Category: English

“Ethan, Valentine’s Day is so lonely by myself. Why don’t you come and keep me company?” My husband immediately took a screenshot and sent it to the Family WhatsApp Group, followed by reporting her on social media. I stood there, jaw dropping, not able to say a word before Ethan’s warm body wrapped around me again. “That doesn’t count, I haven’t shown my true strength yet,” he said, playfully pinning me down. As soon as the screenshot hit the Family WhatsApp Group, it exploded. Sabrina Rivers, my third cousin, chimed in sarcastically: “Look at Madison, shameless as always!” My brother, Zach Rivers, tagged Madison with a cold laugh: “Madison, you’re disgusting! Try to steal my sister’s man again and I swear I’ll ruin you!” Thanks for the reminder. Of course, it had to be brought up. Madison and I never got along, and she always had a habit of taking my things. But I never thought she’d stoop so low as to throw her body into the mix. Two years ago, Liam Carter and I had gone home to introduce him to my parents to discuss marriage, but Madison seduced him. I caught them in bed together. Two years later, she’s trying the same old tricks! But Ethan Cross is no Liam Carter. Her little game won’t work on him! While I was thinking about it, Ethan leaned in close and whispered, “How are you feeling, babe? Was that enough payback?” Ethan and I were always very open with each other, and he knew everything about me. I smiled. “Yeah, that was pretty satisfying!” Just imagining Madison pulling out her hair in frustration had me feeling gleeful. “But…” I waved my hand. “Let’s not celebrate too soon.” Sure enough, right after I said that, my dad called. As soon as I picked up, he started yelling, “Ava! Are you trying to kill your sister? Get in that group chat and explain yourself!” I chuckled in disbelief. “Explain what? That she was prowling around in the middle of the night, trying to seduce my husband?” He was silent for a second. Then angrily, “Nonsense! She just lost a game! Now get in there and clear it up!” As he spoke, I could hear Madison crying in the background, people comforting her. I rolled my eyes and sneered, “Sure thing.” Since she wanted to ruin my Valentine’s Day, nobody was going to have a good time. I hung up the phone and immediately opened up Mr. Mason’s contact. Conveniently, he’d been trying to partner with CrossTech Enterprises, and I just happened to be in charge of the project. Madison worked for him. I sent the message. Within minutes, he replied: “Apologies, Ms. Rivers. I’ll handle this immediately and make sure you’re satisfied with the outcome.” It didn’t even take 30 minutes. He messaged me again with the result: Madison had been fired. I thought she might have learned her lesson, but no—she dared to pull more stunts that same night!

It was late, and I was half asleep when Ethan’s phone kept buzzing. I was about to put it on silent when I saw it was Madison. Suddenly, I was wide awake. She had sent him a photo of herself in a flimsy nightgown, with tears streaming down her face. She looked so pitiful. “Sorry, Ethan. I lost a party game. I didn’t know Ava would be so petty and share the screenshots with everyone and then complain to Mr. Mason, which got me fired.” “I know she’s still hung up on Liam. That’s why she hates me. I’ll give Liam back to her if she stops coming after me, okay?” I shook Ethan awake, fuming. “Look at this!” “Unbelievable,” Ethan muttered after reading it, rolling his eyes. He quickly started typing a response. “Madison, you love throwing yourself at men. You didn’t get fired for nothing. CrossTech doesn’t hire chickens, so you shouldn’t be surprised.” “And what’s Liam worth? He’s trash. You love him so much, you can keep him. You two are made for each other.” Without waiting for a response, Ethan blocked her. I grinned and kissed him on the cheek as a reward. The next day, after replying to messages from friends who were concerned about the drama, I headed to work. I was feeling a bit tired after a long day when Ethan came home. “Babe, I missed you,” he said, dropping his briefcase and wrapping his arms around me from behind, nuzzling my neck. I was about to scold him playfully when I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Madison’s perfume. My face changed immediately. “Did Madison come to see you?” “Yes, but I didn’t meet with her! The smell must’ve gotten on me by accident,” he said, trying to reassure me. Ethan’s face twisted with disgust. “Your cousin is out of her mind. She was waiting by my car and literally threw herself at me. I kicked her to the ground!” “Pfft~” The image of Ethan kicking Madison made me laugh out loud. “As long as you’re not mad,” Ethan sighed with relief. “I’m not mad at you,” I said softly. I wasn’t angry with Ethan. I was just disgusted by Madison’s shamelessness. “If I had known she rubbed off on me, I would’ve thrown out these clothes,” he said, tossing his jacket in the trash before heading upstairs to take a shower. As I was getting dinner ready, my phone kept buzzing. Sabrina Rivers: Ava, check Instagram! Did you get cheated on again?! What?!

I narrowed my eyes and opened Instagram. There it was, trending locally. Shocking! CEO of CrossTech Enterprises caught in a parking lot tryst with a mysterious woman! The photos were crystal clear. Ethan was lowering his head, and Madison was looking up at him with a soft, flirty smile. From the angle, it looked like they were hugging—or worse, kissing. Knew the CEO’s wife was a looker, but wow, she’s stunning! Omg! They’re perfect together. I’m shipping this couple! Even some of Ethan’s business partners were congratulating them in the comments. And to make things worse, Madison had capitalized on the attention, posting a vague message on Instagram that only fueled the rumors further. I was furious. Right then, Ethan came running downstairs, not even fully dressed. “Babe! You believe me, right? It’s all a setup!” I sighed. “I know.” I never doubted him. We were both very private and had kept our marriage under the radar. No one knew I was his wife, which gave Madison the perfect opportunity to manipulate things. Ethan, now fully enraged, replied to the top comment: You can ship what you want, but let’s not get twisted. Then, he posted a photo of our wedding. Within minutes, CrossTech’s official Instagram blew up. This is the real wife! Look at them, they’re so sweet together! Told you, Ethan looked totally disgusted in that other photo. That girl was obviously trying to force herself on him! Some of the internet turned against Madison, while others attacked Ethan for getting involved in a scandal. But CrossTech’s PR team was fast. They found the parking lot footage, traced the source of the viral post, and uncovered that Madison had paid to have it promoted. Ethan didn’t lie—he had actually kicked her to the ground. When the footage dropped, I had to stifle a laugh seeing Madison fall. OMG, am I the only one who thinks Ethan kicking her looked kinda hot?! Ethan even liked that comment. Guys, take notes—this is how you deal with a scheming woman! Lol, Ethan’s face said, ‘Don’t touch me!’ I’m dying! The comments were overwhelmingly on our side. Madison was torn to shreds online and earned the nickname “Clinger.” She panicked and deleted her Instagram account overnight. But I wasn’t done with her yet. Everyone has to pay for what they’ve done.

I asked Sabrina for some information. Turns out, after Liam Carter went bankrupt, Madison dumped him. Even though she was the one who left him because he was broke, she spun the story to make it seem like it was my fault. I scoffed. “Shameless.” “Exactly! Ava, you think she’s about to make a move?” Sabrina asked excitedly. I nodded. She continued, “I’ve been waiting for this! Let me send you something—I want in on this too!” After the call, she sent me a recording. I laughed after listening. “Thanks, Sabrina! I owe you dinner.” I hadn’t even reached out to Liam when he showed up at my office! The next day, I received a bouquet of roses at work. I thought for sure it was Ethan being romantic. But when I saw Liam Carter standing there, I wanted to gouge my eyes out. “Ava, Madison told me you’ve always had feelings for me,” Liam said smugly, raising an eyebrow. Ha! I wondered how he had the nerve to show his face. Madison must have really brainwashed him into thinking I still cared. I glared at him silently. He mistook it for shyness and kept going, “After we broke up, I realized that you’re the one I truly love. Why don’t we just get back together?” “I don’t care that you’ve been married. But if we do tie the knot, you’d need to bring a house and a car as part of the deal. My parents would expect that.” He was acting like he was doing me a favor. It made me sick. Beyond delusional. I scowled. “Liam, I’m not interested in picking up trash.” Goosebumps covered my arms as I suppressed my disgust. “But I do have a little gift for you.” “A gift?” Liam looked eager. “You really think Liam is all that? If Ava hadn’t liked him back then, and if he hadn’t had some money, I never would’ve gone near him,” said Madison’s voice from the recording. “Who would want to marry a broke man like him? He’s got nothing left now—he’s dreaming if he thinks he’s going to marry me!” Her words echoed through the office, loud enough for everyone to hear. I saw Liam’s face drain of color. So I smiled and said, “Weren’t you and Madison supposed to be in love? I guess it was all about the money, huh?” “I heard your family lost the house. You should ask for some of those gifts back from Madison. Maybe you can afford to live a little more comfortably.” As I twisted the knife, I knew I was turning him against Madison. Sure enough, his face turned dark as he stormed out of the office. Knowing how petty Liam was, there was no way he’d let Madison get away with making a fool of him. I called Ethan and asked him to join me for the show. By the time we arrived, Liam had Madison by the hair, slapping her face repeatedly. He hit her so hard, her face was swollen after just a few slaps. “You slut! You ruined everything for me! I could’ve had a happy life with Ava!” “This is all your fault! I’ll kill you!” He kicked her to the ground and stomped on her head. As Madison begged for mercy, she looked up just in time to see the disgust in Ethan’s eyes. And that was when she broke down, sobbing and whimpering. Watching her pathetic state, I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. My parents showed up, called the cops, and that ended the spectacle. I heard they ended up taking each other to court. Madison accused Liam of assault, and Liam accused her of financial fraud. It was a true case of dog-eat-dog.

A week later, it was time for my brother Zach and his wife Tessa’s baby shower. My mom had been calling me non-stop, insisting that Ethan and I attend. My mom is one of those traditional women who believe a husband’s word is law. Whatever my dad says, she follows without question. If my dad hadn’t given her permission, I doubt she’d ever reach out to me on her own. Finally, the day of the baby shower arrived. We had just stepped out of the car when I saw Madison Rivers. Her eyes lit up when she saw Ethan, like a dog spotting a bone, her expression showing sheer determination. Despite the bruises that still marred her face, she had tried to cover them up with makeup, but it only made her look more like a swollen pig. I smirked silently and caught her shooting me a hateful glare. After playing with Grace, my niece, for a while, the time came for lunch. Just as I sat down, a sharp pain hit my stomach. Ethan noticed immediately and helped me upstairs to rest. We hadn’t even reached the top of the stairs when we heard… noises. Intimate noises. Familiar voices. And one of those voices… sounded a lot like my dad’s. Ethan and I exchanged shocked glances, our eyes wide with disbelief. Even though I was feeling sick, we stayed still outside the bathroom door, listening to the embarrassing and heated conversation happening inside. “No, Uncle! Don’t kiss me, someone might catch us!” It was Aunt Karen, my uncle Richard’s wife. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I stood there, frozen in place. Then I heard my father’s voice again. “Relax, no one’s going to find out.” It really was my dad. Even in his old age, he couldn’t resist cheating. I clenched my fists, trying to control my anger, and looked over at Ethan. He knew exactly what I wanted him to do—he pulled out his phone and started recording the conversation. The two of them kept going for a while until Aunt Karen let out a final, breathless sigh. Then, finally, they were done. Ethan and I quickly hid in a corner as they stepped out of the bathroom, still not caring to be discreet. Aunt Karen’s face was flushed, and there were kiss marks all over her neck. The audacity! I felt a surge of fury. How could they? Did they not remember how Uncle Richard had literally saved my dad’s life in that car accident? How could he betray him like this, and my mom too? I could feel my pulse racing, anger burning through me, and I almost forgot the pain in my stomach. Ethan, sensing my rage and my confusion about what to do, whispered, “You should rest for now. Maybe talk it over with Zach and Tessa later.” I nodded, unable to think of a better plan at the moment. By the time I woke up, it was already late evening. The guests had left, and Zach and Tessa were seeing her family off at the train station. Ethan and I were preparing to leave too when my dad stopped us. He insisted on having a private talk with Ethan, while my mom stayed close by, constantly hovering over me. I wanted to drop hints to my mom about what I’d discovered, to prepare her, but I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I agreed to stay a bit longer. I also wanted to see what Madison was up to. She had been suspiciously quiet all afternoon. “I’m going upstairs to rest,” I said, smiling sweetly. “You’ve got my old room ready, right?” Madison exhaled in relief and replied quickly, “Of course, Ava. It’s all set up for you.” “Mom, why don’t you come sit with me? You said you missed me, didn’t you?” I asked, hoping to get some alone time with her. For some reason, my mom looked guilty, avoiding my gaze. “I still have things to take care of. I’ll come find you later.” I narrowed my eyes slightly but nodded and headed upstairs. Her behavior was definitely strange. I stalled for a while, waiting until the coast was clear, then turned off the lights and quietly slipped back downstairs. I hid behind the door of the living room and listened in on their conversation. “So, what did you want to talk about, Mr. Rivers?” Ethan asked. My dad lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke slowly. “How did you and Ava meet?” Ethan answered him truthfully. As I listened to my parents ask Ethan about me, it almost felt like they were genuinely concerned. It warmed my heart a little. Maybe they did care about me after all. But then my mom spoke up. “Ethan, you’re a good man. Your uncle and I don’t want to hide the truth from you. The thing is, Ava… she’s not really good enough for you.” I froze. Ethan did too. “She was a wild child,” my mom continued. “In middle school, she used to hang around those boys and fool around. She even had a few abortions…” Hearing my mom say that hit me like a punch to the gut. I had always thought my parents just didn’t love me. But now, I realized it was much worse than that—they were spreading lies, trying to destroy me. The blood drained from my face. My hands went ice cold. How could they do this to their own daughter?

