Category: English

My husband committed suicide on our wedding night. My mother-in-law frantically tore at my clothes, telling everyone that I was responsible for her son’s death. Everyone thought she had gone mad. Only I, smiling at her crazed state, leaned in and whispered softly, “You’re next.” My husband, Mark Foster, committed suicide. On our wedding night, he suddenly rushed to his mother, who hadn’t left yet, and frantically shouted at her, “Do I have a sister?” My mother-in-law, Evelyn, firmly denied it: “Your father only has you as his son. Where would a sister come from?” After hearing this, Mark laughed maniacally, turned around, ran to the balcony, opened the window, and jumped straight down. As we left the funeral home, Evelyn was crying her heart out, barely able to stand. She had to rely on Richard, my father-in-law, to support her. Richard’s eyes were red and bloodshot, the pain of losing his son had turned his hair white overnight. He looked much older than before. I followed behind them, wearing all black, my already thin frame looking even more fragile. It seemed like a gust of wind could blow me away. Many relatives and friends looked at me with pity in their eyes. After all, I had just gotten married, and my husband committed suicide. I went from being a bride to a widow in an instant. How could they not feel sorry for me? Some people came forward to comfort me: “Lily, what’s done is done. You’re still young, you need to look forward.” These words were said neither too loudly nor too softly, just loud enough for my mother-in-law to hear. She suddenly turned her head, looking at me with hatred in her eyes. “It’s you! It’s all because of you, you harbinger of bad luck! You’re the one who caused my son’s death!” “My son was such a good person, so cheerful and optimistic. But as soon as he married you, he committed suicide. You’re a jinx, a cursed thing! Give me back my son!” Evelyn became more and more agitated as she spoke, her eyes flashing with a fierce light. She suddenly lunged at me and grabbed my throat. A tremendous sense of suffocation washed over me. I clawed at her hands, trying to break free from her grip, while desperately gasping for air. But I still couldn’t escape the feeling of near-death brought on by the lack of oxygen. Fortunately, Richard and some relatives and friends quickly pulled Evelyn away from me. Only then was I able to break free, sitting on the ground and taking big gulps of fresh air. Evelyn, unable to strangle me, was unsatisfied and continued to shout and scream, trying to lunge at me again: “Lily White, you cursed thing, I want you to pay for my son’s life! Go die, go die!” The commotion attracted many passersby who stopped to watch. Richard, seeing that she was making such a scene and feeling embarrassed, couldn’t help but slap her face: “Shut up!” Only then did Evelyn quiet down. Seeing that Evelyn had stopped making a fuss, Richard turned to look at me: “Lily, your mother-in-law is grieving the loss of her child. She’s temporarily lost her senses. Don’t take it to heart.” I nodded with red-rimmed eyes: “Dad, I understand Mom’s feelings. I don’t blame her.” My obedience brought a hint of satisfaction to Richard’s face. He nodded at me with a gentle tone: “You’re a good girl. I’m sorry for what you’ve been through.” Because Evelyn was too emotional, I had to leave early. Back in our marital home, the silence in the room was suffocating. I stood in front of the wedding photo of Mark and me, looking at his sunny and handsome face. My vision blurred with tears. This marital home was carefully decorated by Mark and me together. All the furniture was what we both liked best. Who could have imagined that the sunny, cheerful guy who had sworn eternal love to me during the day would become a broken corpse by night? I sat quietly in the marital home until late into the night, finally falling into a drowsy sleep leaning against the bed. The next day, I was awakened by the loud sound of an electric drill outside the door. Opening the door, I saw Evelyn with a locksmith trying to force open my front door! As soon as she saw me, Evelyn rushed over uncontrollably, grabbed my clothes, and pushed me out of the door. “Lily White, you caused my son’s death, and you still dare to live in my son’s house? Get out!” “Mom, don’t do this. This is my home too, it’s Mark’s and my home!” I pleaded desperately. But Evelyn spat at me viciously: “Bah! This house was bought by my son. You caused his death, you jinx, and you still have the face to stay here? You still want to call this your home? You’re an orphan with no parents, how could you afford a multi-million dollar apartment? Shameless thing!” As Evelyn cursed, she picked up my belongings and threw them out. The room quickly became a mess. When Evelyn was about to destroy the wedding photo of my husband and me, I finally couldn’t bear it anymore and rushed over to protect the photo tightly: “Mom, I beg you, please don’t. This is the only memento Mark left for me.” Evelyn was unmoved. Unable to destroy the wedding photo, she started punching and kicking me frantically. “Sir, please help me call the police, please help me!” I could only cry out to the locksmith for help. The locksmith outside had been stunned by what he was seeing. Looking at the frenzied Evelyn and pitiful me, he promptly took out his phone and called the police. Only after the police arrived did Evelyn reluctantly stop. She then turned to the police and tearfully accused me of trying to take over the family property after her son’s death. With no other choice, I took out the property deed with my name on it: “Mom, this house really is mine.” However, after seeing the property deed, Evelyn became even more agitated. “Lily White! This house was clearly bought by my son. It must be you, you must have tricked him into transferring the house to you and then killed him!” Her eyes were bloodshot, her shrill voice almost piercing the eardrums of everyone present. “Lily White, you’re a murderer! I’ll make you pay for my son’s life!” Saying this, she rushed over to strangle me. The police nearby hurriedly came forward to stop her, protecting me behind them. However, Evelyn was out of control by now. She frantically waved her hands trying to hit me, and all the police protecting me suffered as a result. In the end, the police, in anger, took both her and me to the police station. Even so, Evelyn showed no remorse. Sitting in the police car, she looked at me with venomous eyes: “Lily White, you killed my son. I will definitely make you pay for my son’s life!” I leaned back against the seat, my face pale, still with a hint of grievance. I turned to look at Evelyn, the corner of my mouth curling up imperceptibly: “Mom, don’t you know how Mark died?” Upon hearing this, Evelyn’s face turned deathly pale. Not long after entering the police station, Richard came. He took Evelyn and me out of the police station with an extremely displeased expression. I noticed that when he saw Evelyn, his hand moved slightly, but in the end, he forcefully restrained himself from slapping her. He only coldly rebuked Evelyn: “If you dare to do such embarrassing things again, don’t blame me for being unkind!” Evelyn looked up at him, and there was a hint of panic in that glance. She moved her mouth, wanting to say something, but upon seeing me beside her, she tightly closed her mouth again. Perhaps because of Evelyn’s false accusations, Richard felt he owed me something. He rarely let me ride in their car, personally sending me home. On the way, Richard apologized to me on behalf of Evelyn in a gentle tone: “Lily, your mother-in-law has been in a bad mood lately, always suspicious. Don’t take it to heart. Rest assured, no one in the company will gossip about this matter.” However, I didn’t obediently agree as I had before. Instead, I turned back with red-rimmed eyes, looking at Richard sitting in the back seat, and choked out: “Dad, I know Mom is upset about losing her son, but I’ve lost my husband too!” “Mark and I had even bought tickets to Bali, but that night he suddenly rushed out inexplicably after talking to Mom for a few words, and then jumped off the building.” “Dad, I’ve been holding back from asking, but with Mom repeatedly tormenting me like this, I really can’t take it anymore. I just want to know, Mom, what exactly did you and Mark talk about? Why did it make Mark suddenly jump to his death?” In the car, following my last question, the atmosphere instantly became as if we had fallen into an ice pit. I saw Richard’s expression change from calm to shocked and then to angry in an instant. He stared at Evelyn with wide eyes, his gaze almost spitting fire: “The last time our son died, he was talking to you?” Evelyn was silent, lowering her head and not daring to make a sound. I looked at them, finding their expressions particularly interesting. Richard didn’t notice my gaze. He stared fixedly at Evelyn and roared: “Speak! What exactly did you say to our son?” This shout not only frightened Evelyn but even made the driver’s body tremble. Evelyn couldn’t help but whimper softly, pitifully saying: “I, I didn’t say anything. That night Mark suddenly ran out and asked me if he had a sister. I said no, but then he turned around and jumped off the building.” “Why would he suddenly ask this question?” Richard’s eyes flashed. Evelyn answered tearfully: “I don’t know either. Besides, whether he had a sister or not, how could that be related to Mark’s suicide? Could it be that someone forced him to commit suicide?” As she spoke, she unconsciously looked up at me again, meeting my deep gaze. She suddenly became agitated, grabbing the pensive Richard and pointing at me, shouting: “It’s her, it must be her. That night, besides me, it was only her in the bridal chamber. Mark was with her in the bedroom before he came out. It must be her who killed Mark!” My eyes instantly welled up with tears: “Mom, before Mark came out to find you, he was opening wedding gifts with me.” But Evelyn shrilly retorted: “You’re lying! Mark never liked opening gifts since he was a child. How could he possibly open gifts with you?” “But I like it, and Mark was just accompanying me…” At this point, I was already in tears. Mentioning that night was like hanging my heart on a scaffold and repeatedly torturing it. Just a second before, we were so sweet, and the next second, Mark was left with only a broken corpse. Evelyn wanted to refute me again, but was sternly stopped by Richard. He looked at me, crying with tears streaming down my face, his eyes filled with pity: “Wipe your tears. Mark wouldn’t want to see you suffering like this in heaven.” I nodded chokingly and wiped away my tears with a tissue, but my eyes still held a mist that hadn’t had time to dissipate, looking hazy. When getting out of the car, Richard instructed me: “Take good care of yourself when you get back. Don’t think too much. Your mom won’t act up again.” “Thank you, Dad.” I turned back and choked out a word of thanks. Richard met my misty eyes and his expression unconsciously froze for a moment, but he quickly came back to his senses and smiled gently at me. Watching the car leave, a hint of mockery flashed in my eyes. After returning from the police station, Evelyn never came to bother me again. After resting quietly for a while, I returned to work at the company. The company I work for is Foster Group. Yes, it’s my husband’s family company. I currently hold the position of Deputy Manager in the company, a position I didn’t get because of my relationship with Mark Foster. On the contrary, Mark Foster and I got to know each other after I became Deputy Manager. At that time, he held a nominal position of Manager in the company, but he actually lacked work experience. Richard often asked him to learn more from me. As we interacted more, we became familiar with each other, and our relationship gradually changed from superior and subordinate to a romantic one. Actually, my mother-in-law looked down on me, but Mark liked me and insisted on marrying me. Richard didn’t oppose me marrying Mark. He thought I was capable at work and would be a good helper for Mark’s career in the future. Originally, Mark and I had taken a two-month honeymoon leave and planned to go on a nice honeymoon after getting married. Unexpectedly, Mark… Now only I returned to the company alone. The employees of the company saw my haggard appearance and all showed sympathetic looks. During lunch, Richard rarely invited me to have a meal with him. While eating, he kept asking me if Mark had said anything strange before jumping off the building. I shook my head, with red-rimmed eyes, and answered: “No, Mark was opening wedding gifts with me before he went out. But he seemed to receive a text message before going out.” Richard immediately became serious: “What text message?” I lowered my head, feeling somewhat guilty: “I don’t know.” Richard sighed somewhat helplessly and didn’t say anything more. When Mark jumped, his phone was smashed to pieces along with him. Now it’s impossible to check the text messages. So, what text message he received, except for himself, no one else knows. Back home, I opened my email and was startled by the flashing ghost GIF on the screen. Then a message came through SnapChat: How is it? Satisfied? I replied: It’s fine. Wait for my news. The other party responded: Okay. I closed the computer, went downstairs to buy a basket of fresh fruit, and drove to Evelyn’s house. When Evelyn saw me arrive, her face immediately darkened, and she coldly asked: “What are you doing here?” I held the gifts I bought for them, feeling very depressed: “Mom, I wanted to see where Mark grew up.” At the mention of Mark, Evelyn exploded instantly. She pushed me away, causing me to fall down the steps at the entrance of the villa, scattering the fruits I had bought all over the ground. “Get out of here, you harbinger of misfortune! This is not a place for you to come!” Evelyn slammed the door shut. I looked at the closed door, closed my eyes for a moment, got up from the ground, and slowly picked up the fruits one by one. Tears fell uncontrollably. Suddenly, Richard’s voice came from above: “Lily, why are you here?” I looked up and saw Richard standing in front of me. I quickly wiped away my tears and forced a smile: “Dad, I just wanted to come home and see. This is where Mark grew up, I wanted to take a look…” By the end, my tears were flowing uncontrollably again. Richard looked at the scattered fruits on the ground and seemed to understand what had happened. He sighed and squatted down to help me pick up all the fruits back into the basket: “You’re a good girl, what a pity…” I wiped my tears: “Dad, can I ask you for something? Can I stay here for a while? I’ll just stay in Mark’s room. This is Mark’s home, and here I can feel Mark’s presence, as if he hasn’t left, as if he’s still with me. Please, Dad.” Richard looked at me with complex emotions: “But, you know what your mom is like…” “It’s okay, I’ll just stay in Mark’s room. I absolutely won’t have any conflicts with Mom,” I quickly promised. Richard eventually softened and agreed. Seeing Richard agree, I immediately brightened up, picked up the collected fruits, and was about to walk towards the front door. But as soon as I lifted my leg, I felt a sharp pain in my right ankle. I couldn’t help but cry out in pain and crouched down. Richard turned back and saw me holding my ankle, my face pale, with beads of sweat already forming on my forehead. He quickly came forward and asked: “What’s wrong?” “It’s nothing…” I smiled and quickly stood up, bravely taking a step forward, but soon crouched down again in pain. Richard quickly squatted down to check. I tried to cover it up, but he impatiently moved my hand away. My slender ankle was already swollen high. My skin was originally fair and delicate, and the faint bruise on my ankle made the uninjured parts of my skin look even more delicate and soft. Richard’s pupils contracted imperceptibly for a moment, but he quickly stood up: “Don’t move. I’ll take you to the hospital.” He called for the driver to bring the car over, helped me limp into the car, and took me to the hospital. At the hospital, after a series of examinations, it was found that I had a minor fracture in my ankle and needed three months of rest. After the doctor put on a cast and prescribed medicine, Richard took me back to the Foster home. Originally, I wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but Richard felt that my fracture was caused by Evelyn, so she should take care of me. When we got home, Evelyn saw Richard bringing me in and immediately started making a fuss, wanting to drive me out. But Richard didn’t give her any face: “You broke Lily’s ankle, so you should take care of her! If you’re not willing, get out right now.” Seeing Richard angry, Evelyn immediately became docile and reluctantly agreed to let me stay in Mark’s room. But it was impossible for her to take care of me. Fortunately, there was a housekeeper, Mrs. Liu, who was responsible for bringing me meals and water every day. Mark’s room had its own bathroom, so I didn’t need to wander around deliberately. Richard saw my obedience and was very pleased. Although Evelyn didn’t care much about me, he would occasionally come to the room to see me and ask how my foot was recovering. Sometimes he would even discuss work situations with me. I had worked my way up from the bottom to the position of Deputy Manager, so naturally, I was very familiar with various aspects of the company. Therefore, Richard and I could always have pleasant conversations. Sometimes, as long as he opened his mouth, I could naturally follow up on his next sentence. Gradually, Richard’s attitude towards me became more and more amiable. Obviously, both my work ability and my personality were very much to his liking. He often came home to chat with me, and sometimes when the company encountered some problems, he would even message me to ask for my opinion. Under my advice, the company even secured several big deals that were previously impossible to get. Richard’s attitude towards me completely changed to one of appreciation after this. He liked talking to me more and more, as if he had found a kindred spirit in me. However, occasionally, I felt that the way Richard looked at me was a bit different, as if he was seeing someone else through me. Because Richard visited my room too frequently to talk, it soon aroused Evelyn’s suspicion. Evelyn began to frequently enter and exit my room after Richard entered. She would bring me a plate of cut fruit, or a cup of hot water, or juice. She acted like a caring mother-in-law. Even Richard was surprised and couldn’t help but praise Evelyn: “You’re finally starting to act like an elder should.” Evelyn gave Richard a coquettish glance: “Wasn’t it because of Mark’s incident earlier that I couldn’t come to terms with it?” But when she turned her face, her eyes were as cold as if they were filled with ice shards when she looked at me. I pretended not to see the disgust in her eyes and obediently accepted what she handed over: “Thank you, Mom.” Evelyn looked at me with a fake smile: “You’re welcome.” After saying this, she twisted her voluptuous waist and left the room. Richard watched Evelyn leave and smiled at me: “Your mom is just tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She was stuck in a rut before, but now that she’s come to terms with it, she won’t give you a hard time anymore.” I nodded seriously. But I saw Evelyn’s skirt flashing past the door. Evelyn was eavesdropping outside the door! I blinked and looked carefully at the door again, thinking I must have seen wrong. The door had always been open. If Evelyn wanted to listen, she could have just come in and joined the conversation. Why hide outside? Besides, Richard and I were only talking about work. What was worth eavesdropping on? I quickly put this matter out of my mind. A month later, accompanied by the housekeeper, I went to the hospital to remove the cast from my foot.

