was a rich kid myself! I found it ironically hilarious. I sniffed, wiping my nose, then turned back to my parents’ bedroom to search. Maybe they were too careless, leaving such important documents at home. When I saw my dad’s signature on a contract worth hundreds of millions, with a Montblanc pen tucked inside the papers, the last shred of hope in my heart died. I put everything back exactly as I found it, then quietly returned to my room, pulled the blanket over my head, and went to sleep. I just hoped I’d wake up and find it all a dream. The next morning, my parents were already bustling in the kitchen. I looked at the breakfast laid out on the table and suddenly realized: who eats gourmet seafood for breakfast? The smell was identical to the expensive seafood feast Professor Thompson treated us to last time. I glanced at the trash bag by the door. Sure enough. Empty seafood containers. “Mom, Dad, did we strike it rich?” I asked, sitting at the table, watching them. My mom looked surprised. “Alex, what are you talking about?” “Then how can we afford such expensive seafood?” I pointed at the trash bag. My mom’s face immediately changed. My dad chuckled beside her. “Oh, that? Last night I was working late with my boss, and he packed it for me. I couldn’t bear to eat it myself, so I brought it home.” “With your mom and my meager salaries, how could we ever afford seafood like this?” Right, of course. I nodded, sipping the porridge, but inside, I scoffed. Seafood, about seventy-five bucks a bowl. Last night’s dinner probably cost tens of thousands. If they were genuinely poor, this bowl of porridge would have tasted delicious. Now, it tasted like cardboard. I only ate two bites before standing up. “I’m full.” “Alex, why are you eating so little? Are you feeling unwell?” My mom asked, her face etched with concern. Her gaze didn’t seem fake. I shook my head, forcing a smile. “No, not at all! Aren’t we going to Grandpa George’s today? I’m saving room for a good lunch there!” Hearing that, my mom sighed in relief. My dad looked a little guilty, about to say something, when his phone rang. I glanced at the screen. The caller ID read, “My Precious Son, Leo.” Leo, his precious son. What about me, then? My dad quickly went out to the balcony, and my mom followed. I faintly heard him saying things like, “Be good,” and “Don’t let Alex find out.” A chill settled deep in my heart. So, they’d known all along. They’d been in on it, conspiring to keep it from me. I even wondered if my entire world was like The Truman Show. Yet, they felt so real.

After hanging up the phone, Dad came over to me. “Alex, something urgent came up at work. I need to go in for a bit!” Mom tried to reassure me. “It’s fine, sweetie, I’ll go with you.” I nodded, got ready with Mom, and we headed to Grandpa George and Grandma Martha’s place. When we arrived, Grandpa George saw me, pulled me in close. “Alex, you’re here! Come in, it’s cold outside!” His hands were soft and smooth, not at all calloused like a man who’d spent his life doing physical labor. This old apartment complex was part of a former industrial site; they said Grandpa George was a retired blue-collar worker from the plant. But looking at how pampered he seemed, it didn’t add up. Grandma Martha saw me and immediately pressed some money into my hand. I took it. “Thanks, Grandma.” Then I put it straight into my pocket. My mom looked a little taken aback. Usually, I’d hand the money straight to her. Back then, Mom would always say, “Alex is such a thoughtful boy.” But today, I acted completely out of character. Even Grandma Martha paused, then chuckled. “Our Alex is learning to keep his pocket money now!” I raised an eyebrow and smiled. “It’s not really ‘keeping’ it. I just want some pocket money for myself.” “That’s right, Alex is so responsible! He earns all his tuition and living expenses himself!” I didn’t need them to say it. I knew Grandma Martha would give me maybe seventy bucks at most. Compared to my tuition, that amount was nothing! They were clearly so wealthy, yet they squeezed every penny out of me. I didn’t understand this ‘hardship training’—why was it only for me? What was their game? Grandma Martha didn’t say anything else, just went into the kitchen and started bustling around. When the dishes were served, I took two bites and lost my appetite completely. The food was identical to what I’d seen last night at the five-star restaurant. Now I was absolutely sure: my entire family was loaded. My parents, despite their immense wealth, were putting on an act of poverty. Even Grandpa George and Grandma Martha were playing along. After dinner, my mom took a call, made an excuse about work, and rushed off. Grandpa George and Grandma Martha started yawning, looking sleepy. I felt awkward staying any longer, so I left. But I didn’t go far. I hid around the corner, watching. Sure enough, less than twenty minutes after I left, a stretched limousine pulled up. Grandpa George and Grandma Martha, surrounded by a group of people, got into the car and drove off without a backward glance. I took a deep breath, pulled my mask up, and walked over. I saw a few cleaning ladies tidying up. One of them sighed. “I don’t know what these people are thinking. They come here just one day a year, cook a meal, and then leave!” “But they do pay a hefty cleaning fee every time!” “You don’t know? This family has been doing this every year for over twenty years now. They have a huge mansion in the Hillside Estates. These are rich folks who come to slum it for a day!” Hearing that, my heart turned utterly cold. The Davidsons, the wealthiest family in the south of the city, had a mansion in the Hillside Estates. I rode my bike over there. I saw the magnificent villa perched on the hillside, with bodyguards outside. This kind of place was beyond anything I could imagine. When the bodyguard saw me approaching, he immediately barked, “Who are you? Get lost!” I took a deep breath. Just as I was about to turn and leave, a motorcycle roared past, pulling up from outside. I’d seen it online; that bike was worth almost three hundred thousand dollars. The rider was Leo.