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She was fifteen when she came to our house. Skinny and malnourished, she looked like a little monkey. I treated her like my own sister, never imagining that at eighteen, she would crawl into my bed. On the night of her eighteenth birthday, I opened my eyes to find her holding handcuffs. “Brother, I’ve been waiting for this day,” she said. “You’re mine!” (1) I sat in the living room downstairs, absentmindedly letting my hot Americano turn cold, still unable to believe what had happened. Holy crap, I slept with Autumn last night! Her closed eyes next to my pillow this morning, Her arms tightly wrapped around my waist, And our naked bodies! Mom will kill me when she returns from her trip. That was Autumn, for God’s sake! She’s my sister! Not by blood, but that hardly makes a difference! (2) Yesterday was Autumn’s eighteenth birthday, Which fell during the Lunar New Year celebrations. My parents were away on their annual honeymoon trip, And I, a junior in college, was brain-dead from writing papers and in desperate need of fresh blood. So I took the initiative, And invited her classmates over for a party. As a miserable college junior, I got excited and drank quite a bit. I only remember constant laughter and chatter, And a pair of eyes locked on me. When I woke up again in the middle of the night, I thought I had dreamed of Autumn kissing me, which seemed absurd. Her fan-like eyelashes kept fluttering in my mind. My throat was dry, and I tried to reach for the water glass with my eyes closed, [Why can’t I move?] I tried to shake my hand, but it wouldn’t budge. [Am I having sleep paralysis?] I opened my eyes groggily and saw Autumn in front of me. The night light was on, and she was kneeling on top of me. Everything was eerily similar to my dream. “Autumn? What are you doing here?” I asked, feeling dizzy and unable to think clearly. Autumn didn’t say anything. Her dark eyes came closer and closer. She lowered her head, Her cool lips touched mine, gently kissing me open, And she passed some water into my mouth. I swallowed unconsciously. It was a bit sweet. The sensation was so similar to my dream, I couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality for a moment. “I want more,” I said. She reached for the water glass and took another sip. The glass bottom made a “clack” sound as it met the table surface, Then there was silence. I waited anxiously, Forcing my closed eyes open again, Under the dim wall light, she was holding a pair of silver handcuffs That gleamed coldly, Shocking me into clarity for a moment. Before I could think further, She kissed me again, Water trickled down the corner of my mouth, Her lips moved inch by inch to my earlobe, At the end of what I thought was a dream, I heard her say, “Brother, you’re mine.” “I’ve finally waited for this day.” (3) Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and I hurriedly picked up the coffee in front of me. “Brother, haven’t you had enough?” a cool voice asked, the content of her words making me choke. Yesterday, I seemed to keep asking for water, Because my mind was full of Autumn’s— “Enough or not? Want more?” “Cough cough cough” The violent coughing made me bend over involuntarily. Autumn hurried over from the stairs, Took the coffee cup, and gently patted my back. My face must have been red, either from coughing or from her closeness. I could feel the heat! She took a few tissues and handed them to me, Her slender, fair fingers with a hint of pink at the joints contrasted with the white paper. Last night, it was these hands that— A roaring sound seemed to rise in my ears, and I suddenly stood up. “What we did was wrong!” I blurted out, words tumbling out like beans. “I’m your brother, we can’t date!” “You’re still in high school!” “Everyone was drunk last night!” “We’re both adults now, so it’s not really a big deal, right?” I finished speaking in a rush and realized Autumn hadn’t said a word. I looked up at her, a bit surprised. Her usually expressionless face bore a faint smile. “What are you talking about, brother? What happened last night?” “I only remember you seemed drunk, and I was a bit tipsy too.” “You said you were hot, and Mrs. Zhang was downstairs, so I helped you take off your clothes.” “Then I was too tired and just fell asleep.” “Do you remember anything else, brother?” “Do you want to tell me about it?” Her eyes looked at me seriously, clear and innocent. I was stunned. Was last night just my dream? Autumn had never lied to me, I never doubted what she said. Holy crap! I couldn’t have been such a pervert to Autumn, could I? The sensations in the dream felt so real, The unusual feelings in my body made me scream internally. [Adam, you big pervert!] I couldn’t help but doubt myself, Am I… lacking female company, or… Could I possibly like Autumn? (4) Autumn was the daughter of my mom’s friend, Her father had an affair, and a planned charcoal incident took both parents’ lives. Autumn was probably the only hope her mother didn’t want to give up in her despair. Her mother had timed it perfectly when Autumn wasn’t home, She was in high school, a day student, Friday was supposed to be a happy day off. But when she returned home and opened the door, Instead of her mother’s smiling face and the familiar smell of home-cooked meals, Choking carbon monoxide rolled into the hallway, and two cold bodies lay sleeping on the sofa. This became Autumn’s nightmare every night. Autumn’s relatives were far away in her hometown, long out of touch. Her father had transferred his assets to someone else, her mother had spent lavishly, and years of drama had left their once well-off family in dire straits. Autumn became an orphan, a hungry orphan. The day my mom brought Autumn home, I had just finished my college entrance exams and was on vacation. “Who’s this?” I asked. I had been out partying all day, my voice hoarse from singing, my face tired, just wanting to go to sleep quickly. As soon as I entered the door, before I could dramatically call out “Mom—”, I met eyes with Autumn on the sofa. She wore a white shirt that had almost lost its color, school uniform pants, her hair was messy, there was a smudge of dirt on her nose, she was thin, very thin, her shoulder blades were like thin sheets, her jawline was clearer than my life plans, I felt I could snap her in half with one move, she looked dazed and very nervous. “Hello, brother. I’m Autumn,” she said. This was my first conversation with Autumn. Her crisp voice, unlike the coquettish voices of teenage girls, was like a gentle stream, instantly increasing my liking for her. I nodded at her and ducked into the kitchen. My mom was chatting with Mrs. Zhang and was startled by my sudden appearance. “So you remember to come home? Had enough fun?” she said. My mom gave me a knock on the head, “Stop, stop, if you keep hitting me, I’ll really turn into a chestnut!” I said, rubbing my head. “Who’s that outside, Mom? Autumn? That’s a pretty name.” I asked excitedly while grimacing in pain. “That’s your Aunt Wang’s daughter. Such a good child, but when her relatives heard there were no savings left, no one wanted to take her in. I was close with your Aunt Wang, and I didn’t want to see a good child’s growth stunted. We can afford to raise her, so I brought her back.” “We won’t do the formal paperwork and household registration, but we’ll support her education and let her live with us.” “What do you think, Adam?” “Huh?” I was listening intently and was caught off guard by the question. It was my mom’s way of doing things. As far as I could remember, she and my dad had always been involved in charity work, with countless donations and volunteer activities every year. “I think it’s fine. We have money anyway, and I’ve always wanted a sister. You and dad won’t have another child, so isn’t this perfect?” I said. “What does Autumn say?” I was more concerned about the opinion of the poor little girl. “I told her there’s an older brother in the family, and she should get along well with you. She nodded in agreement.” “But how did you know her name was Autumn?” My mom looked at me suspiciously. “She told me,” I said, pointing to the living room. “That’s strange, she’s only been nodding at me. This child hasn’t spoken since I picked her up.” “We just got home. Why don’t you go help your sister get familiar with the environment? She seemed to be shaking earlier.” Having found out what I wanted to know, I quickly accepted this fact, We only had one child in our family, and I had long wanted a companion! Autumn saw me come out of the kitchen and nervously stood up from the sofa, “Brother…” she began hesitantly. “I’m here, you’re so good!” I walked over and patted her shoulder. Up close, I could see that Autumn was really pale, with thick eyebrows and bright eyes. Her eyes weren’t big but were very deep, with slightly drooping corners. Her eyelashes were straight and fluttering, blinking at me, wet and puppy-like. But her shoulders were really bony. I looked at the double swimming ring around my belly and made up my mind to feed her more! She looked a bit panicked, took a step forward, and stared at my hand. “Dirty…” she said. I was stunned and felt a bit sad, Poor thing, how was her sad childhood any different from those novel heroines I read about! I would become her warm guardian angel! Protect her in the name of the moon’s justice! I raised my hand and gently brought it close to her nose tip, Slowly wiping away the dirt on her nose. Feeling her warm skin trembling slightly under my hand, I felt like I was truly a beautiful, kind, and generous big brother. “From now on, I’ve got your back!” I declared. Who would have thought that this promise would trip me up for a lifetime? (5) After Autumn asked me, I didn’t know how to respond. The doorbell saved me from my twitching lips. “Mom! Dad!” “Auntie, Uncle.” My parents came back early! Weren’t they supposed to be away for a month?! I stepped forward to take the luggage from my dad’s hand, but Autumn was faster. Her palm brushed against my hand as she passed, still burning hot. I withdrew my hand, unconsciously rubbing it. My mom came in and scrutinized me carefully. I felt a bit guilty under her gaze, I had to admit, the question of whether I liked Autumn or not Had torn open a layer in my heart, Many scenes that once seemed normal Now carried an ambiguous and romantic air in my mind. Did my mom notice something?! No, wait! Wasn’t last night’s craziness just a dream? What am I afraid of? I straightened my back, innocent people have nothing to fear! “Have you gained weight these past few days?” my mom asked. Her words struck me like lightning, deflating my confidence. “I haven’t~” I frowned, “Dad, control your wife! She starts criticizing me as soon as she gets home.” “It does look like you’ve put on a bit of weight, son,” my dad said, handing a cup of tea to my mom and sitting down on the sofa with a smile. I knew it! These two are always lovey-dovey without me! “Autumn! Come here quickly!” I called out. Autumn had gone to the kitchen to do something. Only Autumn would be on my side. After calling out, I felt a bit of regret. Damn, I called out of habit! We still hadn’t resolved the awkward situation from earlier. Autumn came over and sat down next to me. “We came back because of Autumn’s household registration issue,” my mom said. “Yesterday was Autumn’s coming of age ceremony, she’s eighteen now and can have her own household registration. We promised Autumn before that we’re a family. Respecting her wishes, we’ve separated Adam’s household registration from your father’s.” My mom handed over a brand new, bright red family registry booklet. Autumn opened it, there was only one page, Just Autumn herself. I looked at Autumn’s expression, she didn’t seem sad or happy. “Thank you, Uncle and Auntie,” Autumn stood up and bowed. I was already a bit nervous and stood up with her. “Thank you, Mom and Dad,” I said. The three of them stared at me with wide eyes. What did I say?! Why am I thanking them?! I raised my hand and covered my face. My parents burst out laughing, Through the gaps between my fingers, I saw Autumn laughing too, her eyes curved like a little fox. “Dinner’s ready!” Mrs. Zhang called from the kitchen, As I turned to pass by Autumn, “Not fat at all,” she said. Her gentle voice was like a wind I couldn’t catch, brushing past my ear. My ear felt a bit itchy, like spring rain plucking harp strings, joy welling up inside me. Congratulations on growing up, Autumn. (6) On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival, we eat tangyuan (sweet rice balls). My grandparents had long since moved from our hometown to the city, But I needed a video shot for my assignment, so I wanted to go back to our hometown to film. Needless to say, my parents wouldn’t agree, “The house back home is empty! What are you going back for?” “It’s so far away, it’s not safe for you to go alone!” “It’s not okay even if you go with Leo. Are two boys safer? Doesn’t he want to spend time with his grandparents?” No matter how much I argued, my parents wouldn’t budge. Luckily, I’ve always been a bit rebellious. At five in the morning, while my parents were still asleep, I crept downstairs with my backpack, Paused for a moment as I passed Autumn’s room, But resolutely continued downstairs, Quietly, quietly, I closed the front door. I turned around, about to cheer silently, When a dark figure standing outside the door nearly made me scream. The figure quickly covered my mouth. “It’s me,” a familiar voice said. I relaxed. It was Autumn. “What are you doing?!” I was a bit angry, “You nearly scared me to death!” “Brother’s going out without me?” Autumn took a step forward, looking down at me, her voice contrasting with her imposing stance, sounding hurt. “I…” I deflated immediately, Rummaging in my pocket, I handed her a hand warmer, Her hands had been so cold just now. “It’s not that I didn’t want to bring you, you’re in your senior year, you need to study hard.” Actually, when I thought about going back home, Autumn was the first person I wanted to bring, but she needed to study, so I didn’t invite her, because I knew, Autumn would never refuse me. “One day won’t make a difference, let’s go,” Autumn took my backpack and put it on her own back. It was still dark, the streetlights made the ground look clean and even, our footsteps left side-by-side tracks in the untouched snow. I excitedly stepped left and right, Small snowflakes floated in the air, cool as they slipped into my collar. Autumn reached out to adjust the hood at the back of my neck. “But what if my parents scold me? They’ll scold you too!” I worried. “Not afraid,” she replied. “What if it interrupts your studies?” “Not afraid.” “Why are you coming back home with me?” “Don’t want you to be scared.” (7) The train tickets back to our hometown were sold out, so we had to buy afternoon bus tickets. After finishing two large Cokes at McDonald’s, it was finally time to board the bus. Our hometown wasn’t very close, and by bus, it would take more than a day, which meant we would have to stay overnight at an inn. The bus was very crowded, with luggage piled everywhere. A weathered worker was holding a cup of instant noodles, a mother in the back corner was discreetly breastfeeding her baby, an old man was squinting at his old-fashioned phone with a speaker, all sorts of people, each unfamiliar face bearing the joy of going home. Autumn and I found our seats and hugged our bags. The bus wasn’t well-ventilated, the smell wasn’t pleasant, and I felt a bit motion sick. Autumn opened her jacket, patted her shoulder, gesturing for me to lean over. “Get some sleep, or you’ll get carsick later,” she said. Her legs were very long, curled up in the seat, her brows slightly furrowed. Poor thing, I felt bad for her. I leaned over, burying my nose in her clothes and taking a deep breath, The familiar soap scent made me genuinely drowsy. Autumn’s shoulder was still as thin as before. The little 5-foot carrot had grown quickly, in the blink of an eye, she was now about 5’5″. I unconsciously nuzzled closer, It’s good, I didn’t fail in my feeding efforts. “Wake up, brother,” Autumn called softly. I groggily woke up to Autumn’s voice. Outside it was pitch black, with only a large searchlight. Autumn shielded my eyes with her hand, afraid the light would hurt them. She lowered her head, her voice very gentle, “We need to stay at an inn for the night, it’s not safe to walk in the snow at night.” “Okay,” I agreed. Still dazed, I got off the bus with Autumn. In the middle of nowhere, there were no other houses, just one lonely inn. The bus driver assigned rooms based on the tickets. I was paired with the breastfeeding brother, and Autumn with another guy. Autumn held my hand as I was about to go in. I turned back to look at her. “Rest well tonight. If you’re cold, I packed some hand warmers in the bag,” she said. I don’t know if it was the dark night intensifying my uneasy feelings, or if the snow’s reflection cast a soft light on Autumn, but at that moment, I didn’t want to leave her. “Hey, brother, do you know this young lady?” the other guy asked excitedly as he approached the inn’s entrance. “This is my wife, it’s inconvenient for her to get up at night to feed the baby,” he said, supporting the brother holding the child. Looking at Autumn and me holding hands, “You two are a couple, right? This is perfect, let’s switch rooms.” Seeing the hopeful looks in the brother and guy’s eyes, and the baby waving its arms and legs, I have to admit, I was shamefully tempted. Autumn nodded in agreement before I could say anything. The family of three happily left our sight. Autumn explained, “Brother taught me to help others when we can. I did it.” “Autumn is so good,” I praised. (8) “Honey water, brother,” Autumn said, handing me a thermos. The water inside was just the right temperature. She efficiently spread the blanket down the middle of the bed, took out some clothes from her bag, and laid them on the bed. I finished drinking the water just as Autumn made an excuse to go downstairs to buy something. “I’m going to buy a pair of slippers, it’s too dirty here,” she said. Perfect, I could take a quick shower. I quickly finished showering and ran out of the bathroom. Barefoot, I came face to face with Autumn, who was holding the slippers. Autumn’s expression was poor. She pushed me up and led me to the bed. For the first time, I looked down at Autumn from a higher angle. “Aren’t you afraid of getting a stomachache, brother? The floor is very cold,” she said. I mumbled that I understood and crawled under the covers. My little heart couldn’t bear to look at Autumn now, it was beating so fast. Autumn didn’t shower and lay down fully clothed. I closed my eyes for a while, not feeling very sleepy. Just as I was about to say something, unfamiliar sounds came from next door. I pricked up my ears. What was that?! Listening carefully, oh my god, next door someone was… was…

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I’m known in my social circle as a feisty woman who never holds back her words. My mom always said I’d have a tough time after getting married. But surprisingly, I ended up with a husband who dotes on me, and a mother-in-law with a soft personality. As a result, I found myself with no outlet for my fiery temperament, and my married life was almost boringly blissful. That is, until my father-in-law’s old flame returned from abroad, and my mother-in-law started getting pushed around. I cracked my knuckles, ready to strike back! My dad has always been a total softie when it comes to me. Growing up, there was nothing I couldn’t have if I wanted it. But my mom, on the other hand, has always been too nice for her own good. If anyone asked for something, she’d give it away without a second thought. So when I was little, from my toys to our household appliances, relatives, neighbors, and even strangers could just take whatever they wanted. She was even obsessed with helping her brother. My dad would earn money, and she’d insist on buying a house, a car, and even paying for my uncle’s wedding. She even offered to take care of their kids. My dad indulged my mom because she had a tough childhood, but she took advantage of his kindness. After countless failed protests, I developed my feisty personality and sharp tongue. Anyone who crossed my path, even a stray dog, would feel my wrath. From then on, no one could take even a needle or thread from our house. I even set the PINs for my parents’ bank accounts. My spineless mom would cry in my dad’s arms, saying, “This child doesn’t know how to share. How will she survive in society?” I’d roll my eyes and retort, “If you’re so good at sharing, why don’t you share your husband? I wouldn’t mind having a stepmom.” Letting people walk all over you isn’t kindness; it’s weakness. If it weren’t for me, my dad would have given away two-thirds of his assets because of my mom. Throwing tantrums became my forte. At the slightest provocation, I’d dramatically crawl on the ground. Eventually, my uncle’s family stopped visiting. Whenever my cousin started crying, my aunt would knock on the window and say, “Your cousin is coming!” My cousin would immediately shut up. Everyone said that Cassandra, old Wang’s daughter, was such a shrew that she’d never get married. But not only did I get married, I married up. After the wedding, we lived in harmony, and I found myself with no outlet for my fiery personality.

I met my husband, Luke, through a blind date. During our first meeting, I warned him about my bad temper and told him to think carefully. To my surprise, he blushed and said he actually wanted someone with a strong personality. My father-in-law, Robert, is the CEO of an import-export company, while my mother-in-law, Helen, owns a chain of kindergartens. Luke and I meeting was pure coincidence. He was at the restaurant for a business meeting when I mistook him for my blind date. He fell for me at first sight and made it clear he wouldn’t marry anyone else. When we met the parents, my father-in-law wasn’t pleased to learn I was just a small factory owner’s daughter with a notorious temper. He was a million times against the marriage, but Luke threatened to end his life if he couldn’t marry me. So, I became Mrs. Shen. I expected chaos and drama after moving in, but my mother-in-law turned out to be quiet and never gave me a hard time. She always spoke in a gentle voice. All my expectations of epic mother-in-law battles went up in smoke. Two years into the marriage, our family life was almost scarily harmonious. Until my father-in-law’s old flame, Vanessa, called and asked him to meet her abroad. That was the first time I saw my mother-in-law lose her composure. I immediately went to dig through our family albums. When I saw photos of Vanessa snuggling up to my father-in-law, I understood why my mother-in-law was so upset. Anyone could see that this woman had an unusual relationship with my father-in-law. I mean, who takes photos pressed up against someone else’s body like that? This was even more intimate than my in-laws’ wedding photos. And this was thirty years ago when society was more conservative. If it were today, I bet Vanessa would be right in between my father-in-law and mother-in-law in bed!