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In my past life, I was in excruciating pain giving birth, yet my husband had the nerve to make a fuss about the doctor being male? After being reborn, I kicked Jake right in his manhood. Then I called 911. This time, he’d never be able to have children again. The day I went into the operating room to give birth, my husband Jake started causing a scene because the surgeon was male. The nurse tried to explain urgently: “Sir, your wife’s condition is critical. We need to operate immediately, or both mother and child could die. All our female surgeons are busy with other operations right now.” Jake ignored her and started beating up the male doctor: “You pervert! No one but me is allowed to see my wife’s body!” My clothes were soaked with sweat from the pain. I struggled to speak: “Honey, please let them do the surgery. I can’t hold on much longer.” Jake’s eyes were bloodshot: “I never expected you to be such an immoral woman. Let me make this clear – if you let another man see you, I won’t accept you anymore.” Hearing this, I felt a surge of anger, then everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to when Jake and I first got together. Even seeing Jake in front of me, it still felt surreal. Jake and I started dating in our freshman year of college. I was actually the one who pursued him. To be honest, Jake was average looking, average height, and didn’t have much going for him. But back then, I was drawn to his arrogant attitude. I ignored all the better guys chasing me and went after him instead. Blinded by love, I gave up my life as a rich girl to struggle alongside him, eating nothing but plain bread every day. I even hid my wealthy background to avoid hurting his pride. I thought I was being so noble, unlike those materialistic girls. Looking back now, I just want to slap myself! Jake noticed me staring at him and frowned: “Rachel, can you stop staring at men all the time? It makes you look loose and improper.” Hearing those familiar words, I felt a surge of anger. In my past life, I was brainless enough to let him manipulate me like that. But I’ve already died once – why would I listen to his bullshit again? To hell with being “loose”! I frowned back at him: “Jake, can you stop calling a girl loose all the time? It makes you sound like a total jerk!” Jake’s expression darkened. From when I first started chasing him until now, I had never talked back to him once. He came from a rural area, but his mindset was still backwards and chauvinistic. Jake was clearly angry, and started lecturing me again: “Rachel, I’m with you because I thought you were different from those sluts who show off their bodies. A woman should know her place – be a good wife and mother. I didn’t expect you to be just like them after all.” Hah! I laughed coldly inside. He sounded so righteous, but I had caught him ogling other girls’ long legs on campus more than once. But I still apologized meekly. When his expression softened a bit as he decided to magnanimously forgive me, I seized the opportunity: “To make it up to you, let me treat you to a meal!” He nodded in agreement. Since we had only been together a short while, he had no idea about my financial situation. He probably thought I was just going to treat him to an $8 bowl of noodles in the cafeteria. But when I hailed a taxi and brought him to an upscale restaurant, he didn’t even have the courage to go inside. “This is ridiculous! Rachel, do you know how much a meal here costs? We’re just ordinary students, can’t you be more down-to-earth? Don’t expect me to pay if you can’t afford it! I’m telling you now, I absolutely won’t cover for you!” I wasn’t bothered by his words. I just put on a shocked and confused expression: “It’s not that expensive here. I eat here all the time.” Seeing his increasingly dark face, I asked innocently: “Where do you usually eat?” Jake clearly didn’t believe me and kept making sarcastic remarks. Until we went inside and a waiter greeted me warmly: “Welcome back, Miss Wilson!” I gave Jake a pitiful look: “See? I wasn’t lying to you.” I confidently led the way to a window seat. Jake was visibly uncomfortable, not knowing where to put his hands. But he still tried to maintain his usual aloof attitude. I knew that on the surface he was trying to act calm, but inside he was panicking. I handed him the menu, pretending to be eager to please: “Take a look and see what you’d like to eat.” Jake’s eyes widened at the expensive prices, but he coldly pushed the menu back to me, trying to act cool: “None of these dishes look appetizing to me.” I didn’t insist and ordered a bunch of my favorite dishes, all very strongly flavored. I knew Jake preferred bland food. In my past life, I had given up my own tastes to cater to his. This time, I absolutely wouldn’t. When the food arrived, I dug in with gusto. Jake looked displeased: “Rachel, you should ask your guest what they like instead of just ordering what you want. It’s very impolite.” “But I asked you to order and you didn’t!” Jake was speechless after being called out like that. Seeing him at a loss for words delighted me. Watching me eat so heartily, he unconsciously swallowed and sneaked glances at me while clumsily trying to cut his steak with a knife and fork. He was actually doing it correctly by imitating others, but I deliberately gave him a hesitant look. He became very uncomfortable under my gaze, probably feeling quite tormented inside. But his pride and insecurity made him lash out: “Rachel, didn’t I tell you not to stare at men? It’s slutty.” I lowered my head with a complex expression and stopped looking at him, then started enjoying my delicious meal. He must be in turmoil inside now, desperately wondering what he did wrong. Let him stew in it!

Ever since I took him to that fancy restaurant, his lectures became more and more frequent. He was always going on about being frugal, the glory of farmers, the evils of capitalism, telling me to be more considerate since my parents work hard for their money, not to waste it, to be self-reliant. In my past life, hearing such talk would make me think he was an idealistic, ambitious young man with great potential. Now I see… Hah! He was just trying to drag me down to hell with him because of his own insecurities. On the surface I acted obedient, but I still bought things so expensive even I found them pricey, and “accidentally” let him know the cost. I also often bought him things that were astronomical to him but cheap for me. Letting him struggle between disapproving of my spending and enjoying the fruits of money. While he was conflicted, I suggested introducing him to my friends. A bunch of rich playboys, notorious for their womanizing ways. Jake was very resistant at first, trying to lecture me on proper female behavior again. “Rachel, you shouldn’t interact with any men besides me. That’s what a good girl should do.” “But if you connect with them, it could be a huge boost for your future career. Don’t you want to avoid ending up like millions of other graduates, sending out resumes that disappear into a black hole?” Sure enough, I had hit Jake’s sore spot. He agreed. He even specially wore what he considered proper attire on the day we met – a suit I had bought him. He kept asking me over and over if he looked appropriate. I smirked to myself. Of course it was appropriate! But they were just a bunch of playboys. Who dresses so formally to go out and party? Moreover, did he really think it would be so easy to network with them? Sure enough, when we arrived at the club, his outfit stood out like a sore thumb. He looked around curiously, watching the beautiful women dancing nearby. I could see him trying hard to suppress the excitement in his eyes, quickening his pace as if he couldn’t wait to meet those playboys. As if through this meeting, he could instantly become successful. The door to the private room opened, and the men and women inside flocked to greet me, completely ignoring Jake. After leaving Jake hanging for a while, I finally remembered him and introduced him: “This is my boyfriend, Jake.” My friend asked curiously: “I don’t recognize this guy. Which family is he from?” Chris also chimed in sarcastically: “Who wears a suit to go clubbing?” Chris’s brother had a crush on me and pursued me for two years. He was even a top student. Seeing the girl his brother liked snatched away by someone else, Chris’s hostility towards Jake was off the charts. Jake looked at their flip flops and baggy shorts, realizing his suit really did stand out. He was used to bossing me around, and actually had the nerve to criticize me in front of everyone: “Why didn’t you remind me? You made me embarrass myself in public.” These people may be party animals, but they were still my childhood friends. Hearing him talk to me like that, Chris was the first to speak up. He contemptuously fingered Jake’s suit: “Bro, you’d embarrass yourself wearing this even to a formal event. What kind of trash suit is this?” Everyone except Jake burst out laughing, while I tried hard to hold back my own laughter. Jake immediately retorted: “Do you know how much this suit cost? Two hundred dollars!” “Bahahaha!” This set off another round of laughter. Especially Chris, who was laughing so hard he could barely breathe, as if he’d heard the funniest joke ever. For these rich kids, custom tailored suits were the norm. A $200 suit wasn’t even fit to leave the house in. Jake still didn’t understand, thinking they didn’t believe him. He kept explaining: “This suit really was $200! I still have the receipt! Rachel, tell them!” Jake kept pushing me urgently. I finally spoke up: “This suit cost me $200 when I bought it for him.” Chris patted my shoulder. I immediately felt Jake’s murderous glare. Of course, it was directed at me. He wouldn’t dare look at Chris that way. “Rachel, even if you’re keeping a boy toy, you can’t be this stingy. Only $200?” I sighed wistfully: “I’ve been a bit short on cash lately.” My girlfriend looked at Jake with disdain: “What’s the point of a man who can’t even support his woman?” Chris suddenly put his arm around Jake’s neck, trying to pull him onto the couch. Jake’s body visibly stiffened. Seeing Jake uncooperative, Chris slapped him on the head, knocking Jake’s glasses to the floor. Chris said mockingly: “So sorry! I’m used to smacking my lackeys around. You look so much like my bootlicker I did it without thinking.” Then Chris asked me with a cheeky grin: “You’re not mad at me, right Rachel?” “Chris, you’ve gone too far!” That’s what I said, but anyone who knew me could tell I wasn’t actually angry. I pulled Jake away to leave.

At the entrance, Jake exploded at me: “Rachel, look at the kind of friends you have! No class at all! Why didn’t you dodge when that guy touched your shoulder earlier? Do you enjoy physical contact with other men that much? And why did you tell them I bought this suit? Were you happy to see me humiliated?” I said tearfully: “But you have to suffer to succeed. Don’t you want to live that carefree lifestyle? Don’t you want to stay and develop your career in this big city? Don’t you want to make it big? If you network well with them and use their resources, you could become hugely successful!” Jake still frowned: “But why did you buy me such a cheap suit?” I wanted to vomit. He got a free suit without spending a cent and should count himself lucky. Did he really expect a suit worth tens of thousands? But I still pretended to be wronged: “My parents don’t approve of us being together, so they cut off my allowance. I wanted to use my connections to help your future career. If you use my network well, becoming a millionaire won’t be a problem in the future.” Jake’s eyes lit up, clearly very tempted. But he still put on an act: “Rachel, these resources are wasted on you anyway since you don’t have the ability to use them. You focus on building connections for me. When I make it big in the future, I’ll definitely take good care of you.” Oh, trying to manipulate me again? Fine, I’ll play along since you’re trying so hard! I said regretfully: “Jake, you’re so talented. It’s a shame you weren’t born into a good family. Unlike me – I have no real skills but was lucky to be born rich.” The jealousy and resentment in Jake’s eyes were about to come alive and spurt out. This was the effect I wanted. The higher I build him up, the harder he’ll fall. A day later, my parents came to campus in a Rolls-Royce to find Jake. Meanwhile, I was out shopping for luxury goods with my girlfriends, completely unaware of this. By the time I found out, Jake had already angrily called me to come back immediately. Why not just tell me on the phone? Because he’s too cheap to pay for the call. I agreed to come back soon, but actually continued shopping. Less than a minute later, my mom called. I had a headache. Why didn’t I think of this? Letting those people know I had a boyfriend meant my parents would find out too. “Rachel, yesterday Chris told me you have a boyfriend. I went to see him today – he’s no good, his ambition is written all over his face. I offered him $100,000 to leave you, and he had the nerve to say it wasn’t enough!” My mom ranted angrily for a long time. As I listened, I started crying. In my past life when I married Jake, how did she ever convince herself to accept it? I comforted her: “Mom, don’t worry. I’m not actually in love with him.” “Then why did you…” “Mom, don’t ask. I promise I won’t fall for him. Trust me.” Hearing that, my mom stopped questioning and just reminded me not to let that guy take advantage of me. It was evening by the time I leisurely returned. “What took you so long? Don’t you know I had something urgent to discuss?” What a henpecked man. How was I so blind as to fall for him in my past life? Now that he had seen a glimpse of high society and understood my family’s wealth, his greedy nature definitely wouldn’t let go of such a big piece of meat. It was time to flip our positions! I sat down and crossed my legs, seeming a bit indifferent: “Are you the only one allowed to have things to do? Am I not allowed to be busy?” Jake’s tone was full of sarcasm: “What could you possibly be busy with?” “My mom said she’s buying me a Mercedes and told me to go pick one out.” “What a waste to buy it for you.”