He saw me too, clearly surprised. He stopped, looking me up and down, a sneer on his face. “Not as dumb as I thought, huh? Figured out how to find your way here!” I froze. So, he knew about me all along! “Why? Why is this happening?!” “Leo, am I adopted? Or are you all part of some project, and I’m just an observation subject?” Leo seemed to catch on to my confusion. He raised an eyebrow, wagging a finger. “No, you’re also a Davidson. A biological son.” “As for why they created this illusion of poverty for you, there’s only one reason: because I am the sole heir of the Davidson family!” “Alex, you were born just one minute before me. What makes you think you can compete with me?!” “This isn’t your place. Just get lost!” “Oh, poor thing. Don’t look at me like that. Mom and Dad put a lot of effort into raising you too, you know!” “Oh, and by the way, don’t bother Grandpa George and Grandma Martha for holidays anymore. They’re old, they don’t have the energy to keep up the act for you!” Leo revved his engine and sped inside. I stood outside for a long time, and then it all clicked. My birth, and Leo’s, seemed tied to the family inheritance. But what had I done wrong? All I ever wanted was my parents’ genuine love. They’d lied to me for so many years, but their kindness to me had also seemed real. Now, as I looked at the mansion and that expensive motorcycle, I began to doubt how much of their kindness was truly genuine. I turned to leave. Before I did, I called my dad. “Dad, are you coming home for dinner tonight?” “No, Alex, I won’t be back. Overtime tonight, triple pay for the next three days!” “Oh, and your mom is working too!” But I clearly heard the roar of a motorcycle in the background of his call. I simply mumbled, “Okay,” my mind already made up. Back home, I started packing my belongings. At the same time, I signed up for a special research project posted by the university. This project was based out in a remote location, a three-year commitment, completely cut off from the outside world. No one would disturb me there. Once I was packed, I printed out the photo I’d secretly taken of Leo’s back and placed it on my bedside table. That day, they didn’t come home. I was alone in the house. I called my dad again, but no one answered. Meanwhile, Gardner Corp., a Davidson family company, was giving out gifts. An employee posted on Ins, thanking their boss. She was just a regular employee, but her gift was worth over four hundred dollars! Many other employees also showed off their company benefits. My parents were front and center on stage, Dad in a suit, Mom holding a glass of wine. My mom had exquisite makeup, radiating an air of wealth. Below the stage, Leo was surrounded by people, and there was even a full family portrait of them. My parents seemed convinced that I was too busy earning money to pay attention to online gossip. They forgot that I was just an ordinary boy, raised in poverty and hardship. How could I not pay attention? A reporter interviewed them, asking about their New Year’s plans. My dad looked into the camera. “This year, our son Leo turns twenty-two. Every year, we arrange a trip for him, and today, we’re off!” My heart plummeted. I was twenty-two too. The farthest I’d ever been was a school field trip to the local zoo in elementary school. I scoffed, picked up my official papers, tracing their edges with my finger. It was almost funny. After I started college, my parents moved my official residence to the school’s address. They said I was an adult now and needed to be responsible for myself. Now was the perfect time to leave. I grabbed my luggage and walked out without hesitation. Dad, Mom, goodbye for good!

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