The next day, I drove my car to play mahjong with some ladies. After a few rounds, I had dug up all the dirt on this Vanessa. I never imagined I’d stumble upon a plot straight out of a soap opera. It turns out that Vanessa and my mother-in-law, Helen, were switched at birth in the hospital. It wasn’t until they were eighteen that the He family discovered the mix-up and brought Helen back home. Although Helen hadn’t grown up in luxury, her foster parents had never neglected her, and she had grown into a graceful and well-mannered young lady. Vanessa, used to her life of privilege, refused to return to her birth parents. So the He family ended up raising both girls. At the time, Vanessa had a childhood sweetheart – my father-in-law, Robert. They grew up together, and Robert always took care of her. The Shen and He families were close, so they were betrothed from a young age. Later, the Shen family’s business took a downturn, and they faced financial difficulties. Vanessa broke off the engagement and married the son of an oil tycoon she had only known for a few days. Their marriage was opposed by the He family. Vanessa cut ties with them, claiming she wasn’t their biological child and they had no right to interfere in her marriage. She left for abroad to marry the rich heir. This incident broke the hearts of the He family and Robert. It was at this time that Helen entered Robert’s life. They supported each other and gradually fell in love. Vanessa had broken the engagement, and the He family, feeling guilty towards the Shen family, fully supported Helen and Robert’s relationship. Old Mr. He invested a million dollars in the Shen family business. With this financial support, Robert took a risk and eventually turned the business around. Together with Helen, they made the Shen family business thrive once again. Later, they naturally got married and had a child. Before the wedding, Robert sent Vanessa an invitation. But Vanessa never responded and didn’t show up on the wedding day. After marriage, Robert and Helen lived in mutual respect and affection. Their life was simple but happy. But everyone in the family, except me, knew that Vanessa was Robert’s true love. No one dared to mention her name; he’d fly into a rage if anyone did. I wanted to see what this nearly fifty-year-old “moon” could do.

Faced with my father-in-law rushing abroad, my mother-in-law Helen didn’t show any reaction. She even thoughtfully packed his luggage for him. But after he left, she cried alone in the bedroom. I swung my little handbag and pushed open the door to my mother-in-law’s bedroom. “Mom~ Want to get our nails done? Super long ones that could kill someone!” Helen quickly wiped away her tears and composed herself before talking to me. “Cassandra, you go ahead. I’ll give you some money.” “If you think it’s inconvenient to keep going out for manicures, we can hire a nail technician to come to the house. I’ll cover it.” Looking at the credit card my mother-in-law handed me, I wanted to hug her and call her my real mom. Just as I was about to reach for it, I caught a glimpse of her phone screen and realized she was looking at Vanessa’s social media posts. “Mom, let me see!” Helen sighed deeply and handed me her phone. I was shocked by what I saw. Vanessa had brazenly posted selfies with my father-in-law Robert on her social media, with captions like: “After all this time, it’s still you.” There was even a photo from above, showing Robert tying her shoelaces. Caption: “Only big brother still treats me like a little girl~” There was even a photo someone else took, with Robert giving her a piggyback ride, her face resting on his shoulder, looking all lovey-dovey. Caption: “After so many years, our feelings haven’t changed.” She posted seven or eight similar posts, more than most people post during an entire vacation. I couldn’t bear to look anymore and handed the phone back to Helen. “Mom, is your husband having an affair?”

Helen took back the phone, looking like she was about to cry again. I can’t stand seeing her cry. She’s rich and beautiful, why should she cry over a man? “I mean, Mom, why don’t you just divorce this cheap husband and live your best life?” Helen shook her head. “Cassandra, I’ve spent more than half my life with him. Even now, I still have feelings for him, otherwise I wouldn’t be so upset.” “Forget it, Cassandra. Go shopping! Don’t let this mess ruin your mood. Buy whatever gold jewelry you like, use Mom’s cards.” Good lord, she’s not just a mother-in-law, she’s a walking ATM! I took the five cards Helen gave me and tucked them safely in my pocket. If you pay me, I’ll do the job. I might as well help her deal with that old cheater! “It’s just an old gold digger! Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll handle it!” A few days later, my father-in-law returned from abroad. My mother-in-law and I watched him enter the yard. Vanessa was clinging to his left arm, and he was holding a little girl’s hand on his right. Vanessa wore a white form-fitting cheongsam with sparkling jewelry around her neck. Whether intentional or not, Robert was also dressed in a white suit, and even the little girl wore a white princess dress. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were a family of three in matching outfits! I rolled up my sleeves, ready to pounce. “Oh~ This must be Aunt Vanessa! Welcome, welcome! What’s wrong? Did you break your foot? Quick! Let me, your junior, help you!” Seeing me come out, my father-in-law immediately pulled his arm away from Vanessa. “Vanessa, this is Cassandra, my daughter-in-law.” Vanessa wore an unreadable expression as she politely extended her hand to me. “Hello, but why do you ask if I broke my foot?” I didn’t shake her hand, instead covering my mouth in mock surprise. “Oh my! If your foot isn’t broken, why are you clinging to someone else’s husband’s arm? Oh no! Don’t tell me! Aunt Vanessa, you didn’t do this on purpose, did you?” “OMG! Did you come back just to steal someone else’s husband?”

I didn’t expect to come on so strong right away, catching Vanessa off guard. In an instant, her eyes reddened, and she made a move to lean on Robert. I quickly squeezed Robert aside and steadily offered Vanessa my shoulder. “Auntie, I was just joking! Look at you! Did I hurt your feelings?” Unable to stand my sarcasm, Robert shouted at me. “Cassandra! What are you doing? Your Aunt Vanessa just arrived, how can you speak to her like that?” “I can see my son has spoiled you rotten! Apologize to your aunt right now!” Just as he was about to say more nonsense, I cut him off. “Auntie, I’m just the daughter of a small factory owner. I’m uneducated and uncultured, and I like to talk nonsense. You’re a big person, surely you won’t take offense at a kid like me, right?” Seeing me back down so quickly caught Vanessa off guard, leaving her speechless. Robert pointed at me, sputtering “You… you…” for a while, unable to say anything. My mother-in-law watched my performance with wide eyes before finally coming out. She walked towards the three of them, heading into the house, giving me a thumbs up behind her back. Well, what can I say? I’ve been staying at home with nothing better to do. At dinner, Vanessa kept putting food in Helen’s bowl. “Sister, thank you for taking care of Robert all these years.” Before Helen could respond, Robert waved his hand. “Vanessa, don’t worry about her. Look how thin you are, you should eat more.” He then put a piece of braised pork in Vanessa’s bowl. Vanessa daintily took a small bite of the lean meat, then put the fatty part in Helen’s bowl, giggling. “Sister~ I remember when we were little, you always liked to eat my leftovers. Back then, Mom and Dad always said you spoiled me the most. Do you remember?”

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I was reborn. In my previous life, I married Jack Zhou. After our wedding, his sister Fiona would frequently come over with her kids to mooch off us. Jack and I would argue. Fiona directly introduced him to a mistress. I divorced Jack and took our son with me. I scrimped and saved to raise our child. I helped him start his own family. Just when I thought I could finally enjoy life, the doctor told me I had stomach cancer. In the end, I died in pain. Now that I have a second chance at life, I refuse to be a bitter wife again. As my son’s heartbroken cries faded away, I felt my body becoming lighter and lighter. I wanted to tell my son not to be sad, to think of me as going to a better place in heaven. But when I opened my eyes, I found myself in a room that was both strange and familiar. After carefully looking around for a while, I realized it was the bedroom Jack and I had shared. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, decades younger, I pinched myself hard to confirm that I had really been reborn. Where was Ethan? Right, my son. Thinking of my child, I rushed out of the room. That’s when I saw the malted milk powder I had bought for Ethan opened on the table. My son was staring at it longingly, while Fiona’s three children each had a cup and were drinking happily. My mother-in-law saw me and quickly made a cup for Ethan too, looking a bit guilty. “Maggie, did we wake you up?” I didn’t say anything, just picked up Ethan and hugged him tightly, unable to get enough of his sweet baby scent. Ethan was only two years old now. He had always been small and frail as a child. For his sake, I had denied myself food and new clothes, trying to save every penny I could to help him grow up healthy. My sister-in-law Fiona, on the other hand, loved romance and indulgence. Even after her husband passed away, she didn’t change. She could spend a month’s salary on a pair of designer heels without blinking. Her three children often went hungry and poorly dressed. Every few days, my in-laws would bring them over to “improve their nutrition.” At mealtimes, they ate like refugees. Ethan and I were often left with just leftovers. Although Jack didn’t give me his salary, I was working and paying my share of living expenses to my in-laws. But my son and I still couldn’t even eat our fill in this house. My father-in-law, mother-in-law and Jack spoiled Fiona beyond reason. Despite being an ordinary family, she wore designer clothes and shoes. After I divorced Jack in my previous life, he remarried and had to support his new family. Fiona’s three kids were older by then and cost even more. They all started to struggle financially. Only then did Fiona begin to give up her pursuit of luxury brands. I took Ethan back to our room and pulled out my bankbook. It showed 500 yuan that I had painstakingly saved. It was the 1980s now. The wave of economic reforms was sweeping across the country. In my previous life, the factory I worked at announced its closure two years later. After losing that job, I could only find work as a waitress or doing odd jobs. So even when faced with Jack’s betrayal, no matter how angry and resentful I felt, I didn’t dare initiate a divorce. We dragged on until Ethan was 10 years old. By then, Jack’s mistress was pregnant. Only then was I forced to leave with Ethan. Now that I’ve been reborn, I refuse to be a bitter wife again. That afternoon, I took Ethan to visit several of my good friends. I managed to borrow another 300 yuan from them. The next day at work, I submitted my resignation to the workshop director. With the factory’s poor performance lately, the director approved my resignation quickly. I took Ethan back to my parents’ home in the countryside. I gave my parents 100 yuan and asked them to help take care of Ethan. I said I would come back for him in three months. By this time, Jack was already living as husband and wife with his mistress in the employee dormitory, thanks to Fiona’s matchmaking. In the eyes of my in-laws and Jack, I was an unreasonable troublemaker. They probably thought I was up to no good by taking the child back to my parents. So I wasn’t worried about them coming to bother me. That evening, I boarded a train to S City. At the wholesale market there, I used my remaining money to buy several dozen pairs of jeans. Then I took them to the provincial capital to sell. In less than half a day, all the jeans were sold out. I did some calculations. In less than half a day, my net profit was 200 yuan. To be on the safe side, I chose a nicer looking hotel. After checking the doors and windows carefully, I hung a cup on the doorknob before falling into a deep sleep. The next day, I continued to buy inventory at the wholesale market, then resold it in the provincial capital. After a month of early mornings and late nights, I calculated that I had earned several thousand yuan. At that time, a house in my hometown only cost a few thousand yuan. In other words, I had earned in one month what an average person would make in ten years. I deposited the money in the bank, then put on my old shabby clothes and took the train back home. First, I bought lots of gifts and returned to my parents’ home. After a month apart, Ethan looked pretty good under my parents’ care – his cheeks had filled out a bit. My brother and sister-in-law were genuinely happy to see the gifts I brought. After distributing the presents, I stayed one night before returning to the city. I went to my friends’ homes to repay the money I had borrowed. I also bought them gifts to thank them for helping me in my time of need. Finally, I returned to my in-laws’ home. Jack happened to be there too. My in-laws didn’t show much expression when they saw me return. Jack looked at me with disgust: “Are you done with your month-long tantrum?” I smiled slightly. Biased people will always be biased. Ethan had been away with me for a month, but they hadn’t even asked once how he was doing. I got straight to the point: “Let’s get divorced. I’ll take custody of our son.” My father-in-law immediately smashed his teacup. Jack also asked angrily: “Maggie, what kind of nonsense are you talking now?” I snorted coldly: “You don’t care about me or our child. Divorce is best for both of us. I’ll raise the child myself. I know what you’ve been up to at your factory, even if I haven’t said anything. If you won’t divorce me, I’ll tell everyone about it and let them judge. Your sister finding women for her brother? What kind of people are you? If you push me too far, I’ll report you for bigamy.” My father-in-law slammed the table: “Maggie, you’ve gone too far.” I laughed coldly: “You didn’t think it was too much when your daughter-in-law had to raise a child alone. You didn’t think it was too much when your daughter found a mistress for your son. But now that I want a divorce, you think it’s too much? Your standards for what’s ‘too much’ are quite flexible. I guess only your own children are human, and everyone else doesn’t matter?” In the past, I had tried to be respectful of my elders. So even when faced with my in-laws’ bias, although I was unhappy, I would back down as soon as they got angry. Living this life over again, who would still treat them like saints? Morally upright elders deserve respect in their old age. But people with poor character are just nasty old folks when they age. My mother-in-law came over: “Maggie, you’re a mother too. You may feel we’re biased, but Fiona is my daughter as well. Forcing us to abandon her – isn’t that unreasonable of you?” Just then, Fiona returned home with her three children. I looked at Fiona’s outfit. Her hair was freshly permed. I had seen the same coat at the wholesale market – even the wholesale price was 200 yuan. Add in the dress and high heels, this outfit cost at least 500 yuan. That was her entire year’s salary. She looked nothing like a girl from an ordinary family – more like a rich young lady. “It’s not wrong for you to care about your daughter. I care about my son too. He has a father but it’s like he doesn’t. Since you won’t take care of him, I’ll take him with me. Stop wasting time. Let’s get divorced.” As soon as Fiona heard this, she pulled her three children behind her and shouted at me: “Sister-in-law, what have I done to offend you? Why do you dislike me so much? Is it not okay for me to bring my kids to my parents’ home?”

“You’re right, there’s no problem with you bringing your kids to your parents’ home. So now I’m also taking my child back to my parents’ home.” I realized there was no point trying to reason with them. So I spoke directly to Jack: “Jack, say something. Are we getting divorced or not? If not, I’m going to find that Lily at your factory. I’d like to ask her if she has any shame, an unmarried girl living with a married man.” Jack raised his hand to slap me. I grabbed his arm and pushed him away. My mother-in-law and Fiona came to stop me. I pushed them away too, one in each hand. I grew up in the countryside and had done plenty of farm work. I still had some strength in me. I certainly wasn’t going to stand there and be hit. My mother-in-law stumbled to the side. Fiona steadied her mother and cursed at me: “Maggie, you shrew! My brother was truly blind to marry you.” “Say what you want. Jack, are you divorcing me or not? If not, I’m leaving. Just don’t regret it later.” My in-laws stared at Jack. Fiona spoke up: “Brother, divorce her. Let’s see if she still dares to make such a scene.” Jack took a deep breath: “Fine, we can divorce. But you can’t have custody of our son.” I just smiled: “Jack, after we divorce, you’ll marry Lily and have another child. Add in Ethan, you’ll have to support two children plus help out your sister. Are you sure your salary is enough? If I take Ethan, I’ll only spend money on him. He’ll have a much better life with me than with you. Think it over. Tomorrow at 9 AM, let’s meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau.” With that, I turned and left my in-laws’ home. I went straight to stay at a local guesthouse. I believed that after a night of consideration, Jack would give up Ethan. After all, he had done so in my previous life. The next day, Jack brought the necessary documents and met me at the Civil Affairs Bureau. With the official stamp, my marriage to Jack was officially over. In front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Jack said: “You can have custody of the child. But you should still let my parents see him every few months.” I nodded in agreement. Let them see. Without them, Ethan and I would have such a good life. That night I returned to my parents’ home in the countryside. As I held my son in my arms that evening, I was determined to give him a better future. Before returning to S City, I gave my mother another 100 yuan. I told her not to skimp on spending money. My nephew was already three years old, and my sister-in-law was pregnant with her second child. Including Ethan, all the adults and children needed proper nutrition. I didn’t want my sister-in-law to feel I was overstepping. I understood the need for boundaries now that my brother was married. In my previous life, my brother had taken care of me a lot after my divorce. Whenever I visited home with Ethan, my sister-in-law was always very welcoming, cooking chicken and duck for us. In this life, now that I had the means, I definitely wanted to help them out. Over the next six months, I would send 100 yuan back home every few months. The rest of the money, I held onto tightly. I had already made plans. While property prices were still low, I would buy a commercial space first. During the day I could run my clothing business, and at night I could sleep there to save on rent. Money makes money. Then I would buy a house. I could bring Ethan to the city for a good education. Before the New Year that year, I bought my first commercial space and house. I personally handled all the renovations and inventory. Then I returned home with luggage full of gifts. My sister-in-law couldn’t stop admiring the clothes I bought her. For my brother, I got a pair of leather shoes. I bought alcohol for my father and a new cotton jacket for my mother. Although my parents were happy, their expressions couldn’t hide their worry.