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I’ve always wondered if professional figure models experience physical reactions during their work. My wife’s experience taught me that it can happen, but they have special techniques to manage it. My name is James Wilson. Despite my average looks, I managed to marry a beautiful model! The first time I saw my wife was when she was working as a car show model. Her long legs in black stockings immediately caught my eye. My gaze traveled up her short skirt, which barely contained her shapely behind, making me swallow hard. Further up was her slim waist and her chest straining against the thin straps of her top. Suddenly, she bent down, covering her chest with her hand, and flashed me a sweet smile. In that instant, my heart melted! With sheer persistence and three months of relentless pursuit, I finally won her over. In my mind, a wife as beautiful as her shouldn’t be on display for others to see, so I persuaded her to change jobs. She understood my jealousy and quickly resigned after we got married. But on the third day after she quit, I suddenly received several photos in my email. “Look how wild your wife really is!” the message read. When I opened them, the photos were dimly lit. They showed a woman with a curvaceous figure, her body covered in body paint, swaying seductively on stage. But something seemed off about her state. Her eyes were unfocused, her legs were pressed together, and her hands were roaming over sensitive parts of her body. It didn’t look like she was walking a runway; it looked more like she was in heat! The photos were like a flipbook, showing a sequence of events. Suddenly, a man appeared and gave her bottom a hard slap, leaving a clear handprint. Seeing this, my blood instantly rushed to my head! Was that my wife?! Besides the familiar figure, there was a birthmark on her rear that I would never mistake! My whole body trembled, my teeth clenched, and the veins in my hands bulged as I nearly crushed my phone. What the hell was going on? Who sent these photos? Were they trying to blackmail me, or just mess with my head? I tried asking, and the sender quickly replied: “Nude models always release their tension before going on stage to avoid physiological reactions. They drain every last bit of desire! Your wife was really wild on stage today! What’s wrong, did you two have an unsatisfying night?” Nude model? My first instinct was to curse back. My wife was just a regular model, and she had already quit. She wasn’t that kind of woman! But just as I had typed out a long angry response, I suddenly remembered what happened last night. Last night, my wife had indeed called me, telling me to wash up and wait for her in bed. But the project I was responsible for suddenly had issues, and I worked overtime until late at night. When I got home, she was still very proactive, but I had neither the mood nor the energy to do anything with her… Soon after, I received another email. “Your wife has another show tomorrow. She’ll definitely have needs tonight, so perform well!” After that, no matter how many emails I sent, the sender didn’t reply. With a complicated mood, I left work early and waited for her at home. I had even downloaded the photos, ready to confront Olivia. “Honey, come give me a massage. I’m exhausted…” Olivia complained as soon as she entered the door. She kicked off her high heels, sat on the couch, and put her legs on my lap. Looking at those round thighs wrapped in black stockings, I couldn’t help but think of the content in the photos. I pushed her away without any tenderness. Olivia pouted, looking innocent and wronged. “Honey, what’s wrong? Didn’t I listen to you and quit my job? I went to several job interviews today, my legs are so tired!” I stared at her intently: “You really went for interviews?” Olivia stretched lazily, revealing a strip of her flat, white belly: “Why would I lie to you? Hurry up and massage my legs, I’m so tired. I want to go to bed early tonight…” As she spoke, she yawned. Seeing her exhausted face, which didn’t seem fake, I began to have doubts. Did I get it wrong? I took a deep breath and reached into her clothes, but she slapped my hand away. “Stop it, I’m really too tired! If you want to do it, wait until tomorrow!” She must have been really exhausted because after I massaged her legs for a bit, she started snoring lightly. I gritted my teeth and, following her thigh, gently lifted her skirt…

I lifted the skirt and looked carefully. There was no handprint! At that moment, I was completely relieved. The person who sent the email was indeed just trying to mess with me! I even took out the photos and compared them again, but unfortunately, the photos were too blurry, and the model was covered in body paint, making it impossible to see her face clearly. I carried my wife back to the bedroom to sleep, then sat on the couch and chain-smoked several cigarettes. First, I couldn’t doubt my wife because of a few blurry photos. It wasn’t easy to marry such a beautiful wife. Once there’s a crisis of trust, the cracks in our relationship would be irreparable. Secondly, even if the model in the photos was really Olivia… It must have happened before she met me! At least since we’ve been together, she’s been completely open with me and obediently quit her job as I asked. Although I felt a bit uneasy, who doesn’t have a past? As long as she’s willing to settle down and live a good life with me, I’m willing to accept everything about her. I took a deep breath and stubbed out my cigarette. When that bastard who sent the email asks for money and reveals their true colors, I’ll immediately report them to the police and drag them out! At this moment, my phone chimed with another email. “So, was your wife very proactive last night?” Seeing the new email, I angrily replied. “Stop messing with me! How much money do you want?” This time, the other person took a long time to reply. “Haha, there are still good people in this world, helping to relieve your wife’s pressure and even giving you a green hat to wear! Here’s the address for tomorrow’s show. I invite you to watch the good show!” After this, the email sender disappeared again, as if into thin air. This feeling was particularly torturous. If they had really made demands, I would have felt more at ease. This neither-here-nor-there situation was just deliberately keeping me on edge, wasn’t it? With an uneasy heart, I didn’t sleep well all night. The next morning, when my wife got up to go out, I was still in a daze. “Where are you going for an interview today?” “Ocean View Tower!” she said as she applied her lipstick and stepped into her high heels. I suddenly woke up. Wasn’t this the address for the show mentioned in the email? I immediately got up, not bothering to wash up, put on a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mask, and hurriedly followed her. But as soon as I left the community, I lost sight of her. “Ocean View Tower!” I didn’t dare to drive my own car, so I took a taxi there. I found a small company according to the address. There were indeed many people queuing at the entrance, but they were mostly men. I didn’t see my wife at all. I gave a cigarette to the security guard at the door. “What positions is your company recruiting for? There are so many people. Where are the women queuing? Why are there only men?” The security guard rolled his eyes at me. “They’re all men, what are you pretending for? If you want to see women, just queue up obediently. The show is about to start! Pay the fee first, $188!” My brain suddenly went blank, and I stood there stunned. “Show? What show?” The security guard frowned: “Are you here for an interview? Sorry, you don’t meet our company’s requirements. Please leave!” As he spoke, he forcefully pushed me out. Another security guard also walked over quickly, seemingly afraid I would cause trouble. At this moment, I really felt my blood freeze, my mind went blank. But soon, I came to my senses and squeezed out a smile. “Brother, don’t be hasty! I’m here to see the nude models. I was just a bit excited earlier…” Hearing the words “nude models” and seeing me take out several bills and stuff them into his hand, the security guard’s expression improved a bit. “First time watching the show, huh? Don’t know the rules! Hurry up and pay!” After transferring the money on my phone, my mind was in a mess as I followed the queue into this so-called company. After several twists and turns, we entered a large hall. Below the T-stage, there were at least a hundred seats, all filled with men. Suddenly, the lights dimmed. Amidst the noise, a group of women wearing Japanese fox masks walked onto the stage with cat-like steps. They were only covered by a thin veil, which slowly slid off as they moved their bodies. I immediately spotted that familiar figure! I knew every inch of Olivia’s skin all too well. She really was doing nude modeling!

“Whoosh!” I suddenly stood up, clenching my fists. I wanted to rush onto the stage immediately, tear off Olivia’s mask, and confront her! Why did she lie to me? But as soon as I stood up, several nearby security guards fixed their eyes on me, their rubber batons at the ready. A man next to me grabbed my arm. “Bro, calm down. There’ll be a chance to go on stage later! If you rush up now, security will kick you out immediately!” I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Rushing up now would definitely get me stopped, and I wouldn’t be able to get any substantial evidence to prove that woman was Olivia! Seeing me sit down, the security guards didn’t pursue the matter. It was then that I noticed almost all the men around me were like me, wearing hats, sunglasses, and masks, completely covering themselves. The fat guy beside me smiled and advised me. “First time here, right? Don’t be shy. The first time I watched this kind of show, I was even more eager than you! Take my advice, don’t do anything rash here, or you won’t even know how you died!” As he spoke, he took out his phone and lecherously recorded videos, commenting on each model. “Number two’s figure is so hot! Number five’s long legs are just incredible! And number eight’s body, tsk tsk…” I snatched his phone. The number eight he mentioned was Olivia! The fat guy got anxious: “What are you messing around for? What, you’ve got your eye on number eight too?” “That chick is really wild, I can’t wait! I won’t give up the chance to go on stage to you!” Suppressing my anger, I asked, “What do you mean, go on stage?” The fat guy sneered disdainfully. “You’re really a newbie. Going on stage is for body painting, of course. Do you understand art?” Before he could explain clearly, the host came out to explain a few things. He said he would select a few audience members to go on stage and personally apply various body paints to the models, calling it “artistic creation”! “What kind of art is this? It’s vulgar and degrading!” I couldn’t help but curse. The fat guy glanced at me sideways: “Then don’t fight me for number eight later!” I was so angry I almost hit the fat guy! When the host was selecting lucky audience members, I was the first to rush up, unhesitatingly choosing number eight. This was my best chance to expose Olivia! The fat guy was too slow and cursed at me from behind, calling me a hypocrite and a bastard. The host smiled and said, “I can see that all the distinguished guests present are true art lovers! But I still need to remind you again, when applying the body paint later, don’t deliberately tease the models’ sensitive areas!”

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Jade’s life turned upside down when Lucas’s first love showed up out of the blue. She packed up and flew to the States with their son in tow. Everyone said they didn’t give a damn about her. Everyone called her a useless trophy wife, running away with her tail between her legs. Until one day, when she finally stood tall and crushed them all under her heel… 0 Lucas’s first love was back in town. Back in high school, he met Ruby at a writing competition. People said she was pretty, smart, and lively, from a well-off family to boot. Young love blossomed quickly, and they even promised to go to the same college. But fate had other plans. Lucas got into Stanford, while Ruby… well, I’m not sure where she ended up. At first, I thought they broke up because of the long-distance thing. That is, until our mutual friend spilled the tea: “Jade, you won’t believe this. That girl threatened to kill herself if Lucas didn’t give up Stanford and stay with her in China!” Blackmail? Suicide threats? Giving up Stanford? I couldn’t help but chuckle. This plot seemed straight out of some cheesy online novel. Lucas and I grew up together. Our families had been business partners for three generations. When my dad’s mistress showed up and had the nerve to call my mom, she flew back to the States in a rage. That’s how I ended up at Stanford with Lucas. After years apart, he’d grown even more handsome. But maybe because we were too familiar, I never felt that spark with him. Instead, we had this unspoken understanding. Just like our parents’ relationship. I thought my mom would divorce my dad, but she didn’t. She told me, “Love and marriage are different beasts. They’ve been married for years, built trust, intertwined their companies, and established a stable social circle. It’s not something you can easily cut ties with. Besides, the fact that woman showed up herself proves how stupid and incapable she is. If your dad had any real intention of being with her, she wouldn’t have needed to do that.” “But Dad still cheated,” I said quietly, lowering my head. “You always told me, ‘Once a cheater, always a cheater.’” Mom smiled thinly. “Well, the day she claimed your dad was with her at a hot spring, he was actually with me in Hong Kong visiting your grandparents.” I was speechless. “Jade, whether you end up marrying a business partner or not, remember this: don’t let emotions cloud your judgment. Never act rashly.” “Then why did you rush off to America in such a huff?” I asked. Mom smiled again. “How else could I have convinced you to give up Barcelona and come to Stanford?” 0

I’d been played. I’d always dreamed of the romance of Barcelona, wanting to live on an estate surrounded by lavender fields. But as the sole heir to the family business, I wasn’t allowed to just laze around and enjoy life without putting in the effort. So when Ruby asked to meet, I agreed. She eagerly showed me her memories with Lucas, flaunting their matching tattoos. She was as proud as a peacock, and I could barely keep from laughing. “I’ve never seen a mistress so shameless and high-profile. Aren’t you embarrassed?” Lily, my best friend since childhood, had always been fiery and sharp-tongued. “Embarrassed?” Ruby raised an eyebrow. “We’re true love. What’s there to be embarrassed about? I’m here to make you face reality. Stop deceiving yourself and burying your head in the sand like an ostrich, pretending I don’t exist. Let me tell you, Lucas said I’m the one he loves most, cares about most, and can’t let go of. You’re just a stay-at-home wife with nothing in common with him. What’s the point of clinging to the title of Mrs. Mu? Just divorce him. I’ll make sure Lucas gives you a generous alimony. You’re still young…” SLAP! Lily’s face was red with anger as she struck Ruby. Ruby was stunned for a second, then covered her face and screamed, “How dare you hit me!” In the quiet private room, her shriek caused the well-trained waiters to peek through the curtains, asking if we needed any help. I was stunned too, not because Lily had hit her. But because Ruby was screaming like a shrew, even trying to pull Lily’s hair. And she actually said I was clinging to the title of Mrs. Mu? Me, a housewife? “Tell Lucas to come talk to me about divorce, and I’ll leave immediately,” I said, cutting off her tantrum. Ruby looked surprised. “Even now, you’re still holding on? I underestimated you!” Then she smiled again. “Fine, I’ll have Lucas come talk to you. When he does, don’t cry and beg not to divorce.” I nodded, then pulled Lily up to leave. “Hey, you haven’t paid the bill!” Ruby called out as we were leaving. I glanced at the untouched afternoon tea set priced at $399 on the table and smiled faintly. “The owner is a friend of mine. The waiter will put it on my tab. If you like it, feel free to take the leftovers home.” 0

In the days that followed, Lucas never brought up divorce. Everything seemed normal, except he sometimes came home a bit later from work. When I asked, he just said an old classmate was looking for investment in a new startup project, and he was still considering it. I told him to send me the details. Sure enough, Ruby’s name was on the list of founders. Looking at the company’s messy accounts and pitiful revenue, I shook my head. With the economy in a slump and companies cutting costs left and right, she had the nerve to try and scam money with such a shoddy company. Dream on! “What do you think?” Lucas asked. I hadn’t told him about Ruby showing up yet. Lucas and I had been married for years and had a son. We were planning for a daughter when Ruby suddenly appeared. But as my mom said, Lucas and I were more of a business alliance. Our families were deeply intertwined, childhood sweethearts with a complex relationship. Pulling one thread could unravel the whole tapestry. So I didn’t believe he would cheat, let alone divorce me. “I think we need to be cautious. You know this area better, so why don’t you handle it?” I said, nodding slightly, feeling a bit relieved. I handed him a bowl of soup I’d made specially for his weak stomach. The next day, I arrived at the company with a prepared proposal. I rarely came to the office these days due to our baby plans, so many old employees were surprised to see me, looking eager for gossip. The new employees didn’t even recognize me. Just as I reached Lucas’s office door, I heard Ruby’s familiar voice: “Lucas, please help me. This is my dream!” Lucas didn’t respond. I knocked lightly and pushed the door open. Ruby was sitting next to him on the couch. When I entered, not only did she not stand up, but she even moved closer to him. I glanced at her dress, cut so low you could almost see her underwear, then calmly placed the documents on the desk. “Am I interrupting?” “Not at all, honey. This is Ruby, the one I mentioned,” Lucas jumped up from the couch like he’d been electrocuted, quickly moving to my side to introduce us. “Ruby, this is my wife, Jade.” I caught a flash of resentment in Ruby’s eyes as she looked at Lucas with an innocent expression. “Jade is so beautiful. I can’t believe you never mentioned her.” What a joke. Who was she to deserve a mention? Besides, mentioned or not, didn’t she show up anyway? Lucas looked uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but laugh, “There’s no reason to discuss family matters with outsiders all the time.” I handed Lucas the thermos I’d brought. “I heard you have a dinner meeting tonight, so I made this specially. I have afternoon tea with Mrs. Zhou and the others, so I’ll head out first.” Years of understanding meant Lucas knew what was inside without opening it. He nodded with a smile. “Thank you for your trouble.” But Ruby wouldn’t let it go. “I’m going to that dinner with Lucas tonight. Jade, what’s this good stuff? Can I have some too?” Lucas frowned, putting the thermos on his desk. “You can’t just drink someone else’s medicine!” “Is it some folk remedy for hangovers?” Ruby pouted strategically. “I used to think those TV shows where housewives always brewed weird concoctions were just making stuff up. I didn’t expect…” She covered her mouth and laughed. But neither Lucas nor I were laughing. On the contrary, the atmosphere in the office grew tense as Lucas’s face darkened. Lucas’s grandmother was a top doctor in China. This soup was her recipe for Lucas’s weak stomach. Clearly, Ruby didn’t know this. I sighed. From the start, I felt this woman was missing something upstairs. She didn’t seem like Lucas’s type at all. But if it were anyone else, Lucas would probably be furious by now. Yet his patience with Ruby exceeded that for others. He didn’t respond, just gave Ruby a complex look. “Jade knows a lot about the food industry. Ruby, if you’re serious about this, you should talk to Jade first.” Huh? I was taken aback. I could understand Lucas not wanting to directly refuse Ruby’s shabby company’s financing. But what was this about the food industry? Wasn’t Ruby’s company’s main product some kind of couples’ app according to the documents? Seeing my confused expression and silence, Ruby, clearly missing a few brain cells, started talking flippantly. “Lucas, you don’t really think Jade knows about the food industry just because she spends her days having tea and meals with friends, do you? There’s quite a difference. Besides, I want to open a cat café. The main customers are white-collar workers and students…” She looked at me challengingly as she spoke. “We can discuss business matters ourselves. I won’t keep Jade from her shopping and afternoon tea!” I was speechless. Was Ruby putting on an act? Even if she’d done the bare minimum of research, she couldn’t be this stupid! Me, the Young Miss of the Jones family, with a PhD in Economics from Stanford Business School, only good for shopping and drinking tea? Did she know how much it cost for me to give one lecture? Looking at her smug expression, even showing disdain and contempt towards me, I was sure she didn’t know. Even if she knew I graduated from Stanford, she’d probably stubbornly believe my degree was fake or bought. Lucas was clearly struggling to keep his composure. I could see he was holding back. But I didn’t understand why he was holding back. Was it because she was his first love, and he couldn’t bear to hurt her? “I have something to attend to later. Ruby, just do as I said. For the project follow-up, you can discuss with Jade,” he said, picking up his constantly ringing phone and quickly walking out. As the office door closed, only Ruby and I were left in the room. With Lucas gone, she didn’t need to keep up the act. She looked at me coldly. “You’re really patient, aren’t you? Running to the company, bringing soup, showing concern… all to win him back. But you saw it too. We’re business partners who can support each other, progressing side by side. And you? You can make soup? Any housekeeper can do that. Other than that, what can you do besides shopping, drinking tea, and spending money?” “I can discuss your project with you!” I pointed at the documents on the desk, adding with a smile, “That’s what Lucas said.” “Hah!” She sneered, her eyes full of contempt. “You don’t really believe that, do you? Lucas was just being polite, saving face for you. He’s afraid you’ll accuse us of transferring your marital assets this way. You think he respects you? He’s worried you’ll make a scene at the company and cause trouble for him!” I looked at her like she was an idiot. Putting aside whatever Lucas had done to give her such confidence. Even if it were true, how could she so casually discuss transferring assets with me? Was something missing in her brain? My silence made Ruby even more smug. She continued, “Lucas’s kindness to me isn’t just this. You heard it too, he’s taking me to that important dinner tonight. And he said before me, he never took any other woman. Do you know what that means? It means I’m the most important, the only woman in his heart. You’ve been married to him for so long, and he’s never taken you. How pitiful…” She stared at me intently. “You must feel wronged, right? Go ahead and cry if you want. It’s okay. Actually, failing in love or marriage isn’t a big deal. You’re not bad-looking, and even if your family background isn’t great, Lucas will give you enough money to live comfortably. You should let go when it’s time. Otherwise, if things get too ugly, be careful you might not even get alimony!” I finally couldn’t hold back anymore. I burst out laughing. Not just at her bizarre logic. But because she never understood that I didn’t care about intangible things like love. What I cared about were tangible things that kept the power in my hands. Like career, money, power, and marriage. Like the fact that Lucas and I had a child. And like the fact that I held the power of life and death over her project. I told her coldly not to daydream. We wouldn’t invest in either her bug-ridden app or her cat café. But Ruby was full of confidence. “Jade, use your brain. The fact that I can be here, that Lucas dared to mention this to you, proves he values it. He will definitely agree.” I watched her sway out of the room, then opened the office window. The heavy perfume scent was blown away by the wind, along with my unwavering certainty. That night, I didn’t sleep, waiting for Lucas to come home instead. At four in the morning, a drunk Lucas stumbled through the door. Our live-in housekeeper, Mrs. Wang, grumbled as she helped him to the bedroom. The room was instantly filled with the strong smell of alcohol and the pungent perfume from the office earlier. It was Dior J’adore, a fragrance I never used. “Jade, I’ll go make Lucas some hangover soup,” Mrs. Wang said, noticing my displeased expression and quickly leaving after setting Lucas down. “Honey,” Lucas slurred. “Mm. Sit up, I need to talk to you,” I said, pushing away his arms as he tried to hug me. “That Ruby came to see me before. She said you two were in love and told me to divorce you.” Lucas’s arm noticeably stiffened. He mumbled incoherently, face down on the bed, repeating over and over, “Jade, honey, I love you.” Then, loud snores filled the room, and my heart sank a little. I knew he was faking it, and I also knew you could never wake someone pretending to be asleep. But he couldn’t keep sleeping forever. I planned to have a good talk with Lucas when he woke up. But I ended up sleeping until late morning, and Lucas had already left for a business trip. Worse still, Mrs. Wang came to tell me that our son, Ethan, seemed to have a fever. 0