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A friend of mine from the City Development Office told me that the house my parents bought for me might be part of an upcoming Urban Renewal Project. I was eager to share this good news with my husband and mother-in-law. But when I got home, I saw my father-in-law, who had been dead for ten years, sitting there. Mrs. Harrington told me that when Marshall had gone overseas for work, he lost contact. Everyone assumed he had died. Now, Marshall had made money in Switzerland and wanted to bring the whole family to enjoy a better life. When Marshall saw my skeptical expression, his face changed instantly. “Daughter-in-law, what’s with that look? Are you not happy to see me back?” I stayed silent, which only seemed to anger him more. “We’re family, and I’ve come back to give you all a good life. Do you think I’m lying?” But there was something about his face that struck me. I’d swear I’d seen it before on one of those Online Fraud Watch sites. That afternoon, I got a call from my old friend, Olivia, who told me that the area where my parents had bought a house for me was going to be part of the Urban Renewal Project. I was so excited that I went to the market and bought expensive lobster and king crab, intending to celebrate with Everett and Mrs. Harrington. When I got home, there was a stranger sitting on the couch. Mrs. Harrington took the groceries from my hands and pulled me over to the man. “Harper, this is Ben’s father.” Mrs. Harrington’s eyes were red and puffy, her voice hoarse, clearly having just been crying. I stared in shock at the man in front of me, then glanced toward the wall where Marshall’s memorial photo had been hanging. But now, the wall was bare. Seeing my wide eyes and disbelief, Mrs. Harrington sighed. “Back then, when Ben’s father went to Switzerland for work, we lost all contact with him. We thought he had died.” “You’ve only been married to Ben for three years, so you wouldn’t know what happened before.” At that moment, Ben came home with a huge grin on his face. “Hey babe, you’re back!” “Can you believe it? I never thought I’d see my dad again.” As he spoke, tears welled up in Ben’s eyes. Mrs. Harrington and Marshall were also caught up in the moment, the three of them crying and embracing each other. Meanwhile, I stood there, completely bewildered. When Ben and I started dating four years ago, he told me his dad had died long ago, and his mother had raised him alone. I had always felt for Mrs. Harrington’s struggles and was determined to treat her with respect and care. Fortunately, Mrs. Harrington was understanding, and in the three years since Ben and I had married, there had been hardly any conflicts. But now, with this sudden appearance of a father-in-law, I felt a bit lost. At dinner, Everett and Mrs. Harrington were constantly piling food onto Marshall’s plate. I sat there, biting my chopsticks, thinking for a moment before I cautiously asked, “Dad, what were you doing all these years in Switzerland? Why didn’t you ever get in touch?” Marshall raised his head, his eyes darting around before he hesitated and put down his fork, lowering his head so I couldn’t see his expression. “When I first arrived in Switzerland, I didn’t know anyone, and I was robbed of everything I had. I survived by scavenging.” Mrs. Harrington’s eyes were filled with pity. Ben’s eyes also reddened as he clenched his fists tightly. “Later, I found work as a janitor and managed to save up a little money.” At this, Marshall looked up with deep affection toward Mrs. Harrington. “I left promising to make big money and take care of you both, but I was a failure. I only had a few hundred dollars and didn’t have the courage to come back.” Tears streamed down Mrs. Harrington’s face as she shook her head, devastated. “Then, two years ago, I met my current boss and finally started making real money.” “I’ve returned to make up for the years of guilt.” I frowned, feeling like something was off. Even if he didn’t have money, surely making a phone call wasn’t that hard? And from what I knew of Mrs. Harrington and Ben, they wouldn’t have held anything against him, even if he came back empty-handed. Just as I was about to speak, Ben interrupted me. “Harper, Dad’s just gotten back. Let’s let him rest for now. There’ll be plenty of time later.” Before bed, I asked Everett, “Did your dad come back alone this time? Did he say what he’s here to do?” Everett, yawning and barely keeping his eyes open, mumbled, “I think he brought an assistant, but he didn’t really say what he’s here for.” I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, while Everett was already snoring beside me. This whole situation was just too strange. Besides, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had seen Marshall’s face somewhere before.

The next morning, I walked into the living room and saw Marshall returning with breakfast in hand. He beamed at me, inviting me to eat. He had brought a spread of grits with cheese, fried dough, and cinnamon rolls, all greasy and spicy food. “Harper, I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got what your mother-in-law and Ben enjoy.” I looked at the spread and forced a smile. “Dad, you still remember what they like to eat?” Marshall’s smile faltered for a second but quickly returned to normal. “Of course! We’re family, after all. How could I forget?” “Your mother and Ben always loved grits, especially with extra spice.” I sat down slowly, picking up a spoon and eating the grits absentmindedly. The flavor was fine, but both Mrs. Harrington and Ben were allergic to dairy. And in recent years, Mrs. Harrington had developed high cholesterol, so she couldn’t eat greasy food anymore. Ben couldn’t handle spicy food either. I once secretly put a tiny bit of hot sauce in his dish, and he turned bright red. Maybe Marshall didn’t know about Mrs. Harrington’s health conditions, but their allergy to dairy? That’s something they’ve had forever. ······ At first, I thought Marshall’s sudden return was part of some scheme. I observed him for two weeks, but all he did was take Mrs. Harrington shopping for clothes and jewelry, or give me and Ben cash gifts for no reason. Watching Marshall’s sincerity, I started wondering if I was being too suspicious. Could it be that he really wanted to make up for lost time? One day, when Ben and I were off work, Marshall brought home a man. “This is my assistant, Gabriel Sterling. He’s been busy with work, but he finally had time to come by today.” Gabriel looked a few years younger than Ben, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking well-mannered. “Nice to meet you! I’m Gabriel, Mr. Harrington’s assistant.” Marshall then told us that his boss was planning to open a branch of their company here and that he’d be made the general manager. Gabriel had been handling the company’s business over the past few days. Mrs. Harrington and Ben were overjoyed, clearly impressed that Marshall had climbed to such a high position. But something about it felt off. It all seemed too sudden. During dinner, Marshall kept praising Gabriel, calling him talented and giving him credit for helping out a lot. Gabriel, on the other hand, was humble, insisting it was all thanks to Marshall’s leadership. After dinner, Marshall pulled Ben into the office, saying they had some business matters to discuss. I felt increasingly uneasy and snuck to the office door to eavesdrop. I overheard Marshall say, “Ben, this is a rare opportunity. You need to stick with me on this.” Ben replied, “Dad, I know, but is this really legit?” Marshall lowered his voice. “Don’t worry. With Gabriel’s help, everything’s fine.” The more I listened, the more suspicious I became. I returned to the living room to find Mrs. Harrington and Gabriel chatting away. There was something unsettling in Gabriel’s gaze. That night, I shared my concerns with Everett, but he shrugged it off, saying I was overthinking things. Yet my intuition told me there was something more going on with Marshall’s sudden success and this mysterious assistant, Gabriel. Everett brushed it off, telling me to rest. I sighed as I lay next to Everett, who was already snoring away. If things kept going like this, Marshall could sell Ben out, and he’d still be counting the money. As for the Urban Renewal Project, I decided to keep that to myself for now, just in case.

Marshall continued pulling Ben aside for private conversations over the next few days. No matter how much I asked, Ben would just smile and tell me, “Good times are ahead.” For some reason, hearing those words made me nervous. I wanted to confront them and find out what they were hiding from me. But seeing how happy Ben and Mrs. Harrington were every day, I didn’t know how to approach the situation. Besides, I didn’t think Marshall would go so far as to deceive his own son. One day, I came home to find several strangers sitting in the living room. Ben, excited, pulled me over and proudly said, “Harper, we’re getting a bigger house soon.” I was completely confused. Ben and I were just regular office workers. The house we had now had taken years of saving to afford. The thought crossed my mind—did they know my house was part of the Urban Renewal Project? Marshall gave a huff. “Don’t worry, it’s not coming out of your pockets. I’m paying for the upgrade.” I looked at him, shocked. “Dad, you’ve only been back for a month. Where’s the money coming from?” Marshall coughed and gestured toward the two people on the couch. “I’m planning to mortgage this house to them and chip in some extra cash to get you a bigger one.” Seeing that I was still hesitant, Ben tugged at my hand. “Harper, Dad said he’s buying us a place in Silverwood Estates.” “Silverwood Estates?” Marshall assumed I was overwhelmed with excitement and gave me a dismissive glance. “That’s a prime location. Tons of people would kill to live there.” I knew full well how exclusive Silverwood Estates was, but it wasn’t a place people like us could afford. It had only recently been developed, marketed as luxury living, with prices around $1,500 per square foot, and all units were a minimum of 3,200 square feet. For people like Ben and me, living there was a pipe dream. I knew it wasn’t realistic and turned to Ben, hoping he’d snap out of it. “Ben, this isn’t something we can just rush into.” “We’ve only had this house for two years. It’s a good home for all of us.” Ben seemed to waver, looking at Marshall with uncertainty. “Dad, Harper makes a good point. We’re just regular folks, and we’re fine as we are.” Marshall looked irritated. “Ben, why are you so easily swayed?” “I’m the CEO of the company now. Do I need to answer to outsiders just to buy my son a house?” “It seems you’ve forgotten you even have a father.” Marshall was seething, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he breathed heavily. Mrs. Harrington and Ben rushed over to calm him down. In the corner, Gabriel suddenly spoke up. “Although the company is just starting, we’ve already secured several big contracts in under a month.” “And Mr. Harrington’s performance overseas has been stellar for years.” “The company’s chairman is even offering a bonus to Mr. Harrington to help him buy a house as a reward.” His gaze bore into me, as if trying to drag me into a dark pit. “Harper, your father-in-law only wants what’s best for you. Besides, don’t you still have that other house your parents left you?” Ben’s voice held a hint of reproach. Marshall’s anger shifted at Ben’s words, softening slightly. No matter how much they tried to persuade me, I refused to sell the house. “This house belongs to both Ben and me. My name is on the deed.” “Unless I agree, there’s no way you’re selling it.” I threw down those words and stormed off into the bedroom.

I had expected Marshall to pressure me more about selling the house, but days passed without any mention of it, as though the whole issue had never come up. Half a month later, as I was leaving work with a colleague, I saw Ben waving at me from a distance. Standing behind him were Marshall and Gabriel. My heart sank, unsure of what they had come to do this time. Sensing the tension, my colleague made a quick exit. With a heavy heart, I walked over to them. Before I could say anything, Marshall smiled warmly and said, “Sweetheart, I was out of line before. I’ve come to apologize.” I was taken aback, unsure how to respond. Ben chimed in, “Yeah, Dad’s been thinking about it a lot and realized he overreacted.” Marshall continued, “We can take our time with the house. We’re family, after all. We can talk things through.” Hearing this, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, and my tone softened. “Dad, I’m glad you’re seeing it that way. We can always discuss things calmly.” Marshall then suggested we go out for dinner to talk more. At dinner, though, Marshall kept subtly probing about the location of the other house my parents had left me. My instincts went on high alert, and I answered vaguely. That house had been a gift from my parents when I got married. They were worried about me being far from home and having nowhere to go if anything went wrong, so they bought me a small second-hand house. Who knew that after just a few years, it would end up part of the Urban Renewal Project? Marshall seemed to pick up on my guardedness and lost interest, turning to drink with Gabriel. I frowned, watching Gabriel closely. Even though he was supposedly Marshall’s assistant, why was he attending a family dinner? Since Gabriel had arrived in our lives, Marshall treated him more like a superior than an assistant. The whole dinner felt like a game of hidden agendas, with only Ben getting drunk, blissfully unaware. Back home, I helped Ben to bed, and Mrs. Harrington handed him a large cup of honey water to sober up. I watched as Ben, his face flushed, tossed and turned on the bed. “Harper, I’m going to give you the best life,” Ben mumbled, half-asleep. I sat by the bed, gently patting his back to soothe him. “I believe you,” I whispered. But then he added, “Dad… I know… I know everything…” I froze, leaning in closer. “What do you know?” Ben rolled over and fell silent, refusing to speak. I gave him a frustrated nudge. I knew it. Something about Marshall’s return wasn’t right. Ben’s words kept me up all night. The next morning, as I dragged myself into work with dark circles under my eyes, my coworkers teased me about staying up late. At lunch, the colleague who had left with me the day before pulled me into the break room. She looked at me seriously. “Who were the two men with your husband yesterday?” I blinked in confusion. “That was… my father-in-law and his assistant.” She pulled up an article on her tablet and held it up for me to see. “Does this man and the younger one look familiar?” I stared at the screen and gasped. The man in the article was unmistakably Gabriel. Below his picture was the headline: “Business Fraud Suspect Still at Large.”

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After my car accident, I decided to feign amnesia to mess with my husband and son. “Who are you?” I asked. A glint of amusement flashed in my son’s eyes as he brought a woman from outside the hospital room and said, “Ma’am, my parents and I are just here to visit.” My husband stood silent beside him, implicitly approving of his son’s little game. 1 “Ma’am, my parents and I are just here to visit,” my son’s soft, innocent voice echoed in the hospital room. With a bandage wrapped around my forehead, I looked down at my five-year-old son, Evan Blake, holding onto two hands, a mischievous grin on his face. My husband, Lucas Blake, standing beside me in his perfectly tailored suit, looked at me with an intense, searching gaze, but didn’t correct our son’s choice of words. The woman Evan held onto wore a long, flowing white dress. She looked elegant and gentle but turned slightly flustered when I stared at her, tucking her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture. When Evan noticed my attention on Annie Wynn, he quickly stepped forward, positioning himself protectively between me and Annie, his “mother figure.” If I were truly suffering from amnesia, I might actually believe I was watching a perfectly happy family of three. Evan tugged on Lucas’s hand, whispering, “Dad, now that Mom’s lost her memory, can you finally get divorced?” Though he spoke in a whisper, he made sure I could hear him clearly. I knew his little trick—he was punishing me because yesterday I’d scolded him, embarrassing him in front of the housekeeper. He’d been angry, so this was his payback. This was how Evan enjoyed himself—making me the target of his pranks. But I had no intention of playing his game any longer. Since I’d claimed memory loss, I might as well keep going. I’d pretend there was no son, no husband. “Excuse me… who are you?” Evan looked at me, shocked and slightly flustered. “You really don’t remember me? You can’t forget me—I’m the kid you love most…” Lucas furrowed his brows, his cold gaze growing even frostier, his voice laced with annoyance. “Nina Shaw, stop acting. The doctor said it’s just a minor concussion, not serious. Don’t think you can pretend to have amnesia to get out of a divorce.” Evan chimed in, his little face scrunched up with displeasure, echoing Lucas’s impatience. “Yeah, stop pretending! You love us too much to ever forget us!” I was starting to feel a headache forming. Before I could reply, a nurse knocked on the door. “The patient needs rest,” she announced firmly. “Please, all non-family members, step outside.” Without a word, Lucas and Evan turned and left with Annie trailing after them. The young nurse entered, glancing back at them and said, “Your husband was here earlier—he just stepped out to grab some soup for you.” “My… husband?” My mind stalled a bit. Wasn’t my husband just escorted out by you? The nurse blinked in surprise. “Yes, he’s very handsome, I remember him from four years ago when I worked in obstetrics. He never left your side then; he always waited outside so attentively during your prenatal checkups.” She continued, “We all thought he was one of the rare ones—tall, kind, attentive, and not once on his phone. We actually started to believe in love again, thanks to him.” She paused, then laughed a little. “By the way, who are those two? They’re good-looking, but they looked like they were here to collect a debt or something.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. During all fourteen of my prenatal checkups, Lucas hadn’t come once. The man who had always been by my side was my younger half-brother, Chris Shaw, who was only eighteen at the time. I didn’t bother explaining my relationship with Lucas and Evan—soon enough, it wouldn’t matter. Moments later, Chris came in with a food container, slightly out of breath. My stomach growled at the sight; I hadn’t eaten all day, and the hunger pangs had turned to pain. Chris carefully opened the container, setting out the soup, napkins, water, and spoon with meticulous care. “It’s warm water, and your favorite congee with pork and egg. Eat up—I’ll peel the egg for you.” Ever since I first met Chris at fifteen, he’d been a steady, dependable presence. With a few bites, my stomach finally settled. When I looked up, I noticed his eyes were red, his lips trembling as he spoke with a hint of a quiver. “When I heard you’d been in a car accident… I was scared to death.” I felt a pang of warmth, a bittersweetness welling up. Who wouldn’t be terrified of a car crash? I’d been lucky, at least, not to be badly hurt. I’d thought I’d give Lucas and Evan a little scare, to make them laugh by pretending to lose my memory. But a person without a heart… well, how could they feel worry? 2 A few days later, I was discharged from the hospital. I told the doctors firmly that, aside from Lucas and Evan, I remembered everyone and everything else just fine. The doctor explained to Lucas that my memory loss was only temporary, caused by the concussion, and that I’d gradually regain full recollection. Back in Lucas’s house, I climbed the stairs, ignoring the cheerful piano melody coming from the living room. Evan and Annie were playing a duet, and when they finished, Annie gave him a proud thumbs-up. “Our little pianist, you’re amazing!” Evan blushed and grinned. “It’s because you’re such a good teacher!” The perfect picture of a loving mother and child. Without a word, I continued up the stairs, watching Evan’s smile vanish when he noticed me. Annie quickly stood up. “Mrs. Blake, how are you feeling?” Standing on the staircase, I nodded politely. “I’m nearly recovered. Please, carry on.” I didn’t dislike Annie—I envied her. She wasn’t a third party in my marriage. No, she was Lucas’s unforgettable first love. Though I had married Lucas, the truth remained: the unloved one is the real outsider. Lucas had first fallen for her at eighteen. And last month, when Wynn Corporation declared bankruptcy, Annie had returned. Her entire savings had gone toward covering her family’s debt, and her music degree wasn’t much help for finding high-paying work in the States. So, Lucas had made her Evan’s piano teacher at a monthly rate of $60,000. 3 “New Mom is the best! I love my New Mom!” Evan’s loud voice echoed through the living room. “Evan, I’m not—don’t call me that,” Annie replied, visibly uncomfortable. Evan wasn’t pleased with her response. Wrapping his little arms around her leg, he said, “If you keep calling me ‘Evan,’ I’ll get mad. You need to call me ‘Evie’! You’re so much nicer than my mom—I like you the best!” He glanced upstairs toward my room, ensuring I wasn’t there, then continued, “Can you just move in here? I’d love to see you first thing every morning. Dad said it’s fine, and our house is so big! You could have anything you want here.” Lucas had indeed offered Annie to stay in our house to save her the trouble of commuting, but she had politely declined, opting instead to rent a place. “Evan, you need to practice today’s piece,” Annie reminded him gently. He shook his head, determined to have her stay. “Are you scared of my mom? Don’t worry, Dad and I will protect you. She’d do anything Dad says—she wouldn’t dare do anything to you.” Evan knew exactly what to say to jab at my weak points. I put on my pearl earrings, moving deliberately as I walked downstairs. Annie looked visibly uncomfortable as I approached. “Annie, why don’t you stay here?” I said. “I know you spend hours on the bus every day. Don’t worry—you’re more than welcome.” Evan looked stunned, caught off guard. Usually, if Lucas drunkenly uttered Annie’s name, I’d tear up. I suppose he thought he’d found the perfect weapon to punish me. But today, his weapon seemed to have lost its sting. “I want ice cream!” Evan demanded. “Get me two, no—ten of them!” The only response was the sound of the door closing behind me. After days of looking a mess in the hospital, I needed a skincare session. A driver was already waiting for me outside. As the door clicked shut, Evan’s expression crumbled. “Sir, here’s the ice cream,” the housekeeper said, retrieving it from the freezer. “Who said I wanted it?” He threw the ice cream to the floor, his eyes fixed on the closed door. Could Mom really not remember him? 4 When Lucas’s mother, Laura Blake, learned that Annie had returned to the States and was teaching Evan piano, she wasted no time in bringing over bags of high-end gifts. She settled on the sofa beside Annie, taking her hand in a show of affection. “Annie, my dear,” she said warmly. “You’ve been through so much. Just think, if only you and Lucas had ended up together from the start, then Wynn Corporation would’ve had him to manage it. You wouldn’t be in this position now.” Annie’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Laura, that’s not something we can say now. It’s all in the past, and I’m grateful Lucas offered me work.” “Why shouldn’t I say it?” Laura gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “With you teaching Evan, I’m so at ease. And, you know, Lucas is filing for divorce. Surely you realize what that means?” She lowered her voice, adding, “Don’t worry, darling. Evan adores you, and so do I. You’d never feel out of place with us. Besides, Lucas has every intention of helping Wynn Corporation get back on its feet.” Though Laura knew I was home, she hadn’t informed me of her visit, so I stayed out of their way, listening from afar. Both Lucas and Evan liked Annie, and clearly, so did his mother. From the very beginning, Laura had wanted Annie as her daughter-in-law. Annie came from a sophisticated, well-established family, a perfect match for the Blakes. And the moment Lucas had met her, he’d been smitten. Laura was thrilled, quickly making arrangements for their marriage. Unfortunately for them, Annie hadn’t shared Lucas’s feelings. She’d rejected his confession and left to study music abroad. Laura, though disappointed, respected Annie’s independence, admiring her ambition and sense of self. As for me, from a small, ordinary family, I’d been labeled vain and ambitious, supposedly marrying Lucas for wealth. Laura’s restraint kept her from making her disdain obvious, but I could sense her disapproval. Sometimes, I wondered if Annie had married Lucas from the start, maybe everyone would have been much happier. 5 A buzzing noise jolted me from my thoughts—a notification that my insurance payout from the accident had finally come in. I’d thought the accident would be a distant memory over time, but closing my eyes brought everything back as if it had just happened. It was pouring rain that night, and Lucas and I were driving on the highway when he took a call. I could hear the voice on the other end clearly: “Mr. Blake, we’ve got a group of debt collectors causing trouble at the Wynn residence. They’re harassing Miss Wynn.” Lucas shot a quick glance my way. I knew he wasn’t asking for my opinion—he was telling me he intended to go to Annie’s. I was silent as he turned onto the road that led us farther from home and closer to the Wynn residence. “Just drop me at the next rest area. I’ll get a cab,” I told him softly. Once I got out, even with an umbrella, I was soaked within seconds. Lucas sped off in his black Bentley, splashing water in my face as he disappeared. That was when I felt it—the rusted-out feeling of love, washed clean in the rain. The old taxi I’d hailed started slipping on the slick highway. When the car spun out, my heart lurched, and I instinctively tightened the seatbelt across my chest. My mind blanked, but my pulse hammered in my ears. With a deafening crash, my head slammed against the window. For a brief, stretched-out moment, time seemed to slow down, and my life unspooled before me—all of it tied to Lucas. At ten, my parents had stretched their finances to buy a house in New York’s wealthiest neighborhood. They’d encouraged me to get close to Lucas, their “little prince of the city.” I was enchanted by his good looks and followed him around for seven years. At seventeen, I realized I was in love with him, though he despised me. I spent a year pining after him, enduring insults from his social circle as they mocked me for my “pathetic crush.” I’d hear whispers of “the clown girl,” echoing wherever I went. At eighteen, Lucas met Annie. I watched him fall head over heels and later fall into despair when she left. At twenty-one, he’d gotten drunk and pulled me close, kissing me passionately. But he kept murmuring Annie’s name between kisses. I should have pushed him away, slapped him even. But my father’s business was struggling, and our family needed money. And—well, being with Lucas was something both my parents and I had long wished for. So I let him hold me, enduring each time he’d say her name while he held me. When his grandfather found out, he’d insisted Lucas marry me to protect the family’s reputation. And I got my wish—I married Lucas Blake. At twenty-two, I was pregnant. The baby gave me terrible morning sickness, and labor was a nightmare. … Memories—painful, knotted memories. When I woke up, I was lying in the hospital, every part of me sore and my head splitting. Now, at twenty-seven, my son was calling another woman “Mom,” and my husband didn’t seem to care. I pretended to be unfazed, but each moment felt like a thousand tiny cuts, reminding me of the reality I was clinging to. The people I couldn’t bear to lose were eagerly waiting for me to leave. Maybe happiness was never meant to be mine. “Would you ever lash out at someone you loved?” I wanted to ask Lucas and Evan that question. But I already knew the answer from the way they looked at Annie. Lucas had fallen in love with her the moment they met. Evan, too, had taken to her instantly, showing affection he’d never shown for anyone else. People become fixated on their first choice, the thing they fell for at first sight. Evan was more and more like his father each day, from his looks to his habits, even his temperament. They both adored Annie. I never considered Annie the “other woman.” From the beginning, it was I who had taken what was hers. They say pain comes from chasing the wrong things. This marriage was over. It was time to return Lucas and Evan to Annie. 6 Lucas had prepared the divorce papers the same day Annie came back to town. He’d been wanting this for a while, eager to pursue her once more. Just as he’d hoped, I called the family lawyer and arranged to meet at Lucas’s office. “I agree to the divorce,” I said calmly, meeting Lucas’s gaze. He looked a bit startled. The lawyer, Mr. Hepburn, handed each of us a copy of the divorce agreement. I quickly signed my name on the dotted line, my pen making swift, clean strokes across the page. When it was Lucas’s turn, he hesitated, his fingers gripping the pen until they turned white. Mr. Hepburn spoke up gently, “Mr. Blake, perhaps you’d like to take more time to consider before signing.” I knew what Lucas was feeling. Maybe even a pet, after years together, could create some attachment. And here I was, after sixteen years, someone who had always followed close behind him. “I’ll take custody of Evan,” he said, his gaze testing me. I nodded. I wanted neither of them. Lucas gave me one last, searching look, as if he were trying to find a glimmer of sadness or reluctance in my face. But there was nothing for him to find. With clenched teeth, he pressed the pen down hard, scrawling his name in large, angry letters. Satisfied with the financial division, I gathered my things and left Lucas’s office. The room felt emptier in my absence, and Mr. Hepburn shivered slightly, sensing the frosty aura Lucas left in his wake. “Mr. Blake, should we release a public statement about your divorce?” “No need. She’s just throwing a tantrum.” Lucas’s expression relaxed slightly, seeming almost reassured by his own words. “Keep this quiet. She’ll be back on her own.” After all, she’s only forgotten about me and Evan temporarily. She loves us both so much—she’ll remember soon enough. The doctor did say the amnesia is only temporary. Once she remembers, she’ll be back, probably crying and begging me to take her back. This divorce? Just a way to punish her for forgetting us so completely. Once she returns in tears, I’ll forgive her, and we’ll remarry. Lucas’s anxiety melted away as he took a sip of coffee. Mr. Hepburn, drenched in sweat, dabbed his forehead with a napkin. Divorce papers signed, assets divided, and yet Lucas thought it was just a phase?

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Blake Sterling drank excessively during a social event, triggering an acute heart attack. After being rushed to Riverbend General Hospital, he died. After his death, over a dozen banks and predatory lenders came after me for repayment, and I only then realized he was buried in massive debts. I sold everything I could, but it was just a drop in the bucket. The loan sharks forced me to work at Neon Nights Club. For ten whole years, I endured abuse and contracted numerous diseases. The doctor told me I had at most another month to live. Walking aimlessly on a desolate road, a luxury car hit me, sending me flying. Out of the car came my husband Blake Sterling, who should have been dead for ten years, and his first love, Aurora Blake. “Why did you fake your death?” I raged. “Because I won a $200 million lottery, and I didn’t want to share it with you.” This malicious man enjoyed the prize money alone, living happily with his first love, but left me with enormous debts. He reversed the car, cruelly running me over. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day he faked his death. Content

“Sister-in-law, death cannot be undone. Please accept your condolences and move on,” attending physician Jasper “Jazz” Collins comforted me. He was also a good friend of my husband, Blake Sterling. I touched my face, smooth and delicate, whereas in my previous life, after contracting numerous diseases, my face was covered with dense pustules. I realized I had been reborn! Blake Sterling’s “corpse” lay peacefully on the bed, covered from feet to head with a white cloth. I bawled loudly, rushing forward to tear off the white cloth. “You bastard, how many times have I told you not to drink, not to drink, and you just didn’t listen. Now you just closed your eyes and left me alone in this world, so lonely. How am I going to live?” As I cried heart-wrenchingly, I slapped him hard. Blake’s face turned red from my slaps, but his body remained motionless, likely because he was given a sedative or similar drug; he couldn’t move, but his consciousness was still present. Seeing Blake’s face turn red, Jazz quickly came over to stop me. Because the dead don’t blush. “Sister-in-law, please calm down. I know you’re deeply grieving, but venting your frustration on Blake’s corpse is of no use,” Jazz stood in front of the “corpse.” Jazz and Blake were in cahoots. In the entire scheme to fake death, Jazz was key. He was the attending physician responsible for declaring Blake dead and issuing the death certificate. “Jazz, as a renowned doctor, you couldn’t even save your best friend. How can you live with that?” I cried, using all my strength to hit him. “Sister-in-law, I did my best…” Jazz winced in pain, “Stop hitting me. When Blake was brought in, it was already too late to save him.” I ignored his explanations; I just wanted to beat him up. This bastard, in my previous life, helped Blake fake his death, causing me to bear enormous debts and live a life worse than death. “You and he are sworn brothers. You promised not to seek the same birth year, month, and day, but to die on the same year, month, and day. Now, go die and join my husband below.” I transformed into a shrew, scratching him hard, leaving his face bruised. “Sister-in-law, that was just a joke after drinking.” “Smack!” I, holding back tears of grievance, gave him two hard slaps. “Sworn brothers are under heaven’s witness, but you called it a joke? While my husband saw you as a brother, you see him as a monkey? I now seriously doubt you didn’t try your best to save my husband.” Jazz looked embarrassed, “Sister-in-law, I swear, I did my utmost to save Blake, but I’m not a god; it was truly beyond saving.” I collapsed to the ground, sobbing, “Husband, wake up! How could you abandon me alone…” “Sister-in-law, no matter how much you grieve, Blake won’t come back. Please take care of yourself.” He said, handing me a bottle of water. “Drink some to calm down.” “Drinking more water won’t ease my inner pain.” I directly smashed the water bottle on his head. In my previous life, I drank this water, then passed out. When I woke up, my mother-in-law was already holding Blake’s urn. So, this water must be tainted. “Ah!” He cried out in pain, “Sister-in-law, don’t go too far.” “Too far? You, as my husband’s brother, didn’t shed a single tear, and yet you say I’m too far?” Jazz hesitated, looking guilty, “I… I’m deeply saddened.”

“Jazz, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” I said softly, wiping my tears. “I understand, sister-in-law. I don’t blame you.” “Although Blake is gone, I want him to live on in another way.” I looked tenderly at Blake’s “corpse.” Jazz looked puzzled, “Sister-in-law, what do you mean?” I took out my phone and called the hospital’s organ donation office. “Yes, it’s my husband, he just passed away. I want to donate his organs to those in need.” Upon hearing this, Jazz turned pale. A slight oversight. They never expected me to donate his organs. “Sister-in-law, how can you unilaterally decide to donate Blake’s organs?” Jazz asked, anxious, sweating profusely. “I’m his wife. I have that right.” “Blake is dead, but you’re still tampering with his corpse. This is really disheartening.” I frowned, confused, “Jazz, you’re a doctor. How could you say such a thing? My husband is dead, but his organs can still save many people. As a doctor, don’t you have that level of awareness?” After hearing this, he became dazed, his face pale. The organ donation doctor was upstairs. He quickly entered the room, saw me, and tightly held my hand, moved: “Ma’am, thank you for supporting the medical field. Here’s the donation agreement. Please sign it.” I quickly signed. Jazz, sweating and panicked, said, “Blake’s mother hasn’t agreed to the donation yet. According to regulations, if even one direct relative refuses, the donation cannot proceed.” “Jazz, my mother-in-law is a person of great integrity. Besides, Blake told me when he was alive that if he ever dies, he would donate his organs to those in need. Blake has always been a kind-hearted person. I must help him fulfill his last wishes.” “When did Blake ever say that?” Jazz questioned. “Do we have to tell you every single thing between us, Jazz?” I retorted. He was speechless. “My husband died of a heart attack. Except for his heart, all other organs can be donated—his eyes, organs, bones, skin—give them all to those in need. The remaining skeleton can be donated to the medical university for practice or research.” “Ma’am, your generosity is truly touching. To be honest, there’s an 18-year-old girl urgently needing a kidney transplant, and a child needs a cornea…” During our conversation, Jazz grabbed his phone and walked out of the room, likely urging my mother-in-law to come quickly. “That’s urgent. Hurry and push my husband away. Extract the organs immediately. Every minute counts; any delay could cause the organs to deteriorate.” I maintained a noble expression. The donation doctor pushed the bed outside. “Can’t leave!” Jazz blocked the door, sweating profusely, forehead dripping with cold sweat. “Dr. Collins, what are you doing?” The donation doctor was puzzled. “Jazz, please step aside. If the donation is delayed, my husband’s last wishes cannot be fulfilled.” I scolded him. “Blake actually… Anyway, he can’t leave… sister-in-law, I’m begging you.” Jazz was frantic, almost revealing the truth. “Dr. Collins, please don’t interfere with my work.” The donation doctor pulled his face. “Dr. Reed, Blake’s mother hasn’t arrived yet. Sister-in-law, no matter what, you need to let your mother-in-law see Blake one last time.” Jazz insisted. “First, extract the organs, then it’s not too late to see him. You heard what was said earlier, there are patients waiting for organ transplants. Saving lives is like saving from a fire; no time to waste.” “I heard what this family member said too, Dr. Collins, please step aside, or I’ll report you to the dean.” Dr. Reed snapped. “Scarlett Monroe, you wicked woman, your son just passed away, and you want to dismember him for his organs? I won’t spare you.” My mother-in-law burst into the room, furious.