I quickly called the driver to take Mrs. Wang and me to the hospital. Thankfully, it wasn’t flu season, and the private hospital wasn’t busy. The admission process was quick too. I stayed by Ethan’s side until he fell asleep, then left him with Mrs. Wang and went to the small living room in the suite to eat something. By now, Lily was furious, slamming the table in righteous anger. “Jade, I’m telling you, Lucas must be involved with that woman. Call him right now. Forget about business. At a time like this, make him come back. I want to see what’s more important to him – money or you and the child?” “There’s no comparison,” I shook my head. Unlike her lack of composure, I was heartbroken but trying to stay rational. “There’s no rush for these couple of days. He can’t keep avoiding it forever.” “You… but Ethan is sick!” Lily exclaimed. “Ethan’s illness is for doctors to treat. Lucas isn’t a doctor,” I replied. “You!” Lily was fuming. “You’re just too good to Lucas. You’ve spoiled him!” “Is that so?” I smiled. I wasn’t doing this for him. I was doing it for our child and myself. I didn’t want to tear everything apart without solid evidence, only to end up labeled as a shrew and become a laughingstock for Ruby and other ill-intentioned people. It would leave me in a passive and awkward position. “It’s not good? He might have gone on this business trip with that woman!” Lily glared at me, frustrated. “That’s not necessarily true,” I said, finishing the last bite of cake and pointing out the window. “Look, she’s here.” “What?” Lily, still angry, yanked open the hospital room door. Seeing Ruby walking over, she immediately started cursing, “You’re like a dog, aren’t you? Sniffing out meat and following it here!” It’s no wonder she said that. Ruby’s intel was remarkably quick. Even my parents, who were playing tourist at a nearby attraction, hadn’t arrived yet, but she was already here. “I heard Ethan was sick, and Lucas wasn’t around, so I came to check on him. I even brought a gift!” Ruby said, unfazed by Lily’s outburst. She placed a gift box containing a drone on the table, then looked at me. “Jade, did you not sleep well last night? You’ve got dark circles under your eyes.” She smiled. “Is it because Lucas told you he agreed to invest in my cat café?” “What?” I had been indifferent until now. But this statement truly surprised me. However, I maintained my composure. “Is that so? He didn’t tell me. But any decision he makes still needs my approval as a company shareholder.” I pushed the gift on the table back to her. “Take it back. My son doesn’t need anything from you.” “Oh?” Ruby feigned shock, smiling at me. “But I saw he quite liked everything. Those blue and white shoes last month, that pair of overalls, and the Lego set Lucas brought home a few days ago… you don’t know? I helped Lucas pick all of those.” With that one sentence, she completely shattered my psychological defenses! Instantly, I felt my blood boiling. If it was just about the investment earlier, I could still stay calm. But now, I absolutely couldn’t tolerate this! All thoughts of good manners went out the window. This was my son, who I carried for ten months and gave birth to with great difficulty. Who was she to interfere? How dare she try to get involved! I was shaking with anger, grabbed the box on the table, and hurled it at Ruby!

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I broke up with my boyfriend of three years. Everyone thought I’d be the first to apologize this time. That is, until I posted my brand new marriage certificate on Instagram. He showed up at my door, crying and begging me to come back. “Lily, haven’t you had enough of this drama?” Jack, my boyfriend – or rather, ex-boyfriend – sat on the couch, his face a mask of impatience. I looked at his irritated expression, a cold smirk playing on my lips. I had caught him red-handed, dancing intimately with his childhood sweetheart at a bar. Yet he had the audacity to accuse me of making a fuss over nothing. Fine, I thought. If he wanted drama, I’d give him a show. He was nothing but a philandering dog, and I was sick of him! “I’ve told you, Rose and I are just friends. You’ve already embarrassed me in front of my friends. What more do you want?” he said. “Whatever. Think what you like,” I replied. His phone screen lit up, interrupting his tirade of accusations and complaints. I watched him get up and head to the bathroom. I followed quietly, and sure enough, Rose’s coy voice drifted out, “Jack, she’s not giving you a hard time, is she?” “Of course not,” Jack replied, his voice unusually gentle and patient – a tone he never used with me. I listened to Rose’s giggles floating out of the bathroom as I started packing my things. Damn it, what a pair of cheaters. As if I’d ever want him back! I sent Jack a breakup text and blocked him. The conversation in the bathroom paused for a couple of seconds before resuming as if nothing had happened. Huh, he always acted so confident around me. I couldn’t blame him entirely. After all, I had been madly in love with him since freshman year, willingly playing the role of his doormat. All those years of washing his sports gear, buying him drinks and gifts – it was like pouring water into the Pacific Ocean. Now, even when I suggested breaking up, he seemed completely indifferent. The laughter continued in the bathroom as I quietly left the apartment with my suitcase, finally escaping this prison. As soon as I got in my car, my phone exploded with notifications from the group chat. Jack’s buddies were tagging me relentlessly. “Lily, playing the runaway game again?” “How many times has this been now?” “If you ask me, you should grow a backbone. If you’re leaving, don’t come crawling back to Jack. Save yourself from another dramatic exit.” “Ha! As if she could ever let go of Jack.” Their mocking laughter hit me like a slap in the face. I stared at the screen coldly, quickly typing out a reply, “As you and Jack wish, we’re done for good. Goodbye.” I left the group immediately after sending the message. Jack’s friends had created this group chat specifically to mock me, though they had their own separate group for real communication. Even though I knew their intentions, I had pathetically joined the group just to catch a glimpse of Jack’s occasional messages. Later, they added Rose to the group, and Jack’s messages became more frequent. I found myself consumed by jealousy, desperately searching for any hint that he might love me in his messages. Sadly, there were none. Instead, his chats with Rose grew increasingly flirtatious, with no regard for my feelings whatsoever. As my best friend would say, I had become obsessed, poisoned by my feelings for Jack. Looking back now, I realize how ridiculous I had been. Jack didn’t love me. He was never gentle or caring towards me. He certainly never showed any concern or looked after me. He only called me when he needed something, and when he didn’t, he couldn’t even be bothered to say my name. What did I ever see in such a horrible guy? Did I admire his ability to eat, poop, and cause trouble?

I had a small, rundown apartment in the suburbs that my parents had left me. I hadn’t lived there for years, but now it was my only refuge. I spent three hours cleaning every nook and cranny until I was nearly exhausted. After a shower, I noticed a missed call on my phone. My heart skipped a beat. Could it be Jack? But when I unlocked the screen, I saw it was from my best friend, Samantha. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at myself. Old habits die hard, I guess. I was still foolishly hoping for his call, while he was probably having a great time with Rose. I was about to call Samantha back when her call came through again. “Lily, did you have another fight with Jack? Why bother? You’ll end up crawling back to him anyway, crying your eyes out.” Samantha’s words cut deep. Standing by the window, I shivered in the cold breeze. “It’s really over this time. We won’t be getting back together.” Samantha hesitated for a moment. “Really? What if he gets down on his knees and begs you to take him back?” I let out a cold laugh. “I’m not a glutton for punishment. It’s been five years. I’ve finally woken up.” “I don’t believe you!” Samantha exclaimed, then quickly changed the subject. “Unless… you come to our high school reunion tomorrow.” I was puzzled. “…” What did that have to do with anything? Samantha scoffed. “I knew you weren’t serious about breaking up.” I sighed. “…Fine, I’ll be there tomorrow, dressed to the nines. Happy now?” Samantha seemed satisfied. “There’s a surprise waiting for you!” What kind of surprise could there be? I was too tired to guess. “If you keep being mysterious, I’m going to bed.” Samantha quickly spilled the beans. “Your high school crush, Mr. Gu, will be there too.” Those three words jolted me wide awake, my hand tightening around the phone. Mr. Gu was our nickname for him. His real name was Ethan Gray. He was the unattainable dream guy from our innocent high school days, the crush of most of the girls in our school. Smart, handsome, great at basketball, gentle and dignified. Samantha teased, “The whole point of this reunion is to welcome him back to the country. I heard he’s still single, and now you’re single too. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity?” I went to the bathroom and looked at my haggard reflection in the mirror, laughing bitterly. “That’s all in the past.” I hung up and silently applied a face mask.

I was woken up by the glaring sunlight – I had forgotten to close the curtains last night. Looking at my phone, I saw it was already past 10 AM. I stretched my sleep-softened limbs, realizing it had been ages since I’d slept so well. Jack liked to stay up late, often going out drinking with his friends. I would often wake up in the middle of the night to pick him up when he was drunk, take care of him, and then go to work exhausted the next day, missing out on several promotions. “From today on, everything stays in the past. It’s time for a fresh start,” I muttered to myself, my lips curving into a smile. I made myself a simple breakfast of egg noodles in my tiny kitchen. The aroma was inviting, and paired with a glass of milk, I thought I might even regain some of my complexion. Life without Jack wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. To keep myself from overthinking, I went to the nearby supermarket to stock up my fridge. From now on, I’d pack my own lunch for work and wouldn’t have to envy my colleagues anymore. As I passed by a cosmetics store, a sales assistant approached me. “Miss, we have a special offer today. You get a free face mask with every $20 purchase.” I found myself staring at the bold red lipstick on the assistant’s lips. I used to be that vibrant and lively too, but Jack said he preferred me with light makeup, so I stopped buying dark lipsticks. “Miss, this color would look great on your fair skin,” the assistant said enthusiastically. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing that I had bought quite a lot, the assistant offered to do my makeup. I nodded. Since I was already looking good, why not go all out? Instead of rushing to the supermarket, I decided to do some shopping. I bought a white suit, a silk dress to wear underneath, and some knee-high boots. Then I got my long hair cut short and dyed it a light brown with soft waves. It looked pretty good. Today’s shopping spree cost me three months’ salary. They say retail therapy is the best cure for a broken heart. … When Samantha saw me at the hotel entrance, she was shocked and circled around me several times. “Wow, Lily! I expected to see a dejected divorcee, not this! If I had known breaking up would make you look this good, I would have told you to dump that jerk ages ago!” I felt a bit smug. “Not bad, right?” Samantha happily linked her arm with mine and we walked into the private room, grinning. This hotel was one of the top luxury hotels in the city. Jack and I had dined here before. The food was incredibly expensive and required advance reservations. I felt a bit nervous. “Samantha, if we need to split the bill tonight, could you cover for me first? I’ll pay you back when I get my paycheck.” If I had known we were eating here, I would have bought one less outfit. Samantha chuckled. “You don’t know? This hotel belongs to the Gu family. How else do you think our class monitor could book a private room here?” Ethan Gray entered the room surrounded by classmates. He was wearing a light-colored suit with a black knit sweater underneath, and gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Well, now I knew what “gentle and refined” looked like in the flesh. Five years had matured him, his features more chiseled and defined. Just as I looked away, our class monitor joked, “Lily, you’ve become even prettier after all these years. Ethan was just asking if you were coming tonight.” I was startled and looked at Ethan in surprise. Although we had been desk mates in high school, we rarely spoke. He was the golden boy, and I was just an ordinary classmate. Ethan greeted me with a gentle smile. “It’s been a long time, Lily.” His voice was pleasant, deep with a hint of warmth. My heart fluttered a bit, and I politely nodded with a smile. Samantha excitedly squeezed my hand and whispered, “Hey, I think you two have a chance.” Yeah, right. I knew my place. It was okay to have a crush, but showing it would be impolite. I chose a seat near the door, keeping my distance from the group of successful people. Just then, Ethan took a seat too, just two seats away from me.

It had been several years since our last high school reunion, and today was particularly lively. The last to arrive was the class hottie. Despite the cold weather, she wore a sequined gown with a white fur coat and dramatic earrings, looking like she had just stepped off a runway. She had the looks to pull it off, now being a minor internet celebrity. “Wow, our class beauty actually found time to join our reunion!” Several classmates exclaimed excitedly. Quite a few guys had crushed on her back in the day. Her face, now with some “enhancements”, looked even more delicate than before. Her curvaceous figure made even the women’s hearts race. Almost all the guys at the table stood up to greet her, except for Ethan, who remained seated quietly. After greeting everyone, the class hottie walked straight to the seat next to Ethan and said with a smile, “Let’s switch seats, shall we?” The classmate sitting next to Ethan happily gave up his seat. Everyone laughed and teased, but it was nothing new. Everyone knew the class hottie had a thing for Ethan. Ethan just nodded slightly in greeting. the class hottie asked, “Ethan, are you planning to develop your career back home now?” Ethan smiled lightly. “Yes, I’ll be relying on everyone’s help from now on.” Everyone quickly said they wouldn’t dare, knowing that the combined net worth of everyone else in the room probably wouldn’t match even a fraction of his. As the waiters started serving the food, the class hottie downed a glass of red wine and asked with a flushed face, “Ethan, I heard you’re still single. Do you think I have a chance?” Her directness shocked everyone! I was curious too, and looked up just in time to meet his gaze. Ethan took a sip of his wine and said, “I’m sorry, but I already have someone I like.”

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After graduating with his master’s degree, my boyfriend insisted on taking us to go wingsuit flying. I advised against it, explaining that it was a professional sport and not something to try lightly. My boyfriend heeded my warning. The other adventurers? Some went missing, while others lost their lives. A year later, we went abroad for our honeymoon and encountered a robbery. I was shoved in front of my husband to block a knife; his face twisted with rage: “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t stopped me, Felicity wouldn’t have died!” It dawned on me that my husband had harbored resentment for my earlier intervention, blaming me for the death of his childhood friend. When I woke up again, I heard my boyfriend’s voice, filled with excitement but tinged with a hint of fear, asking: “Vi, are we really going to participate?” “Isn’t it dangerous?” My husband’s voice echoed in my ears, making me shiver involuntarily. I touched my waist, feeling a dull pain in my abdomen. That day was sunny, and I was in line at Horizon Trust Bank with my husband, exchanging money. Suddenly, several masked robbers burst in, brandishing guns and knives. We were close to the exit and had a chance to escape, but at the last moment, I was forcefully pushed inside. The robber noticed my attempt to flee and plunged a knife into my stomach. I stared in disbelief. He stood outside, watching me from a distance, muttering to himself. We both had a chance to get away—why was he doing this to me? Perhaps the robber hadn’t anticipated that I wouldn’t be dead yet. As I lay there, clinging to life, my husband returned after the robbers left. The crowd dispersed, leaving no one to care for a stabbed victim in a foreign land. He knelt beside me; my head spun from pain as I struggled to raise my eyes and ask him: “Why, Damon…?” It had been seven years since we graduated college and got married. Our honeymoon had just begun. Why was he doing this to me? Damon caressed my face, wiping away the blood at my mouth, then suddenly pinched my cheek hard. He leaned close to my ear, his voice a mix of sorrow and fury: “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t stopped me, Felicity wouldn’t have died!” I realized he had always believed that my interference caused his childhood friend’s death. So, when he saw the chaos, he pushed me into the abyss of death without hesitation, seeking revenge for Felicity. But if I hadn’t intervened, he could have died in some unknown corner. “Darling, what are you daydreaming about?” His deep voice brought me back to reality. I felt my abdomen; there was no blood, no terrifying stab wound. I pinched the soft flesh of my inner thigh. Ouch! Sharp pain. I had truly been reborn. It was the fourth day of our camping trip at Sapphire Peak Wilderness. At that moment, Felicity announced she wanted to go wingsuit flying. The sky was bright blue, and the wind rustled the grass beneath me, creating waves that looked like a scene from a Miyazaki film. The smell of fresh grass, mingled with a hint of mist, wafted toward me, uplifting my spirits. Behind me were my boyfriend and the adventurers Felicity had brought along. I gazed into the endless sky and casually replied: “It’s your graduation trip; you get to choose.” We were all adults here; we should bear the consequences of our choices, right?

In my previous life. Damon had asked me the same thing about going wingsuit flying. Many didn’t know that Damon had a fear of heights, which I discovered only after visiting an amusement park with him. I kept silent after that, never allowing him to engage in any high-altitude activities again. One important detail was that none of the people present had much understanding of wingsuit flying; it was an extreme sport. The reason wingsuit flying had no negative reviews was simple—those who died couldn’t leave feedback. I rejected Felicity’s invitation, but she was insistent about trying, which led to us parting ways. I dragged my boyfriend to do other activities instead. In the end, Felicity and the other adventurers crashed into trees and died in the mountains. The rescue team took a long time to find their remains. My boyfriend showed no signs of resentment toward me. He continued to care for me attentively. I thought he had moved past the shadow of Felicity’s death. Little did I know he was just burying his anger, already blaming Felicity’s death on me. This time, I respected his wishes. My boyfriend glanced at me and then back at Felicity. Without much hesitation, he accepted her invitation. “Well, if everyone’s okay with it, let’s get our gear on and start,” Felicity announced, smiling at everyone. “I’m opting out of this project,” I raised my hand to signal everyone. “You’re dropping out? But we’ve already paid!” Felicity jumped in before Damon could respond. “Right, we don’t need a refund; I have a fear of heights and won’t participate.” My boyfriend’s face immediately fell; he grabbed my hand, trying to sway my decision. Seeing my boyfriend’s small gesture, Felicity’s expression darkened, though her tone remained a bit pitiful as she said: “But I heard Vi loves high-altitude activities, so I specially chose wingsuit flying. Are you saying I wasn’t accommodating enough?” “Are you looking down on us?” As she spoke, she wiped her tears, looking sadly at Damon, whose expression turned sour. I remained silent; this kind of lowly tactic was beneath me, and speaking out would only disrespect myself further. The atmosphere grew awkward. Damon, noticing my silence, stepped forward to comfort Felicity, and I watched them like a spectator at a circus. Felicity found a way to save face and brazenly took Damon’s hand, leading him outside. “Alright then, if you’re not participating, Damon, let’s go get ready,” she said. I happily pulled my boyfriend’s hand from my arm. I couldn’t stop someone eager to meet their demise. I initially thought we would enjoy the scenery, eat, drink, and take photos. Who knew Felicity was actually thinking about extreme sports? My boyfriend chimed in with enthusiasm, but he didn’t realize his own limitations as he kept pushing forward. Though it was said to be my boyfriend’s graduation trip, the choice of destination was entirely Felicity’s. Seeing my actions, my boyfriend instantly panicked. He shook off Felicity’s hand and pulled her out of the tent, laughing as he took my hand. “Vi, what’s wrong? Felicity’s just young and talks without thinking. I’ll apologize for her; we adults should rise above petty grievances.” “Let’s go relax; we still have the parachute, right?” He couldn’t go alone and couldn’t just leave me behind. After all, a freshly graduated young man couldn’t compare financially to someone like me, a wealthy heiress. He still relied on my connections and influence. If anyone saw him getting close to another girl, and if I decided to end things, he’d lose everything. Yet he seemed to revel in other girls adoring him. Previously, I was completely devoted to him, always anticipating his feelings, taking on the rejections he wanted to avoid. He was just a passive boyfriend, a trophy in my life. Now, with my eyes opened and my mind clear, the haze of love had lifted, and I refused to waste time on a thankless person. Damon tugged at my arm, his tone a bit whiny: “If you don’t go, I’ll be worried going alone. Come with me; I’ll protect you.” In the past, when he played the charm card, I’d relent and agree. Now I just wanted to say: No way! I brushed his arm off, a teasing expression on my face: “I’m not going. A bunch of inexperienced people think they can take on wingsuit flying? If you all don’t value your lives, I sure do!” Felicity’s expression twisted; she hadn’t expected me to reject so outright, and my words were so blunt. I turned toward the direction of the car to find the keys, preparing to pack up and leave. My boyfriend dashed over, gripping my shirt tightly: “Then let’s do something else, Vi! I won’t do it either.” I shot him a glance: “I’m leaving; you can play by yourself.” Having packed my things, I couldn’t find the car keys anywhere. My boyfriend wanted to help but didn’t know how. He continued to speak kindly about Felicity, trying to win me over. I tuned him out, letting his words drift from one ear to the other without registering. I ignored him, focused solely on leaving. As for why I wouldn’t break up now, it was because we were in the wilderness. He was still a grown man; if I brought it up, what if he got angry and attacked me? I couldn’t risk facing that again. The universe had given me a second chance, and it was wise to be cautious. Once I left, I’d send a “happy breakup” text. “Don’t even think about it; the car doesn’t have enough gas to leave,” Felicity’s voice called out from behind me. I turned to see her dangling a bunch of car keys, jingling them with delight. “And we drove a long way to get here. Without a map, you’ll never make it out on foot.” “You can fly out with us.” I narrowed my eyes at Felicity, whose eyes gleamed with malice. She was right; in my past life, I hadn’t left, just stubbornly refused to join in and stayed at the campsite. It wasn’t until the rescue team arrived that I learned Felicity and the others had sent a distress signal. “What are you afraid of? I remember you loved high-altitude activities; why are you backing down?” Felicity continually tried to tempt me to join her, knowing that if I didn’t go, my boyfriend probably wouldn’t either. It was crucial that if the past repeated itself, with him blaming Felicity’s death on me and finding another opportunity to kill me, this rebirth would have no purpose. The past me would never agree. But the present me is more confident. I pondered it over and decided I’d just watch them go to their deaths. “Fine, since you insist, I’ll participate.” I set down my bag and arranged my things neatly. Felicity looked pleased as she eyed Damon beside me. Damon liked me a lot; after two years of relentless pursuit, I finally agreed to date him. I never imagined he would try to kill me for Felicity. He always prioritized my wishes. But this was the kind of person who would push me in front of danger, seeking vengeance for his beloved childhood friend. Such a character was deeply biased; he blurred the lines of right and wrong, projecting his guilt and faults onto others while judging them from a moral high ground. I had once thought he was gentle; I later realized that was weakness. Rather than getting entangled, it was better to send them off to their doom. In the middle of the night, I heard soft rustling sounds from Damon’s bed as he quietly left the tent.

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On Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend gave a genuine YSL gift set to a rich girl, but ordered a fake one online for me. When I exposed him, he yelled, “You expect me to buy you stuff from the flagship store? Look at yourself, do you even deserve that?!” Little did he know, I usually wear custom Christian Louboutin shoes with real diamonds. One pair costs more than a hundred of his gift boxes. During a women’s basketball game organized by the student union, I accidentally elbowed Mandy while fighting for the ball. Collisions are common in games, so I didn’t think much of it. But she shouted, “Stop! Hannah, you broke my watch!” It’s just a watch, why make such a fuss? The game was at its climax, and our team was about to win. I didn’t want to stop. “I’m sorry, I’ll compensate you. Can we talk about this later and finish the game first?” Mandy, being unsportsmanlike, snatched the ball from my hands and threw it out of bounds. The game was forced to stop. I was quite unhappy about it. She held her head high, “Hannah, this is a Cartier.” I glanced at it. I’m not really interested in watches and rarely wear them. I only knew it was a Cartier, but didn’t know which series or how much it cost. It didn’t look like an antique watch, so probably just a few hundred thousand dollars. Repairing the watch face shouldn’t cost much. Her getting so worked up seemed unnecessary. Everyone gathered around. “Oh no, Mandy, what should we do?” “The watch face is completely shattered. God, it hurts just to look at it!” Seeing everyone’s concerned faces, I asked, “What? Is this watch very expensive?” Someone who knew about watches said, “Of course! It’s a Ballon Bleu!” Mandy thrust her wrist in front of me, “Over forty thousand!” Everyone gasped. It was quite different from the hundreds of thousands I had imagined. For this price range, repairing the watch face should cost at most ten thousand or so. She looked impatient, “I need to send this watch to the boutique, and they’ll have to send it to Switzerland for repair. It’ll take at least a month back and forth!” How troublesome. I said, “How about I buy you a new one?” I wondered if she would like a Vacheron Constantin. The watches my parents gave me all start at a hundred thousand, but I don’t like wearing watches, so they’re just stored at home. Might as well use this opportunity to give it away. “A new one?” Mandy looked at me with contempt, “This isn’t some fake! My dad brought it back from Switzerland for me!” I wasn’t planning to give her a fake one anyway. What’s wrong with this person? I had heard that her family had some money, and she would carry LV and Chanel bags every day, often treating classmates to bubble tea. But my family isn’t bad either. The new building at school was donated by my dad. I asked her, “Then what do you want to do?” My boyfriend had just gone to buy me water and came back at this moment. After understanding the situation, he looked at me reproachfully, “Why weren’t you more careful?!” How was I supposed to know someone would wear a watch while playing basketball? Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable on the wrist? Wouldn’t it affect performance? “Hannah, look at this, can you afford to compensate?!” William had never spoken to me so harshly before. He carefully cradled Mandy’s wrist as if it were the most precious thing in the world. It’s just a broken watch, for goodness sake. My elbow still hurts. “Alright Mandy, tell me how to handle this. How much compensation do you want?” She still looked distressed, “It needs to be sent to the store first before we can discuss it.” Fine. “Then show me the receipt when you get it, and I’ll transfer the money to you.” This seemed like a reasonable solution. With all this commotion, I didn’t feel like playing anymore. No one else was in the mood to continue the game either, they were all busy gossiping. “Damn, how can Hannah be so calm? This must cost at least a few thousand. It would take months of not eating or drinking to pay it back.” “She probably has no idea how much it costs to replace the watch face! She thinks it’s just putting in a piece of glass.” I keep a low profile at school and have never shown off my wealth. The clothes I wear and things I use in the dorm are modest, though expensive. They don’t have big logos, so most people can’t tell they’re luxury items. In this situation, I couldn’t exactly show them my bank balance and shout “I’m rich!” Forget it, I couldn’t be bothered to deal with them. I grabbed my things and left the basketball court.