“Aunt Evelyn, it’s not dismemberment, it’s organ donation,” I explained. “Who allowed you to do this?” “I’m helping Blake fulfill his last wish.” “You’re talking nonsense. How could my son donate his organs? I absolutely refuse.” My mother-in-law pushed Dr. Reed away, “Get out of my house! I won’t donate my son’s organs.” Dr. Reed left the room, displeased. Jazz sighed deeply, his nerves slightly relaxing. Blake on the bed was probably relieved to have escaped death. “My poor son, you died, how can I live on…” Aunt Evelyn feigned despair, collapsing on Blake and crying uncontrollably, “It’s all your bad luck, your curse, you killed my son. I want you to pay for this.” Aunt Evelyn turned her wrath on me, slapping me. I was furious. In my previous life, Aunt Evelyn had sent Blake’s “corpse” to the crematorium, obviously knowing Blake had faked his death. “Vivian Harper, get it straight. It wasn’t me who killed Blake, it was you!” I pushed her aside, growling fiercely. Aunt Evelyn was stunned, “You lie! How could I kill my own son?” “Why was Blake so desperate to socialize and make money? It’s all because of you. You have a gambling problem, losing money every day. How much debt have we paid off for you? Don’t you know what’s going on in your heart?” I raged. “My gambling debts only totaled about $1 million.” “Vivian, what you say is so light. The average wage in our city is only $1,800. Most people never save up $1 million in their lifetime.” “Two months ago, your medical expenses were over $20,000, paid by us. Don’t think I don’t know. You weren’t injured from a fall; you were beaten and hospitalized.” “You hang out at the mahjong parlor every day, hooking up with married men. You were beaten up by someone else’s wife, right? I understand you’re lonely, empty, and itching for attention, but why can’t you just find an old man properly, instead of hooking up with married men?” “You’re talking nonsense.” My mother-in-law’s face was filled with shame. “I’ve seen your discharge summary, your scandalous tales have already spread. You disrespect your elders. It’s all your fault Blake died.” I cursed loudly, feeling very satisfied. “Shut up!” My mother-in-law hysterically lunged at me, trying to choke me. I dodged quickly, she crashed into the wall and instantly fainted. “Mother-in-law…” I anxiously lifted her up and rushed to an empty bed across the room. Jazz followed closely. “Jazz, hurry and save my mother-in-law. Nurses, nurses come quickly…” I shouted down the corridor. Soon, several nurses rushed into the room. Jazz was giving Aunt Evelyn treatment. Taking advantage of the gap, I put a bag of Blake’s clothes on the bed, then pushed Blake up the elevator. At the entrance, the funeral home car was already waiting. I pulled out a thousand dollars for the driver, telling him to take the fastest route. After driving a portion of the way, I received a call from Aunt Evelyn, which I didn’t answer. Then, a call from Jazz followed, which I also didn’t answer. In the back of the car, it was only me and Blake. I opened the bag of clothes, searching for the lottery ticket, and quickly found it inside my phone case. The lottery ticket was tucked into a folded $100 bill. He always liked to put a $100 bill in his phone case, symbolizing “Money in my hand, I have the world.” The lottery was a single bet, 40 times, with a prize of $200 million. With this money, this life, I could finally enjoy life. I tore off the white cloth and saw Blake’s crotch was soaking wet. It seemed the organ donation incident scared him into wetting himself, confirming that although he couldn’t move, he was still conscious. “Blake, I found the $200 million lottery ticket. Aren’t you suspicious why I knew about it? I’m telling you, I was reborn.” “In my last life, you and your first love were living luxuriously, but you left me with piles of debt. Predatory lenders forced me to work at Neon Nights Club, I got sick with diseases, and in the end, you ran me over with your car. Are you even human?” “You loved faking your death so much, so in this life, I’ll grant you. After you enter the crematorium, you’ll taste the pain of being burned alive.” I gritted my teeth. Blake’s eyelids suddenly twitched a few times. “Scared? Didn’t expect it to turn out this way? Regret it? Want me to spare you? That’s impossible. I must cremate you today.” Aunt Evelyn and Jazz kept calling, but I simply turned on ‘Do Not Disturb.’

After more than 30 minutes, we arrived at the funeral home. Originally, I thought we could be cremated immediately, but there were six slots ahead. I asked the staff, and they said my turn would be at least three hours later. I panicked; Aunt Evelyn and Jazz must be on their way right now. Suddenly, I had an idea. I pounced on Blake, crying loudly: “Husband, what are we going to do? I can’t cremate you before 11 AM. If we miss the time, you can’t reincarnate forever…” The waiting family members all looked at me. I knelt on the ground, begging them, “In our hometown, there’s a custom that cremation time can’t exceed 11 AM. Otherwise, the soul won’t catch the ferry to the Spirit City. Uncle, Auntie, can you let me cut in line?” Some of them showed compassion, some hesitated, some were undecided. I took out my phone, “I’ll compensate you $3,000.” Hearing the money, they agreed to let me cut in line. I transferred $3,000 to each of the six prior families. After more than ten minutes, I pushed Blake into the cremation chamber. I noticed Blake’s middle finger twitching a few times. I leaned over Blake’s ear and said, “Scared? Regret? It’s too late.” The cremation chamber staff told me to wait outside. I begged, “Sir, please let me give my husband his final farewell.” After saying this, I gave him the last thousand dollars in my pocket. “Good journey, husband!” I personally pushed him into the cremation furnace and pressed the red ignition button.

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When the zombie apocalypse broke out, I was watching my former bullies turn on each other from the comfort of my cozy, climate-controlled underground bunker. I felt a surge of satisfaction as I snapped a picture of myself enjoying a hot pot meal while my little dog happily munched on a juicy steak beside me. “Want some?” I posted in our class SnapChat group, watching their reactions evolve from threats to desperate pleas. I only replied with one sentence: “Dream on, idiots.” October 21, 2025. It was the third day of the zombie outbreak, and the fragile order at school had begun to crumble. On the first day, the school had hurriedly summoned students to a designated “safe room,” offering a brief respite from the chaos outside. They provided us with a week’s worth of food. But human nature is unpredictable. Many people, in their desperation to survive, began stealing food. As supplies dwindled and we lost contact with the outside world, fear took hold. What started as unity quickly devolved into the worst of human nature. People began fighting over who ate how much. Today was no different. “Let Aria go outside to get supplies. She’s fearless, aren’t you, Aria?” Vanessa’s voice wasn’t particularly loud, but in the eerily quiet room, it seemed to echo. All eyes turned to me. “Yeah, Aria’s dad was a psychic or something. She’s probably not scared of those things,” someone chimed in. “She’s pretty big too. She could probably carry back a lot of stuff.” The voices grew louder. They stared at me, speaking casually, but their eyes were full of threat. They seemed to have forgotten that I was just a girl. Before I could react, someone pushed me towards the door, feigning encouragement: “You can do it!” I looked at the horde of zombies outside, then back at the people inside. Their expressionless faces were more terrifying than the zombies. They shoved me out the door. I tried to resist, but the commotion attracted nearby zombies. They lurched towards me as the people inside held the door shut. I saw Vanessa’s smug smile as she watched me. I turned and walked towards the zombies…

The pain jolted me awake. I suddenly stood up. The whole class turned to look at me, accompanied by some snickering. “Aria! What are you doing?” The English teacher’s voice pierced my ears. I was still processing the vivid sensation of being torn apart by zombies. Looking at the familiar classroom, I wondered if it had all been a dream. A familiar, nauseating voice spoke up beside me: “Teacher, Aria’s dad was some kind of psychic who just died. Maybe he’s sending her messages from beyond.” The class erupted in laughter. “That’s enough! Aria, take your book and stand at the back of the class!” The English teacher slapped her desk loudly. I obediently took my book and walked to the back of the classroom. I was still thinking about that dream. If it was a dream, it felt too real. The sensation of being ripped apart by zombies still lingered on my skin. As soon as class ended, I rushed to the bathroom with my phone. There was no news of zombies in the country yet, so I searched foreign platforms for related information. Sure enough, I found something about zombies. In the video, a man staggered towards the camera. He was covered in blood, his face unrecognizable. The visible parts of his skin were mottled with black and blue veins. I was certain – he wasn’t human. He was a zombie. Exactly like the ones in my dream. I confirmed it then – I hadn’t been dreaming. I had traveled back in time. I exited the page and checked the date. September 28, 2025. One month until the zombie outbreak. I had to find a safe place within this month. Knock knock knock! Someone was pounding on the bathroom door. “Aria, hurry up and come out!” It was Vanessa. I remembered everything she had done in my previous life. It was just like her to do such things. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. It wasn’t time yet. I walked out to see her and her two sidekicks. Vanessa raised her hand and slapped me, then spoke coldly: “You’re so slow. Be quicker next time!” “Taking so long in the bathroom, maybe a ghost was pulling you down,” one of her minions sneered. “How could she be afraid? Maybe she inherited her dad’s psychic powers!” Vanessa laughed, her eyes full of mockery. They said I wasn’t afraid simply because my dad had been a psychic. My mom died when I was young, and my dad had raised me alone. I was never ashamed of his profession, but I always avoided the topic around my classmates. Then my dad died of stomach cancer, and my homeroom teacher brought Vanessa to visit me, pretending to care. When I returned to school, I became the target of everyone’s mockery. They didn’t seem to care that I had become an orphan. They just thought it was fun. Led by Vanessa, they threw balls at me during PE class. One person started it, then more joined in. They poured toilet water into my water bottle. They smeared glue on my chair and wrote disgusting things on my desk. I tried to tell the teachers, but each time it only led to worse bullying. Some people, when subjected to this kind of treatment for a long time, choose to silently endure it. I was one of them. I ignored them and walked straight out of the bathroom. Their vulgar insults grew louder behind me. I went directly to the teachers’ office to find my homeroom teacher. “Teacher, I’ve been feeling really unwell lately. I’d like to take a few days off,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. I knew very well what I was shaking about. In my previous life, my ending was a tragic death. This time, I absolutely wouldn’t let that happen again. The homeroom teacher noticed the red mark on my face, probably thinking I had been self-harming. She took out a leave request form, approved a week’s leave for me, then told me to relax for a few days before coming back. I took the form, thanked her, then turned and walked straight out of the school. I had no intention of returning to that nightmarish class.

They all knew Vanessa was bullying me, but not a single person came to help me. I’m not a saint. I just wanted to get away from these people. Their lives or deaths were none of my concern. I walked out of the school gates and took a taxi home. My dad was a psychic who had helped countless wealthy executives. These people all had one thing in common – they were very generous with money. Over the years, my dad had also saved up a considerable sum for me. I entered the house and took out the two bank cards my dad had given me before he died. He told me one card contained the money he had saved for me over the years, and the other was a large insurance policy. After his death, the insurance company would pay me a million dollar benefit. Together, they totaled 1.7 million dollars. At my dad’s funeral, all sorts of people came to pay their respects. Their careers had all benefited from my dad’s help to some degree. Seeing that I was alone, they discussed among themselves and decided to leave me an education fund. Initially, I didn’t want to accept this money, but they were very insistent, demanding that I take it. Now I had to thank them for leaving me $300,000. I looked at the modestly sized house before me. Though small, it was in the city center, so the price was certainly not cheap. I couldn’t live in a house in the city center. I had to sell it and find a new place to settle down. I quickly contacted a real estate agent and asked them to help me sell the house within three days. I didn’t mind if the price was lowered. Next was finding a place where I could safely lay low.

I took out my phone and searched for houses in the suburbs. I thought that maybe if I got away from the city center to a sparsely populated area, there would be fewer zombies. Opening a certain app, I searched for suburban houses and was surprised to see an old bunker for sale. I immediately decided to buy this bunker. The bunker was spacious, definitely cool in summer and warm in winter, and much cheaper than a small villa in the suburbs! I contacted the seller right away, saying I wanted to buy it immediately and needed to see it now. To avoid attracting attention, I lied to the seller, saying I wanted to develop it into a weekend getaway. I told him it was a secret project and asked him not to tell anyone. Seeing how decisively I bought it, the seller sincerely promised he wouldn’t let anyone else know. Soon, I signed the purchase contract with the seller. Now there were 29 days left until the zombie outbreak. I had found a safe house, and next was to fill my safe house. After two busy days, I finally started furnishing my new home. I was too afraid of anyone knowing my address, so I contacted the largest construction market in the neighboring city and told them my requirements. Replace the entrance door with the best security door, and install three layers. Build a two-story small villa inside the bunker, to be completed within 10 days, using the best materials for all the hard decorations. The renovation foreman looked at me in confusion. I lied, saying I was building a private luxury hotel here and needed to protect the guests’ privacy. I was paying a high price, which immediately silenced any further questions from the renovation foreman. He just smiled and said, “Rich people really know how to play.” In my previous life, I died early and didn’t know how long this zombie apocalypse would last. To ensure I could live comfortably, I started buying in bulk. The zombie outbreak would definitely lead to power outages, so I immediately ordered 50 solar power banks. Cooking would also be an issue, so I bought 100 bottles of propane and stoves. To avoid any accidents, I needed to buy 50 boxes of charcoal. The bunker was still being renovated, so for now I was just buying daily necessities, self-defense items, and entertainment. I sat in my room thinking about what else to buy. Toilet paper always seems to run out without notice, so I bought 2,000 packs, and 200 boxes of sanitary napkins. Since I wouldn’t be able to go out once the zombies came, I bought 5 sets of pajamas for each season – spring, summer, fall, and winter. For underwear, laundry detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, shower gel, facial cleanser, and skincare products, I bought enough for three years in one go. Looking at the list in my notes, I fell asleep peacefully, planning to go to the wholesale market first thing in the morning.

On the third day after my rebirth, the first thing I did when I woke up was check the time on my phone. I was still afraid that my rebirth was just a dream I had before dying. Seeing the date on my phone, my anxious heart settled down. I quickly got up and got dressed. On the way to the wholesale market, I passed by a breakfast shop I often ate at. I went in and ordered my favorite breakfast, savoring every bite knowing these meals would soon be rare. I quickly arrived at the wholesale market and bought everything on my list from yesterday, telling the merchants to deliver in a week. Seeing how much I was ordering, the shop owner’s smile never left his face. Just as I finished buying everything, I got a call from the real estate agent. “Hello, Ms. Collins. The house you asked us to sell has a buyer,” the agent said excitedly. “Can they pay in full?” That was my main concern now. I knew a house in the city center wouldn’t be hard to sell, but what I needed now was cash. The agent’s voice became even more excited, “Yes, we found a buyer who can pay the full amount in one go.” I breathed a sigh of relief and continued, “Alright, you can handle the rest then. I’ll move out of that house within a week.” After hanging up with the agent, my phone vibrated with an incoming message. It was from an unknown number: “Aria, don’t think you can escape my grasp just because you’re on leave. I know your home address. I advise you to come back soon. Without you around, we have no one to play with.” Looking at the content of the message, I knew without thinking that it was sent by Vanessa. Perhaps due to the physiological fear I always had of her, my hand holding the phone still trembled involuntarily. She said she knew my address now, and I had nowhere to hide at the moment. Thinking of the safe room the school arranged for us in my previous life, an idea came to mind. I’d return to school in a couple of days. Two days later, having dealt with the house issues (the house had been sold and I was temporarily staying in a hotel), I returned to school with just a few belongings. Sure enough, as soon as I entered, I received Vanessa’s “welcome ceremony” – a pile of garbage fell on me from above the door. No one in the class helped me. They even thought it was funny. They mocked me, laughing at my disheveled state. I clenched my fists. Just endure a little longer, I told myself. They would soon face their retribution. I walked to my seat. Just as the bell was about to ring, I left the classroom with my backpack. I knew they would definitely tell the teacher, but I didn’t care. I went directly to the so-called safe room, which was actually just the school’s large auditorium. It was a temporary safe room set up by the fire department. After doing this, they left to rescue others. I entered the auditorium. It wasn’t very large – in my previous life, only about 80 people from the whole school survived. Many teachers, for the sake of their families, ran straight home, only to become zombies on the way. Some teachers stayed behind with the soldiers to maintain order. Scenes from my previous life kept flashing through my mind. It was here that they pushed me out. I opened my backpack and installed ten hidden cameras in different inconspicuous places. Satisfied with my work, I left the school. Just as I stepped out of the school gates, I received a call from the renovation foreman saying that everything I had requested was completed and they had already cleaned up. They were just waiting for me to come and check. Because I paid a high enough price, everyone’s work efficiency was very high. I couldn’t help but think to myself: Money really is good. I called the wholesale market owner, telling him they could deliver the goods tomorrow. The owner on the other end of the phone, hearing it was me, quickly agreed with a smile, saying they would definitely deliver tomorrow. Next was stockpiling. I first went to a furniture store and bought a lot of soft furnishings. Since the money from selling the house – $1.2 million – had been credited to my account, I could spend freely to meet my needs. I bought the best sofas, beds, and other furniture. Then I went to an electronics store and bought two laptops, three tablets, and 50 power banks. After that, I took a taxi directly to the bunker. When I stepped into the bunker, I couldn’t help but marvel – money really can make anything possible. I was very satisfied. I added another $1000 bonus for each worker. They were all quite embarrassed, saying this was just their job. Seeing their reactions, I couldn’t help but give them a word of advice. “Guys, with the pandemic flaring up again, you should stock up on supplies at home. I heard the neighboring city’s outbreak is recurring.” I glanced away, trying to sound casual as I said it. I couldn’t save everyone. In my previous life, I died at the hands of others. This time, I had to protect myself above all else. After seeing off the renovation team, the people from the wholesale market and furniture store arrived next. Seeing such a large operation, I used the same excuse to fool them. All the items I bought were now stored in this bunker. Looking at the room filled with my favorite furnishings, I suddenly felt very secure.

Now there were 10 days left until the zombie outbreak. I went to buy food that could be stored for a long time. As for vegetables and fruits, I’d have to wait a while before purchasing those. As I was walking down the hill, I saw two little dogs following me, wagging their tails. Looking at the two chubby puppies, I thought that maybe adopting them would be a good idea. They could add some joy to my life. I beckoned to them, and the two little guys came running over, one white and one black. They were so small that I could hold one in each hand. After settling the two puppies, I returned to the city’s largest farmers’ market. This biggest farmers’ market had everything you could think of. Anything related to food could be found here. Most importantly, no matter how much you bought here, no one would think it strange. This was exactly what I wanted. I bought 50 boxes of instant noodles, 100 boxes of cola, 10 boxes each of various canned foods, 100 bags of rice, 50 barrels of cooking oil, 10 boxes each of various dehydrated vegetables, 20 bottles each of seasonings, and lots of flour, noodles, peanuts, etc. Now it was time for my favorite snacks: 20 bags each of soy milk, black sesame paste, milk, and yogurt; 10 boxes each of chocolate, nuts, sunflower seeds, potato chips, chicken feet, jelly, pork jerky, beef jerky, and spicy strips. And for the two puppies’ food, 50 bags of 20-pound dog food, 20 cans of puppy milk, and 5 boxes each of various puppy foods. Watching the merchants load two large trucks full, I was very satisfied. I had the drivers head straight to the bunker. Fortunately, I used the same excuse, so these people didn’t say much. Seeing all these goods delivered, my heart gradually calmed down. Looking at the tightly closed door, I thought about installing some cameras outside as well, in case of any unexpected situations. Said and done, after categorizing all the items, I lay down on the bed and could finally breathe easy. Taking advantage of the current electricity and internet, I bought memberships for all video platforms and downloaded my favorite TV shows and movies I hadn’t seen onto the computers, tablets, and USB drives. Just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone suddenly rang. I looked at the caller ID – it was Vanessa’s number. I answered the phone expressionlessly. Contemptuous laughter came from the other end, as if showing off to someone: “See? I told you she wouldn’t dare not to answer.” I remained silent. The voice on the other end became more unrestrained: “Aria, did you forget the message I sent you the other day? Did you forget how much it hurt when you got beaten up?” I listened quietly, my hand tightly clenched into a fist, but my reason was still telling me that now wasn’t the time. When they were truly desperate, that would be the best moment to strike them down. Seeing that I didn’t speak, Vanessa became somewhat angry and frustrated: “Have you forgotten that I still have leverage over you? Bitch!” Hearing this, I couldn’t hold back anymore and retaliated: “Vanessa, have you forgotten that you’re already 18? If I report what you’ve done to the police, you’ll face criminal charges.” My voice was firm and strong.

Vanessa had repeated a year. She should have been a senior by now, but due to poor grades, she was forced to stay back. Also because of face issues, she took a year off, so she was still in the same freshman class as us. Hearing what I said, Vanessa stammered a bit, but to maintain her image, she still shouted back loudly: “Bitch, who do you think you’re talking to? Do you believe I’ll post your photos in the class group right now?” “Go ahead. Worst case, we’ll meet at the police station,” I said and hung up the phone. She wouldn’t dare post them. Such a person who only bullies others would be very afraid of facing any threat herself. I was confident she would be more afraid, so I was certain she wouldn’t post anything. Vanessa had photos of me. They called me to the bathroom, beat me repeatedly, then tore open my clothes and took pictures of me at my most vulnerable. At that time, I didn’t dare resist, silently enduring their torment, just because I had no family left. Now with zombies about to come, I wasn’t afraid of anything anymore. Thinking of myself back then, tears still fell. The two puppies seemed to sense something and came over to gently lick my face. Perhaps with the company of these two little ones, I quickly fell asleep. When I woke up, it was time for my final round of shopping. Still at that farmers’ market, I directly bought a whole cow, two pigs, 30 chickens, 20 ducks, and various frozen fish, shrimp, and frozen foods. After the merchants delivered everything, I looked at the two extra-large freezers now filled to capacity, feeling increasingly satisfied. The next few days were just waiting.

On the second day of holing up in the bunker, there were 5 days left until the zombie outbreak. My homeroom teacher called me. I hesitated for a moment but chose to answer the call. The homeroom teacher spoke cautiously on the other end: “Aria, are you feeling any better?” I knew she was afraid my emotions hadn’t settled down yet. I rubbed my nose and replied: “Teacher, I’m much better now. But I’d like to take another week off. I’ll study at home on my own.” Hearing that I would study at home, the teacher quickly stopped me: “No, no. Aria, what I care about is your mood, not your grades. Isn’t it better to start studying again after you’ve sorted out your emotions?” Hearing her caring words, my nose tingled. Since my dad passed away, no one had cared about my feelings like this. Relatives at home only feared I would become their burden, keeping their distance from me. With a slightly nasal voice, I said to the teacher: “Okay, teacher. I’ll adjust my emotions well.” The voice on the other end sighed in relief, gently saying: “Then you just rest well at home. If there’s anything, you can talk to me. I’ll hang up now.” “Teacher, wait!” I quickly called out. “What’s wrong?” I stammered a bit: “Teacher, the pandemic is recurring quite frequently lately. It’s best to stock up on some food at home.” The teacher chuckled lightly: “Alright, teacher understands.” After hanging up with her, I looked at the remaining cameras from last time’s installation. Even though the large door I built now was sturdy enough, I was still worried about the worst-case scenario, so I chose to install them at the entrance, to monitor the situation outside at all times. Said and done, I carried the two cameras out the door, with the two puppies trotting behind me. After installation, I checked my inventory of supplies again. Then I discovered the biggest problem – I hadn’t bought water! Heaven knows how devastated I felt at that moment. Looking at this open area, I wondered if I could dig a well. I immediately called the renovation foreman from before and asked about the situation. The foreman’s answer was that it was possible, and it would only take one day. With the zombie outbreak countdown approaching, I directly offered a high price for the foreman to come over immediately. Three hours later, the renovation foreman arrived with his tools, smiling at me and saying: “This tool works very fast, but the noise is quite loud.” I quickly told him: “It’s fine, foreman. Just do it. I’m in a hurry now, so it doesn’t matter if it’s noisy.” After hearing this, the foreman immediately got to work, and I watched from the side. I have to say, sometimes these tools are not only attractive to boys but also to girls. The two puppies, hearing the loud noise, quickly ran into the house, trembling. At 11:30 PM, water appeared in the well. I smiled happily. The foreman thoughtfully cut stones to surround it and set it up for me. I gave the foreman some extra money, but he waved his hand with a smile and left directly. After the foreman left, I began living a free and easy life in this bunker. Today I eat steak, tomorrow I eat lamb leg, feeling quite comfortable. Watching time pass bit by bit, I also gradually began to feel scared. Even though I had already experienced the zombie massacre in my previous life, I was still very afraid.

he day before the zombie outbreak, a video titled “Real-life Train to Busan” suddenly went viral. But it existed for less than a minute before being taken down. I knew this was the government’s method to stabilize public sentiment. My hand also began to shake uncontrollably, my whole body feeling cold. Seeing that something was wrong with me, the two puppies came over and kept nuzzling my hand with their heads. Feeling their warmth, I started to calm down. I opened the cameras I had placed in the safe room and checked if anyone was there now, but I saw a disgusting scene. During the evening self-study period, Vanessa and a senior boy walked into the auditorium. I knew this boy. In my previous life, he was the one who pushed me out with his own hands. I would recognize that face even if it turned to ashes. But I remembered this boy, Luke, had a girlfriend. His girlfriend even knew Vanessa. They were originally classmates in the same grade, but because Vanessa was held back, she ended up two years behind them. As soon as the two entered the auditorium, they embraced and entangled with each other. Luke pinned Vanessa against the door. This position happened to be right where I had installed one of the cameras. The two’s movements gradually quickened, and some unseemly sounds came from the screen. I nearly threw up. I always knew Vanessa was a disgusting person, but I really hadn’t imagined they would do such revolting things at school. Holding back my nausea, I made a video of them doing their dirty deeds, then listened to their conversation. Vanessa, panting, said, “Have… have you… told that… that bitch… clearly yet?” Luke, with a greedy and urgent tone, replied: “Her family has money. It’s useful to keep her around.” The two continued their sordid act, their voices rising and falling until they finally stopped. Vanessa lay in Luke’s arms, saying with lingering desire: “That’s good. I thought you had developed real feelings for her.” Luke kissed her once, looking displeased: “How is that possible? Her figure isn’t as good as yours, and she’s so prissy. It’s only because she has money, otherwise who would care about her?” Their whispered words made me feel sick to my stomach. Fighting the strong physical discomfort, I edited their video. To destroy a person, it’s not enough to just let them die. Death would be too easy for her. 12 hours until the zombie outbreak, I sat on the soft bed, watching the news outside. 10 hours until the zombie outbreak, zombies hiding in corners of the neighboring city began to emerge one by one, but there was still no movement in our city. 8 hours until the zombie outbreak, a video was sent to the phones of every student and teacher at the school, posted on each student’s phone, except for Vanessa and Luke, and their friends. 6 hours until the zombie outbreak, Vanessa arrived at school. Classmates looked at her with disgust, thinking that people had been pointing and whispering about her all the way to school. 5 hours until the zombie outbreak, Vanessa lost her temper in class, “Who the fuck filmed this!” Her phone received a text message that read: Vanessa, are you happy? 4 hours until the zombie outbreak, the dean of students burst open the classroom door. “Who is Vanessa? Come to the office with me! Bring your parents too!” 3 hours until the zombie outbreak, in the auditorium, Vanessa found Luke, her voice filled with panic: “Luke, what should we do?” Luke yelled at her, his face full of disgust: “What are you doing here? Don’t you think things are bad enough already?” Seeing Luke treat her like this, the panic on Vanessa’s face turned to ferocity, “Luke! You bastard! You enjoyed it when we were having sex, and now you’re disgusted with me?” Their argument grew louder. Luke’s girlfriend also walked over, her eyes filled with mockery, “I wondered who it could be. So it was you?” Her words weren’t strongly aggressive, but they were full of humiliation. Vanessa’s face alternated between white and red. 1 hour until the zombie outbreak, a man wearing hiking clothes appeared on the street in the city center. He walked unsteadily, slowly approaching the nearest person.

At first, no one noticed him. Until… he walked towards a girl listening to music and waiting for the bus at the bus stop, and bit into her neck. People saw his appearance. His eyes no longer had normal pupils, only whites with a slight blue tinge. The veins on his skin were prominently visible. He let out a scream among the crowd, his teeth shaped like a chainsaw. People screamed and scattered in all directions. He tore into the girl, swallowing her flesh bite by bite. Many people had already fled, but there were always some who weren’t afraid of death, taking out their phones to film. Perhaps having just received nourishment for his body, his movements began to become rapid. He ran to the person filming and directly bit into their head. The girl he had just eaten was now exposed to the bone, the flesh on her body rotting. But she actually began to move and crawl up. Time of the zombie outbreak. I sat in my safe house, watching different people’s perspectives on my phone.

Meanwhile, at the school, a scream broke the silence, also interrupting Vanessa and Luke’s argument. People who had fallen down on the playground stood up again one by one. They moved slowly but with consistent steps, walking towards the teaching building where many people were gathered. I turned on the cameras installed in the hall. The school acted quickly, already transferring some people to the safe room. Of course, among them were Vanessa and her minions, as well as Luke. I looked at the faces in the camera, the same as in my previous life, with one new face I hadn’t seen before. But I recognized that person, a classmate who had been bullied by Vanessa just like me. Goosebumps instantly covered my body. So my rebirth hadn’t changed anything. When I left, someone else took my place to suffer the same fate. Just like in my previous life, the school gave them the only food available and told them to wait for rescue in the auditorium. I couldn’t bear to watch some teachers, desperate to see their families one last time, rush out no matter what, deciding to do something more meaningful with the police. I switched the video feed to the scene outside the door. In my previous life, I had been sent to the safe room from the start, so I didn’t know what the outside scene looked like. The scene outside now looked horrifying. People on the streets had all turned into zombies, scattered here and there. Some gathered together, gnawing on a corpse, then separated, with the corpse joining the zombie group. Even though I was in a safe place, watching such scenes made my palms and back drenched in cold sweat. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if I had only thought this was a dream. Would I have suffered the same fate as in my previous life?

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When I was brutally killed, my father, Detective David Harper, and my mother, Chief Forensic Examiner Dr. Marjorie Harper, were both cheering on my sister, Sierra, at her tennis match. The killer—someone my father had arrested years ago and who now sought revenge—cut out my tongue and then used my phone to call my father. He picked up, irritated, and answered with only one sentence before hanging up. “Whatever’s going on, your sister’s match is the only thing that matters today!” The killer sneered, “Guess I kidnapped the wrong one. I thought they’d care more about their real daughter.” When my parents arrived at the crime scene, they were shocked by the brutal condition of the corpse and cursed the viciousness of the killer. But neither realized that the person lying dead before them was their own daughter. My body was found in an abandoned building, the Maplewood Construction Site. The workers who stumbled upon me were so horrified they couldn’t stop retching as they called the police. My parents were rushed to the scene, pulled away from Sierra’s celebration at the Greenfield Country Club. Dr. Steve Norton, the forensic specialist, waited grimly and gestured for them to put on their masks. Dad, Detective David Harper, was one of the top detectives in the state, and Mom, Dr. Marjorie Harper, was the leading forensic pathologist. Even with all the crime scenes they’d seen, they froze momentarily at the sight of the mangled body. In the oppressive summer heat, my body had begun to bloat, my face smashed beyond recognition, reduced to a bloody, shapeless pulp, my features unrecognizable. My neck was barely attached to my head, and the smell of rot was overpowering. Mom closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled on her gloves, beginning her preliminary examination. She looked down at my corpse with a trace of pity—a look she’d never given me in life. I watched, tensing as she slid off the bloodied ring I wore. It was part of a matching set I’d made for each of them, a gesture of love, but they’d once scolded me for trying to give one to Sierra, saying, “You’re just trying to stir up trouble, aren’t you? Bullying your sister again?” “Lena,” Mom had once said, “Sierra’s lived here for eighteen years. You’re our biological daughter, but she will always be more important in this family.” The memory of their harsh words echoed, yet I still believed they loved me enough to recognize my ring. But Mom, her expression unchanging, simply passed the ring to her assistant to bag as evidence. I should have known better than to hope. In their hearts, I’d never truly existed, even though I was their biological daughter. My brother Jack had always told me that my parents adopted Sierra because they couldn’t find me, and that I was the daughter they truly loved. But by the time I returned, there was no place left for me in that house. I was the outsider. After inspecting the scene, Dad sighed, turning to Mom. “What’s the situation with this body?” Mom removed her gloves, massaging her temples. “The victim seems to be around twenty. Cause of death appears to be a cut throat, but she was tortured for quite some time before that.” “Brutal,” Dad muttered, lighting a cigarette and drawing a long breath, his expression tight with worry. Even in death, it seemed I was a problem for them. Dr. Norton spoke up, “The killer’s still out there. Might be a good idea to keep an eye on your family. With two daughters, I wouldn’t let them out at night.” Mom’s annoyance flared. “Sierra’s usually obedient. It’s Lena I can’t control.” Dr. Norton, who knew our family well, watched Dad rub his shoulder. “You’ve got that shoulder issue again?” he asked Dad. “It’s nothing,” Dad replied. “I’ve got the heating pad Lena got me.” He stopped mid-sentence, momentarily taken aback. The rebellious daughter they complained about so much had cared enough to remember his shoulder pain. Dr. Norton patted him on the back. “You know, you should treat Lena a bit better. She’s your biological daughter, after all.” Dad shook his head. “Sierra’s tennis tournament was just the other day, and all she wanted was for Lena to come watch. But Lena ignored our calls. Sierra ended up disappointed and only took third place.” “She hasn’t been home in days,” he muttered bitterly. “Maybe she’ll never come back. She’s not like our Sierra; not the one we raised.” Hearing them blame me, I felt my spirit grow cold. I wasn’t staying away by choice. I simply couldn’t go home anymore. The ungrateful daughter they dismissed was already dead, lying here before them. My corpse, right in front of them, yet they didn’t know it.