William caught up with me and put his arm around my shoulder, “Hannah, are you angry?” It would be a lie to say I wasn’t upset. He didn’t consider my feelings at all. “Don’t be angry. I did that for your own good. Didn’t you see me winking at you?” I really didn’t notice. “I said those things to you to shut Mandy up. Once I criticized you, she wouldn’t dare say anything more.” Is that how it works? Why do I feel something’s off? “Besides, I kept emphasizing that you couldn’t afford it. I thought Mandy would back off, but I didn’t expect you to be so stupid! You immediately agreed to compensate her without understanding my intention!” I just thought it wasn’t much money. Our housekeeper spends more than that on groceries every day. There was no need to stand there and argue about it. “Hannah, let me pay half for you.” I waved my hand, “No need.” “We’re a couple. When we get married in the future, it’ll be our shared property anyway. Half and half, that’s fair.” He held my hand, his smile very sweet. So he’s been so calculative because he’s been planning our future all along. That’s nice. I leaned on his shoulder, “Do we have any plans for tomorrow?” Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. My family doesn’t know about my relationship. And my brother said he wanted to hang out with me tomorrow, two single dogs keeping each other company. He sighed, “Hannah, I have to tutor students tomorrow.” Ah, I was originally thinking of having him meet my brother. I felt a bit disappointed. But his eyes were determined, “This is all for our future.” William has always been very hardworking. As his girlfriend, I should support him. “Okay then…”

Early on Valentine’s Day morning, William asked me to come downstairs. He was holding a bouquet of red roses and a pretty gift bag. As soon as I came down, he gave me a big hug. “Baby, Happy Valentine’s Day. Although I can’t accompany you, we must still have our ritual!” I thought I wouldn’t even see him today. I didn’t expect him to have prepared gifts for me. After chatting for a few minutes, he left. I happily went back upstairs. Only when I got back to the dorm did I open the gift. It was a YSL gift set. My roommates exclaimed, “Wow! Hannah! Your boyfriend is so good to you!” “This must have cost quite a bit. No wonder your boyfriend has been so busy lately. Turns out he was working hard to buy you a gift.” He had given me what he thought was the best. I was very satisfied. Wendy looked at the gift box but didn’t say anything. She’s a makeup blogger on a certain platform, with a keen eye. Seeing her silence, the other two roommates, afraid of saying the wrong thing, also kept quiet. I asked, “Wendy, is there a problem?” She picked up the lipstick and looked at it, seeming a bit troubled, “I can’t be sure at the moment. I’ll ask my friend to take a look.” My heart sank. I had never encountered fake goods before and hadn’t paid attention to the differences between real and fake. But since Wendy said this, it was probably fake. She was just being polite and said she’d ask a friend to look at it. My roommates comforted me, “Oh Hannah, maybe William doesn’t know about these things and was tricked.” “Yeah, how would guys know what’s real and what’s fake?” That made sense. I sent William a message, [Where did you buy this gift set?] He replied after a few minutes, [At the boutique.] He even sent me a screenshot. It was a purchase record from the boutique. Can you buy fakes from the boutique too? Or did Wendy really make a mistake? William: [What’s wrong, baby? Don’t you like it?] Me: [It’s nothing, I love it.] William: [I’m glad you like it. I have to go tutor students now, let’s talk later.] My brother took me to an amusement park, but I was distracted the whole time. Until Wendy sent me a message, [It’s fake.] She sent me several pictures showing the differences between genuine and fake products. [William most likely bought it online.] She sent me a link to a YSL gift set priced at just over a hundred dollars. The details in the buyer’s photos matched exactly with what I had. [Hannah, if he tells the truth, he might not know and thought YSL was this cheap. But if he’s lying to you, you should dump a guy like that.] I didn’t know what to say for a moment. I asked her, [Can you buy fakes from the boutique?] [Let me put it this way, this set is obviously fake at first glance. Even if boutiques sell fakes, they would only fake the quality, which is harder to detect.] But William did buy a gift set from the boutique. I sent the screenshot to Wendy. She replied, [What if the gift set from the boutique wasn’t meant for you?] She had a point. What if William bought two sets, one online and one from the boutique, giving one to me and one to someone else? That would make sense. But how could that be possible? How could William do such a despicable thing? We’ve been dating for over a year, and our relationship has always been good. He definitely wouldn’t do this to me. Just as I was thinking this, I saw a familiar figure in the crowd. It looked like William. Wasn’t he supposed to be tutoring students? Why would he be here?

I was about to go after him when my brother came back with ice cream. Seeing my hurried expression, he asked, “What’s wrong?” “I think I saw a friend.” In the blink of an eye, that figure disappeared into the crowd. I licked my ice cream and sent William a message, [Where are you?] He replied half an hour later, [Tutoring students.] As if to prove something, he sent a picture of a child writing at a desk. [What’s wrong, baby? Do you miss me? I’ll come find you after I finish teaching, okay?] Once the seed of doubt is planted, it easily takes root and grows. I suddenly wanted to video call him. But with my brother beside me, I had to give up on that idea. After rejecting the Nth girl asking for his contact information, my brother finally had time to pay attention to me, “Hannah, you don’t seem very happy.” “Mm.” “Is it because you didn’t receive a Valentine’s Day gift?” I shook my head. My brother didn’t care what I was thinking about. He snapped his fingers. Then, out of nowhere, a group of flamboyantly dressed “princes” appeared, surrounding me. “Take your pick. Which ones do you like best? Big brother will let them keep you company.” My brother always does such unreliable things. With more than ten of them, how could I handle it? “Oh, brother, I…” My brother’s jaw dropped, “What?! You want all of them?” When did I say such a thing? He waved his hand, “Fine, only kids make choices. We’ll take them all.” I was a bit speechless. “Never mind, brother. Let’s go eat.” The princes were all very handsome, but mainly, I have a boyfriend. It wouldn’t be right to do this. But soon, I didn’t think that way anymore. Not long after getting in the car, Wendy sent me another message. [Hannah, aren’t you with William today?] [He’s busy tutoring students. I’m out with my brother.] But she sent me a photo. It was William and Mandy grabbing dolls from a claw machine. The location was the amusement park where I was. This amusement park isn’t cheap. Other places charge one dollar per coin, but here it’s ten dollars. It costs twenty dollars for one try at the claw machine. Mandy was already holding several dolls. With William’s skills, he probably couldn’t get one even after ten tries. He buys me a hundred-dollar fake gift set online and tries to fool me with a boutique purchase record, but he spends hundreds or thousands at an amusement park grabbing dolls for Mandy! Wendy asked me, [Hannah, do you want to come over now? I can keep an eye on him for you.] [No need, Wendy. Go have fun with your boyfriend. I’ll handle this myself.] I couldn’t take it anymore and called William directly. One, two, three… It wasn’t until the fifth call that he picked up! “Hannah, what are you doing? I’m teaching! The parent is right here!” I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions, “Let’s video call.” “I’m really busy here, and I’m tired from teaching all day. Can you not be unreasonable?” His tone was very impatient. This time he didn’t even bother to make up a lie. “Am I being unreasonable, or are you feeling guilty?” He angrily retorted, “Hannah, what do you mean by that? I’ve been working hard for our future, and now you doubt me?” Always saying it’s for our future! But my future doesn’t involve him sucking up to rich girls! I hung up the phone, sent him the link and photo, and left a message [Let’s break up]. Then I blocked and deleted all his contact information. When did he start being with Mandy? That genuine YSL gift set must have been for Mandy too. A rich girl like Mandy, so proud, claiming she never buys second-hand goods, hating vintage and antiques. But does someone like that also like stealing other people’s boyfriends?

After dinner, my brother drove me back to school. After walking a few steps, I received a bank notification. It was my brother transferring me five hundred thousand dollars. [Hannah, big brother sent you some pocket money. Spending money will make you happier~] The smile on my face hadn’t even formed when I heard a shout from behind, “Hannah! I never thought you were this kind of gold digger!” It was William. Seeing him made me lose my good mood. I just wanted to walk away quickly. But he wouldn’t let go, grabbing my arm, “I saw you get out of that Maybach! Who did you go out with today?!” The thief crying “Stop thief”? Fine, let’s sort this out. “You didn’t tutor students at all today!” He took a deep breath, “Yes, I went out with Mandy. I thought if I made her happy, she might not pursue the watch issue.” He could come up with such a ridiculous excuse. Why go out on Valentine’s Day of all days? Doesn’t he know what Valentine’s Day means? Does he really think I’m an idiot? He softened his voice, “Hannah, I did it for you.” I sneered, “What does it have to do with me? Did I force you to pay her back? Did I force you to go to the amusement park with her? Did I force you to grab dolls for her?” My sudden outburst left him speechless. “William, next time you want to shift blame, can you find a better excuse?” I stepped back, distancing myself from him. But he came closer again, holding my hand, looking at me affectionately. “Hannah, I do like you.” I felt a bit sick. “This was really unavoidable. You know I’m about to graduate and enter society. I just wanted to find a good internship.” “Mandy’s family owns a company, so I thought maybe she could…” I understood everything now. “Hannah, love without material foundation is like a pile of loose sand, scattered even without wind blowing. I just wanted to give you a better life.” I laughed angrily. “William, stop deceiving yourself. It’s you who wanted to take shortcuts. Using ‘giving me a better life’ as an excuse is just to cover up your guilt and despicable behavior.” “We’re done. I can’t accept the fake gift you bought me. I’ll return it to you tomorrow.” My parents have always given me the best since I was little. I can’t mistreat myself like this. That stuff would probably make my lips rot if I used it. “I sent you the purchase record! Who says it’s fake bought online? It’s your roommate, right? She’s just jealous!” He suddenly raised his voice, glaring at me, very different from his usual gentle demeanor. There’s a saying, the louder the voice, the weaker the position. He was just counting on me not knowing much about brands, thinking I’d be easy to fool. Laughable. What is there for Wendy to be jealous of over something worth just over a thousand dollars? She usually gets so many gifts from brands that her hands are full. What would she be jealous of? “You gave the boutique gift set to Mandy, right? Buying fakes and using the boutique purchase record to fool me, I can’t believe you came up with that.” One genuine gift set to please two people, how ‘economical’. William panicked, “There’s no taking back a gift once it’s given!” I didn’t care, “Oh, then I’ll throw it in the trash.” “You transfer the money to me! One hundred and thirty-eight!” What a cheapskate! How dare he say such a thing! It’s just a hundred dollars. Usually, I wouldn’t even bother arguing with someone over this amount. But I can’t swallow this anger! “I’ll have my roommate return it to you tomorrow. Don’t even think about me transferring money to you.” He pointed at my nose and yelled, his spit flying onto my face. “Hannah, you really are a gold digger! Stingy and poor!” “You still expect me to buy you things from the boutique? Look at yourself, do you even deserve it?!” So he’s not short on money, he just thinks I only deserve a gift worth one hundred and thirty-eight dollars? I looked down at myself. A custom-made bag worth over three hundred thousand, shoes worth eighty to ninety thousand… All together, probably worth about a house in a second-tier city. How do I not deserve it? “You’re not even fit to tie Mandy’s shoelaces!” My eyes started to heat up. I never imagined that in his eyes, I was just a cheap commodity, not worth half of Mandy. If I continued arguing with him, I would only end up in tears. I turned and walked away. He was still ranting behind me. “Hannah! No one will ever treat you better than me! They’re all just playing with you! Do you think anyone would truly like you?!” “Don’t expect me to beg you to get back together this time! Mandy has already agreed to be with me! You’ll regret losing me!” “So what if you rode in a Maybach? I’m just waiting for you to be abandoned!” I quickened my pace. He might not be embarrassed, but I was.

When love disappoints, I go on a shopping spree. My brother really understands women. Spending money does make you happier. After returning to the dorm, I even bought gifts for my roommates. Wendy gasped, holding Dior’s new bag lovingly, “Babe, where did you strike it rich?” I smiled without saying anything. Mainly because Wendy is too righteous. After hearing about how I was scammed by that scumbag, she recorded a video about this outrageous incident and shared it with her followers. She didn’t name names and omitted many details. But her followers know she’s a student at Yale University. So now everyone is guessing who this extreme cheapskate two-timing guy at Yale is. Some people even came to Yale’s forum to ask questions. Anyway, William will have to lay low for a while. Otherwise, his true face might be exposed at any moment. … On Friday afternoon, I went to attend the student union meeting. Before I even entered the door, I heard people gossiping inside. “…She doesn’t know how she got rich. Buying those bags to give away. I heard her ex-boyfriend William reveal that she was actually two-timing, stringing along a rich guy while not wanting to let go of her ex who was a potential stock.” Where did these trolls come from? Completely turning black into white. “There are detailed revelations in this post, everyone come and see!” “Damn, I pursued her at that time. Good thing I didn’t succeed, otherwise my head would be full of green.” “I also heard that last time when Zack dropped into their department group chat, it was Hannah who pulled him in. I was wondering how they knew each other, turns out it’s this kind of relationship.” These words really sound like something William would say. Comparing himself to a potential stock, how shameless. “Even if the rich guy sent her bags, she wouldn’t give them away so openly. I feel like they might be fakes…” “Yeah, last time on the basketball court she also said she would compensate Mandy with a new watch. My goodness, that’s a Cartier, not some ten-dollar store trinket!” I was listening intently at the wall when suddenly someone patted my shoulder. Just as I was about to cry out, that person covered my mouth. I turned my head to see it was Sean, the student union president. He signaled me not to make a sound, and after releasing me, stood by the door to eavesdrop with me. ? Isn’t this guy usually cold and aloof, meticulous in everything? How come he’s doing this kind of thing with me? Those people inside kept saying the same things over and over, and I soon found it boring. Sean leaned close to my ear, “Had enough?” I nodded. He gestured for me to move aside, then pushed open the door and strode in. The discussions abruptly stopped. I waited for a while, then followed him in. Those few people from Mandy’s department looked me up and down. I casually put down my newly bought Hermès bag, coincidentally right next to Mandy’s LV. The difference was obvious. It wasn’t about showing off, but rather to dampen Mandy’s arrogance. She soon became restless. “Hannah, can I take a look at your bag?” “Sure.” She turned the bag over and over, examining it closely, almost as if she had a magnifying glass in her hand. After looking, she asked: “Where did you buy this? The details look quite authentic.” Her words implied that my bag was fake.

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Dan and I had been a DINK couple for ten years, but then he cheated. Now, his little fling, Cassie, stands there, belly out, saying, “If you don’t want to have kids, then give him up!” I was a little dazed, remembering why I chose the DINK life in the first place. Oh, right—it was when we had that premarital health screening, and Dan’s results came back: infertile, naturally. I hid the report to protect his pride and pretended I didn’t like kids, suggesting we just not have any. Dan looks at me, face full of guilt. “Laura, you’re the one I love, but my parents are getting older. I really want a child.” So, I divorced him calmly. Now I wonder—when should I finally send him that report I kept hidden? Cassie Lane, Dan’s little fling. I knew her too—a fresh-faced college grad who just started as the receptionist at his company. I was hardly surprised when I got her call. In the coffee shop, she sat down, belly proudly protruding. “You can see I’m pregnant—this baby is Dan’s,” she declared. “I heard you insisted on being a DINK. You’re so selfish! If you don’t want kids, don’t ruin Dan’s chances!” “If you don’t want kids, then make room for someone who does!” I felt dizzy, wondering again why I ever suggested we be a DINK couple. Ah, right—it was at the premarital screening. Dan’s results had shown he was naturally infertile, and I wanted to spare him the shame, so I hid the report and lied, pretending not to want kids. I looked at Cassie’s face, my expression complicated. Then I let my gaze rest on the coffee in front of her. “Since you’re pregnant, maybe switch to milk.” With that, I got up and left. Back home, I dug through the back of my closet until I found that old report. I spent $40 consulting a doctor online, asking if there was any way to treat Dan’s condition. The answer was no. Seeing my parents’ confused expressions, I laughed freely, feeling lighter than I had in years. Dan’s cheating didn’t surprise me—I’d known for a while. He hadn’t hidden it very well. First, there were the unexplained messages, then all his late nights at the office, and then the obvious: perfume that wasn’t mine on his clothes, movie tickets, and a lipstick under his car’s passenger seat. I’d thought about confronting him, making a scene, but ultimately I did nothing. After ten years, our once-fiery love had worn down, little by little, into nothing more than mundane routines, endless arguments about children with his parents, and Dan’s growing impatience with me. If anything was worth holding on to, it was that he’d once agreed to our DINK life. But after finding out about his affair, that felt meaningless. One evening after dinner, I finally spoke up. “Cassie came to see me a few days ago.” He looked over at me, not even flinching, and replied with a calm “Oh.” That dismissive “Oh” broke the last of my hesitation. “We should get a divorce,” I told him. And we started the process. I didn’t want the house; he gave me half its value in cash, plus some savings. Altogether, I walked away with about $300,000. I knew he’d drained all his little company’s funds to gather that money. On the day of the divorce, Dan said, “Laura, I love you, but my parents are old, and I really want a child.” Every word implied that even though he cheated, it somehow wasn’t really his fault. I nodded, acting like I understood completely. But inside, I was just waiting for the right time to let him know the truth. Outside the courthouse, Cassie waited, flaunting her belly again. She held a slip with a waiting number for the marriage license office. Dan noticed me eyeing it. “A marriage license makes things easier when the baby comes,” he explained. I smirked. “Don’t worry, it’s none of my business.” “Congratulations,” I told Cassie. Dan, smiling, added, “Thank you, Laura.” Cassie scoffed and yanked his arm. “Can’t you hear them calling our number? It’s our turn!” I watched them walk into the office, then took a cab straight to the airport. Newly single, financially comfortable—I deserved a good time! 2 I flew to Savannah, Georgia, a place I’d always dreamed of visiting. Strolling through the historic district along its old cobblestone alleyways, with the sea breeze blowing and good food in hand, everything about Dan faded into the background. I spent one night at a local tavern, sipping wine and chatting with a few men who struck up conversation, laughing until I was pleasantly tipsy. I was tempted to pursue a fling, but in the end, I chickened out. On my way back, a sound stopped me. In a quiet corner of an alley, a man sat on the steps, covering his face, clearly crying. Under the streetlight, his wedding band gleamed faintly. Maybe it was the wine, but I found myself blurting, “Your wife cheated on you? What’s there to cry about?” I patted his shoulder, telling him, “Look at me—my husband cheated, and I’m still happy as can be!” The man looked up, his face wet with tears, and glared at me. “My wife didn’t cheat on me.” “Oh.” I let out an awkward laugh. Half an hour later, I knew his name and his story, and I had a crazy thought. “How would you feel about marrying me?” The man, Elliot Shaw, was also from the States and, as it happened, from the same city as me. He and his late wife had both wanted kids, but her heart condition made pregnancy too dangerous, so they’d decided to adopt. Just when they were ready to start the process, she caught a bad cold, and her weakened heart couldn’t handle it. He’d come to Savannah alone, a trip they were supposed to take together. After I told him my story, he said, “You shouldn’t have lied to him. Maybe things would have turned out differently.” I was silent for a moment, then said, “Maybe. But I never wanted his guilt or gratitude. I just wanted pure love.” Now, I really wanted a child. That was actually another reason I’d come here. At a nearby clinic, they let single women use IVF. But eventually, I’d have to return to the States. Dan’s comment about marriage licenses reminded me that things like school registration and a birth certificate would be simpler with a husband’s name on them. When I bumped into Elliot tonight, I realized I’d found the perfect partner for this plan. I told him, “We could get married. Once all the paperwork for the baby is done, we could divorce. Plus, you wanted to adopt, didn’t you? Single people can’t adopt back home. You help me, and I’ll help you.” I extended my hand. “So? Partners?” After a minute of serious thought, he shook my hand. “Partners.” Elliot went back home, but I stayed in Savannah. After three months, I wasn’t returning alone. I was carrying a little life inside me. When I touched down, jet-lagged and barely settled, I faced my parents’ interrogation. “You’ve got some nerve, doing something this huge without telling us. Do you even think about us anymore?” 3 “Having a baby isn’t some small thing! Do you know what it takes to raise a child? How are you going to handle everything alone?” “Dan’s a jerk. Sure, divorce him. But why ruin your own life? Just because he has a kid, you need one too?” Maybe it was “baby brain” setting in early, but before I could stop myself, I muttered, “Dan’s kid isn’t even his.” The words stopped my mom mid-sentence. “What did you just say?” She leaned forward, and even my dad looked shocked. The secret was out, so I told them everything. “Dan’s infertile. His count is zero. I checked with a doctor—there’s no cure.” My mom’s jaw dropped, then she burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face. My dad joined in, saying, “Serves him right! Karma!” Once they’d finally stopped laughing, my mom asked, “So, that baby of Cassie’s is due any day now. When are you going to tell Dan?” I placed a hand over my stomach. “There’s no rush. The longer he believes it’s his, the more he’ll enjoy being a dad, right?” The deeper Dan’s attachment to that baby, the sweeter it’ll be when he learns the truth. Elliot and I registered our marriage. We signed prenups and a mountain of paperwork to ensure each other’s rights. My mom remarked that we seemed more like business partners than a married couple. She even hinted, “Elliot’s a decent guy. Now that you’re married, why not make it real?” I firmly shut that down. “Mom, I just wanted a baby and a marriage license to make things easier for them later. And to give him a dad on paper. It’s just a formality.” My dad was more understanding. “It’ll be great for the kids and their future, and we get to keep you here with us too.” “Smart thinking, Dad!” I also met the little girl Elliot and his late wife had hoped to adopt, a sweet five-year-old with a heart condition that led her biological parents to abandon her. “She’ll be fine after her surgery,” Elliot assured me. I didn’t try to comfort him. This was just a partnership. Best to set clear boundaries from the start. Three months into my pregnancy, I went to County General to establish care. As I walked out of the appointment, I saw Dan walking down the hall, phone pressed to his ear. “Last night, it happened. He’s here,” he said proudly. “Yeah, a boy—seven and a half pounds.” He smiled as he finished the call, then turned and saw me. “Laura?” “Congratulations,” I said, keeping my voice light. “Looks like you’re a dad.” He cleared his throat, nodding. “Thanks.” Then, after a pause, he asked, “Are you here for…?” I simply said, “For a checkup.” His eyes drifted to the “Assisted Reproduction” sign beside me, and he flashed a look that was half-sympathetic, half-smug. “Well, these days, medicine’s so advanced. Plenty of options for people wanting kids.” I almost laughed. “You’re right,” I said. Though, as he’ll eventually realize, some things even modern medicine can’t fix—like infertility and, apparently, self-delusion. 4

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I bought a house four years ago but never moved in or renovated it. Two years later, I suddenly started receiving utility bills. Confused, I returned to check on the house, only to find strangers living in it! One day, after work, I got a notification on my phone for an overdue utility bill. Staring at the unfamiliar house number on the screen, it took me a moment to realize—I did own a house with that address. It was the house my mom, Sharon Hawkins, had bought for me near my college, thinking I might not enjoy dorm life. But I made a last-minute decision to pursue studies abroad, so the house had been left empty right after renovation. The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. No one should be living in that house, so how on earth were there utility bills? With growing curiosity, I followed the familiar route to Maplewood Heights, the neighborhood where the house was located. … Standing at the front door, I noticed something immediately off. The front door, which I remembered being a dull brown, had been replaced with a brand-new, shiny black security door. I checked the house number again, “808”—yep, this was definitely the right place. Staring at the unfamiliar black door and catching a whiff of a horrible odor leaking from inside, I felt an overwhelming sense of unease. Without hesitation, I called a locksmith. Charlie McIntyre, the locksmith, arrived quickly, giving me a suspicious once-over. “This is your house?” he asked. I quickly pulled out my property deed and ID, handing them over. “Of course! Here are the documents. Check for yourself.” He examined the papers carefully before handing them back, still looking uncertain. “I really need to get inside. How about I pay you an extra hundred?” I offered anxiously. That did the trick. He handed the documents back, crouched down, and opened his toolbox while mumbling, “Strange. Wasn’t the last tenant here an old lady?” “What did you say?” I asked, surprised. Before I could probe further, a sharp voice interrupted behind us. “What do you think you’re doing?!” Before I could react, my shoulder was shoved hard, and a white-haired old woman—Gloria Pittman—charged forward, pointing a finger at the locksmith’s face. “How dare you?! Trying to rob me in broad daylight? In my own home?” Before we could even respond, her hand shot out, scratching Charlie across the face, leaving a deep red mark. He yelped in pain, clutching his nose and pointing at me, “I’m not a thief! He told me to unlock it!” Gloria turned to face me, her eyes scanning me before locking onto the Gold Lion Pendant hanging around my neck. Her expression shifted into one of greed, and she stomped toward me, cursing. “You little punk! Starting a life of crime already? You need a good lesson today!” She lunged at me, reaching out with her claws. I frowned and took a step back, causing her to miss. The old woman immediately changed tactics—collapsing to the ground, dramatically wailing. “Oh Lord, this young man is breaking into my house and now he’s attacking me too! Somebody help me!” Her voice was so loud that the neighbors began poking their heads out of their doors to see what was going on. I’d never seen anything like this in my life. My instinct was to back away, but seeing the crowd, Gloria started screaming even louder. She reached out, clutching at my pant leg, pinning me in place. “You can’t leave! You knocked me down, and now I can’t move! You’ll have to take responsibility!” What?! I hadn’t even touched her! “Ma’am, be careful with your accusations. I haven’t even laid a hand on you! The locksmith can testify!” I said, turning to Charlie for backup, but to my shock, he averted his eyes and remained silent. Gloria’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she dug her sharp nails into my leg. “You see? No decent person would back you up. So, how about you compensate me like a good boy?” Her gaze returned to the gold pendant around my neck, her intentions clear as day. With no help in sight, I took a deep breath, calming myself before letting out a small chuckle. “And how exactly do you want me to compensate you?” I asked coolly. Her eyes lit up. She pointed directly at my Gold Lion Pendant. “I can’t even get up without going to the hospital, and that’ll cost at least a couple thousand! But I’m a kind person. Your little gold pendant looks nice. Why don’t you give me that, and we’ll call it even?” I nodded. “Sure, but before I hand it over, could you answer two quick questions?” Blinded by greed, Gloria agreed immediately. “What do you want to know?” I gestured toward the black security door. “Is this your house?” “Of course it’s my house!” she snapped without hesitation. “Oh really? Then how did the house I bought become yours?” Her face froze, and she stammered, “W-what do you mean? I don’t understand!” “I mean, why are you living in my house?” Her eyes flickered with guilt, but she stubbornly pushed back. “This is my house! I’ve been living here for years! Where’s your proof that it’s yours?” “Oh, I’ve got proof.”

I reached into my bag and slowly pulled out the property deed, opening it to the first page and pointing at the owner’s name. There, in bold letters, it clearly said Darren Hawkins. The neighbors around us started murmuring louder. “Wait, so it’s not her house?” “She’s been lying about owning this place all along?” “I thought so. How could that old hag afford a house in this nice neighborhood when she collects trash all day?” Hearing the gossip, Gloria’s face flushed red with anger. She lunged at me, trying to snatch the deed from my hands. I swiftly raised my arm, holding the deed out of her reach with a smirk. “Aren’t you the one who couldn’t even stand up a minute ago? Looks like a miracle recovery to me.” Realizing her mistake, she scowled, pushing me roughly. “I’ve lived here for three years! This house is mine! Who knows where you crawled out from!” I nearly laughed out loud. “So by your logic, if someone lives in a house for three years, it automatically becomes theirs?” “That’s right! If I’m living here, it’s my house!” she shouted. The commotion had finally drawn the attention of Travis Pittman, the security guard. He arrived, looking completely uninterested in the truth. “What’s going on here? Why’s there so much yelling?” Gloria’s eyes lit up again as she pointed at me and wailed, “Thank God you’re here! This guy is trying to break into my house, saying it’s his! You’ve got to help me!” Without asking any questions, Travis shielded her and glared at me. “How’d you get in here? Do you even know where you are? You can’t just harass residents like this!” I’ve dealt with unreasonable people, but this was a new level. I shoved the deed in Travis’s face. “Check again. I am the owner of this house.” When Travis saw the property deed, his expression faltered. Realizing the other neighbors were watching, he tried to snatch the deed from me. But after Gloria’s attempt, I wasn’t about to let anyone grab it. I quickly stepped back. “What do you think you’re doing? I’ll hold it while you look,” I said. Angered, Travis barked, “How do I know if this deed is even real? You probably forged it, trying to steal the house! Get lost!” He moved to shove me, while Gloria used the distraction to unlock the door with her key. The door swung open, and an overpowering stench hit me so hard I nearly vomited. Through the crack in the door, I saw mountains of garbage piled high. A rat squealed as it darted out through the opening. “Ugh!” I recoiled. In the chaos, Gloria slipped inside and slammed the door shut. I started pounding on it, but Travis blocked me, tapping his nightstick threateningly. “Better leave now, or I’ll drag you out myself.” Feeling defeated and with no help from the locksmith, I left, my frustration boiling.

I headed straight to the Maplewood Police Station, hoping for help. But it turned out Gloria was already well known to them. The officer who greeted me looked exasperated. “Yeah, we know her. But there’s not much we can do. She’s old, stubborn, and causes trouble often,” he said, carefully choosing his words. I could read between the lines—Gloria was a nuisance, and the cops didn’t want to deal with her. The officer suggested, “This is more of a civil matter. You’ll have to take it to court if you want the house cleared. The court can enforce eviction.” Court? That could take forever. And meanwhile, my house would keep rotting under piles of garbage. I took a deep breath, an idea forming in my mind. Turning to the officer, I asked, “Officer, is it illegal for me to enter my own property to clean out the trash?” He hesitated but then cleared his throat. “If there’s no lease in place, it’s not illegal. Just don’t hurt anyone.” Perfect. With a newfound sense of determination, I marched out of the police station, ready to take matters into my own hands. As I left, I spotted Gloria peeking into a trash bin down the street, accompanied by Travis. I ducked behind a sign, listening in. “Mom, do you think that guy’s going to take the house back?” “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he never steps foot inside again,” Travis assured her. Well, well, no wonder Travis had been acting strange. They were in this scam together. The conversation continued. “What if he calls the cops? He’s got the property deed,” Gloria fretted. Travis slapped his chest confidently. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll find a way to steal the deed and destroy it. Uncle Mitch can make us a new one.” I clenched my jaw. These fools actually thought they could win by tearing up the property deed? As the video I’d been recording on my phone ended, I let out a cold laugh. I now knew exactly what I was dealing with. Time to make them pay.

Early the next morning, I timed it perfectly for when Gloria Pittman went out to collect trash, and I stormed into Maplewood Heights with a group of guys at my back. Her son, Randy Pittman, tried to block our way, but the moment he saw the crew of big, burly men behind me, his bravado fizzled out, and he meekly followed us to the door. When we reached the house, I directed my crew, “Break the door open!” As soon as the door swung open, the stench from the day before came rushing out, making us all recoil. What lay before us was an unbelievable sight—mountains of garbage piled high: empty cans, cardboard, foam boxes, and unwashed food containers. What I had seen the day before was just the tip of the iceberg. “Ugh…” I gagged, pinching my nose. “Clear all this out. Every last bit.” I paused for a second and added, “Careful though, stack it neatly by the dumpsters.” I had hired a professional crew, and they didn’t flinch in the face of the overwhelming stench. With gloves on, they got to work efficiently. Meanwhile, Travis Pittman, the security guard, was in the background, making a hushed phone call to alert Gloria. I pretended not to notice. By the time Gloria arrived, lugging her sack of trash, half of her beloved garbage fortress had already been cleared. “Put that down! You thieves! Put it all back!” The fragile, tearful Gloria from the day before was now leaping three feet in the air, screeching as she tried to attack the men moving her precious junk. But before she could land a blow, one of the guys easily grabbed her by the collar, lifted her off the ground, and calmly set her down in the corner of the room. The once brazen woman fell silent, eyes wide as she took in the sight of the strong man’s bulging biceps. Then she spotted me, and the rage returned. She screamed, “You again! I’ll claw your eyes out this time!” She lunged at me, her sharp nails reaching for my face, but once again, she was lifted by the collar and placed aside by my crew. I casually lit a cigarette and called out, “Keep going. Clean the house out. I want the locks changed.” Helpless, Gloria could only scream at her son, Randy, “Call your uncle! Get Mitchell here right now!” My interest was piqued. I decided to let them make the call. I was curious to finally meet the so-called property manager who handed over my house to them.