At the case review, officers listened to Mom’s preliminary report with heavy faces. My condition was so horrific that facial identification was impossible. The Maplewood Construction Site wasn’t where I’d died; it was just the dumping ground, which complicated the investigation. Dad directed the officers to search around the site for suspicious activity. “Dr. Harper,” he said to Mom, “can you take a closer look and see if there’s anything new? Get the DNA samples to the lab right away.” Mom nodded and began examining my body as Dad left the room. They cared more about the case than they ever had about me. Mom had once stroked Sierra’s hair, saying how forensic science could be a beautiful way to honor the dead. I remembered how Sierra had rolled her eyes behind Mom’s back as if she found it ridiculous. I’d slapped her once, which had earned me a shaved head as punishment from Dad. Now, Mom gently brushed my hair back, whispering, “Dying this way…her family must be devastated.” I gave a dry, bitter smile. If my family cared about me, they’d be thrilled I was gone. Only my brother would probably feel sad. Mom’s hand moved to my back, where there was a large burn scar—something I got when I was abducted years ago. When they brought me home and saw it, Mom had remarked with disgust, “What happened to your back? Don’t scare Sierra with that.” Now, as her fingers touched the scar, I wondered if she’d recognize me. But her calm voice broke the silence, “This isn’t recent.” Suddenly, her assistant gasped, “Dr. Harper, there’s a piece of paper in her stomach!” Mom’s eyes widened, and she sighed, “The stomach acid has eroded it. Let’s see if forensics can extract anything useful.” At that moment, Mom’s phone rang with Sierra’s favorite song. Mom dashed out into the hall, her voice warm. “Sweetheart, what’s up? Mom’s at work.” “Tomorrow?” she paused and then, her voice softened, “Yes, Dad and I will be there for your match. Your brother’s still away on assignment.” Sierra’s voice echoed in my ears, playful and innocent. “You’re the best, Mom! I’d love it if Lena came to support me, too. I know she doesn’t like me much, though—it’s fair, I guess. I’ve kind of taken all the love you and Dad have to give.” Though she’d always been cruel to me, Sierra liked putting on an act of sisterly affection in front of Mom and Dad. Right on cue, Mom’s voice sharpened. “You’re our baby. Lena is just…nothing. She steals from us, bullies you behind our backs—she’s not my daughter.” “You don’t need to worry, honey. If Lena has to drag herself there in a wheelchair, I’ll make sure she attends!” Sierra chuckled sweetly. “Dad called earlier and told me to be safe. Mom, remember to tell Lena too.” “Take care of yourself, Sierra. So long as Lena doesn’t show up dead on our doorstep, I don’t care what she does.” Mom’s dislike for me was always evident. Maybe it was because I was the daughter they couldn’t shape into their ideal. When they found me, they hadn’t even changed my last name to Harper. In their eyes, Sierra was their only daughter.

After Sierra’s call, Mom got a call from my brother, Jack. “Jack, when are you back from your assignment? Your sister wants you to watch her match!” Mom blurted out before he could say a word. Jack had been the only one who showed me kindness when they’d brought me home. He’d held my hand and said, “Don’t worry, Lena. You’re home now.” On the phone, Jack hesitated. “Isn’t Lena’s math competition next month?” Mom cut him off, annoyed. “Lena, Lena! Sierra is the one who’s really your sister—how many times have I said that? Lena’s a bad influence, and she’s not fit to be a Harper.” Jack sighed, his frustration evident. “Mom, you really should give Lena a chance. She’s kind, and if you’d show her some care, you’d see it.” “She hasn’t answered my calls or texts,” he added. “Is she even at home?” Mom scoffed. “She goes wherever she pleases. I can’t tether her. Tomorrow is Sierra’s match, and if you can’t make it, no big deal.” Pausing, she added harshly, “Tell Lena if she doesn’t show up, she may as well never come back.” Just then, Dad returned, noticing her irritated expression. “Was the case difficult?” Mom shook her head, her tone exasperated. “It’s not the case. It’s Lena. I think she’s roped Jack into playing this disappearing act with her.” Dad exhaled loudly, clearly frustrated. “She knows we’re busy, and yet she pulls stunts like this. She’s so ungrateful. I’ll call her right now and straighten this out!” But call after call only went to voicemail. “She was better off never being found,” Dad muttered. “All she does is bring trouble.” Standing nearby, Dr. Norton had overheard everything. With a sigh, he murmured, “You both left your jobs for a year to look for her when she was taken. How did it come to this?” I wanted to smile, but bitterness filled me instead. They had found a version of me that didn’t fit their expectations. I was just a kid from the backwoods who didn’t know her place. When I came back at fifteen, the house was grander than anything I’d ever known. Mom and Dad were coddling Sierra as she cried. I stood there in patched clothes, staring down at my worn shoes with the torn toe. Sierra had looked up, pausing her tears to smirk, “Who’s this little street rat?” Mom and Dad’s faces had darkened, but not because of her words—they were disappointed in me. “Detective Harper, Dr. Harper.” A police officer approached with the incident reports. “No missing person reports over the last few days. The family didn’t notice she was gone. Do they not have a good relationship?” “Hard to believe some parents care so little,” someone muttered. I could feel the sadness wrapping around me like a heavy blanket, suffocating. They were heartbroken that some parents didn’t care about their kids, but not one of them thought to ask if I was safe during my disappearance. Years ago, they would have dropped everything for me. But now, they suspected my absence was a ploy for attention. Maybe I never should have come back. This was Sierra’s home, not mine. The years they should have spent loving me were already taken, and whatever love they had left was no longer mine.

Mom handed the partially digested piece of paper to Dr. Norton. Rubbing her sore back, she muttered to Dad, “I hope this can give us something. Did you remind Sierra to lock up?” Dad nodded, but there was a hint of unease in his eyes. “Marjorie, Lena’s not picking up her phone, and Jack hasn’t heard from her either. You don’t think…maybe I should get someone to check up on her?” Mom cut him off with an impatient sigh. “You know her—she’s probably hiding, waiting for us to come looking. This isn’t the first time.” “She’s just avoiding Sierra’s match. By tomorrow, she’ll be crying on the phone, begging for forgiveness.” The last time I’d gone “missing” was over the summer, when Sierra locked me in the school bathroom. I’d called for help until my voice was hoarse, and by the time I got out, my ankle was swollen, and I was covered in dirt. I went home, limping, hoping for a bit of comfort. But Dad had only hit me with a hard slap, with Mom shouting, “Sierra saw you sneaking off with some delinquent. How could I have raised someone so shameless?” I couldn’t speak for myself, only standing there while Sierra watched with a smug, hidden smile. Later, Jack had gently helped me clean up, saying softly, “It’s not that they don’t love you, Lena. They just don’t know how to show it.” But I knew better. Compared to Sierra, who was perfect, I would never have my parents’ love. The scales of their affection were always tipped against me. If I were still alive, I’d probably be at the station right now, bringing homemade soup for Mom and Dad when they had to work late. But this time, I couldn’t apologize to them like they expected. After all, I was dead. The forensics department quickly examined the paper. It turned out to be a receipt from a small shop. The killer had forced it into my mouth with contempt, taunting, “A little present for your mom and dad? Bet they’d just throw it in the trash.” Dad squinted at it. “Where’s this from?” Dr. Norton frowned, looking closer. “Looks like it’s from a place that sells charms and trinkets.” When they arrived at the shop with other officers, the store owner looked startled by their badges and uniforms. She took the crumpled receipt, checking the order number. “That was a young girl,” she recalled. “She said it was a gift for her parents, because of how dangerous their jobs are. I remember her well. She never picked them up, and she didn’t answer any of my calls.” The shopkeeper then brought out two small, red good-luck charms, explaining softly, “They’re for health and safety, long life and peace.” Dad took them, exhaling deeply. “Do you still have the security footage?” The shopkeeper nodded. “That girl spent so much time picking these out. Very quiet, very polite. I’d recognize her anywhere.” The security footage played on the small monitor, and the room fell silent. Mom swallowed hard, staring at the screen. “She…looks like Lena.” “Lena?” the shopkeeper replied. “That was the name on the order slip!” Dad’s face tightened, his voice low as he forced himself to stay calm. “It’s just a coincidence. I’m sure Lena’s somewhere laughing at us right now.” “Ma’am, did you and Lena plan this together? You know that obstructing police is a serious offense?” Just then, Mom’s phone rang again. Her voice wavered as she answered. “Julie?” It was her colleague, lab technician Julie Lee. “Dr. Harper, the DNA results on the victim are back,” Julie said urgently.

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My brother-in-law’s son was diagnosed with leukemia. Instead of using their own assets, they wanted me to sell the house I bought before marriage to cover the medical expenses. I refused. My husband said, “My nephew is sick, and you can’t even sell a house for his treatment. Do you even deserve to be his aunt?” Do I look like someone easily fooled? So, I filed for divorce and left. I had to get away from a family with such distorted values. 0After a busy day at work, I got home and opened the door to an unexpected sight. Sitting in my living room were Grant and Debbie Hawley, my in-laws, along with Mason Hawley, my brother-in-law. I was puzzled. I hadn’t spoken to Grant and Debbie for years because of some past conflicts. Ryan always went back to see them on holidays by himself, but they hadn’t set foot in our home for as long as I could remember. Mason, who was always taking sides with his parents, never missed an opportunity to show me a cold shoulder. I was so fed up that I cut ties with him too. So why on earth were they all here, sitting together in my house? As soon as I walked in, Ryan rushed over to take my bag and shoes, acting like the perfect husband. Debbie, who had never been overly friendly, actually greeted me warmly. This was all too strange, and I knew something was up. Sure enough, the moment I sat on the couch, Debbie burst into tears, covering her mouth as she spoke. “Luke is sick.” I quickly asked, “What’s wrong with him?” Debbie’s tears fell even harder. “Leukemia.” I was shocked. I looked at Mason and saw his eyes were red, like he’d been crying. Even though Mason and I didn’t get along, his son Luke was a sweet kid—smart and adorable. Sometimes, when Mason was busy, Ryan would bring him home, and Luke would always greet me with a cheerful “Aunt Savannah.” The thought of such a well-behaved child being diagnosed with something so serious really hurt my heart. Debbie continued, “The doctors said it’s acute leukemia. There are only two treatment options: chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant.” At this, I immediately spoke up. “With modern medical technology, leukemia has a high cure rate. Luke will be fine. Let’s all go to the hospital and get tested for a match.” Debbie nodded in approval at my response. “But,” she added, “the treatment, the hospital stay, and the surgery afterward will all cost a fortune. The doctors said it would cost at least $500,000 to $600,000. Mason only makes $5,000 a month, even if he worked himself to death, he wouldn’t be able to cover it.” As she spoke, Debbie began to cry again. That’s when I realized where this was going. Though I didn’t care for Mason, when it came to a child’s health, I knew what mattered most. I turned to Ryan and said, “We have $60,000 in our account. Go ahead and transfer it to Mason. It’s not much, but it’s something from us as his aunt and uncle.” Sixty thousand wasn’t a huge sum, but it was everything we had. We had a mortgage, a car loan, and regular expenses. By the end of the month, we barely had anything left. I thought I had done my duty as part of the family. Just as I was feeling proud of my generosity, I heard Grant scoff, “Sixty thousand? That’s not going to do much.” In that instant, all my goodwill evaporated. I didn’t say another word, just leaned back on the couch. Debbie took over, playing the good cop. “I feel like we’re all family, and in tough times, we have to pull together. Savannah, I know we’ve had our misunderstandings in the past, but I also know you really care about Mason. Now that he’s in trouble, you won’t just sit back and do nothing, right?” I let out a cold chuckle in my head. They were buttering me up, trying to squeeze more money out of me. I was already thinking about whether I could borrow more from my parents when Debbie hit me with something even worse. “Savannah, don’t you have that house over in Lakeview? You’re not living in it now, so why don’t you sell it to help with Luke’s treatment? Don’t worry, we’ll remember your kindness. When Luke grows up, he’ll be sure to show you his gratitude.” If I didn’t see their true intentions by now, I’d have to be a complete fool. I glanced at Ryan, noticing how he avoided my gaze. He clearly knew about this. But why should I sell my house? That house was bought for me by my parents before I got married. They poured all their savings into it to give me some security in life. Now they wanted me to sell it? The nerve. It was obvious they had discussed this before I even got home. Before I could respond, Debbie spoke up again, “Ryan agrees with this plan.” I glared at Ryan. “I don’t care what Ryan agreed to. That house is mine. I bought it before we got married. He has no say.” Debbie looked embarrassed for a second, but she didn’t give up. “Why are we even talking about what’s yours and mine? We’re all family, and this is about the Hawley family.” “Savannah, are you still holding a grudge because Mason said some mean things to you before? If that’s the case, I’ll apologize. But Luke’s life is in your hands.” Debbie was trying her best at emotional manipulation. Seeing through their schemes, I finally dropped the pretense and said coldly, “Don’t put that on me, Debbie. I’m just the aunt. Luke has his parents, and you and Grant are his grandparents. If a house has to be sold, why don’t you sell yours?” “That’s ridiculous! We need our house to live in.” “And yours is just sitting there empty. Why are you being so selfish?” So that’s how it was. They were a family, and I was the outsider. Their child was sick, and instead of selling their own home or cars, they expected me, the aunt, to make the sacrifice? Too bad for them, I’m not the pushover they think I am. No matter how much they tried, I refused to agree. In the end, Mason lost his temper and threw his glass on the floor with a loud crash. It startled me, but I stayed quiet. He stormed out, shouting, “Fine, if she won’t help, so be it! It’s not like Luke won’t survive without her.” With that, he slammed the door behind him. Grant banged his fist on the table, yelling, “Our family is cursed! Cursed!” Debbie joined in, crying out, “She doesn’t even consider us family! At a time like this, she’s still thinking about herself. So selfish.” Finally, when they saw there was no winning me over, they left in a huff. Ryan ran after them, but they slammed the door in his face. It was all a disaster. When Ryan came back, he was furious with me. “Savannah, you were way out of line today!” “How could you speak to my parents and brother like that? They’re going through a really hard time.” I raised my eyebrows and snapped back, “Oh, I haven’t even started with you, Ryan. Who do you think you are, agreeing to sell my house? You can’t make that decision! My parents bought me that house. You don’t get a say.” “Your brother has a house and a car. Why isn’t he selling those? Why are your parents’ assets off the table? And you want me to sell mine? Do you think I’m an idiot?” “You think I’m being harsh? I don’t care. Helping him is a kindness, not an obligation. And by the way, $60,000 isn’t nothing. It took us years to save that.” Ryan’s face turned red with embarrassment. He scratched his head. “But they only have that one house. They can’t sell it; where would they live?” Ryan was always like this—kind-hearted but spineless, with no principles. We met in college, and during our dating years, I loved how gentle and caring he was. But when it came to real life, his wishy-washy attitude drove me crazy. I gave him one final warning. “If you go behind my back and do something I can’t accept, we’re done.” 0Even though I had laid down the law with Ryan, I could tell from his expression that this wasn’t over yet. And I was right. One evening after work, I came home to find Ryan showing our house to a couple of strangers—potential buyers. Fury boiled inside me. I waited until they left before I let loose. “What the hell are you doing?” Ryan couldn’t even look me in the eye, but he tried to stand his ground. “If you won’t sell your house, then I’ll sell mine, alright?” I let out a bitter laugh. “Your house? Are you sure this is your house?”

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