It wasn’t long before a short, pudgy middle-aged man wearing glasses rushed over. Trailing behind him, to my surprise, were the two police officers from the previous day, Officer Jerome Carter and Officer Lisa Morales. When Gloria saw the property manager, she ran toward him like he was her savior. But before she could say anything, he shoved her aside. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Mitchell Pittman greeted the police with an obsequious smile, pointing toward me. “Officers, this man has broken into one of our resident’s homes and is removing their belongings without permission!” I had to give him credit. He was trying to flip the script and make me the villain. Officer Carter turned to me, ready for my explanation. “Sir, please explain your side of the situation.” I calmly reached into my bag, pulling out the property deed. “Officers, I didn’t break into their house. I broke into my house.” Before either officer could take the document, Travis, who had been lurking in the background, suddenly darted forward. He snatched the deed from my hand and, before anyone could react, ripped out the page with my name on it and shoved it into his mouth! “What are you doing?!” I shouted. Both officers immediately restrained him, trying to get him to spit out the evidence, but it was too late. He had swallowed the shredded paper. His brazen destruction of the deed was as good as a confession of guilt. Officer Morales glared at Travis, her expression stern. “Sir, you’re under arrest for the destruction of property. You’re coming with us to the station.” “Wait!” Mitchell suddenly interjected, glaring daggers at Travis before stepping forward with a forced smile. “One thing at a time, Officers. I’m the one who called you, so you need to help me first,” he said smoothly. The officers exchanged wary glances, and Mitchell continued, “The property deed was destroyed, and none of us saw what was written on it. There’s no proof this house belongs to this gentleman. We can’t just take his word for it, right?” He threw me a smug look, trying to sow doubt in the officers’ minds. Officer Carter responded coldly, “If the deed is damaged, he can request a new one from the housing authority. They can confirm ownership.” “I understand,” Mitchell said, rubbing his hands together nervously, “but that will take time. In the meantime, shouldn’t we stop him from doing anything else to the property?” The officers seemed unsure. While they didn’t completely buy Mitchell’s story, they were bound by procedure, and they looked at me apologetically. Mitchell’s smirk deepened. He knew that as long as he could stall, he could keep me from reclaiming the house for a bit longer. But I was one step ahead. I lazily waved my hand. “There’s no need to make this complicated.”

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Ten years after the divorce, my scumbag dad showed up with his three kids, wanting to remarry my mom. He had the audacity to demand our house in the good school district, take over our restaurant, and even asked me to hand over my social media account with millions of followers to my stepsister… My mom, the queen of sass, rolled her eyes and said, “An old dog trying to learn new tricks? Dream on, you shriveled up prune.” It was past midnight when my scumbag dad found us. Mom and I had just finished a long shift at our restaurant. “What are you two doing out so late?” he scolded, his face twisted with disapproval. Mom and I rolled our eyes in perfect sync. Ten years ago, we agreed to never see each other again. Now he’s suddenly here acting like he has the right to question us? Who does he think he is? “Honey, do you know why Mr. Johnson lived to be a hundred?” Mom asked me loudly. I replied, “Because he minded his own business.” Mom nodded approvingly and took my hand, walking right past him. “Sophia, we need to talk,” Brian demanded, grabbing Mom’s arm. I instinctively pulled Mom behind me and glared at him. “Don’t you dare touch her, or I’ll knock your head sideways!” Ten years ago, I was too small to stop him from hitting Mom. Now, I’m a black belt in Muay Thai. One hook punch past his ear would make his head ring for days. Twisting his head sideways wasn’t just an empty threat. Brian flinched at the speed of my punch, then growled, “This is adult business. Don’t interfere! You have no manners!” I coldly replied, “My dad died young. Please excuse me.” “You little brat!” He raised his hand, but Mom caught his wrist in a vice-like grip. Years of alcohol and debauchery had made him weak. With two quick twists, he was howling in pain. Mom tossed his arm aside, her face expressionless. “If you don’t want a beating, get lost. Stop barking like a dog and disturbing the neighbors!” “You’re still so vulgar!” Brian looked at us with disgust, then gritted his teeth. “Fine, I won’t argue with you now.” “I’m free tomorrow. Let’s go to the registry office and remarry.” Mom looked at him in disbelief. “Have you lost your mind?” I handed him a business card. “Top psychiatrist. Mention my name for a 20% discount. You’re welcome.” Brian’s face turned from red to purple. Finally, he looked at Mom with disdain: “Back then, you were begging me not to divorce you. Now that I’m willing to come back, what more do you want?” Right, Mom used to be so love-blind. She married Brian without a dowry or even a wedding. Two months after the wedding, Brian left for a long-term construction project. For over a decade, he barely came home, leaving Mom to struggle alone with the family. When Mom was pregnant with twins, she had to borrow money from friends for the hospital bills. During her postpartum recovery, she couldn’t even afford a decent meal. Meanwhile, Brian made up excuses about not being able to come back, when in reality, he was starting a new family with his mistress. Mom looked him up and down, then burst out laughing: “Why would I want to remarry you? For your beer belly? Your receding hairline? Or maybe for those jowls that could render enough lard to fry a dozen donuts?” “Don’t you have a mirror at home? Or at least a toilet bowl? Take a good look at yourself when you pee, for God’s sake.” Brian had always thought highly of himself. Mom’s tirade left him fuming. Two buttons on his shirt popped open, revealing a mound of quivering flesh. Oh, being the considerate person I am, I handed him another business card: “How about a gym membership? Mention my name, and you’ll get three free trial sessions.” Before he could react, I pulled Mom into our building and slammed the door in his face. Brian started kicking the door furiously. “Open up!” I wasn’t going to let him get away with this. I called the security office right in front of him: “Yes, there’s a flasher at Building 7, Unit 3 entrance. Oh my, he’s banging on the door now. Please hurry!” After hanging up, seeing he still wouldn’t leave, I smiled sweetly and asked, “Uncle, do you think security isn’t enough? Should I call the police too?” “Zoey, I’m your father!” Brian roared, his face red with anger. “Sorry, uncle, you’ve got the wrong person. I’m Zoey Paul.” “Paul as in my mom’s surname, and Zoey as in ‘my dad died early’, hehe.” Late that night, I paid triple the usual rate to have someone investigate Brian’s recent situation. Soon after, Mom came to my room, hugging her turtle-shell pillow. On the surface, she might be the beautiful owner of a popular restaurant, but behind the scenes, she’s the second-in-command of a billion-dollar food empire. Yet, whenever something’s troubling her, she still likes to come to me for comfort. My heart sank. She couldn’t be love-blind again, could she? What was I thinking? How could that dried-up old prune steal her heart? “Mom, forget it. I’d rather you go abroad and marry Aunt Tanya, giving me another mom, than ever accept Brian as my dad!” I shouted preemptively, then buried my head under the covers. Out of sight, out of mind! “What nonsense are you talking about?” Mom pulled me out from under the covers and showed me her phone messages. Apparently, Brian had gotten hold of Mom’s number somehow and sent her a message. It was an ultrasound image. The message read: This is Tony’s child. Five months along, it’s a boy. Can you bear to let your grandson grow up without a grandmother? Seeing this message, I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say. Tony is my twin brother. Mom raised us both single-handedly. Our grandparents never approved of Mom and were always stingy. They treated me poorly, and even Tony, their grandson, wasn’t much better off. During the divorce, Grandma pushed me away, saying, “Tony is our grandson, he has to stay. Zoey, you can go with your mother. We don’t need a granddaughter.” Grandpa even warned Mom, “You didn’t bring much of value when you married into our family. If you dare to take anything from our Lee family besides Zoey, we’ll call the police.” Mom didn’t ask for anything, but to take Tony with her, she was willing to go to court. But on the day of the court’s decision, Tony chose to stay with Brian. Even when Mom was slapped twice by Brian in public, even when I was thrown out and fell at the feet of his mistress and her daughter. He remained indifferent, just coldly turning his face away. I don’t hate Brian and those other demons anymore, but I still hate Tony. He protected me as we grew up and said he would always protect me and Mom. But he broke his promise. I pouted and said sarcastically, “Well, well, a free grandson. Are you tempted?” “Get lost!” Mom smacked my forehead. Finally, she said thoughtfully, “I just feel like that old scumbag is up to something, using both the carrot and the stick.” “Back then, even when he was cyberbullied so badly, he insisted on staying with his mistress. Why is he suddenly coming back to remarry me?” “Could it be because Zack recently made our restaurant famous, and he’s eyeing our business?” Zack is Aunt Tanya’s only son. He’d been hovering around the D-list in the entertainment industry for years, but this year he suddenly became famous with a drama series. As a result, our restaurant became a hotspot for fans, business boomed, and we frequently trended on social media. Brian’s sudden appearance was indeed likely because of this. A few hours later, we had our answer. Because the money was well spent, not only did they thoroughly investigate Brian, but they also threw in two gigabytes of juicy details about the people around him. From the information, the reason Brian insisted on remarrying Mom was simple: he was broke. A few months ago, his business failed, leaving him deeply in debt. His mistress also divorced him. As a devoted sugar daddy, he transferred his remaining car and house to his mistress. This doesn’t look like a real separation, but rather a fake divorce to protect the mistress and her daughter. During this time, Brian and Tony, the newlyweds, were renting a place to live. Their living expenses depended entirely on Tony’s income. Even though they were struggling, he still insisted on giving monthly child support to his mistress and her daughter. He even borrowed several hundred thousand in high-interest loans under Tony’s name, but this money couldn’t satisfy that mother-daughter pair for long. To make a comeback, he hooked up with someone running an illegal factory. Now, all he wanted was to raise some investment capital to join in producing and selling counterfeit products. Seeing this, my eyes were already filled with anger: “His reason for seeking remarriage isn’t just for money. He probably wants to use us as scapegoats when things go south.” Mom angrily slammed the mouse, cursing, “This black-hearted, rotten bastard! I’d like to see if he can swindle money from me, or if I’ll send him to rot in jail!” Saying this, she pulled Brian’s contact out of various blacklists and posted a moment on social media to bait him. “[Heart][Kiss] My daughter is so thoughtful, this year’s birthday gift is a beautiful ice blue Maserati!!! In three days, she’s even throwing me a birthday party at the Starlight Century. Everyone, come join us!!!” The accompanying photo was of her girlish pink Maserati. However, this car was actually a Women’s Day gift from Aunt Tanya this year. Soon enough, we saw Brian quietly like the post. He even left a comment saying: Honey, I’ll bring the kids to celebrate your birthday. Wait for me! Mom snorted disdainfully: “He really dares to come. Well, I’ll have to teach him a lesson first!” Early in the morning, Brian called to exchange pleasantries. Mom put him on speakerphone, lazily responding to his chatter. Brian was talking enthusiastically on the other end: “Your birthday is a big deal. I’m planning to bring the kids to celebrate with you. At our age, what we value most is family gatherings. Without your son and daughter-in-law there, your birthday would feel incomplete, wouldn’t it?” “I’m touched that you still remember my birthday,” Mom said sarcastically. “Of course, after all, we were married for so many years. I still care about you very much.” I felt a surge of anger rising in my chest. The old scumbag clearly never cared about Mom. Mom’s birthday wasn’t in three days; it was actually the anniversary of her divorce. In previous years, we would have a small gathering with Aunt Tanya and her son on that day, celebrating Mom’s new lease on life. This year, we were planning a big celebration just to lure him into our trap. On the phone, Brian said ingratiatingly that he was at the mall choosing a gift for Mom, asking if she had any preferences. Mom waved her hand grandly and said, “You really want to give a gift? How about the new Hermès bag? Anything else would be embarrassing in front of my girlfriends.” “…Alright.” I could hear Brian’s sharp intake of breath through the phone. Heh, you can’t catch a wolf without using a lamb as bait. He brought this on himself. Three days later, Mom’s “birthday party” was held as scheduled. On the way, Brian called Mom on FaceTime. “Suisuisui,” Brian suddenly called out affectionately. Mom shuddered, almost dropping her phone. I tried to hold back my laughter. That voice was indeed sickeningly sweet, enough to make me want to throw up the lunch I had earlier. “Suisui, why aren’t you saying anything?” Mom coughed and replied coldly, “If you have something to say, say it. If not, I’m hanging up.” “I do, I do,” Brian said urgently. “Mia is such a thoughtful child. When she heard about your birthday, she prepared a song to sing and play for you…” He really had the nerve to bring that up. Wasn’t he deliberately trying to provoke us? Mia is his daughter with his mistress. Back then, outside the court, when I was thrown by Brian and fell at her feet. She wore delicate little leather shoes and rubbed my face with the sole of her shoe, saying with disgust, “Get away, you dirty thing. You almost dirtied my shoes.” “You think Dad really wanted Tony? He just couldn’t bear for my mom to have a second child. Hmph, Dad said that even if he’s a son, I’ll be the one to inherit everything in the future.” Mom was silent for a moment, then said to him, “Don’t bring your dirty, stinking things to me.” Brian was clearly unhappy. But he still said with a thick skin, “How could that be? Mia told me that if we remarry, you’ll be her only mom in the future. And she plays the piano so well…” “Good eye, she thinks I’m better than her mom, huh?” Mom chuckled. “Fine, bring her along then. It’s just an extra set of chopsticks.” Only then did he hang up, satisfied. We had just arrived at the hotel when Brian’s family of four followed closely behind. Brian was dressed in a suit with a red rose pinned to his chest, while Mia clung to his arm, wearing a off-shoulder cocktail dress, her makeup exquisite and alluring. Clearly, they came prepared. Behind them, as pale as her dress, was a woman carefully walking with both hands on her slightly swollen belly, like a fragile white flower. Tony walked beside the white flower, tenderly supporting her waist, his whole being radiating fatherly love. He probably didn’t know yet that the child in the white flower’s belly wasn’t his at all. He was purely a naive cuckold. I couldn’t help but glance a few more times at Tony’s head, but he was oblivious, seemingly focused entirely on his newlywed wife. “Suisui! I’ve prepared a surprise for you later, you’ll definitely love it,” Brian greeted enthusiastically. “Mom, happy birthday~” Mia called out with a sweet smile. Mom didn’t give her a friendly look, but she wasn’t bothered. She turned and gave me a sickeningly sweet hug: “Sister, long time no see~” I forced a smile: “Long time no see, you’re still the same as before.” Still thick-skinned as ever, truly her mother’s daughter. At this moment, Brian pulled Tony and his wife in front of Mom. “This is Tony’s wife, her name is Chloe.” The white flower took out a box from her handbag and handed it to Mom: “Mom, this is a key chain I embroidered for you by hand. I hope you like it…” She held out the box reverently, displaying her scarred and slightly bleeding fingertips for us to see. She looked at Mom with a timid gaze, as if Mom not accepting it would be a grave sin. It was… quite inauspicious. I accepted it on Mom’s behalf and handed it to the reception desk: “Note this down, Brian Lee, gift of one key chain.” The receptionist repeated loudly: “Thank you, Mr. Brian Lee, for your generous gift of one key chain!” The smile on Brian’s face instantly froze. Tony’s expression also became inscrutable. Only Mia immediately supported the swaying white flower, looking at me disapprovingly: “Sister, even if you despise sister-in-law’s humble gift, you shouldn’t humiliate her like this. She’s pregnant, carrying your little nephew!” “Alright, the thought counts. Let’s go in,” Mom interrupted impatiently, pulling me into the venue. Mia scurried after us, chirping away: “Mom, where’s the piano? Can I try it out first?” “Are there many important people here today? I must perform well~” I kindly pointed her towards the stage, and she fluttered through the crowd like a butterfly. Soon, the opening notes of “The Wedding Song” rang out from the stage, attracting the attention of all the guests. Accompanied by the music, Brian walked onto the stage, holding a microphone and reciting a heartfelt speech. He kept talking about how he never forgot Mom and wanted to rekindle their relationship. “Sophia, I still love you.” “Twenty years ago, I couldn’t give you a proper proposal. Today, I want to make it up to you.” With that, Brian knelt down on the stage, holding out a ring box towards Mom: “Will you marry me again?”

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